Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location | New York, New York, USA |
| Nearest city | New York, NY |
| Coordinates | |
| Established | November 12, 1988 |
| Governing body | Lower East Side Tenement Museum |
Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site preserves a six-story brick tenement building that was home to an estimated 7,000 people, from over 20 nations, between 1863 and 1935. Known also as Tenement Building at 97 Orchard Street, it is located at 97 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan in New York, New York. The structure was opened by Lukas Glockner and was modified several times to conform with the city's developing housing laws. In 1935, rather than continue to modify the building, the residents were evicted and the building was boarded up and sealed, leaving only the storefronts open for business. The building is able to convey a vivid sense of the deplorable living conditions experienced by its tenants, especially the top two floors which contain rooms, wallpaper, plumbing and paper preserved as they were found in 1988.
The tenement building is the heart of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum which promotes tolerance and historical perspective at this gateway to America. The museum and tenement are open for public tours.
The museum's exhibits include restored apartments that depict the lives of newly arrived immigrants during various time periods in American history. The museum also has an extensive collection of historical archives and provides a variety of educational programs.
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[edit] Administrative history
The tenement was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 19, 1994. The National Historic Site was authorized on November 12, 1998. The site received a Save America's Treasures matching grant for $250,000 in 2000 for preservation work. It is an affiliated area of the National Park Service. The tenement is owned and administered by the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. In 2005, the museum was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.[1][2]
[edit] Controversy
| Tenement Building at 97 Orchard Street | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | New York, NY |
| Built/Founded: | 1863 |
| Architectural style(s): | Italianate |
| Designated as NHL: | April 19, 1994 |
| Added to NRHP: | May 19, 1992 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 92000556 |
The Tenement Museum has attracted some negative press related to its employees seeking union membership[3] as well as its plans to expand to the neighboring building.[4]
[edit] References
- The National Parks: Index 2001-2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
- ^ Roberts, Sam. "City Groups Get Bloomberg Gift of $20 Million", The New York Times, 2005-07-06.
- ^ Carnegie Corporation (2005-07-05). "The Corporation Offers Support To Social Service And Arts Organizations Throughout New York City". Press release.
- ^ Shapiro, Julie; Giachino, Alyssa (May 2007). "Tenement guides learn from history form union". The Villager 76 (50).
- ^ Haberman, Clyde. "Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Building?", The New York Times, 2002-02-13.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Lower East Side Tenement Museum
- National Park Service: Lower East Side Tenement Museum National Historic Site
- Tenement Building at 97 Orchard Street, National Historic Landmark summary
- "National Historic Landmark Nomination: Tenement Building at 97 Orchard Street", October 8, 1993, by Larry Lowenthal, Andrew S. Dolkart, and Judith P. Baumwoll. PDF (152 KiB) and NHL Nomination Tenement at 97 Orchard Street--Accompanying 7 photos, exterior and interior, undated, courtesy of the National Park ServicePDF (371 KiB)
- Public Law No: 105-378
- Biography of a Tenement House in New York City: An Architectural History of 97 Orchard Street, ISBN 9781930066571
