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American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society

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Sometimes listed as The Society for the Preservation of Scenic and Historic Places and Objects.

 

Description

The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was created "as a national organization of men and women for the protection of natural scenery and the preservation of historic landmarks in city or country, made beautiful by nature or art; to preserve landmarks, objects and other records of the past or present; to erect historical memorials, and generally to promote popular appreciation of the scenic beauties of America and respect for the history of the nation, its honored names and its physical memorials1.

History

The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society (ASHPS), New York’s first organized preservation lobby, was founded by Andrew Haswell Green in March of 18952. "Capitalizing on the centralization of power and state building that characterized the Progressive Era," the Society was originally chartered by the New York State legislature under the name "Trustees of Scenic and Historic Places and Objects." In 1901, it adopted the moniker of American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society3.

ASHPS was founded on the traditions of the "wilderness preservation movement4." It served as an umbrella and gathering point for the informal network of preservation advocates. The ASHPS's platform signified the marriage of "historic" and "scenic" values to be protected. The society designated a broad range of objects and places for preservation5. The ASHPS sought to impose order on the landscape and to harmonize the urban population in an effort to keep the parks and nature as natural as possible. Its main tactic was to acquire and maintain scenic areas and historic sites, as well as make them publicly accessible. At the time of its founding, the ASHPS controlled only six parks, and thanks to its efforts, forty-one parks were opened to the public by the mid 1920’s6. The ASPHS was also interested in the narratives surrounding the sites they sought to preserve, and placed special emphasis on patriotic stories7.

The Society relied upon the involvement of a group of society's active elites, as well as a "nascent" middle class, and counted a significant number of politicians, representatives and legislators as influential allies. Members such as John D. Rockefeller Jr., John Pierpont Morgan and Letchworth added to the organization's prestige. However, by the 1930s, Robert Moses blocked the ASHPS from continuing management at one of its most treasured sites, Letchworth State Park8.
 

Involvement with Preservation Campaigns

ASHPS's preservation efforts focused on a range of interests, varying from individual buildings, historic sites, statues, plaques, and parks, to battlefields and open spaces9.
- Involved in the fight to save old St. John’s Church, after it was marked for destruction to enable the widening of Varick Street10.
- "It fought to make public parks of those rare remnants of the revolutionary past: such as the Billop House, Fraunces Tavern, Hamilton Grange, Castle Garden, Inwood Hill’s virgin forest and Indian remains, the ruins of fort Washington and the old Hall of Records in City Hall Park11."
- Played a role in the debates surrounding Central Park12.
- The ASHPS took an active stance against Robert Moses' plan to demolish the historic Castle Clinton. In May of 1941, three months after Robert Moses announced his plan to terminate the Castle, the ASHPS, along with the New-York Historical Society, announced that they would hold a meeting to discuss "The Preservation of Historic Sites and Buildings in the City of New York13." Later, in June of 1948, when Moses attempted to complete the demolition of Castle Clinton that had begun prior to WWII, the society filed a suit against him, under the name of one of its most prestigious officers, Alexander Hamilton. By the time the court had reached a final decision, the assembly and the state senate in Albany had already passed the legislation required to cede Castle Clinton to the Federal Government14. The ASHPS was involved with the effort to advance the notion that under police power, New York City should have the authority to regulate on aesthetic grounds.
- ASHPS was involved with the Commission to regulate billboards15.
Dr. Edward Hagaman Hall, the paid executive secretary of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, testified before several of the commission’s hearings, and helped draft a report on the subject16. In the report, entitled "The Poster Nuisance: An argument against the abuses of outdoor advertising," Hall argued against outdoor advertising. He emphasized the public’s right to be free from advertising and questioned the effectiveness of outdoor advertisements. He also pointed out that in an educated, literate culture outdoor advertising is an unnecessary nuisance, and a blight upon a city's aesthetics.

Archives, Personal files, and Ephemera

American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society Records, 1895-1971:
The New York Public Library, Special Collections Department.
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, 10018-2788.
Phone: (212)930-0830.
or visit www.nypl.org.
Please note a finding aid for this collection is available within the repository as well as on-line.

  • 1. "Scenic and Historic America: Bulletin of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society." ASHPS 2.1 (March 1930):3.
  • 2. Gilmartin, Gregory F. Shaping the City: New York and the Municipal Art Society. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1994. 331.
  • 3. Anzalone, Jonathan. "From Inspiration to Recreation: The Creation of the New York State Park System, 1885-1930," presented at the New York State History Conference on June 11, 2007. 6.
  • 4. Ibid.
  • 5. Page, Max and Randall Mason. Giving Preservation a History. New York: Routledge, 2004. 133.
  • 6. Anzalone, 6.
  • 7. Page, Max and Randall Mason, 137.
  • 8. Anzalone, 6.
  • 9. Page, Max and Randall Mason, 133.
  • 10. "Old St. John's Church is Marked for Destruction." New York Times. 25 May 1913.
  • 11. Gilmartin, 331.
  • 12. Page, Max and Randall Mason, 137.
  • 13. Wood, 60.
  • 14. Wood, 81.
  • 15. Wood, 28.
  • 16. Wood, 29.