NEW YORK—The city of New York is rich with cultural and historical treasures, a fact one alliance group wants to make sure New Yorkers bear in mind.
NYC Landmarks 50, a coalition of dozens of organizations from both public and private society, is amid a campaign to celebrate 50 years since the creation of the Landmarks Law of New York City. The measure, signed into law by Mayor Robert Wagner in April 1965, led to what NYC Landmarks 50 calls an “era of historic preservation.”
The tally of landmarked locations since then is impressive: nearly 1,400 individual landmarks, 115 interior landmarks, 10 scenic landmarks, 109 historic districts, and 10 historic district extensions located throughout all five boroughs.
Part of the coalition’s mandate over the next two years will be to educate New Yorkers with public events. Among those is a Sept. 24 event and reception to celebrate civic activist Albert S. Bard.
Along with the law, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) was also established toward protecting the city’s historic and cultural heritage. The LPC regularly considers requests for landmark preservation status on structures throughout the city, some of which are caught in the middle of rezoned areas and under the threat of possibly being demolished.
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