<strong>The</strong> Renwick Ruins (originally Smallpox Hospital and laterNurses’ Dormitory), Roosevelt Island<strong>The</strong> newly stabilized and partially rebuilt Smallpox Hospital ruin was unveiledat a ceremony held on Roosevelt Island on May 28, 2009. <strong>The</strong> ceremonyincluded the groundbreaking of a new landscaped park, sponsoredby the Trust for Public Land, which will occupy the open space directly northof the landmark. <strong>The</strong> stabilization work will protect the ruin from furtherdegradation from wind and rain but did not include the reconstruction ofportions of the walls that were dismantled. <strong>The</strong> stone blocks from thesewalls have been numbered and crated and are stored at the site awaitingthe next phase of restoration. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> has been lobbying for yearsto have this important Renwick building on Roosevelt Island stabilized andrepaired. We see it as an important historic site and a prominent landmarkvisible to many.Admiral’s Row, Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn<strong>The</strong> long battle to save at least some of the historic buildings that onceserved the Brooklyn Navy Yard continues. A draft Memorandum of Agreementhas been issued pursuant to a lengthy Section 106 review process.<strong>The</strong> memorandum stipulates that two of the ten historic structures mustbe saved and restored. <strong>The</strong> Navy Yard Development Corporation, which isinterested in purchasing the parcel from the Federal Government, asked fora six-month freeze in the process so that they could solicit bids from privateentities to ascertain whether it was financially feasible to save the twosmall structures. In the meantime, the <strong>Conservancy</strong> and other groups are infrequent communication with the Army National Guard, the lead agency,demanding that something be done to stabilize the historic structures. So farthe National Guard has responded with promises but no action.Technical Services EventsProfessional Conference: Using Historic Tax Credits in <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong><strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> and the law firm of Nixon Peabody co-sponsored a daylongconference at the Athletic Club on June 24, 2009 on the topic of historictax credits. <strong>The</strong>re were about eighty attendees and the speakers includedRuth Pierpont from the State Historic Preservation Office, Jay DiLorenzo andDaniel Mackay from the Preservation League of <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> State as well asattorneys and historic preservation consultants experienced with major taxact projects. <strong>The</strong> Luncheon speaker was architect Richard Cook, who gave afascinating talk on “green” design. He described the innovative design featuresof the new Bank of America Building at Sixth Avenue and 43rd Street,which his firm designed for the Durst Organization. <strong>The</strong> seminar was gearedto professionals from the financial, legal, development, and preservationfields.National Trust <strong>Annual</strong> Preservation Conference,Nashville, TennesseeTechnical Services Director, Alex Herrera, was invited to take part in aroundtable discussion on the current state of preservation easements. <strong>The</strong>panel consisted of representatives from Chicago and Charleston as well as<strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong>. It was moderated by the Assistant Counsel for the National Trustfor Historic Preservation. Among the topics discussed were best practicesfor the management of easements and the experience each city has hadwith IRS challenges to the appraised monetary value of preservation easements.<strong>The</strong> Session occurred on Saturday, October 14, at the DowntownConference Center in Nashville, Tennessee.<strong>Conservancy</strong> Easements177 Montague StreetIn early December the <strong>Conservancy</strong> accepted the donation ofa preservation easement on the former Brooklyn Trust CompanyBuilding, 177 Montague Street. <strong>The</strong> building, now a Chasebranch, is one of <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong>’s most magnificent banks. It is locatedjust outside the boundaries of the Brooklyn Heights HistoricDistrict. Its architects, <strong>York</strong> and Sawyer, designed someof the city’s grandest bank buildings. <strong>The</strong> exterior is modeledon the seventeenth century Palazzo della Gran Guardia in Verona.<strong>The</strong> building features three ornate limestone façades andis perfectly intact even down to the original massive bronzetorcheres flanking the main entrance. It dates to 1915. <strong>The</strong>easement covers the building’s entire exterior envelope, includingthe roof.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> holds 46 easements on a variety of buildingsthroughout the City.prior pagetop <strong>The</strong> Cosmopolitan Clubmiddle Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Roosevelt Islandbottom TWA Terminal, JFK Airport, Queensthis page177 Montague Street9
Preserving Sacred Sites“We want to express our thanks for not onlythis financial help, but for the graciousness andencouragement you have given us for the past nine yearsthat has enabled us to save our church.”– Lit Attiyeh, Free Association Church of PierrepontFree Synagogue of Flushing, Queens
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