BOARD OF DIRECTORS Anthony C. Wood, Chair Eric Allison, Vice-Chair Stephen Facey, Treasurer Lisa Ackerman, Secretary Michele H. Bogart Joseph M. Ciccone Susan De Vries Margaret Ferguson Amy Freitag Elizabeth R. Jeffe Shirley Ferguson Jenks Otis Pratt Pearsall Duane A. Watson NEWSLETTER FALL 2010 Welcome to the thirteenth edition of the newsletter of the Preservation Archive Project. The mission of the New York Preservation Archive Project is to protect and raise awareness of the narratives of historic preservation in New York. Through public programs, outreach, celebration, and the creation of public access to information, the Archive Project hopes to bring these stories to light.

Bard Birthday Breakfast Benefi t 2010 ______Save the Date! December 1, 2010 8:30 am – 10:00 am Join Us for the 7th Annual Bard Birthday Breakfast Benefi t

The Seventh Annual Bard Birthday Breakfast development issues. A former reporter Penthouse Benefi t will soon be upon us! As a fi tting for the New York Post, Ms. Gratz has also 80 Fifth Avenue tribute to what would have been Albert S. written articles for , Bard’s 144th Birthday, we are celebrating Magazine, The Nation, with a talk by Roberta Brandes Gratz at the Tikkun, Planning Magazine, Newsday, the Daily Manhattan Penthouse on December 1, 2010. News, and Planning Commissioners Journal. In Tickets: 2010 BBBBRefl Invite_front_new.indd ecting upon her 1 decades-long friendship addition to serving on various 10/14/2010planning 11:09:11 AM Benefi t Committee Tickets: $250 with the late Jane Jacobs, Gratz will provide and preservation boards, Ms. Gratz was a behind-the-scenes look at the research she appointed to the New York City Landmarks Benefi t Tickets: $125 completed for her recently published book, Preservation Commission by Mayor Michael Student Tickets: $65 The Battle for Gotham: New York in the Shadow Bloomberg in 2003. of Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses. Utilizing her To purchase tickets or if you have own extensive body of work and the many Your support at our annual benefi t will any questions about the event, please interviews she conducted with the city’s support NYPAP’s efforts to record and do not hesitate to contact Matthew key thinkers, preservationists and planners, document the history of the preservation Coody at the NYPAP offi ce: Gratz has created an intimate account of movement in New York City. And this year [email protected] New York’s urban transformation and an your gift will have an even greater impact or analysis of how other cities might learn from by helping us meet a one-to-one $15,000 212-988-8379. its rebirth. matching grant from the Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Foundation. We are very Your support for NYPAP and its Roberta Brandes Gratz is an award-winning excited about this upcoming event and programs is greatly appreciated. journalist, urban critic, international lecturer, sincerely hope you will join us on December and author of three books on urban 1st!

