Guastavino "Tile House" Named to Seven to Save List

CONTACTS

Preservation League of New York State Colleen M. Ryan 518-462-5658

Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities Charla E. Bolton, AICP 631-692-4664

ALBANY, January 12, 2005 – The Preservation League of New York State has named the Rafael Guastavino “Tile House” in Bay Shore, Town of Islip, Suffolk County one of New York State’s Seven to Save, the nonprofit group’s annual list of the Empire State’s most threatened historic places.

The home of Rafael Guastavino y Esposito, son of Rafael Guastavino y Moreno, founder of the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company, was constructed in 1912, and is designed in the Spanish Colonial style. The elder Guastavino was an architect working in Barcelona who emigrated to the United States in 1881. The Guastavino firm operated continuously between 1889 and 1962 and gained international renown for structural vaults and domes which were revered for their strength and beauty. With over 1,000 commissions to its credit, Guastavino vaults and domes can be found in every major city in the United States and in Europe.

The property is listed for sale and has been for over a year, but has not been marketed through preservation organizations. With a magnificent view of the Great South Bay, there is a growing concern that this unique historic resource will be sold – then razed to provide a coveted waterfront building site.

“Without local protections, this and many other properties are potentially in danger of demolition,” said Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League of New York State. “On Long Island, and in many other areas subject to development pressure, the League has worked with local governments to establish tools to recognize and protect local historic resources. In our experience, we have found that it is possible – actually, beneficial – to protect historic properties for the future even as they remain in private hands.”

Many argue that the significance of the Guastavino House goes far beyond Bay Shore, Suffolk County, and even New York State.

According to Daniel Lane, an architectural conservator with Jan Hird Pokorny Associates in Manhattan, “The interior of the house is notable for its exuberant use of tile and of the vaulting technique for which the Guastavino firm was known. Almost every surface on the first floor of the house is covered with tile, including ceilings, and most ceilings are vaulted. Each contains finish tile of a different combination of patterns and colors.”

The Seven to Save designation comes at a time when Guastavino’s tiles and techniques are garnering significant attention. “Growing national and international interest in the Guastavino firm means that the house has assumed enormous importance,” said Charla Bolton of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. “While Guastavino is not a household word, the work of the firm is visible in many of New York’s best-known historic buildings: Carnegie Hall, Grant’s Tomb, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This residential application may be unique in the world, now that the Guastavino residence in Spain has been lost.”

According to Tania Werbizky, director of technical and grant programs for the Preservation League, the listing furthers the League’s efforts to build the capacity of local governments to protect their historic resources. “We understand that the current owner would prefer to sell the residence to someone who will preserve the house, but a building of such outstanding significance deserves official recognition as a Landmark at the local, state and national level,” said Werbizky. “A property of this caliber should be protected in perpetuity, and the League stands ready to work with the Town of Islip and present and future owners to make that possible. This remarkable building, quite possibly unique in the world, deserves no less.”

Since 1999, publicity surrounding the Seven to Save designation has led to the stabilization of St. Joseph’s Church in Albany; the rehabilitation of the Oswego City Public Library, the adaptive re-use of the former Niagara Falls High School as a cultural and arts center, and prevented the demolition of the Conger Goodyear House on Long Island.

The Preservation League of New York State, founded in 1974, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s diverse and rich heritage of historic buildings, districts and landscapes. From its headquarters in Albany, it provides a unified voice for historic preservation. By leading a statewide movement and sharing information and expertise, the Preservation League of New York State promotes historic preservation as a tool to revitalize the Empire State’s neighborhoods and communities.

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