PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR MEZZANINE PLAN - the Public Theater

A NEW YORK CITY
LANDMARK:
425 LAFAYETTE STREET
The Public’s headquarters on 425 Lafayette Street was
commissioned by John Jacob Astor just before his death in 1848.
This was the first of the great free public reference libraries in the
United States and it first opened its doors in 1854 with more than
80,000 volumes. Prior to the opening of the Astor Library, the only
libraries available to the public were subscription libraries which
charged a membership fee, and limited access to those who
could pay.
The building is noteworthy, not only for its attractive facade, or
its interior which retains some of New York’s most remarkable
victorian spaces, but for the manner in which it was constructed.
The building consists of three independent buildings constructed
over a thirty-year period by architects Alexander Saeltzer (south
wing, 1849-1853), Griffith Thomas (central wing, 1856-1859), and
Thomas Stent (north wing, 1879-1881).
In 1897 an agreement was reached to consolidate a number of
libraries and build The New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and
42nd Street. The Astor Library continued to operate until 1911,
when The New York Public Library was completed. In 1920 the
structure was bought by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
who remodeled the building to serve as a receiving station, aid
center, dormitory and synagogue for thousands of newly arrived
immigrants. Over its 44-year tenancy, HIAS processed and/or
housed approximately 250,000 immigrants – one of whom was
Mandy Patinkin’s grandfather.
Joe Papp acquired the building in 1965 with help from the City of
New York and it became one of the first buildings to be declared
a New York City Landmark. The Public Theater’s mission—that
arts should be accessible to all—echoes the democratic legacy of
the Astor Library that made knowledge available to everyone. The
complex was transformed into a functioning performance center
and still operates as The Public’s headquarters, housing five
theaters, Joe’s Pub, and administrative and production offices.
The Public Theater’s facilities
are owned by the City of New
York and benefit from public
funds provided through the New
York Department of Cultural
Affairs with support from Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg; Cultural
Affairs Commissioner, Kate
D. Levin; Manhattan Borough
President, Scott M. Stringer; the
New York City Council including
Council Speaker Christine
C. Quinn, Cultural Affairs
Committee Chair Domenic M.
Recchia, Jr.; Councilmember
Rosie Mendez and the
Manhattan Delegation.
“The Public has earned its premiere place in New York theater’s
past and present many times over. It has been the incubator for
legions of theater artists, including me.” —Sam Waterston
the public theater 8 the public theater 9