Page 1 Chairman’s Column: We’re Not Alone! Anthony C. Wood

Over ten years ago, when the New York its history of advocacy campaigns, Law Program, Dorothy’s invaluable papers Preservation Archive Project fi rst started preservation history is “going viral.” The now have a permanent home. Too often, to beat its drum for the preservation, latest entry is a wonderful new feature in the as families, friends, or associates have had documentation, and celebration of the Municipal Art Society’s web updates, “From to deal with the possessions of a departed history of preservation activity in New York, the Archive.” The September 8 edition preservationist, the path of least resistance we were very “out there.” With the exception featured a 1936 Christmas Eve letter from has been the one leading to the dumpster. of a few anniversary moments, it was not Robert Moses to then MAS president Electus The creation of the Historic Preservation part of the culture of preservationists or D. Litchfi eld. Indeed, as part of its recent Law Archive to preserve Dorothy’s papers of preservation organizations to devote relocation, MAS brought in a professional is a model for how to save precious primary resources or energy to capturing their own to offer advice on the organization’s archives resources. May this effort inspire many history. Preservation’s narrative was at and that collection is now in the capable imitators! best an underperforming asset, (not being hands of Kathy O’Callaghan, Manager of used to help inform, educate or inspire the MAS Archives. As a small organization, with a tiny treasury the movement) and at worse a wasting and the huge ambition of documenting, asset (being lost with the passage of time). The importance of recording the preservation preserving and celebrating the history of Certainly, no one was “sweating the asset.” dimension of larger historic narratives is also preservation, NYPAP early on embraced being discovered. The Museum of the City the “Tom Sawyer” business model. We seek Fast forward to 2010. I’m happy to report of New York’s major exhibit, “America’s to inspire, cajole and in all ways possible, we are no longer alone in our appreciation Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention recruit others to “paint the fence” for us. of preservation’s history. The culture of of New York,” not only addresses Lindsay’s Preservation’s history is a big fence belonging preservation is indeed changing. Others are preservation legacy but a related special to us all and it will take all of our combined seeing its importance: they are helping to program, “Lindsay’s Forgotten Preservation efforts to get it painted! document and preserve it and are using the Legacy: Air Rights and the Strengthening preservation narrative to inspire and inform of the Landmarks Law,” puts preservation’s It is gratifying to see the culture of the movement. This is a movement that is history front and center. preservation beginning to evolve to include beginning to value its own history. Though a greater recognition and appreciation of NYPAP cannot take credit for the exciting Another example of the growing appreciation the value of preservation’s history. Creative work that has begun to take place, we would of preservation’s history - and the need to efforts like those mentioned above are like to think that our beating of that drum document and preserve it - is the opening on emerging. If you are aware of other such for the past decade has perhaps inspired September 23rd of the Historic Preservation examples please let us know so that we some of the new energy being used to tell Law Archive at Pace University School of Law can share them as models. If you are preservation’s story. Library as the home of the collected papers contemplating taking on a project – large of Dorothy Miner, a NYPAP Board member or small – that involves the history of the That story is now unfolding in some exciting and supporter, and a seminal player in the preservation story, and you need some help ways, one of which is through the Web. last several decades of preservation in New or advice, we are here to assist you. We Whether it is the Greenwich Village Society York City (see story on page 3). Thanks to love to partner on programs and archival for Historic Preservation’s web feature, the assistance of Dorothy’s brothers, Richard initiatives. “Remembering the Pioneers of Greenwich and Robert Miner, as well as Nick Robinson, Village Preservation,” or Landmark West’s Dorothy’s teaching colleague at Pace, the We’re no longer alone and it feels great! website with its special section documenting Pace Law Library and Pace’s Environmental Come paint the fence with us!

Page 2 New Archive Opens! Historic Preservation Law Archive Honors the Memory of Dorothy Miner

will help future generations of scholars, lawyers and preservationists achieve some sense of the preservation powerhouse that was Dorothy Miner. NYPAP has a special affi nity for Dorothy, one of our earliest and longest-serving board members. She shared intensely in our mission to preserve, document and celebrate the history of preservation, realizing that this is essential for preservation’s future. While we all miss In Memoriam: Dorothy dearly, this archive will help to keep her passion, knowledge and generosity alive Robert Kornfeld, Sr. for those who will follow in her footsteps. Historic District Pioneer Dies at 91

