29th Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards

April 23, 2019
The Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards

Our 29th Lucy G. Moses Awards attracted a record 670 persons to “the Oscars of Preservation”—filling The Plaza Ballroom. We couldn’t have been happier to see everyone. What a great turnout to see Barnett Shepherd accept our Preservation Leadership Award and a special proclamation declaring “Barnett Shepherd Day,” from Staten Island Borough President James Oddo. Our project awards ranged from rescued houses in Crown Heights and Greenpoint, to major buildings like the Hispanic Society, Ford Foundation and Knickerbocker Club. It was a wonderful celebration of the great range of New York’s architecture.

The Conservancy is grateful for the support of the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, which makes the Awards possible.

Click here to see PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

PRESERVATION LEADERSHIP AWARD
Barnett Shepherd

PRESERVATION PROJECT AWARDS
2 Park Avenue
39 Clifton Place
202 Guernsey Street
462 Broadway
George B. and Susan Elkins House
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
Freehand Hotel
George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School
The Hispanic Society of America
Knickerbocker Club
Lewis H. Latimer House Museum
Prospect Park Wellhouse
Starrett Lehigh Building
Tenement Museum

MORE INFO ABOUT THE HONOREES

Preservation Leadership Award – Barnett Shepherd
Barnett Shepherd is receiving this year’s Leadership Award for his decades of advocating for Staten Island preservation. His name is synonymous with landmarks and historic architecture in the borough, having been an integral part of every major Staten Island preservation institution. Shepherd has become the undisputed resource for Staten Island preservation history and advocacy–the first and most essential call to find out what is happening in the St. George or St. Paul’s Avenue–Stapleton Historic Districts, or at the numerous grand houses and institutional buildings that define Staten Island’s rich architectural heritage. He founded the Preservation League of Staten Island in the 1970s to raise awareness of the importance of saving historic buildings and was the organization’s executive director from 2012 to 2017. He was instrumental in preserving Sailors’ Snug Harbor and other historic properties on the Island. Working with the Tottenville Historic Society, he conducted a survey 250 of historic buildings in that community. Shepherd served as the director and chief executive officer of the Staten Island Historical Society and Historic Richmond Town, the living history town and museum complex that evokes 350 years of history and culture, from 1981 to 2000. Those institutions welcomed him back in 2017 for a stint as interim director. Shepherd is also the author of several books on Staten Island history and architecture, including Staten Island Scenery: Paintings, Prints, Drawings and Photographs 1679-1900
(2013); Tottenville, The Town the Oyster Built (2003); Sandy Ground Memories (2003, Lois A.H. Mosley, co-author); and Sailor’s Snug Harbor, 1833-1976 (1978).

2 Park Avenue
The restoration of Ely Jacques Kahn’s 28-story 1930 Art Deco office tower has reinvigorated a lively façade, where bright terra cotta creates a pattern emphasizing the vertical and horizontal elements of the structure. Over many years, anchoring flaws on the terra cotta had caused damage, and attempts to match the original glazes with patching materials and coatings left the polychrome units dull. Some terra cotta could be restored, but corrosion at piers and window lintels left much unsalvageable.

The original terra cotta was all hand-pressed, but simple linear forms found here allowed for the replacement units to be extruded through a mold. The different process for these units required a redesign of anchoring system, so that it would not be visible on the face of the building. Vibrant glazes in bright green, azure, magenta, buff, matte yellow, glossy yellow, and black were developed to match the original deep tones of the historic fabric.

With these terra cotta gems restored, 2 Park Avenue once again punctuates this busy street with vibrant color and geometry.

Cushman & Wakefield

Diaz Architects
Steve Garrigan

Gladding, McBean
Jessica Ouwerkerk

Pratt Construction and Restoration
Lukasz Maksymowicz

39 Clifton Place
Four Brooklynites joined forces to improve a building and a neighborhood. Nearly 15 years ago, they purchased the sprawling 1876 corner row house in the Clinton Hill Historic District, which was mostly empty except for a bodega. The friends and neighbors wanted to transform it into a true mixed-use space.

