In Memoriam: Lee Harris Pomeroy
June 1, 2018 | NYPAP
Lee Harris Pomeroy, architect, designer, and preservationist, was instrumental in saving historic Broadway theaters during the early 1980s. As preservationist Roberta Brandes Gratz recalled, Pomeroy was “the only architect with the guts to stand with those of us trying to save the incomparable, historic Morosco and Helen Hayes theaters.” When the demolition of historic Broadway theaters was advanced to make room for a new Marriott Hotel in Times Square, Lee collaborated with preservation groups, going on to help draft the plan to establish the Historic Broadway Theatre District.
Pomeroy was born in Brooklyn in 1932, and studied architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, later earning a master’s degree in architecture from Yale University as well. He was recognized for the restoration of New York landmarks such as the Plaza Hotel, St. James and Trinity Churches, and Grand Central Terminal, as well as many of the city’s early-20th-century subway stations. His firm continues to take on projects in
the New York City area.