Zoom author talk on Louisa May Alcott in 1870’s New York City

The MHNA Preservation & Design Committee hosted a live Zoom author talk and discussion with Lorraine Tosiello, author of Only Gossip Prospers. This historical novel, shaped from Louisa May Alcott’s letters and journals, gives a portrait of Louisa May Alcott during the winter of 1875 that she spent in New York City. With a first-rate slideshow of historic photographs to accompany her talk, Tosiello showed us the mansions and homes near Fifth Avenue and Murray Hill.

And the winners of the Murray Hill Scavenger Hunt are…

The Murray Hill Scavenger Hunt, a contest organized by The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association Preservation and Design Committee, was a safe, fun and informative way for residents to explore the neighborhood during the summer. Participants had to find and then photograph 22 items in Murray Hill's historic districts and landmarked buildings, in an area covering 33rd to 38th Streets and Third to Madison Avenues. Congratulations to the two winners Davri Zanoeddin and Melissa Cohen!

Great gift ideas! Streaming video or DVD of the 'Walking Tour of Historic Murray Hill' and more

This lively and captivating film shows spectacular footage of historic Murray Hill. Vintage photos are interspersed with fascinating historical and architectural commentary. The film features 2 historic districts and 14 landmark buildings. 
Purchase the streaming video.
The DVD of the film can be purchased at murrayhillnyc.org/dvd.
And don't forget to visit the MHNA online catalog at murrayhillnyc.org/catalog. Choose from a variety of note cards, prints, books, t-shirts and more.

An accomplished and remarkable woman with a secret—Belle da Costa Greene

When she retired in 1948 as the first Director for The Morgan Library & Museum, Belle da Costa Greene had established herself as a prominent cultural leader and trailblazer of her time. She had a reputation for being intelligent, outspoken, dynamic, witty, stylish, ‘fabulous’ (according to her New York Times obituary) and scholarly. During her 43 years at The Morgan, she astutely organized and built the library’s world-class collection of rare books and manuscripts, while also developing the library’s program of public exhibitions, lectures, publications and research services that continues until this time.

Important Information about Grants and Loans for Building Owners in the Murray Hill Historic District

There is good news for building owners in the Murray Hill Neighborhood Historic District and in the National Register of Historic Places.  The Landmarks Preservation Commission has confirmed that they have a small grant program that provides federally funded grants to low and moderate income eligible homeowners and non-profits for restoration work. In addition, there is a State Historic Preservation Tax credit for homeowners in certain eligible census tracts. The New York Landmarks Conservancy also has a low interest loan program called the Historic Properties Fund for Restoration which provides free project management as part of the program.

MHNA P&D Committee Honored by GANYC

The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association Preservation & Design Committee was honored by the Guides Association of New York City with an Apple Award for Outstanding Achievement in Support of NYC Preservation. Susan Demmet, Co-Chair of the P&D Committee, received the award on behalf of the committee at the 2020 GANYC Apple Awards event on March 2 held at the SVA Theatre. The P&D Committee has several programs that brought their work to the attention of GANYC. The committee recently produced a new DVD of the Murray Hill walking tour. They also offer monthly walking tours throughout the year. They are working with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to get landmark designation for additional buildings in Murray Hill, and they launched a program in 2018 to install Cultural Medallions on buildings in the neighborhood. Cultural Medallions give a short description of significant people who lived in Murray Hill and are installed on the buildings where they lived. Four buildings now have cultural medallions. 
Photo: Susan Demmet receiving the GANYC Apple Award.

Helping the SSMAC Live On In Our Community

The Soldiers', Sailors', Marines’, Coast Guard and Airmen's Club has called Murray Hill home since 1927. The club was founded in 1919 by Mrs. Cornelia Barnes Rogers, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt Jr, and General John J. Pershing as an organization dedicated to “Serve Those Who Serve Their Country.” The SSMAC is dependent on sponsors and contributors to provide subsidized accommodations and club-type facilities for all members of the armed services. The club home is in jeopardy as they may lose their lease with a new owner. If that happens, it will have to close its doors or relocate. The club is one of our finest neighbors. The MHNA is working with the club’s management to see how we can help this "special treasure" live on in our community. Watch for developing news about the SSMAC. Photo: 283 Lexington Avenue (between 36th and 37th Street) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tom Miller Talks About McKim, Meade & White on Murray Hill

Tom Miller, blogger extraordinaire about New York City’s historic buildings and the people who lived in them, entertained and informed his audience on March 2 at the Makor Center for Spiritual Judaism with a talk, McKim, Meade & White on Murray Hill. The talk began with a short history of the Gilded Age architectural firm, McKim, Meade & White, and took a detailed look at four of the buildings they designed, as well as the building’s owners. All of these buildings are now designated as New York City Landmarks. Photo: Speaker Tom Miller (right) with Portrait of Thomas B. Clarke by Charles Frederic Ulrich.