Their first stabilization and restoration project started in 2005. The plan was to improve the battered brick and brownstone façade. Instead, urgent structural and safety needs took precedence. In the end, the only restoration was at the corner storefront. But this work allowed them to move in and start using the residential and commercial spaces.

In 2017, they took on the next phase. The brownstone façade was restored, down to incised floral details. The brick façade cleaned and repointed. The residential entryway and storefront were rebuilt, based on historic photographs and original remnants. Both the wood and sheet metal cornices were repaired and refinished. Over a decade, the owners have stayed committed to this building. Now it is vital part of the community, with apartments, a café, a furniture restoration shop, and a splendid historic façade.

Grand Clifton, LLC
Justin Cornell
Joe DeMartino
Karl Kipfmueller
Nina Webb

A Malek Contracting, LLC
Abdul Wadud

Easton Architects, LLP
Lisa Easton AIA, NCARB

Heights Woodworking
Vaughan Scully

202 Guernsey Street
The owners of this building persevered through a series of disasters lurking within their home. After purchasing the Italianate row house in the Greenpoint Historic District, seemingly typical problems snowballed into an unexpected, 100% reconstruction. An investigation into bouncing floors and persistent cracks in the plaster walls, revealed that a previous owner had removed floor joist supports, compromising the house. The solution was a gut renovation. When work began, deeper problems emerged. The north wall was bowing and separating, threatening the entire structure. Now the house also needed a new foundation and a new exterior wall.

As interior demolition began, the east and west facades were repointed from the inside and scaffolded for stability. At the unstable north wall, bricks could be pulled out by hand. Rebuilding started with pouring a new foundation. Then it was reconstruction of the north wall, knitted to the other facades. Throughout the building, salvaged historic fabric was reused alongside new, matching material. At the close of this saga, the owners’ perseverance has paid off, with their solid, secure and restored historic house.

Maria Kura & William Salter

Jay Butler, P.E.

Teresa Byrne, R.A.

Essex Works, Ltd.

MRS, Inc. / Renovations Unlimited
Michael Streaman

Rafael Adami Restoration, Inc.
Marc Adami
Rafael Cantoran

462 Broadway
This meticulous restoration has returned a French Renaissance-style building to its original glory. Located in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, the massive 1880 structure features lavish ornament and stylized capitals, but peeling paint and missing decoration obscured the façade’s beauty.

This project began with a plan to restore the weathered exterior. The scope expanded when every one of the 108 Corinthian columns revealed a built-in flaw. A bell-shaped collar that housed the acanthus leaves enhanced the design of the columns, but its flared shape retained water, causing rust, which built up and cracked the cast iron.

New iron castings, enhanced with protective coatings and stainless steel fasteners, replaced all the bell housings – over 1,500 individual components.

The full scope also included a historically accurate storefront, new monumental wood windows that match the originals, and the entire façade painted with an off-white faux marble finish based on historic paint analysis. 462 Broadway has regained its original grandeur and presence as an archetype of SoHo.

Himmel + Meringoff Properties, LLC
Stephen J. Meringoff
Jason Vacker

Allen Architectural Metals
Kate Allen
John Allen

Archstone Builders, LLC
Mark Fuscaldo
John Rambold

Artistic Windows
Jason Adamshick

Jablonski Building Conservation
Mary Jablonski

Melanie Freundlich Lighting Design
Melanie Freundlich

MRS, Inc.
Diego Suarez

Platt Byard Dovell White
Architects, LLP
Samuel G. White, FAIA

George B. & Susan Elkins House
The Elkins House has gone from vacant and on the verge of demolition to a stunning restoration. The 1850s wood frame, free-standing villa is one of Crown Height’s earliest houses, evoking its suburban era. But years of abandonment left it severely dilapidated, provoking concern from neighbors. When owners threatened demolition, advocates rallied and achieved landmark designation. This reprieve did not stop the neglect, as the House continued to deteriorate. This spiral ended when the LPC and the Buildings Department intervened and issued violations.