Thanks go to Dorothy’s brothers, Richard Robert J. Kornfeld, Sr., instrumental in creating the Riverdale Historic District, passed away in and Robert Miner, as well as Pace Law Inwood on August 23, 2010. Co-author of the School, and especially to Professor book Landmarks of the Bronx and chairman of the Nicholas A. Robinson, Dorothy’s colleague Bronx Landmarks Task Force, Bob Kornfeld was Pace Law School, courtesy of Pace University at Pace, for their instrumental roles in the passionate about preserving the Bronx, and in preservation of Dorothy’s papers and the particular, Riverdale, the neighborhood he called NYPAP is excited to announce the offi cial creation of this archive for the education of home for 56 years. “He felt that Riverdale was opening of the Historic Preservation Law generations to come. so beautiful and that it shouldn’t be changed. It Archive at Pace Law School. Established by meant so much to him that he was an important part of Riverdale,” Celia Kornfeld, Bob’s widow, Richard and Robert Miner, in honor of their told The Riverdale Press shortly after his death. sister, Dorothy Marie Miner, the archive will In 1967, after watching for a decade as his house Dorothy’s collected papers, a gift of idyllic Riverdale slowly become overwhelmed the Miner Family to Pace University. by apartment buildings and institutional development, Kornfeld began a personal quest As a pillar of the preservation world, legal to designate a portion of Riverdale as a historic counsel to the New York City Landmarks district. Singlehandedly performing much of Preservation Commission for 20 years, and the research at various city archives, Bob would later distinctly recall the thrill of stumbling professor of preservation law at Columbia across treasure troves of information at these and Pace, Dorothy has left a trove of papers collections. After more than 20 years of hard with unmatched insight into the inner legal work, Kornfeld convinced the Landmarks workings of the New York landmarks law Preservation Commission of Riverdale’s during its fi rst 50 years. Perhaps what merits. The Riverdale Historic District was will prove most valuable to scholars of designated in 1990 for its “picturesque, physical Dorothy’s work is her unique approach to interrelationship” of houses and because it applying and advancing the landmarks law is the “earliest known railroad suburb within New York City and as such is a rare surviving during her long tenure at the Landmarks suburban development.” The fact that Riverdale Preservation Commission. remains beautifully intact is Bob Kornfeld’s great legacy to the city of New York. The Archive Dorothy Miner’s untimely death in 2008 Project was lucky enough to work with Shannon saddened everyone who had the pleasure Haltiwanger from Pratt Institute’s Historic of working with her and learning from her. Preservation Program on an oral history with The many students she taught inevitably Bob in 2007. This is one of the only such oral recall her extensive knowledge, dedication histories to document his signifi cant role in the preservation world. A full obituary can be found and tremendous generosity in sharing this in the September 1, 2010 issue of The Riverdale knowledge of the fi eld she loved so dearly. Press. To share your memories of Mr. Kornfeld, Although Dorothy is irreplaceable, the Dorothy Miner at the 2005 NYPAP Bard Benefi t; please visit the Memory Collection Project on archiving of her papers at Pace Law School from the NYPAP Collections our website.

