The Conservancy spoke out in support of several new Queens and Manhattan designations at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) hearings in September. These residential and commercial sites show the variety of New York’s historic buildings.
On Sept 14, our staff testified in favor of two new historic districts in southeast Queens. The Cambria Heights 222nd Street and 227th Street Historic Districts are each about one block long, with groups of houses that date back to the early 1930s. These low-scale buildings feature charming “Storybook” details such as Tudor-arched windows, terra cotta tile and slate roofs, and diamond-pane windows. The intact houses were built with a nod toward automobiles, with rear garages, and near parkways that were new in the 1930s. We look forward to working with local elected officials and building owners as these designations move forward. Read our testimony.
A very different landmark came to the Commission on September 28, with Conservancy support. Warren & Wetmore, architects of Grand Central Terminal and Steinway Hall, designed the office building at 200 Madison Avenue in 1926. They created a neo-Renaissance lobby with dazzling details and rich materials. Now it’s on the way to being an interior landmark. The space, which fills the block between 35th and 36th Streets, features an elegant vaulted ceiling, gilded walls, and polished marble floors. Stylized lion heads, peacocks, and dragons enliven this classic New York office building lobby. Read our testimony
The LPC has not set dates to vote on these landmarks.