A new owner and project team found an innovative solution to reactivate the house. They divided it into two two-family semi-detached buildings, with all new systems. Minimally visible expansions increased the size of the apartments, but were blended into the façade. This approach addressed complicated code issues, created an income stream that would finance the work, and retained the landmark’s historic integrity.

The original porch columns and roof, some clapboards, attic windows, the cornice, entrance surround and window casings were all restored and reused. Other material was repurposed, such as pine from the framing which was used as stair treads. Many missing components were recreated based on tax photos. The Elkins House is once again a centerpiece of the neighborhood.

1375 Dean Street, LLC
Amber Mazor

A Degree of Freedom,
Structural Engineer, PLLC
Dominic Cullen

Conversano Associates, Inc.
Thierry Guye

nc2 Architecture, LLC
Richard Goodstein

Peter Scalera
Construction Services
Peter Scalera

Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice
Completed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates in 1968, the Ford Foundation’s headquarters was hailed as an architectural masterpiece. This restoration has maintained the building’s character while increasing transparency and accessibility.

The interior garden, originally designed by Dan Kiley, with lush trees, plants, shrubs and a pool, was renovated in a manner similar to the original, but with modern upgrades and plantings. A new brick pathway increases wheelchair access and the atrium now features a touch-and-smell garden and braille signage.

Treatments to the granite cladding and corten steel used compatible and sympathetic materials with minimal intervention. At the skylight, historic copper was repaired in place and the waterproofing system replaced. The building’s energy efficiency was significantly enhanced and the atrium was brought up to code with a new sprinkler system and fire and smoke separation system. Signature mid-century furniture was restored and reused and new art works and murals installed. A new name, the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, completes the evolution.

Please see printed program for a full list of project contributors.

Freehand New York
The historic George Washington Hotel has been reborn as Freehand New York. This 1930 neo-Romanesque hotel originally featured renowned public spaces such as the Georgian-style Library, Italian Renaissance-style Gallery, and Colonial-style Lounge, and developed a reputation for catering to writers, musicians, and creatives. It remained as a hotel until the 1990s when it was converted to dormitory use. Historic public rooms became offices filled with gypsum-board partitions, cubicles, and copy machines. Plumbing leaks and air-conditioning ductwork damaged decorative plaster. At the exterior, the two-story cast-stone base was soiled and coated with paint and graffiti.

A new ownership team collaborated to restore the structure and adapt it for a 21st-century use. Outside, the cast stone was cleaned and new storefronts that match the originals installed in every bay. Inside, offices gave way to restaurants and lounges. Original travertine, herringbone, and terrazzo floors, long hidden by ceramic tile, were exposed and renovated. Restored decorative plaster details mix with an eclectic décor and celebrate the hotel’s history. The Freehand Hotel recalls the George Washington’s historic glory, with an imprint for today.

Sydell Group
Joshua Zelkowitz

Concessi Engineering
Robert Concessi

GACE Consulting Engineers, DPC
Bradford T. Kiefer

Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC
Sarah Sher
Cas Stachelberg

IBI Group
Bryan McKeown

Roman and Williams
Whitley Esteban

Spring Roc, LLC
Neevon Spring

Walter B. Melvin Architects, LLC

George Westinghouse High School
George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School is part of the remarkable portfolio of C.B.J. Snyder, Superintendent of Buildings for the NYC Board of Education between 1891 and 1923. Snyder used revival styles to create schools that featured abundant light and air. Westinghouse was built in 1908 in the English Collegiate Style.

After years of use, the elaborate terra cotta parapet atop the façade was failing, and needed to be replaced. Structural supports were cleaned and reinforced, while pre-cast concrete and glass-fiber-reinforced concrete were used to rebuild the parapet. Specifications ensured that the same manufacturer made both products, ensuring visual compatibility and harmonious performance.