Page 3 Recent Publications Read Up on the Latest in Preservation Scholarly Work

NYPAP is excited to announce the history and evolution of LPC enforcement, publication of three fascinating works on comparing this body’s policies to other the history of preservation in New York locales’ preservation ordinances and, City. PDFs of these works, and others, can interestingly, federal environmental laws such be found on the NYPAP website under the as the Clean Air Act. Various case studies “Library” tab. Enjoy! - such as the Lenox Hill Brownstones and the Windemere - are also discussed as real Marjorie Pearson has recently completed world examples of enforcement in action. New York City Landmarks Preservation Baccash concludes this comprehensive work Commission (1962-1999): Paradigm for Changing with suggestions on how enforcement of Attitudes Towards Historic Preservation, with the Landmarks Law may be improved for the help of a Samuel H. Kress Mid-Career the future. NYPAP is proud to share this Grant Study and funding by the James important resource with the preservation Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation. This community. comprehensive work describes and analyzes the history of the New York City Landmarks Last but not least is Martin L. Schneider’s The Municipal Building, January 19, 1968; from the Preservation Commission while setting it Battling for Brooklyn Heights, a compelling eye- Margot Gayle Collection within a larger national context. Beginning witness account of the passionate grassroots with the pre-1965 Advisory Commission, effort to protect one of the city’s most Pearson chronicles the establishment of the architecturally beautiful neighborhoods – Landmarks Preservation Commission, its the area that would become New York City’s years of expansion, its subsequent period of fi rst historic district. While highly specifi c siege, and fi nally, its coming of age in the last to Brooklyn Heights, Schneider also ties the decade of the twentieth-century. Pearson battle into the larger context of Brooklyn uses her insider’s experience as director in the 1960s, addressing divisive issues like of research at the LPC from 1978 to 1999 urban renewal, slum clearance and the need to describe these changes with a uniquely for middle-income housing. Also detailed personal touch. Among the many issues are the rise of reform politics in Brooklyn, analyzed, Pearson discusses the social and growing real estate pressures, the debate over Brooklyn Heights; from the Collections of NYPAP cultural issues that shaped the Commission, providing quality public education, and the using the various chairmen as focal points. battles between those who used Brooklyn This work is an invaluable contribution to Heights as their campaign grounds. Even the history of the Landmarks Preservation at present, with more than 100 historic Commission. districts in New York City, preservationists and passionate citizens inevitably face the Another recent publication with a focus on same hurdles that challenged Schneider the Landmarks Preservation Commission and his cohorts years ago in attempting to is Benjamin Baccash’s Enforcement and the protect their favorite corners of the city. New York City Landmarks Law: Past, Present, NYPAP’s hope is that through Schneider’s and Future. Baccash completed his ground- narrative, today’s concerned activists may breaking thesis while earning a Master of gain inspiration for their own battles, and Science in Historic Preservation degree at in the end, achieve equal levels of success. Columbia University’s Graduate School of We also hope that this story will provide Architecture, Planning & Preservation. In motivation for those of you who have made his study, Baccash questions the effi cacy - or are making - preservation history to of the LPC’s enforcement of the New capture your story on tape or in writing. York City Landmarks Law. Although the law is generally regarded as one of the most powerful in the nation, Baccash If you know of a recently completed argues that the law’s power depends on publication that you think would interest Clay Lancaster escorting members of the Community Conserva- tion and Improvement Council on an architectural tour of the strongest possible enforcement at the NYPAP, please do not hesitate to contact Brooklyn Hieghts, New York; photo by Carroll Cline, LPC. Thoroughly detailed in the work is the our offi ces! April 7, 1959.

