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Category: People

Civil Rights, the NAACP, and W.E.B. DuBois: The African American history tied to 70 Fifth Avenue

When we think of great African American historic sites in New York, we typically think of Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground, or Brooklyn’s Weeksville Houses. But one building that should perhaps join the list is 70 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village, which housed the headquarters of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights […]

From Civil War generals to Oscar winners: 7 historical figures who called 14-16 Fifth Avenue home

Madison Realty Capital filed plans last month to demolish 14-16 Fifth Avenue, a five-story apartment building constructed in 1848, and replace it with a 244-foot-tall tower. Because it is located within the Greenwich Village Historic District, it can only be demolished if the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission rules that the building itself is of no historic or architectural merit, and […]

Most Popular Posts of 2019

2019 has been a huge year for Village Preservation. We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Greenwich Village Historic District, fought increasing pressure on Greenwich Village and the East Village below Union Square to become an extension of “Silicon Alley” and “Midtown South”, served thousands of students and adults with our free public programs, testified […]

14 historic sites of the abolitionist movement in Greenwich Village

In the years before the abolition of slavery in New York State in 1827 and the Civil War, New York was a hotbed of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery sentiment. The latter group consisted of both prominent African-American institutions and individuals (mostly associated with churches) who organized economically, politically, and socially against slavery, and whites who […]

Celeste Holm: Greenwich Villager On The Small Screen, And In Real Life

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  The Academy Award-winning actress and singer Celeste Holm is known for many roles over the course of her seven-decade stage and screen career.  But the one which first […]

Penny Arcade’s Village Preservation Oral History – Chronicles of the Queen of Downtown

GVSHP shares our oral history collection with the public, highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods. Each includes the experiences and insights of leaders or long-time participants in the arts, culture, preservation, business, or civic life. “Hi, my name is Susana […]

31 Literary Icons of Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village, specifically the historic district at its core, has been described as many things, but “literary” may be among the most common. That’s not only because the neighborhood has an air of sophistication and drama, but because it has attracted some of the nation’s greatest writers over the last 200 plus years. Ahead, learn about just […]

Henry Wallace: Progressive Pioneer

Henry Agard Wallace (October 7, 1888 – November 18, 1965) served as Vice President under Franklin Delano Roosevelt from January 20, 1941 to January 20, 1945. Roosevelt preferred that Wallace serve a second term as Vice President, in which case he would have become our 33rd President, but other forces intervened to bounce him off […]

12 historic Italian-American sites of the East Village

October is Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month! That’s a perfect time to take a closer look at the East Village’s own historic Little Italy, centered around First Avenue near the beloved pastry shop and cafe. While not nearly as famous or intact as similar districts around Mulberry Street or Bleecker and Carmine Street in the South Village, if […]

Kahlil Gibran: An Immigrant Artist on 10th Street

Both the reach and the origins of those who have called the Greenwich Village Historic District home have always been international in scope; Kahlil Gibran is a prime example of that broad reach. Born on January 6, 1883, in Lebanon, which at the time was part of Ottoman Syria, educated in Beirut, Boston, and Paris, […]

A Poet, A Bookseller, and the Father of Social of Social Security: New Additions to the Greenwich Village Historic District 1969-2019 Photos and Tours Map

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. On April 29th, 2019, we launched our new interactive map, Greenwich Village Historic District, 1969-2019: Photos and Tours, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of […]

Beyond the Village and Back: Arthur Miller Edition

In our series Beyond the Village and Back, we take a look at some great landmarks throughout New York City outside of the Village, the East Village, and NoHo, celebrate their special histories, and reveal their (sometimes hidden) connections to the Village. Our Historic Image Archive is a veritable treasure trove of images that depict New […]

Strange Bedfellows Happened on West 9th Street: Ida Tarbell, Hans Hofmann, and Margot Gayle

When conducting research for our Greenwich Village Historic District 1969-2019 Maps and Tours, we discovered that investigative journalist Ida Tarbell, artist Hans Hofmann, and one of our favorite preservationists, Margot Gayle, all lived in the same building at 38-44 West 9th Street, although none at the same time. So today we take a deeper dive […]

President Announces Resignation

On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective noon the following day. Following months of impeachment proceedings, Nixon could read the writing on the wall that his time as President would be coming to an end, one way or another. There were several prominent Villagers who played key roles in the push […]

‘Catholic Boy’ Jim Carroll and The Downtown Scene

It’s rare to become a published poet by age 16, finding yourself praised by the some of the foremost Beatnik writers.  It’s even rarer when no less than Patti Smith says that by age 21 you were ‘pretty much universally recognized as the best poet” of your generation.  Add to that having your first album […]

