One of the popular vote winners New York Botanical Garden
June 19, 2012

2012 Partners in Preservation: New York City

American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are pleased to announce that 16 historic places in New York City will receive grants as part of Partners in Preservation’s $3 million commitment to preservation efforts in the area.

In addition, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are giving a $10,000 award to each of the remaining 24 Partners in Preservation sites in recognition of their participation in the initiative and their commitment to preservation efforts.

Thank you to everyone who voted in support of historic places across New York City.

Winners of Popular Vote

Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum & Gardens
895 Shore Road, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY 10464

The story of Pelham Bay Park’s last remaining great country estate spans four centuries, from Thomas Pell’s 1654 land purchase from the Siwanoy Indians to its current role as a vibrant museum and community hub. The Bartow-Pell Conservancy was awarded $155,000 to restore areas within the museum’s gardens.

Brooklyn Public Library
10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Central Library is an anchor institution, a modernist landmark, and one of Brooklyn’s most beloved and celebrated civic spaces, welcoming more than one million visitors annually. Its unusual design resembles an open book, with a 50-foot entry portico. As record numbers of Brooklynites are using the library, the care and preservation of the landmark building is an institutional and community priority. As the popular vote winner, gaining 9% of the overall vote, Brooklyn Public Library – Central Library was awarded $250,000 to restore the main entrance doors.

Congregation Beth Elohim (CBE)
274 Garfield Place, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Founded in 1861 by German immigrants, Beth Elohim Synagogue anchors its Brooklyn neighborhood with a magnificent Neo-Classical Revival sanctuary and Art Deco center. As the largest Reform congregation in Brooklyn, the unusual corner entrance and grand columns welcome the community and serve as cultural and visual keystones. CBE was awarded $250,000 to restore the building’s stained glass windows.

New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY

The Rock Garden and its cascade are the heart of The New York Botanical Garden and have served as a serene urban oasis for generations. A product of the Works Progress Administration and the creativity of horticulturist T. H. Everett, this 2.5 acre landscape welcomes visitors from all over New York and the world to its Bronx neighborhood, bolstering its economy, visibility, and livelihood. New York Botanical Garden received $250,000 to restore the rock garden.

Additional Grants

Alice Austen House
2 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10305

Once home to one of America’s earliest and most prolific female photographers and now a museum devoted to her life and work, this Victorian Gothic cottage dates back to 1690 and boasts a panoramic view that stretches from Lower Manhattan to Coney Island. The Alice Austen House was awarded $120,000 to repaint exterior and repair the roof’s decorative woodwork, shutters, and chimney, and build a new handicap access door.

Apollo Theater
253 125th St, New York, NY 10027

The Apollo Theater has been a driving force in shaping America’s music and cultural landscape for over 75 years. Originally the foremost institution for presenting African American artists, today’s Apollo programs feature artists of diverse heritage. The theater was awarded $150,000 to restore specific decorative elements in the historic auditorium. As the last operational landmark theater in Harlem, the preservation of this icon of the Harlem Renaissance is key to the landscape of New York.

The Astoria Pool Olympic High Dive
19th Street and 23rd Drive, Queens, NY 11105

One of ten NYC public pools, the Astoria Pool’s Art Moderne design is one of the most architecturally significant public facilities in the country. The streamlined and simple decorative forms, a 32-foot diving platform, and deco-style pool illustrate its 1936 Works Progress Administration beginnings, when design and placement of community assets were as important as the things themselves. The Astoria Pool Olympic High Dive was awarded $10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Brown Memorial Baptist Church
484 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

Designed by Ebenezer Roberts, Brown is an early Romanesque Revival-style church with ornate features including museum-quality Tiffany stained glass windows. Serving as a central hub of support for a diverse community, Brown is committd to preserving this historic building for the residents it currently serves and future generations. Brown Memorial Baptist Church was awarded $200,000 o complete restoration of Transept’s Roberts Memorial Tiffany Pilgrim window frame and glass.

Caribbean Cultural Center (CCCADI)
120 E 125th Street, New York, NY 10035

The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute is a reflection of the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of Africans and African descendants. Through exhibitions, conferences, performances, in school and after school programs, CCCADI celebrates the diversity and rich traditions of the African Diaspora. CCCADI was awarded $70,000 to redevelop and renovate the Romanesque Revival 125th Street Firehouse in the heart of the historic El Barrio community of East Harlem as its new home.