Water infiltration had damaged a vaulted Guastavino tile ceiling in the entry loggia. A custom specification and specialty subcontractor restored the loggia with a new layer of tile. Other work included brick and mortar replacement that matched the originals in shape, color and texture. The aged flat and copper roofs were replaced along with the drainage systems. This project has improved and maintained the school, while safeguarding Snyder’s legacy of architecture that honors education.

New York City School
Construction Authority
Lorraine Grillo, President & CEO
Elan Abneri PE
E. Bruce Barrett
Fenton Ellis
Cleveland Morrison PE
Ciara Rogers
Eric Tiedemann

Army Roofing
Duli Bajro
Boston Valley Terra Cotta
Nicholas Parisi
David Kucera, Inc.
Richard Johansen
International Follet Group, LLC
Ken Follett
Lo Sardo General Contractors, Inc.
Imperino Lo Sardo, Jr.
PAL Environmental Services
Salvatore DiLorenzo

Roeball Painting
Vincent Brewer
Superstructures
Engineering + Architecture, PLLC
John Galetta RA
John Grande PE
Richard Hambel
Gabriel Haywood
David May RA
Brian Richardson
Lorie Riddle RA

The Hispanic Society of America
Archer Milton Huntington founded the Hispanic Society in 1908 as an institution dedicated to the art and culture of the Hispanic world. In recent years, the Beaux-Arts building’s magnificent roof was no longer serving it well. The hipped batten-seam copper lower tier was severely weathered and cracked. The upper-tier skylight allowed condensation to drip onto the Main Gallery ceilings, damaging the extensive collection of paintings, drawings, prints, books, manuscripts, and artifacts. Natural light was difficult to control, limiting exhibitions. Roof replacement was necessary.

After the existing roof and skylight were removed, and asbestos abated, the roof was built back up with structural steel reinforcement and thermal and moisture protection. Lumber substrates were framed with sustainably grown mahogany for strength, durability and stability. A new copper batten seam system and hundreds of glorious copper details replicate the original design. The new roof also features systems to prevent freezing and ice blockage. An interior laylight will replicate the effect of natural light without the harsh environmental issues. The new roof has recreated a rich and exuberant design, incorporating historical techniques and a few modern improvements that will protect the Hispanic Society.

The Hispanic Society of America
Mitchell Codding
Margaret Connors McQuade
Philippe de Montebello
Eagle Scaffolding
Tommy Canova
Gotham Metalworks
Jim Barton
Kevin Walsh
H&L Electric
Howard Weiss
Macfelder Plumbing
Mark Hafner
Maria C. Romañach Architects
Maria Romañach
PAL Environment Services
Panos C. Yalamas, Jr.

QuadTec Engineering Design
George Currier
Riconda Maintenance, Inc.
Kaare Stokdal
Westerman Construction
Management & Consulting
Dan Wrzesinski RA LEED AP
WJE Engineers & Architects, PC
Eric Hammarberg
Ysrael A. Seinuk,
PC Consulting Engineers
Anthony Fitzgerald

Knickerbocker Club
The neo-Federal Knickerbocker Club, designed by Delano & Aldrich, is essentially unchanged since it opened in 1915. As it reached the centennial mark, the Club undertook a full restoration phased to allow continuous service.

Over several years, the masonry facade, windows and doors, roofs, and decorative elements were all addressed, along with improvements to the structural system. Previous repairs were replaced with appropriate materials to unify the façades and ensure decades of future service. Historic fabric was salvaged, restored and reused where possible. When replacement materials were needed, the Club took extraordinary effort. The Lincoln Marble for the cornice was quarried in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and assembled in Quebec. Replica ‘creased’ brick using a custom clay mix and size was sourced from England to reconstruct the terrace and rooftop chimneys. Custom terra cotta tile shingles reproduced by the original manufacturer replaced broken units.

The Knickerbocker Club has fully occupied its building with the knowledge that it will serve generations of members and its neighborhood well into the future.

Knickerbocker Club
Ken Bartels
Theodore D. Rogers, Jr.