836 Broadway, a Cast Iron Beauty, and Now A Landmark

On June 11th, 2019, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated seven buildings in the area south of Union Square as individual landmarks. While these seven buildings are just a fraction of a fraction of the buildings we called for to be landmarked in connection with the City’s shady Tech Hub “deal”, and […]

Jo Davidson’s “Plastic History,” Featuring His Village Friends

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  Check out our year-long activities and celebrations at gvshp.org/GVHD50.  Jo Davidson may not be a household name, but his work is familiar to many New Yorkers.  Born on March 30, 1883, Jo Davidson grew up on the Lower […]

Estate of Fred W. McDarrah, 2019 Village Awardee

On June 12th, 2019 we will be celebrating seven outstanding awardees at our Annual Village Awards — RSVP here. Read blog posts about each of our 2019 Village Awardees here. Each year, Village Preservation presents one special Village Awardee with the Regina Kellerman Award. Regina Kellerman was Village Preservation’s first Executive Director, and a passionate advocate for historic preservation. […]

Hettie Jones, 2019 Village Awardee

Hettie Jones is a talented writer, a loving mother and grandmother, a forceful activist, a nurturing teacher, and a friendly neighbor and preservationist. She is the stuff neighborhood dreams are made of. Showing no signs of slowing down at 85, she is easily one of the earth mothers of our community – and we’re thrilled […]

11 landmarks of immigration in Greenwich Village

Each year, immigrant history week is celebrated in late April, commemorating the day in 1907 when more immigrants came through Ellis Island than any other day in history. More than a few of those immigrants came through Greenwich Village, which has a long and storied history of welcoming newcomers from across the city, country, and […]

12 social change champions of Greenwich Village

Few places on Earth have attracted more or a broader array of activists and agitators for social change than Greenwich Village. And much of that activity took place right in the heart of the neighborhood in the Greenwich Village Historic District, where that rich history has been preserved through landmark designation for the past half-century. […]

Merce Cunningham’s Centennial: Leaping into 100

Villager, dancer, and choreographer Merce Cunningham is an artist whose work continues to live vibrantly in 2019, which marks Cunningham’s centennial. The Merce Cunningham Centennial is celebrating a century of artistic expression through events, presentations, and discussions about Merce, dance, and his influence on culture. This Village Preservation Oral History participant will continue to be […]

13 places in Greenwich Village where the course of history was changed

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District.  One of the city’s oldest and largest landmark districts, […]

Hans Hofmann and the Village

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. To learn about more artist and other great historic figures, sites, and events of the Greenwich Village Historic District, explore our Greenwich Village Historic District Map+Tours.  Hans Hofmann, born on March 21, 1880, was one of the […]

Chaim Gross on LaGuardia Place, and “The Family” on Bleecker

When the days are finally seeming longer than they used to be, the beautiful details of the Village begin to reveal themselves in new ways. Today, I’m thinking about public art, and a special spot in the Greenwich Village Historic District. Bleecker Street Park is a place to chat on the phone, eat a cupcake […]

Peter Stuyvesant’s Bouweries and their Legacy Today

On March 12, 1651, Peter Stuyvesant, Director General of the Dutch West India Company, purchased Bouwerie (Dutch for ‘farm’) #1 and part of Bouwerie #2 in what is today’s East Village and surrounding neighborhoods. While it only remained farmland for a fraction of its existence, the land between present-day 5th and 20th Streets, from Fourth […]

20 transformative women of Greenwich Village

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District on April 29, 1969.  One of the city’s oldest and still largest historic districts, it’s a unique treasure trove of rich history, pioneering culture, and charming architecture. GVSHP will be spending 2019 marking this anniversary with events, lectures, and new interactive […]

Ellen Emmet Rand, Artist and Villager

Ellen Emmet Rand was an American painter and illustrator during the first half of the 20th century who specialized in portraits.  Over the course of her career, she painted over 500 works, including the official portrait of Franklin Roosevelt. Apparently, she attempted to paint his cousin Teddy as well, but gave up because “he couldn’t […]

Emma Goldman, Birth Control Crusader, Arrested

Emma Goldman, anarchist and feminist, advocate of free speech, free love, birth control, and the eight-hour workday, was arrested in New York City on February 11, 1916. Charged with violating the Comstock Act, an 1873 law banning the transportation of “obscene” matter, the courts interpreted distribution as transportation. Goldman later spent time in jail for […]

15 things you didn’t know about the East Village

Earlier this month, GVSHP launched its East Village Preservation effort, releasing its new website “East Village Building Blocks,” which contains historic information and images for every one of the neighborhood’s 2,200 buildings. Of course, any neighborhood spanning five centuries of history and nearly 100 blocks will reveal some surprises when you scratch the surface. But the East Village’s story has […]

