Landmarks Preservation Commission Designates One Federal-Era Rowhouse and Considers Seven More
 Yesterday was an exciting day at the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). In addition to calendaring the two proposed historic districts in the East Village, the Commission also designated the Federal-era rowhouse at 135 Bowery (aka the Hardenbrook-Somarindyck House) an individual landmark and held public hearings on the proposed designations of seven other Federal-era houses in Lower Manhattan. GVSHP was there to encourage the LPC to move forward quickly on the designations of these and other vulnerable Federal-era houses, particularly those within our proposed South Village Historic District.
The Federal-era houses being considered for designation are 32-38 Dominick Street, a surviving row of 1832 houses in a neighborhood that was drastically transformed by the construction of the Holland Tunnel; 310 Spring Street, an 1818 house built and inhabited by one of the city's most prominent ship captains; 22 East Broadway, which dates from ca. 1832 and was originally owned by district attorney James R. Whiting; and 339 Grand Street, a rare surviving example of a Federal style corner row house with an outbuilding at the rear of the lot.
The Federal style may be considered the first uniquely American architectural style and is symbolic of the first major phase of development of New York City. Federal-era houses are very important to us, as GVSHP and the New York Landmarks Conservancy proposed 13 of them for designation in 2003, and continue to fight for the protection of other survivors all over Lower Manhattan, of which there are fewer than 300. For more information on GVSHP's efforts to preserve Federal-era row houses, click HERE.
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