Designated on May 19, 1981, the Upper East Side Historic District is one of the greatest legacies of Kent Barwick’s tenure as Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Even before the passage of the landmarks law there was interest in protecting this important slice of the big Apple. In 1966 public hearings were held on a potential district but no action was taken. It was not until 1979 that the process toward designation began again. What had changed? By then the Landmarks Law had been upheld at the Supreme Court, the city had over a decade of successful experience with historic districts, and in Kent Barwick, the Landmarks Preservation Commission had a chair who “got it” and was passionately committed to historic preservation.
In the two-and-one-half years that the proposed historic district spent in the process of becoming a historic district, there was exhaustive public debate. There were numerous free tours of the proposed district, extensive press coverage, three public hearings, two community meetings, a television show, a radio show, and a major photographic exhibit. Advocates generated hundreds of letters, mailgrams, and calls to elected officials. Buttons supporting the district appeared on labels. The Commission staff generated a 1,400 page designation report.
Nothing in preservation comes easy and such was the case for this district. Because of its size, the value of the real estate within its boundaries, and the presence of a major retail avenue at the District’s core, the real estate community was less than thrilled at the notion of this major historic district. Delays ensued as the Landmarks Preservation Commission thoughtful studied and responded to such concerns as the timely regulation of storefronts on Madison Avenue. In the end the Commission was able to defuse the opposition to the district. The Commission also listened to the concerns of the community and the result was a larger district than originally advanced.
Any lingering reservations about the wisdom of creating the Upper East Side Historic District have long been silenced by its incredible success. The vitality of Madison Avenue has only grown and investment in the district continues to soar. As I write this the sound of construction comes through my window as a multi-million dollar townhouse receives a multi-million dollar renovation. Even in this economy, the traffic on my side street is routinely choked by the presence of the construction activity up and down the entire block. Anyone still harboring notions of historic districts as places where the economic activity is limited to a few docents in period costumes giving tours to a handful of tourists are welcome to come and see the reality of just how robust an economic engine a historic district can be.
The designation of the Upper East Side Historic District was not the end of the story, only the end of one chapter. Even before the celebration of this preservation victory was over, it was already clear to the Municipal Art Society, and others involved in obtaining the district, that the work of defending the hard won district would need to begin immediately. With seed funding from the J.M. Kaplan Fund and the Lauder Foundation, the Municipal Art Society helped launch the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District. (Years later Halina Rosenthal would add the “s” to districts and with that addition of a single letter become a voice for all the districts on the Upper East Side.) Under Halina’s inspired leadership, Friends would become a major voice for preservation in New York City. Halina’s approach to advocacy was to drown her opponents in “honey.” Her warm, highly personal, around-the-clock style of advocacy, time and again triumphed over some of the most powerful real estate forces and power brokers in New York City.
The Upper East Side Historic District is a reminder of many things. One of those is a key observation made in Getting To Maybe: How the World is Changed: ”…what seemed almost impossible looking forward seems almost inevitable looking back.” When Kent Barwick decided to move forward with a proposed Upper East Side Historic District it was an act of courage. He was asserting the mission and mandate of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. In advancing such an extensive district involving so many powerful interests, he was taking on something that many felt was impossible and perhaps, even inadvisable. Today the historic district status of the Upper East Side seems one that was inevitable.
As today’s preservationists contemplate equally daunting preservation challenges, they should keep in mind this lesson from the Upper East Side. Today’s preservation impossibility will appear to future generations as a preservation inevitability. This is where historical perspective comes in. We need to know the history of our preservation accomplishments. Inevitable as some may seem today, they took real acts of preservation courage and vision to initiate and achieve them. Preservationists need to keep this in mind as we contemplate taking on the “impossibilities” of our time.
[...] a post by post history of near-past preservation efforts – ranging from the miracle of the Upper East Side designation to saving the Seguine Mansion. He even stops by Gino’s to say goodbye andwonder what [...]