How do landmarks such as the Brown Building, formerly the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, reflect the architectural development and social landscape of the city?
The Brown (formerly Asch) Building was the site in 1911 of one of the worst industrial disasters in American history. One hundred and forty-six sweatshop workers, mostly young women, died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. At the turn of the century, when the garment industry was the largest employer in New York City, the conditions under which garments were being produced had steadily worsened. Laborers, usually young immigrant women, were protected by some turn-of-the-century reforms that significantly restricted home production and required a minimum of 250 cubic feet of air for each worker.
Out of this tragedy grew a strong movement for labor reforms and worker protection, as well as an update of the fire codes. The laws adopted by New York City and New York state were the most advanced and comprehensive in the country; other state and federal labor legislation followed throughout the United States. But it is worth looking into the laws again to learn if they should be made even stricter.
The 21st century is bringing new waves of immigrants, and some dangerous labor conditions are being replicated -- not only in New York City, but in different parts of the country. There are waves of immigrants who are entering the labor force in entry-level positions, and accepting jobs that others might not, under conditions that are not acceptable.
In Landmarks you indicate that the World Trade Center site has been determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places despite the 50-year rule for inclusion.
Many historic buildings were adversely affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. No designated buildings were completely destroyed, but significant historic buildings were badly damaged, particularly the West Street Building and the Barclay-Vesey Building. The Lower Manhattan Emergency Preservation Fund (LMEPF) was created to raise awareness about the historic buildings in Lower Manhattan, and dedicate itself to the role of preservation in the redevelopment of the area. The group has 300 historical sites on its “watch list,” including the Barclay-Vesey Building, the West Street Building, and the Corbin Building, a beautiful early terra-cotta skyscraper.
Also, a special commission was created to preserve some of those artifacts. The question is whether you build something that erases history as if nothing ever happened, or whether you keep the artifacts that bear testimony to the terrible tragedy that took place there. It may be that the transportation hub, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, for the World Trade Center site, will be the only structure that will be remembered as being symbolic of the WTC, rather than those buildings that are a monument to commercial greed.
What about the inclusion of religious landmarks?
There are many, many religious structures that are designated -- and some are the earliest and most endangered buildings. The Bowne House is the oldest surviving residence in Queens, and this modest Anglo-Dutch wood frame house is one of my favorites because of its remarkable history. It is a special building both because of its architecture and its remarkable historical significance. The Bowne House is a monument to religious freedom. The house belonged to John Bowne, a Quaker, who refused to sacrifice his own religious freedom. Bowne helped to establish the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and liberty, which were later codified in the Bill of Rights. We have superb landmarks in New York, such as the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station, but the Bowne house is unique -- and it sits right in the middle of Queens!
What type of politics play into the landmark designation process?
This is a time of unsurpassed prosperity, when not only builders and developers and banks want to monetize their assets [but] so do individuals who own property and who live in houses and apartments. Many people are interested in selling because they are uncertain when they are going to find a real estate “bubble” like this again. There is a great deal of money, influence, and emotion at stake, and as a result, a lot of personal and political forces come into play. But I am still idealistic about individuals and what motivates them, and most often, substance triumphs over style.
I believe there is no citizen movement, other than the civil rights movement, that is as broad-based, or as egalitarian as the issue of preservation. It cuts across all economic groups, all age groups, and exists in every part of the country. This wasn't always the case. For many years, it was strictly the province of elitist groups, but that is no longer true. On the one hand, we are a country based on private-property rights, but also there is the question of the public patrimony; and the public benefits have come to outweigh the limitations on private-property rights.
Although numbers don't tell the whole story, when [the] Landmarks Law was first enabled in 1965, there were approximately 30 official landmarks commissions in the country. Now there are nearly 3,000. Also, there are thousands of neighborhood associations and historical societies working for preservation. The New York Landmarks Law, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, has become the model for the rest of our country.
How does the future look for preservation?
Historians say that the changing landscape is about generations, past and future, having a conversation over time. There are competing interests, and if you believe, as I do, that much of life is a negotiated transaction -- in real estate, as well as in romance -- success depends on negotiation. It is to be hoped that there are equitable resolutions for the public that we are all meant to serve, particularly in terms of non-renewable resources. Cities, our “common-wealth,” are the greatest communal works of man, and the landmarks effort has become not only a national movement, but a global one, as well, with New York City setting the standard.
Heather Bobrow is a freelance writer in New York.
