The 1973 amendments to New York City’s Landmarks Law established interior landmarks, scenic landmarks, instituted continuous hearings and designation (ending the mandated moratorium limiting designations to a 6-month period every three years), and otherwise transformed the workings of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
New York Preserved on Film: Our Vanishing Legacy Returns
A screening, followed by a conversation on the roots of the preservation movement with writer/producer Gordon Hyatt and Kent Barwick, President of the Municipal Art Society. The evening concluded with a wine and cheese reception.
April 19th is indeed a landmark day in the history of preservation in New York City. On this day in 1965, then-Mayor Wagner signed the landmarks law. Finally, after decades of efforts, New York City had a legal system in place to protect its landmarks. As they say, the rest is history.
The City Beautiful movement emerged in response to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The fundamental idea expounded at the fair was that the city was no longer a symbol of economic development and industrialization, but could now be seen as enhancing the aesthetic environment of its many inhabitants.
