The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has designated three properties related to the city’s immigrant history as separate landmarks. Public School 15 Annex at 372 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn; St. Mary’s Church at 440 Grand Street on the Lower East Side; and the Lithuanian Alliance Building at 307 West 30th Street in Chelsea. The designation recognizes buildings associated with the immigrant communities that helped shape New York City, from the Irish and other Catholic newcomers of the Lower East Side to the Lithuanian Americans of Manhattan and a wide range of first- and second-generation families in Brooklyn.
In Brooklyn, Public School 15 Annex was completed in 1889 and designed by architect James Norton in a Romanesque Revival style with Queen Anne details. Originally constructed as an addition to Public School 15, the building later housed the Brooklyn Continuing School for Girls, which established its headquarters there in 1927. The school provided vocational and academic guidance to teenage girls, many from immigrant families, in areas such as clothing manufacturing, nursing, bookkeeping, housekeeping, and beauty work, as well as supporting continuing education requirements related to child labor reform.
Photo of public school 15 annex, courtesy of LPC.
Completed in 1833, St. Mary’s Church is said to be the oldest Roman Catholic building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and is home to Manhattan’s third oldest Catholic parish, founded in 1826. Built after the parish’s previous home was destroyed, the church was later enlarged through the work of architects Patrick Charles Keeley and Lawrence J. O’Connor.
Photo of St. Mary’s Church, courtesy of LPC.
Photo of St. Mary’s Church, courtesy of LPC.
The Lithuanian Alliance Building in Chelsea dates back to 1876-1877 and since 1910 has served as the headquarters of the American Lithuanian Alliance, a fraternal organization founded to support Lithuanian immigrants through financial aid and cultural programs. The building also housed the printing operations of the weekly Tevigne newspaper for decades, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Photo of the Lithuanian Union Building, courtesy of LPC.
“New York City’s history is a history of immigration, and the three landmarks designated today provide tangible connections to places that helped communities put down roots and create lasting opportunities,” said Landmarks Preservation Commission Executive Director Lisa Carsavage. “The designation of these architecturally distinctive buildings is part of the Commission’s continued commitment to ensuring our landmarks tell the stories of all New Yorkers.”
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily email
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook!
to follow Stay up to date with YIMBY news on YIMBY Twitter
Uncategorized
Source link