City Island Nautical Museum
190 Fordham Street, Bronx, NY 10464

Located in a former public school building that served the community for 75 years, the City Island Nautical Museum celebrates the history and significance of New York City’s famous yachting center. The brick-clad Georgian Revival was built just after City Island became part of New York City in 1895. The museum was given a $10,000award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Cleopatra’s Needle
Central Park, NY 10023

This treasure of antiquity is the oldest manmade object in Central Park. Like the creation of the park, the effort to acquire the obelisk from the Egyptian government was seen as key to New York’s status among the great cities of the world in the mid 19th century. Thousands attended its erection in 1881, and it immediately became a major tourist attraction and source of civic pride. Cleopatra’s Needle was given a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Coney Island B&B Carousell
1904 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, NY 11224

The B&B Carousell is the solesurviving carousel in Coney Island from Brooklyn’s Golden Age when it was home to 25 hand-carved carousel attractions. Featuring 50 hand-carved horses and two chariots, it operated on Surf Avenue until 2005. As Coney Island undergoes major revitalization, preservation of the B&B Carousell provides an essential link between the historic amusement area’s past and its prosperous future. The Coney Island B&B Carousell was awarded$10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

DMAC – Duo Multicultural Arts Center
62 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003

The Duo Multicultural Arts Center building served as a family restaurant, ballroom, and social hall for German immigrants in its earliest years, before becoming a mainstay in the social movements of the 20th century, hosting union meetings and controversial speakers. In the 30s it became a theater, hosting a variety of artists from African American choreographer Katherine Dunn to pop artist Andy Warhol. This historic structure was given a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Ellis Island
Jersey City, NJ 07305

Ellis Island is the iconic symbol of America’s immigrant roots, having welcomed 12 million new Americans by 1954.The currently stabilized but un-restored buildings of the US Public Health Service on the island’s south side treated more than one million of those immigrants and are the only remaining examples of a pavilion style hospital, architecturally designed to control the spread of disease. Ellis Island received a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Erasmus Hall Campus
911 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

One of the oldest schools in NYC, Erasmus Hall features the original 1787 wood schoolhouse at the center of a Gothic-inspired campus built in 1905. Located in Flatbush, the landmark school is a community centerpiece that has served an ever-changing, diverse student body spanning four centuries. Housed within its walls is a stained glass collection, including an original Tiffany, intended to inspire learning. The campus was given a$10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11354

Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2012, Flushing Town Hall – now a center for arts and culture and a Smithsonian affiliate – has long been a cornerstone of the Flushing section of Queens. It has served as a police station, jail, a bank, and a magistrate court. The Romanesque Revival façade is characterized by large windows and intricate masonry emblematic of 19th century municipal architecture. Flushing Town Hall received$100,000 to restore windows and roofing.

Gateway National Recreation Area – C47 Skytrain WWII Transport
Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NY 11234

The DC-3 revolutionized air travel as the world’s first large, reliable cargo and passenger aircraft when it was designed in 1936. The military version of this plane – which served in World War II in Italy and throughout the Cold War – was known as the “C-47 Skytrain.” National Park Service volunteers at Floyd Bennett Field are restoring the plane to its WWII appearance and received a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

George Washington at Federal Hall
26 Wall Street, NY 10005

Federal Hall National Memorial rests on the site of profound moments in American history, including the inauguration of George Washington and the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Honoring the founding of American democracy and the historic power of the Port of New York, this local treasure strives to advance civic education and promote tourism and economic development, in a still-revitalizing Lower Manhattan. The memorial was awarded $75,000 to repair, clean, and protectively coat the statue of George Washington.

Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
1155-1205 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222

Where Newtown Creek meets the East River lives the remnants of one of Brooklyn’s largest industries: the rope mills. At the turn of the 20th century, eight waterfront buildings were turned into an industrial complex to produce rope out of materials from all over the world. The building’s segmentally-arched windows and projecting brick piers have been a part of the community for almost 150 years. Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center was given a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Guggenheim Museum
5th Ave at 89th Street, New York, NY 10128

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and visited by more than 1.1 million people annually, the iconic Guggenheim Museum is one of the most distinctive buildings of the 20th century. The Guggenheim promotes the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through innovative exhibitions and educational initiatives that include school programs, family activities, lectures, performances, gallery tours, film screenings, and more. The museum received a$10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Henry Street Settlement
265 Henry Street at Montgomery, New York, NY

From three Federal style row-houses on the Lower East Side, the Henry Street Settlement has been providing innovative social services, arts, and health care programs since 1893. Henry Street placed the first nurse in a public school, opened the first playground, and is a founding site of the NAACP. Today, the settlement continues the legacy of its founder, social reform pioneer Lillian Wald. Henry Street was given $175,000 to develop an achievable, measurable, and replicable model for achieving sustainability in historic structures.