Page 4 Landmarks45 Blog & Website Rendering of the proposed 15 Penn Plaza Building, courtesy of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects NYPAP’s website continues to evolve! the moment it appears (and again jump in with a can be meaningfully addressed. Finding a better Please bear with us as we update and correction if you feel otherwise) that NYC does way to debate, manage, and regulate changes to transfer all of our preservation resources to not have in place an effective mechanism to address NYC’s historic view sheds, scenic views, and aspects our new website. Also, Anthony C. Wood’s the question of the preservation of iconic scenic of the skyline remains on the “to do” list for the Landmarks45 blog continues to celebrate views...Shouldn’t New York have a less unwieldy civic community. It should be high on the list of the 45th anniversary of the New York City mechanism than a last-minute “Hail Mary” pass preservationists. Does some existing agency need landmarks law with intriguing posts on the at the City Council to address an issue as important to step up to the plate and exercise authority they past 45 years of landmarking. Following as the future of the city’s skyline? The New York already have? Is new authority needed? Have we here is an excerpt of a recent post that Times in its editorial on the subject at least suggested lost the ability earlier generations of civic leaders had caused quite a stir: some sort of “larger development plan for the entire to dream of improving the city’s ability to shape its area” was needed. Aren’t historic scenic views and future? That ability led to the Landmarks Law and “The recent controversy over 15 Penn Plaza, the the shape of the skyline issues of aesthetics that its strengthening. Is it time to dream again? Can Pelli Clarke Pelli planned addition to the NYC should fall under the purview of some appropriate we still dream? Let’s hope so. If New York is going skyline, raises many interesting questions. One city agency? Do they currently have the status they to have 15 Penn Plaza thrust into its skyline (which that has not been raised but should be of particular need to given serious consideration?...Can the threat seems to be the case unless some unknown variable interest to us, is: “Why the preservation community to the Empire State Building and the skyline lead comes into play), it should at least go down in the was so silent for so long on an issue with such a clear to some new thinking about scenic views, the skyline, history books as the building that led New York to impact on one of NYC’s most iconic buildings and and a better way to manage changes to them? The invent a way to conserve its iconic scenic view sheds on the city’s skyline?” It appears that it was only owners of the Empire State Building proposed and world-famous skyline.” after the powerful (though sadly not powerful enough) a 17 block “no go” zone around the building. owners of the Empire State Building reached out Interestingly, in an early iteration, the draft of our Please visit the NYPAP website at: that the preservation community logged in. Correct landmarks law included a 400 foot protective zone me if I’m wrong on that. Why wasn’t this a bigger around landmarks over which the Commission issue for preservationists? Did people decide to keep would have jurisdiction. Though understandably the www.nypap.org their “powder dry” knowing of the Mayor’s support efforts of the owners of the Empire State Building for the project and the unlikelihood of having any to preserve its iconic status may be seen as being Please visit the Landmarks45 blog impact on it? Or, was it that as a community we self interested, the owners have done New York at: have been so locked into the limits of our existing City the great favor of raising to public attention set of preservation tools that a threat of this nature a much larger issue—the city’s apparent lack of an wasn’t even perceived as a preservation issue? At appropriate forum in which such important issues www.landmarks45.org