La Vie en Rose: Meet Villager Rose Hartman

Villager and photographer Rose Hartman has, since the 1970s, been known for her candid portraits of the world’s celebrities and non-celebrities as they pass through New York City. Ms. Hartman, who’s lived on Charles Street in the West Village, is a former high school teacher who took the leap into photography in her thirties. Hartman’s photography […]

Nico Captured by Fred McDarrah

On January 7, 1967, German-born singer Nico performed with The Velvet Underground at Steve Paul’s nightclub, the Scene, and this moment was captured stunningly in a photograph by Fred W. McDarrah. McDarrah was the photographer behind the Village Voice at the time and he had a fifty-year association with the paper that chronicled the post-War […]

“London Calling:” The Clash and the Village

If you were to ask me to name a truly perfect album, it would take a very quick punk-rock-beat to say “London Calling!” Released on December 14, 1979, this iconic album has been called the first post-punk album; “merry and tough, passionate and large-spirited” by one reviewer; and one of the five greatest albums by […]

Dylan and the Village on Film

The Village in the 1960s was a hotbed of creativity. In one of the most defining moments of that decade, in January 1961, a twenty-year-old Bob Dylan moved here to play the clubs and become a recording artist. Photographer Fred W. McDarrah was the photographer behind the Village Voice at the time. McDarrah had a […]

From Mark Twain and the Lovin’ Spoonful to Tech Hub: The overlooked history of Union Square South

Straddling Greenwich Village and the East Village, the neighborhood south of Union Square between Fifth and Third Avenues was once a center of groundbreaking commercial innovations, radical leftist politics, and the artistic avant-garde. With the city’s recent decision to allow an upzoning for a “Tech Hub” on the neighborhood’s doorstep on 14th Street, there are […]

Kirk Douglas – Actor, Producer and Villager

“I am Spartacus!” That is what many people think of when they think of Kirk Douglas, in his role in the 1960 film Spartacus as the leader of a slave revolt in ancient Rome. But did you know he once made his home in Greenwich Village? While he was a struggling actor at the beginning […]

My Favorite Things: Andrew Berman Edition

  This post is part of a series about our favorite things in and about the Village. Andrew Berman, GVSHP’s Executive Director since 2002, has a plethora of favorite things about our neighborhoods, so it’s hard to press him for a discreet list.  But there are a few things that Andrew feels particularly passionate about, […]

My Favorite Things: Tom Birchard Edition

We decided it was high time for some of our most ardent and vocal supporters to have a say here on Off the Grid.  To that end, we have invited one of our favorite East Villagers, Tom Birchard, owner of Veselka, to let us know his favorite East Village spots. We at GVSHP highly endorse […]

John Reed: Journalist, Revolutionary and Villager

John “Jack” Silas Reed was an American journalist, poet and communist activist at the beginning of the 20th century whose writing about revolutionary events and radical causes made him a very polarizing figure in this country and abroad. He is probably best known as the author of Ten Days That Shook the World, his account […]

No One Had Ever Heard a Howl Like That Before

The Beat poets, inextricably linked with the Village and East Village, materialized in the post-WWII American of white picket fences to celebrate all things messy, countercultural, drug-addled, disenfranchised, and unstoppably vital. East Villager Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” was an anthem of this movement, with its power, breathlessness, and breadth of content. And on October 7, 1955, Ginsberg […]

Ithiel Town: It’s All Greek (and Gothic) to Him

Ithiel Town, born on October 3, 1784, transformed American architecture, as well as the landscape of our neighborhoods.  A significant figure in beginning the Greek and Gothic Revivals in this country, he was among the first professional architects here and started the first architectural firm, later joined by Alexander Jackson Davis, another seminal figure in […]

Remembering General Slocum, the man

On September 24, 1827, Union General Henry Slocum was born.  Though the namesake of the steamship fire that became one of the largest losses of life in NYC history (second only to 9/11), General Slocum the man was also an important figure in his own right, having served prominent in the Civil War, and served […]

Nile Rodgers: Musical Innovator, Child of the Village

The award-winning guitarist, composer, and producer Nile Rodgers was born on September 19, 1952. Rodgers co-founded the influential disco group Chic; produced music for artists as diverse as David Bowie, Sister Sledge, Daft Punk, Madonna, Diana Ross, and Disclosure; and played a pivotal role in the flowering and success of rap and hip hop. Less […]

Many Layers of History, and Beyond the Village and Back: Penn Station

Today is a rare day on Off the Grid as we are able to combine two of our ongoing series: Many Layers of History and Beyond the Village and Back. Unlike some of our other ‘Many Layers of History’ dates, August 31st or 8/31 does not correspond with any Village intersection.  But it does correspond with […]

From George Washington to Hudson Square: The history of the Charlton-King-VanDam neighborhood

It’s an often-overlooked enclave with the largest concentration of Federal and Greek Revival style houses in New York City. Its origins can be traced back to historical figures as esteemed as George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jacob Astor, but it’s just as deeply connected to Italian immigrants and radical 20th-century innovators. The […]

“Papa” Luigi Fagazy: Pillar of the South Village

An important figure within New York’s Italian immigrant communities was the padrone — a middleman acting on behalf of his compatriots, helping them with advice, assistance, and protection. Padrone actually means “boss or lord,” and some may have abused their power and taken advantage of or exploited their fellow Italian immigrants, many acted in a much […]

Many Layers of History at St. Marks and 2nd Avenue!

