South Village Historic District Designation Report December 17, 2013
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
South Village Historic District Designation Report December 17, 2013 Cover Photographs: 200 and 202 Bleecker Street (c. 1825-26); streetscape along LaGuardia Place with 510 LaGuardia Place in the foreground (1871-72, Henry Fernbach); 149 Bleecker Street (c. 1831); Mills House No. 1, 156 Bleecker Street (1896-97, Ernest Flagg); 508 LaGuardia Place (1891, Brunner & Tryon); 177 to 171 Bleecker Street (1887-88, Alexander I. Finkle); 500 LaGuardia Place (1870, Samuel Lynch). Christopher D. Brazee, December 2013 South Village Historic District Designation Report Essay prepared by Christopher D. Brazee, Cynthia Danza, Gale Harris, Virginia Kurshan. Jennifer L. Most, Theresa C. Noonan, Matthew A. Postal, Donald G. Presa, and Jay Shockley Architects’ and Builders’ Appendix prepared by Marianne S. Percival Building Profiles prepared by Christopher D. Brazee, Jennifer L. Most, and Marianne S. Percival, with additional research by Jay Shockley Mary Beth Betts, Director of Research Photographs by Christopher D. Brazee Map by Jennifer L. Most Commissioners Robert B. Tierney, Chair Frederick Bland Christopher Moore Diana Chapin Margery Perlmutter Michael Devonshire Elizabeth Ryan Joan Gerner Roberta Washington Michael Goldblum Kate Daly, Executive Director Mark Silberman, Counsel Sarah Carroll, Director of Preservation TABLE OF CONTENTS SOUTH VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT MAP .............................................. FACING PAGE 1 TESTIMONY AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ................................................................................ 1 SOUTH VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARIES ........................................................ 1 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 3 THE HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTH VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT ................................................................................................................... 5 Early History and 19th Century Architectural Development .................................................... 5 20th Century Architectural Development ................................................................................ 18 New York University and its Impact on the South Village .................................................... 22 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH VILLAGE ...................................... 23 Little Africa ............................................................................................................................. 23 Italian South Village ............................................................................................................... 27 South Village and Bohemian Culture ..................................................................................... 31 The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community’s Presence in the South Village ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Entertainment .......................................................................................................................... 39 FINDINGS AND DESIGNATION .............................................................................................. 47 BUILDING PROFILES ................................................................................................................ 50 Bleecker Street (Odd Numbers) .............................................................................................. 50 Bleecker Street (Even Numbers) ............................................................................................ 73 LaGuardia Place (Even Numbers) .......................................................................................... 93 MacDougal Street (Odd Numbers) ....................................................................................... 106 MacDougal Street (Even Numbers) ...................................................................................... 128 Minetta Lane (Odd Numbers) ............................................................................................... 145 Minetta Lane (Even Numbers).............................................................................................. 149 Minetta Street (Odd Numbers).............................................................................................. 152 Minetta Street (Even Numbers) ............................................................................................ 157 Sixth Avenue (Even Numbers) ............................................................................................. 158 Sullivan Street (Odd Numbers) ............................................................................................. 162 Sullivan Street (Even Numbers) ........................................................................................... 176 Thompson Street (Odd Numbers) ......................................................................................... 188 Thompson Street (Even Numbers)........................................................................................ 196 Washington Square South (Odd Numbers) ........................................................................... 208 Washington Square South (Even Numbers) ......................................................................... 209 Washington Square West (Odd Numbers) ............................................................................ 212 West 3rd Street (Odd Numbers)............................................................................................. 212 West 3rd Street (Even Numbers) ........................................................................................... 217 West 4th Street (Even Numbers) ........................................................................................... 232 West Houston Street (Even Numbers) .................................................................................. 240 ARCHITECTS’ AND BUILDERS’ APPENDIX ...................................................................... 251 ILLUSTRATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 302 West Washington Pl South Village Historic District Landmarks Preservation Commission W 4 St Washington Sq S 150 130 146 40 255 50 Greenwich Village South Village Historic District 141 262 Historic District Borough of Manhattan, NY [LP-2546] 249 Calendared: May 21, 2013 Public Hearing: June 25, 2013 Designated: December 17, 2013 Boundary of Historic District 135 99 W 3 St Tax Map Lots in Historic District 241 132 236 68 233 Boundaries of Existing Districts Existing Historic Districts 550 South Village Historic District 24 6 Minetta19 La 1 Manhattan MacDougal St La La Guardia Pl Queens ThompsonSt 25 22 Minetta St SullivanSt Sixth Ave 290 Carmine St Bleecker St 6 Brooklyn 1 209 143 Bleecker St 202 142 276 98 190 Downing St MacDougal- 260 Sullivan Gardens Greenwich Village Historic District Historic District Extension II 69 Bedford St 164 167 165 200 490 ¯ Feet 128 88 W Houston St Graphic Source: MapPLUTO, Edition 09v1, 2009. Author: Landmarks Preservation Commission, JM. Date: December 17, 2013. West Broadway West 72 168 70 164 148 King St 34 31 132 1 205 177 204 200 186 188 Landmarks Preservation Commission December 17, 2013, Designation List 470 LP-2546 TESTIMONY AT THE PUBLIC HEARING On June 25, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation of the South Village Historic District (Public Hearing Item No. 8). The hearing had been duly advertised in accordance with the provisions of law. 24 people spoke in support of designation, including representatives for City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, State Senator Brad Hoylman, State Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick, and Manhattan Community Board 2. Several residents and property owners also spoke in support of designation, as did representatives for the Bleecker Area Merchants’ and Residents’ Association, Charlton Street Block Association, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Historic Districts Council, New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Society for the Architecture of the City. The commission received a letter in support of designation from City Councilmember-Elect Corey D. Johnson. The commission also received five letters and emails regarding the proposed designation, three in support of designation, and two requesting a property be removed from the proposed historic district, as well as a postcard campaign comprising 104 submissions supporting designation. SOUTH VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARIES The South Village Historic District consists of the properties bounded by a line beginning at the northwest corner of West Houston Street and LaGuardia Place, extending westerly along the northern curbline of West Houston Street, northerly along the eastern curbline of Sullivan Street to a point on a line extending easterly from the southern property line of 170 Sullivan Street, westerly along said line to a point on a line running through the center of Sullivan Street, northerly along said line running through the center of Sullivan Street to a point on a line extending easterly from the southern property line of 170-172 Bleecker Street (aka 190 Sullivan Street), westerly along said line and the southern property lines of 170-172 Bleecker Street (aka 190 Sullivan Street) through 176 Bleecker Street