Saving city Black history
Push to shield downtown bldgs. associated with major figures
Preservationists are pleading with the city to not let significant buildings near Union Square be demolished into the dustbin of Black history.
The buildings concentrated between Third Ave. and Fifth Ave. north of E. 10th St. all hosted major players in the early civil rights movement, as Black musicians and writers mingled with political activists pushing for equality.
The mixture of towering figures like Billie Holiday, W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes made for a “heady, explosive mix” in the early 20th century, said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation.
Preserving the historically significant buildings honors the men and women whose efforts helped lead to the Black Lives Matter awakening, he said.
“We’re at a time of national reckoning; among other things we’re looking at our own history, our own deep systemic flaws, as well as the people who fought to make us a better and more just country,” Berman said. “A tremendous number of people and organizations did their work and lived in this area. We think that history should not be erased or ignored but should be honored and elevated.”
The organization highlights 15 buildings of note in an online tour.
Late on Friday, the city Landmarks Preservation Commission announced that one of the buildings, 70 Fifth Ave., would be considered for protected status. The building at W. 13th St. served as the headquarters of the NAACP and its in-house literary magazine, The Crisis. The NAACP organized protests against the “Birth of a Nation,” the racist silent film that promoted the toxic idea of the “Lost Cause” of the Confederacy.
A historic silent march for civil rights in response to lynchings and race riots was organized at the building in 1917. As those political efforts were underway, The Crisis published Hughes’ first work, along with other major Harlem Renaissance figures like Zora Neale Hurston, Arthur Schomburg and Jean Toomer. The NAACP wrote a letter supporting preservation of the building last year.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission said in statement that the building housed “a remarkable tenant roster of progressive organizations that have shaped American society.”
Nearby is 55 Fifth Ave., the former home of the Columbia Phonograph Co., which became Columbia Records. Producer John Hammond oversaw the first recordings by Holiday in 1933, as well as hits by a young Benny Goodman and pianist Fletcher Henderson, who played a critical role in the development of big band and swing. Hammond held some of the first integrated musical recording sessions at the building.
Other buildings Berman says are worthy of recognition by the Landmarks Preservation Commission include the Hotel Albert on E. 10th St., which hosted numerous major figures in Black art and politics while advertising itself as an accepting, multiracial destination.
A four-story apartment building at 204 E. 13th St. was the home of musician Randy Weston, who was among the first to promote the links between jazz and African music.
“LPC recognizes the critically important contributions of African-Americans to shaping New York City and is committed to inclusive designations and recognizing the complete story of New York City’s African-American heritage,” the agency said in a statement.
Berman says the buildings need to be protected as soon as possible. The St. Denis Hotel, once the home of important leftist and labor organizations including the publisher of The Liberator abolitionist newspaper, was demolished in 2019. Supporters have pushed for a landmark district in the area for 2½ years.
“It’s been very frustrating,” Berman said.