Anne Bickerstaff

Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc.
Lewis Gleason
Cory Rouillard AIA
Meszaros Engineering
Christian Meszaros PE
Nicholson & Galloway, Inc.
Mark Haynes RA
planB Engineering
John McErlean PE
Silman
Edmund Meade PE

Lewis H. Latimer House
Lewis H. Latimer was a brilliant innovator who overcame a lack of formal education to become a great inventor. This Museum represents his extraordinary life, as it celebrates African-American heritage and inspires a future generation of visionaries. Born to fugitive slaves, Latimer enlisted in the Navy during the Civil War, where he taught himself technical drawing. In his illustrious career, he invented a new method of making carbon filaments for the incandescent lamp, and worked with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison.

Latimer and his wife purchased this 1889 Queen Anne-style house in 1903. Decades later, it was rescued from demolition and moved to its current location. The wood-frame residence long suffered from deteriorated roofing and siding, peeling paint, and broken shutters, conditions that left the Museum struggling to present a welcoming appearance. This restoration improved the entire envelope. Wood clapboards and trim were replaced and the house painted in a historically appropriate palette. The wood shingle roof was replaced to match the original, and new lightning protection will help preserve the house’s future, and Latimer’s legacy.

New York City Department
of Parks and Recreation
Mitchell Silver, Commissioner
Historic House Trust of NYC
Matthew Coody
John Krawchuk

Lewis H. Latimer House Museum
James Driscoll
Ran Yan
Baschnagel Brothers, Inc.
Benjamin Moore & Co.
Julianne Maguire
Mather Building Arts &
Craftsmanship High School
Ryan Walsh

Prospect Park Wellhouse
Olmsted, Vaux & Co.’s Wellhouse features an eclectic style with Queen Anne, Gothic, and Stick-style details. It was originally part of the Park’s watercourse system, with an enormous well in the front yard. When the system became redundant, the well was filled with earth and the Wellhouse declined. Decorative features were removed, the building deteriorated, and all traces of the well vanished. The most recent use was a maintenance shed.

This adaptive-use project began with a historic drawing that documented many lost elements: the historic façade, a cellar, and the well. The project team dug by hand and soon discovered the well’s brick ring, which became a seat wall. Excavation uncovered the original cellar and a tunnel connecting it to the well. This lower level made the Wellhouse a good candidate for a self-sustaining toilet composting system, the first in a City park. At the façade, roof finials and wooden windows were custom-made to match the originals. The finishing touch was a bright and historically appropriate color palette that matches the building’s lively style.

New York City Department
of Parks and Recreation
Mitchell Silver, Commissioner
Paul Daley
Prospect Park Alliance
Susan Donoghue
Laura Evans
Alden Maddry
Don Mills
Louise Smith
Tiffany Wang
Christian Zimmerman
Anzalone Architecture, PLLC
James Anzalone
Clivus Multrum, Inc.
Don Mills

IP Group Consulting Engineers
Leslie Kahn

J.S. Held, LLC
Tom Yoo

PBA Engineering PC
Paul Beck
Jim Dlugosz
Urban Engineers of New York, DPC
Oscar Bustos
Robert Golisch

XBR, Inc.
Peter Lambrakis
Angelo Zaharatos

Starett Lehigh Building
The Starrett Lehigh Building caused a sensation when it opened in 1931. The 19-story International Style structure occupies a full West Chelsea block, with a striking profile along the Hudson River. Innovative setback supporting columns enabled the continuous bands of windows that curve around the entire facade. There were a number of issues with the ribbon-style, steel windows when work began in 2011. The sashes and operable vents were severely deteriorated, and the single-pane glass provided such poor thermal and acoustical protection that restoration was not a good option.

Finding an aluminum replacement window that matched the original design, historic profiles and sightlines, while achieving slender muntins, and the increased weight of insulated glass was a challenge. When the manufacturer’s first proposal did not meet Landmarks Commission standards, the firm re-engineered their windows until they were successful. The 5,000 windows were replaced at night over two years, to minimize disruption to building tenants. They ensure that the Starrett Lehigh Building will maintain its distinctive presence.