High Line
820 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014

The High Line was originally built to replace dangerous street-level rail lines by connecting trains carrying goods, including nearly half of the city’s milk, directly to second-story loading docks. When services stopped in 1980, self-seeded plants emerged, inspiring the current use of the High Line as an urban walkway, connecting neighborhoods and preserving industrial architecture for future generations. The High Line was given a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Intrepid Museum Growler Submarine
700 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036

n service from 1958-1964, the once “top secret” Growler is an early nuclear cruise missile submarine that patrolled the coast of the Soviet Union. Growler offers a firsthand look at the Cold War era, and its mid-century modernist design offers a close-up view of period technology and the lives of the diverse men who worked together in such close quarters. The Intrepid Museum was awarded $10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

The Japan Society
333 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017

Japan Society’s building, designed by Junzo Yoshimura, was New York’s first permanent modernist Japanese structure, an expression of Japanese cultural heritage married to a mid-twentieth-century aesthetic and modern materials. Open to the public, Japan Society hosts programs for audiences from New York City, the tri-state area, and across the country and the world. They were awarded $10,000 in recognition of their participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Jefferson Market Library
425 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

The Jefferson Market Branch of The New York Public Library has served the Greenwich Village community for more than forty years. The building served initially as a courthouse and then as a home for various city agencies. Community members rallied to save the building from the wrecking ball, and it was preserved and converted into a public library, opening for business in 1967. The library was awarded $10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Louis Armstrong House Museum
34-56 107th Street, Corona, NY 11368

Iconic jazz musician Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille – a Cotton Club dancer – purchased this house in 1943 and lived here for the rest of their lives. Today, the Louis Armstrong House Museum is the only jazz musician’s home that is landmarked, completely authentic, and open to the public. The Armstrongs’ home and garden are visited by people from all over the world. The museum was given $150,000 to repair exteriors including the patio woodwork and interiors such as bathroom tiles.

Lower East Side Tenement Museum
103 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum celebrates the American immigrant experience through guided tours of restored apartments in a historic tenement at 97 Orchard Street, where more than 7,000 people from 20 nations made their homes between 1863 and 1935. Through the true stories of these families, the museum engages hundreds of thousands of visitors in conversation about the historic and contemporary relevance of immigration. The museum received $170,000 to arrest the active deterioration and loss of historic fabric within three of the “instructive ruin” apartments.

Mind-Builders Creative Arts
260 E. 207th Street, Bronx, NY

Located in the historic Branch Municipal Building in the Bronx, Mind-Builders Creative Arts has been providing performing arts opportunities for students and community members for almost 30 years. The historic building has served the community as a school annex and Yeshiva in the past and now has a future of providing a theater, recording studio, café, weekly community events, job training, and more. They received a $10,000award for participating in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029

The Museum of the City of New York, located in a magnificent building on Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile, celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character. Connecting the city’s past, present, and future, the museum serves the people of New York and visitors from around the world. As the city’s official museum, it is an important cultural resource and tourist destination. The museum was awarded $10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine
36 Amity Street, Staten Island, NY 10305

Built by the hands of Italian immigrants in the 20th century, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society Grotto is a tangible expression of Staten Island’s Italian-American community, playing an important role in maintaining the community’s identity as a center for both religious and social life. A vivid example of Italian-American folk art design, the Grotto’s concrete and stone structure harkens back to the community’s origin in Europe. Our Lady of Mount Carmel received a $10,000award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004

Exemplifying the 300-year span of agriculture in New York, the Queens County Farm Museum uses its 47 acres to bring the history and future of farming to life for thousands of visitors each year. Having been continually farmed since 1697, the historic outbuildings, vineyard, orchard, and 18th century farmhouse provide a direct link from the past to modern-day sustainable agricultural practices and quality foods. The Museum received$80,000 to restore the farm’s exteriors by replacing the roof, windows, clapboards, and exterior wall shingles.