Page 5 NYPAP News

NYPAP is pleased to welcome Elizabeth R. Jeffe to the Board of Directors. Ms. Jeffe – a journalist, editor, and adjunct professor of writing at Marymount Manhattan College – has always maintained a deep interest in New York City history and The New York Preservation Archive Project is a non-profi t organization dedicated to was recently elected to the Board of documenting, preserving, and celebrating the history of historic preservation in New Trustees of the National Trust for York City. Recognizing the instructive and inspirational importance of this history to the Historic Preservation. She has already continued health, success and growth of preservation in our city, NYPAP hopes to bring proven to be an invaluable asset to our these stories to light through public programs, oral histories, and the creation of public organization. access to information. NYPAP is devoted to celebrating neglected narratives of New York historic preservation, as well as the canon, using the archives that hold these stories. Due to a new position as Campaign Associate at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Laura Pedersen has stepped NYPAP thanks the following supporters for their generous contributions in 2009: down as Administrator of NYPAP. Institutions Dr. Lawrence J. Cohn Susan Henshaw Jones David Fitch Remington New York State Council on Jane Cowan David I. Karabell Genie & Donald Rice A much deserved thanks for all the the Arts Linda Cox Melissa Elstein & Eric Katzman Aaron Rose National Trust for Historic George A. Davidson Hilary Kitasei Annette Rosen amazing work Laura did for the Preservation’s John E. Streb Joan K. Davidson Mary Knapp Joseph S. Rosenberg Archive Project, especially her untiring Preservation Suzanne Davis Deborah M. & Peter Krulewitch Gary Scharfman Fund for New York Susan De Vries Judith M. LaBelle Christopher Schepis devotion to bringing NYPAP into J.M. Kaplan Fund Georgia Delano Alexia Lalli Martin L. Schneider Britt Densmore George S. Leibson Nancy E. Schuh the technological future with its new Individuals Michael Devonshire Brenda Levin Deborah Schwartz website. We wish her all the best for Anonymous John Morris Dixon Mimi Levitt Lisa Semple Lisa Ackerman Andrew S. Dolkart James S.J. Liao Whitney North Seymour, Jr., Esq. her future success. Dr. Jeanne Adair Frances & David Eberhart Barbara & Herbert Levy Arlene & Bruce Simon Daniel J. Allen Stephanie Eisenberg Ken M. Lustbader Richard Southwick Eric W. Allison Gretchen Gayle Ellsworth James R. MacDonald Thomas E. Spath NYPAP would like to welcome Charlotte P. Armstrong Mamie Eng Margaret M. Madden Kate Wood & David Sprouls Hunter F. Armstrong Richard Estes Sanford Malter Susan W. Stachelberg Matthew Coody as the new Jan C.K. Anderson Stephen Facey David & Jeanne Martowski Robert A.M. Stern Elizabeth Ashby Nicholas Falco Susan Mathisen Bruce P. Stevens Administrator. Mr. Coody is a recent Anthony Badalamenti Monica Feltson George McDaniel Howard L. Stevens graduate of the Columbia University Melissa E. Baldock Margaret Ferguson Liz McEnaney Meryl Stoller Simeon Bankoff Wendy Feuer Walter B. Melvin, Architect John H. Stubbs Historic Preservation program and is George Beane Ken Fisher Pauline Metcalf Joseph V. Svehlak Fred & Claire Beckhardt Thomas M. Fontana George & Susan Meyer Jean Tatge currently also working at Friends of the Barry Benape Janet Foster Barbara Michaels Jack Taylor Historic Districts. William L. Bernhard Amy Freitag Hayley Mines Gary Tomei Anne D. Bernstein Ann Walker Gaffney & Bronson Edward T. Mohylowski Sophia L. Truslow Thomas J. Bess Binger Nathaniel H. Morison III Helen S. Tucker Minor Bishop Barry H. Garfi nkel Robert Motzkin Susan Tunick NYPAP is excited to announce that we Leo Blackman & Kenneth Carol Gayle Richard J. Moylan Anne H. Van Ingen are one huge step closer to launching Monteiro Richard A. George Christopher Neville Alexander R. Veress Frederick Bland Gerald Goldberg Nicholson & Galloway, Inc. D’juro Villaran-Rokovich a new oral history project that will Louis Blumengarten Diana Goldstein Caroline Niemczyk Bethany Wall Agnes Bogart Vera Julia Gordon Gene A. Norman Arete Swartz Warren prove to be an essential resource for Michele H. Bogart Beatrice Gottlieb Frederick H. Osborn III Duane A. Watson anyone studying the history of New Peg Breen Roberta Brandes Gratz John Oddy Suzanne Welles Brooklyn Heights Association Susan Zises Green Jason Fisher Margot Wellington York City preservation. Stay tuned for Neal A. Brown Lisa Greenwald Everett Ortner Clark & Diane Whelton Bonnie Burnham Paul W. Gunther Kate Burns Ottavino Michael D.D. White, Esq. further developments over the next few George Calderaro David Paul Helpern, FAIA Melissa Pandolfi Marilyn B. Wilson months. Jennifer Cappeto May Ellen & Damon Hern Otis & Nancy Pearsall Anne Whitman Marvin A. Carlson Cecilia Holzman Peter Pennoyer Architects Kevin & Alexandra Wolfe Carnegie Hill Neighbors Gordon Hyatt Richard Pieper Anthony C. Wood Helen Chin Anna B. Iacucci Platt Byard Dovell White Archi- Sheryl Woodruff NYPAP would like to thank the New Thomas S. Chittenden Marion Jaye tects, LLP George W. Young York State Council on the Arts, the Joseph M. Ciccone Jan Hird Pokorny Associates James Stewart Polshek Linda Yowell Carol Clark Shirley Ferguson Jenks Warrie Lynn Price Lloyd P. Zuckerberg J. M. Kaplan Fund, the New York Robert Clark Pamela Jerome, AIA LEED AP Nicholas Quennell F. Anthony Zunino III Community Trust’s Windie Knowe The New York Preservation Archive Project is a not-for-profi t organization, and we Fund, and the Robert A. and Elizabeth depend on contributions to continue our work. We hope you’ll consider making a donation R. Jeffe Foundation for their recent to support the documentation and celebration of the history of grants. Our work here at NYPAP preservation in New York City. could not be done without their generous contributions. As always, NYPAP welcomes any thoughts, comments and suggestions from our supporters. Please feel free to contact Matthew Coody with any remarks at [email protected] or 212-988-8379.

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