With Black History Month coming to a close, we want to remind you that every month is a good time to learn about and celebrate Black history. If you are looking for some New York history field trips this year, here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Read More“We are thrilled that the East Harlem South / El Barrio Reconnaissance-Level Historic Resource Survey has been recognized by the Preservation League with this award,” said Chris Cirillo, Executive Director/President of Ascendant Neighborhood Development (AND) and Member of Landmark East Harlem (LEH), which co-sponsored the project. “The extraordinary work of our preservation consultant, Marissa Marvelli, has raised the bar on historic resources surveys. Focusing on culture and community, the survey prioritizes people over buildings.”
Read MoreSince including Opera Houses on the 2018-19 Seven to Save list, the League has worked to document and develop strategies for the preservation of this important building type. We define the term “opera house” fairly broadly to include buildings that historically provided commercial and/or civic space on the first floor with a multi-use performance / meeting space in the upper stories. This summer, our colleagues at Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) and BAC/Architecture + Planning, PLLC completed a Building Investigation on one such building: Paramount Lodge No. 73. The League was able to provide funding for this report thanks to a generous grant from the Arthur F. & Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, which previously funded a statewide study identifying and documenting extant opera houses.
Read MorePresented in partnership with the Tenement Museum, this webinar explored the intersection of social justice and preservation. How can the act of preserving and stewarding a building tie directly into a broader social justice mission? We wanted to explore the idea that preserving, restoring, rehabilitating, and stewarding a physical place can be integral to social justice work. In this conversation, we dig into how different kinds of organizations can incorporate preservation practices, without necessarily being a “preservation” organization.
Read MoreThomas Memorial AME Zion Church in Watertown is one of the League’s Seven to Save sites for 2022-2023. The small African American Church has been without an active congregation since 2012, but a grassroots coalition has sprung up to save this important part of Adirondack history. Led by former Watertown resident Shameika Ingram of Preservation in Color, this working group is actively seeking ways to return the church to active use and be a benefit for its community and an inspiration for people in the region and beyond.
Read MoreIn this Preservation Book Club event, author Catherine Fleming Bruce discusses her award-winning book The Sustainers: Being, Building and Doing Good through Activism in the Sacred Spaces of Civil Rights, Human Rights and Social Movements. Catherine touches on her inspiration for the book, the importance of writing for a general audience, and her own grassroots preservation campaigns to save places related to civil rights — restoring the physical buildings and preserving the stories of the people who made history there.
Read MoreThis year, the League is proud to honor A’Lelia Bundles as a Pillar of New York. A’Lelia is an award-winning journalist, founder of the Madam Walker Family Archives, and Madam C.J. Walker’s biographer and great-great granddaughter.
Read MoreThe effort to save the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead demonstrates how interdisciplinary coalition-building can support historic preservation efforts, centered around issues of equity and social justice.
Read MoreHow do we get to a place where "telling the full story" is normal instead of novel? In this webinar we heard from leaders of historic sites around the state who are doing the work to bring underrepresented histories to light.
Read MoreWhile we’ve been reading Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration as our February Preservation Book Club pick, we wanted to dive into the topic of the Great Migration and its effect on New York. On Tuesday, February 23, we welcomed historians Dr. Carla DuBose-Simons and Dr. Jennifer Lemak and members of the Rapp Road Historical Association Beverly Bardequez and Stephanie Woodard to share their expertise.
Read MoreLearn more about the work being by the Elmhurst History and Cemeteries Preservation Society to advocate for the protection of the Elmhurst African American Burial Ground.
Read MoreWe’re closing out our Seven to Save spotlight on SANS with a roundup of content, including recommended reading and media coverage to help paint a more complete picture of this special place.
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