RXR Realty
Marcelo Renzi

Boddewyn Gaynor Architects, D.P.C.
Michael Ankuda, AIA
Michele Boddewyn, AIA

Graham Architectural Projects
Maurice Benor

Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, LLC
Ward Dennis

RXR Construction Services, LLC
Jaime Oliveira

United Glass Systems
Mark Leonard

The Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum tells the story of how immigrants learned to live in this country. A ten-year master plan, which created new exhibit and visitor spaces, is now complete. It assessed the Museum’s properties, mission, and vision, and developed a methodology of retaining and showcasing its buildings to serve as teaching tools.

97 and 103 Orchard Street were stabilized and renovated, with systems upgrades and protection of historic fabric. The program at #97 included recreating the 1869 home of an Irish Catholic immigrant family in a long-vacant apartment. 103 Orchard Street now houses a ground floor storefront visitors’ center, which has become an anchor of the Museum. Upstairs is the “Under One Roof,” the Museum’s first exhibit of post-World War II immigration. Historic wood paneling remnants and shutters were incorporated into the design, and stairwells intentionally show layers of plaster, mortar, brick, and paint that reflect the building’s past. As its Lower East Side neighborhood has evolved, the Tenement Museum remains devoted to celebrating its history, manifested in the tenement building.

Tenement Museum
Kevin Jennings
Constructomics
Glenn Levey
Jablonski Building Conservation
Mary Jablonski
Kohler Ronan
Steve Lembo
Perkins Eastman
Nicholas Leahy
Russell Design
Anthony Russell Severud Associates
Janice Clear

ABOUT THE AWARDS:
The New York Landmarks Conservancy has been a leader in preserving, restoring, and reusing New York City’s architectural legacy for more than 45 years. The Moses Awards are the Conservancy’s highest honors for outstanding preservation work. Named in honor of dedicated New Yorker Lucy G. Moses, the annual Awards have recognized hundreds of leaders, architects, crafts people, and building owners for their extraordinary contributions in preserving our City.

Preservation Awards are given to projects that demonstrate excellence in the restoration, preservation, or adaptive use of historic buildings, streetscapes, and landscapes that preserve commercial, residential, institutional, religious, and public buildings.

The Preservation Leadership Award is bestowed upon an outstanding individual in the field of historic preservation. Past honorees include Ruth Abram, Wint Aldrich, Tony Avella, Kent Barwick, John Belle, Simon Breines, John H. Beyer, Giorgio Cavaglieri, Kenneth Cobb, Stanley Cogan, Joan K. Davidson, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Franny Eberhart, Lola Finkelstein, Kenneth K. Fisher, Daniel Garodnick, Christopher Gray, James Marston Fitch, Margot Gayle, Anne Van Ingen, Judith Kaye, Sarah Bradford Landau, Helen M. Marshall, Joan Maynard, Evelyn and Everett Ortner, Nancy and Otis Pratt Pearsall, Ruth Pierpont, Adolf K. Placzek, Charles Platt, Jan Hird Pokorny, Henry Hope Reed, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, Vincent Scully, and Robert Silman.

Only projects that are substantially completed during 2018 and located within the five boroughs of New York City were considered. Books, other publications, and films are not eligible.

If you have any questions please email Andrea Goldwyn at andreagoldwyn@nylandmarks.org.

Photo Credits on e-vite:
2 Park Avenue, © Christopher Payne / Esto via Gladding, McBean
39 Clifton Place, Easton Architects
202 Guernsey Street, Maria Kura
462 Broadway, Francis Dzikowski
George B. and Susan Elkins House, Tom Sibley
Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, Richard Barnes/Ford Foundation, 2018
Freehand Hotel, Adrian Gaut
George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, SUPERSTRUCTURES
The Hispanic Society of America, Westerman Construction Corporation (WCC)
Knickerbocker Club, Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc.
Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, NYC DPR
Prospect Park Wellhouse, Martin Seck
Starrett Lehigh Building, Alan Gaynor, AIA
Tenement Museum, © Paul Rivera Courtesy Perkins Eastman