This post is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates.  You can read some of the other ones here. August is here and so is another date that corresponds with a Village intersection! As we are now in the 8th month, we’re taking a look at every East Villager’s favorite […]

A Tale of Two Forgotten Alexander Jackson Davis Mansions

Architect Alexander Jackson Davis was born on July 24, 1803.  Davis,  one of the most successful and influential American architects of his generation, is perhaps best known for his association with the Gothic Revival style of architecture and rural settings.  Though many surviving examples by Davis exist in upstate New York and at other locales […]

Historic Photo Mystery Solved!

As we add images to our Historic Image Archive, we try to provide as much identifying information as possible on each one.  Sometimes the images come to us with the exact location of the image, date, etc.  Sometimes they come with no information whatsoever, and we have to comb our files, mental and otherwise, to try to […]

Beyond the Village and Back: “Becoming Visible” and The Legacy of Stonewall at the NYPL

Our Beyond the Village and Back series takes a look at great landmarks in New York City outside of our neighborhoods, finding the sometimes hidden connection to the Village. Today we take a slightly unorthodox approach of looking back at a groundbreaking exhibit which took place on June 18, 1994 at one of our city’s most beloved […]

St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church, Honoring their Open Door

Walking through the 11th Street horse-walk into the courtyard of St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church is like walking through a magical passageway into a holy place. It’s all the more meaningful knowing that this passageway was used by countless anonymous Villagers with HIV/AIDS beginning in the 1990’s, all of whom were on their […]

St. Vincent’s Project: Novenas for a Lost Hospital

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, one of Greenwich Village’s most inventive and exciting producers of new works, is partnering with GVSHP, the NYC AIDS Memorial Board, St. John’s in the Village, and the Stonewall Chorale to present a new play by Villager Cusi Cram.  With dramaturgy by Villager Guy Lancaster, and starring (former Villager!) Kathleen Chalfant (Angels […]

Pride Month in All Corners of the Village

June is Pride Month, which makes it especially exciting time to be in the Village.  LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and throughout the course of this month we’re focusing on four areas of our neighborhood — the West Village, East Village, South Village, and NoHo — to highlight important locations, […]

Taking on REBNY and Winning

Are you one of the many people who has had to take on the seemingly all-powerful Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) in a real estate/preservation fight?  Sometimes it may seem like REBNY and the other forces of Big Real Estate control everything in New York City.  But we’ve actually tangled with the well-funded […]

Elizabeth Blackwell In Our Neighborhood: The historic sites where America’s first female doctor made her mark

One of the most radical and influential women of the 19th century changed the course of public health history while living and working in Greenwich Village and the East Village. Elizabeth Blackwell, America’s first female doctor, established cutting-edge care facilities and practices throughout these neighborhoods, the imprint of which can still be felt to this […]

Anthology Film Archives — 2018 Village Awardee

Anthology Film Archives is an international center dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema. GVSHP is proud to honor Anthology Film Archives with a 2018 Village Awards at our upcoming June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and […]

Announcing the 2018 Village Awardees

Over the past 28 years, GVSHP has honored the unique and outstanding people, organizations, places, and business that make the Village what it is with our Village Awards. You can RSVP to this year’s June 6th Awards Ceremony here. This year we will be honoring an amazing group of awardees, each with an incredible story:

Remembering the Ritz

There are a number of legendary rock venues in our neighborhood, many an integral part of the 1980s NYC club scene. One of the leading ones was ‘The Ritz,’ located in Webster Hall, designated a New York City landmark in 2008, on East 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues.  The Ritz opened on May […]

(the former) Trump SoHo, and Years of Non-Compliance

The building formerly known as the Trump Soho has made the national and international news. But GVSHP was protesting it over ten years ago when its construction was first announced on “The Apprentice.”  We fought the City hard to prevent its construction, which we contended violated zoning laws.  But then-Mayor Bloomberg and elected officials like then-Borough […]

Remembering Willem de Kooning

On April 24, 1904, artist and former resident of our neighborhood, Willem de Kooning, was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He would go on to be one of the 20th century’s leading artists within the Abstract Expressionist movement, a key figure in making New York the center of the art world.