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Committee for the Preservation of Structures of Historic and Esthetic Importance

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Description

The Committee for the Preservation of Structures of Historic and Esthetic Importance was a 13 member committee appointed by Mayor Wagner in June of 1961. This study committee's objective was to work towards obtaining landmark legislation. Under the leadership of Geoffrey Platt and Harmon Goldstone, the committee wrote a one-page memo regarding the state of preservation, and they concluded that New York City needed both a law and a commission in order to effectively protect its landmarks1.

The Committee
June 19, 1961 - Mayor Robert Wagner appointed a 13 member committee to advise him on a course of action for the city to take on landmarks preservation2.
- Architect Geoffrey Platt served as chairman of the committee.
- Working with Platt on the committee were Harmon Goldstone, Robert W. Dowling, Luther H. Gulick, Arthur C. Holden, Clarence G. Michalis, Whitney North Seymour and Frederick J. Woodbridge, Robert S. Curtiss, Stanley H. Lowell, McKim Norton, Morgan Dix, Wheelock, Bethuel M. Webster3.
- Harmon Goldstone, Geoffrey Platt, and James Felt suggested the candidates for the committee. They intentionally selected the members to represent a diversity of professions, including architect, lawyer, planner, realtor, and banker4.
- Goldstone also suggested a panel of consultants, such as Albert Bard, to present their views before the Committee. These individuals did not serve as regular members5.
- James Felt played an integral role in helping to develop the committee, and he worked closely with Platt and Goldstone. He met with them regularly, advised them regarding the intricacies of government, and followed the drafting process of the law6.
- The committee was charged to work in conjunction with the Municipal Art Society and the Fine Arts Federation7.
- The committee also worked in consultation with the City Planning Commission8.
The First Meeting
July 25, 1961 - The committee held the first of five meetings at Seaman’s Bank for Savings, located at 45th Street and Fifth Avenue9.
- At the meeting, the committee examined "relevant legislation in other cities, particularly those of New Orleans, Boston, Providence and Philadelphia10."
The Report
- November 27, 1961 - The committee reported its findings to Mayor Wagner in a one-page memo11.
- The committee "recommended that a permanent commission be established, to be known as the Landmarks Preservation Commission of the City of New York12."
- This commission would be responsible to designate for protection, "a. Buildings, structures, monuments, statues and works of historic and or esthetic importance. b. The surroundings of any of the foregoing insofar as needed to preserve their character. c. Groups of buildings or districts whose general character is important historically or which are uniquely valuable in design or location13."
- The commission would also answer preservation inquiries from public bodies and recommend "appropriate action14."
- Within a year, the commission would present the mayor with a "detailed legislative program for the effective protection of those portions of designated landmarks that fall within public view15."
- The report suggested the composition of the commission and the necessary steps to bring it to life16.
- December 3, 1961 - Only six days later, the Wagner administration issued a press release in which it thanked the committee for its work, accepted the recommendations and announced its intention to implement the proposed plan immediately17.
April 1962 - In accordance with the committee’s recommendation, Mayor Wagner appointed a Landmarks Preservation Commission, for the purpose of "protecting structures and areas of historic or esthetic importance18."
- Though the Wagner administration was quick to establish a Landmarks Preservation Commission, landmark protection legislation did not pass until 196519.
Charles B. Hosmer Collection, National Trust for Historic Preservation Library Collection and Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland at College Park Libraries.
A complete list of Hosmer’s interviewees can be accessed at: http://www.lib.umd.edu/NTL/hosmerindex.pdf

History

City Planning Commission
Municipal Art Society
Fine Arts Federation

Involvement with Preservation Campaigns

June 19, 1961 - Mayor Robert Wagner appointed a 13 member committee to advise him on a course of action for the city to take on landmarks preservation.
July 25, 1961 - The committee held its first of five meetings at Seaman’s Bank for Savings, located at 45th Street and Fifth Avenue.
November 27, 1961 - The committee reported its findings to Mayor Wagner in a one-page memo.
April 1962 - In accordance with the committee’s recommendation, Mayor Wagner appointed a Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Archives, Personal files, and Ephemura

Mayor Wagner Papers
New York City Municipal Archives
31 Chambers Street, Room 103
New York, NY 10007
Open to the public Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Friday 9 AM to 1 PM.
For more information, call 311 or (212) NEW-YORK if outside of New York City.

  • 1. Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks. (New York: Routledge, 2007). Pages 270-1.
  • 2. "Mayor Appoints 13 to Help preserve Historic Buildings," New York Times, July 12, 1961.
  • 3. Ibid.
  • 4. Charles Hosmer’s Interview with Harmon Goldstone, June 23, 1982.
  • 5. Ibid.
  • 6. Ibid.
  • 7. Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks. (New York: Routledge, 2007). Page 270.
  • 8. Goldstone, president of the Municipal Art Society, to Gordon Hyatt, Producer WCBS TV, September 27, 1961.
  • 9. Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks. (New York: Routledge, 2007). Page 279.
  • 10. Geoffrey Platt to Mayor Robert F. Wagner, November 27, 1961. Mayor Wagner Papers, New York City Municipal Archives.
  • 11. Charles Hosmer’s Interview with Harmon Goldstone, June 23, 1982.
  • 12. Ibid.
  • 13. "Outline of Recommendations" to the mayor from the Committee for the Preservation of Structures of Historic or Esthetic Importance." November 27, 1961.
  • 14. Ibid.
  • 15. Ibid.
  • 16. Ibid.
  • 17. "Statement by Mayor Robert F. Wagner," for release December 3, 1961, City of New York Office of the Mayor, Mayor Wagner Papers, New York City Municipal Archives.
  • 18. Ballon, Hilary and Norman McGrath, New York's Pennsylvania Stations (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002). Page 105.
  • 19. Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect A City's Landmarks. (New York: Routledge, 2007). Page 279.