Rocket Thrower
117-02 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY 11368

The Rocket Thrower, one of a collection of monuments remaining from the 1964 World’s Fair, consists of a heroic bronze figure hurling with his right hand a rocket heavenward, and reaching with his left hand to a constellation of gilded stars. The sculpture is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which provides its Queens community with much-needed outdoor space. The park was awarded $10,000 in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Rossville AME Zion Church
584 Bloomingdale Road, Staten Island, NY 10309

The Rossville Church is a tangible link to Staten Island’s prosperous African American community of the 19th century. The one-story, rectangular structure with a gabled roof stands as a monument to its founders who fostered entrepreneurship, strong families, community, and hope. Though Sandy Ground has diversified, African Americans from all over the island, the nation and the Caribbean have connections that reach the church. Rossville AME was given a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Second Stage at the Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

The Helen Hayes is among the city’s oldest theatres, originally designed as an intimate space for plays deemed too risky for larger theatres. It has been home to Tony winners including “Torch Song Trilogy” and “Prelude To A Kiss,” and served as a studio hosting Dick Clark and Merv Griffin. As the future home of Second Stage, it will be dedicated to contemporary American theatre. Second Stage was awarded $10,000 for its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004

Located at the foot of the historic Algonquin trade route (now, Broadway), the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is home to the National Museum of the American Indian. One of the only free museums in the city, the NMAI is attracting a growing audience of visitors while meeting the needs of the community and contributing to growth in its Lower Manhattan neighborhood. The museum received a $10,000 award in recognition of its participation in the Partners in Preservation 2012 initiative.

St. Marks in the Bowery
131 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003

St. Mark’s, built in 1799, is the oldest site of continuous worship in New York. Culturally, St. Mark’s has actively promoted cutting-edge arts projects since the early 20th century. Numerous events are held at the church yearly, in addition to worship services and a weekly food pantry. An active community and cultural site, St. Mark’s contributes significantly to the artistic scene in Lower Manhattan. The church received $150,000 to replace exteriors including the portico floor, roof, and front arches.

Staten Island Museum @ Snug Harbor
1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301

Former quarters for retired sailors, Snug Harbor’s Greek Revival buildings have become a much-loved piece of New York City, attracting cultural organizations to reuse the historic campus. Staten Island Museum received $100,000 to renovate and reset the exterior stairs and conserve the cast iron staircase in Building A, which is being transformed into a new home for its programs and exhibitions – a place where architecture, the arts, natural science, and history come together to provide an engaging learning experience.

Tug Pegasus & Waterfront Museum Barge
290 Conover Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

The Tug Pegasus and Showboat Barge are amazing artifacts of New York’s maritime heritage. State of the art in 1917, the Tug Pegasus served the Port of New York for 90 years before becoming a museum, while the Showboat Barge is an example of transport prior to the container system and also demonstrates showboat entertainment. This project received a $140,000 total grant, with $90,000 to repair the main deck of the Tug Pegasus and $50,000 to permanently preserve markings and historical “graffiti” on barge walls of the LV 79.

Weeksville
1698 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Historic Weeksville offers a rare opportunity to learn about an intentional, independent African American community that was the second largest in pre Civil War America. The Hunterfly Road Houses and kitchen garden demonstrate the self-sustaining lifestyle that helped this community flourish into the early 20th century. Its story of free African Americans makes this site one of national significance and an incredible cultural resource. The site received $70,000 to reuse the existing shed structure for exhibit and program space and recreate a root cellar.

The Woodlawn Cemetery
Webster Avenue & East 233rd Street, Bronx, NY 10470

At the entrance to the Woodlawn Cemetery stands the Belmont Memorial Chapel, one of a few private mausoleums open to the public. Commissioned by Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, it exhibits the best of Gilded Age craftsmanship. Created by masons, sculptors, and stained-glass artisans, the impressive structure contributes to what is considered the nation’s finest collection of funerary art. The cemetery received $150,000 to conserve exterior of mausoleum including the resetting of uneven terrace stones and preservation of doors.

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places. Savingplaces.org

This May, our Preservation Month theme is “People Saving Places” to shine the spotlight on everyone doing the work of saving places—in big ways and small—and inspiring others to do the same!

Celebrate!