And The Oscar Goes To…

The film premiere of the new Walking Tour of Historic Murray Hill was held on Saturday, November 2nd at the Bowdoin Carriage House, a NYC landmark, now the Henry George School of Social Science. Led by professional tour guide and P & D member Robin Garr (pictured in the photo speaking at the film premiere), with 7 participating tour members, this film shows spectacular footage of our historic neighborhood. Vintage photos are interspersed with historical and architectural commentary that accompany Robin’s talk about each of the landmarked buildings. DVD’s of the film can be purchased at murrayhillnyc.org/dvd.

LPC Chair Takes Walking Tour in Murray Hill to View 29 Buildings Submitted for Landmark Designation

On a sunny August morning, Sarah Carroll, the new Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission and two senior members of her staff joined several members of the Preservation & Design Committee for a walking tour of Murray Hill. The purpose of the tour was to showcase 29 buildings that the P & D Committee had originally submitted to the LPC in 2016 for New York City landmark designation. 

Complete listing of the 29 buildings proposed for landmarking. 

Preview of The Morgan Library & Museum Restoration

In mid-September, The Morgan Library & Museum invited officers of the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association to preview plans for the next phase of the ongoing exterior restoration of J. Pierpont Morgan’s Library before they were made public. 

Much of the exterior restoration is almost complete, including roof replacement, cleaning of the marble exterior, masonry repairs, and sculpture and fence restoration. The next phase involves site improvements to the 36th Street side, with restoration of the gardens and improved lighting as major parts of the project. 

Rendering: Detail of Sketch by Landscape Designer Todd Longstaff-Gowan, provided by The Morgan Library & Museum.

P&D Committee Submits 29 Buildings for Landmark Designation

In 2016, The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association submitted 29 Buildings for landmark designation to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Tap Read More to learn the details of each of the 29 buildings. 

The MHNA fondly remembers Minor Bishop (1927-2019)—A Renaissance Man

Minor Lamphier Bishop, age 92, passed away during the early morning hours of 20 June 2019. Minor is best known by those of us who live in Murray Hill for his community service, having served the MHNA for decades with great dedication, from the 1960s until the end of his life, as a trustee and active member of the Preservation & Design Committee. He worked to preserve the historic designation of the Murray Hill district, and researched the history of its landmarks and buildings. He is best remembered for his walking tours, which he gave tirelessly. He will be deeply missed, but not forgotten.

Minor Bishop’s video and book, Sketching on Murray Hill are both available for purchase on the MHNA website.

Photo by Sami Steigmann.

Tom Miller Talks About Famous Residents on East 36th Street

The Makor Center for Spiritual Judaism was the setting for a lively and informative talk and slide show by blogger and author Tom Miller. This event, held on Saturday April 6th, drew a full crowd, eager to absorb Tom’s encyclopedic knowledge about a group of prominent people who once lived in Murray Hill. The talk focused on the rich history of a group of people and buildings on one block in Murray Hill—East 36th Street between Lexington and Park Avenue. This block was once home to a number of distinguished political, business and military figures, including Admirals Benjamin Franklin Isherwood and Daniel G. Farragut of “Damn the Torpedoes” fame. Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt moved to this block after their marriage, calling their townhouse at 125 East 36th Street their “14 foot mansion.”

Photo of Tom Miller by Nancy Idaka Sheran.

Related websites and articles

The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission

The LPC's Discover NYC Landmarks Map

The Historic Districts Council

The NYC Landmarks50 Alliance

Tom Miller's Daytonian in Manhattan blog

New York Times 1914 article on Murray Hill Deed Restrictions

Landmark New York Public Library Building Moves Ahead With Master Plan

On February 19, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on some of the proposed changes presented in the New York Public Library’s Master Plan for the building on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Street. This building is one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks. The next phase of the work is narrow in scope; the LPC has designated this permit LPC-19-35199, 476 Fifth Avenue - New York Public Library - Individual and Interior Landmark. The architectural firm Mecanoo Beyer Blinder Belle presented the plans and renderings.

On March 5, 2019, the LPC approved the revised plan.

Private and group tours of Murray Hill are now available

Take a tour of the Murray Hill Historic District, nestled between two of the world’s most iconic streets, 34th and 42nd Streets, and surrounded by NYC landmarks, the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building. This historical residential enclave has 15 individual landmarks and 251 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The tour covers landmark buildings in the historic district as well as the architects who built them and the famous people who lived in them, including Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, JP Morgan and Andy Warhol.

Tour guides focus on the unique architectural qualities of the buildings as well as the historical evolution of the neighborhood and its reputation as a residential oasis in Midtown Manhattan. Tours can be customized.

Contact Susan at 212-689-6730 or sldemmet@gmail.com. Price available upon request.

Photo: (left to right) Tour guides Robin Garr, Barbara Sagan and Paula Thomson. 

Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on changes to the landmark B. Altman Building, July 24, 2018

The Museum of Popular Culture, new owner of a portion of the landmarked B. Altman building, presented proposed changes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission on July 24, 2018, and applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness.

The Certificate of Appropriateness was approved with modifications. The LPC's decision.

Image: Rendering of proposed changes 

Three New Cultural Medallions Honoring Distinguished Murray Hill Residents Are Unveiled

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, Charles Dana Gibson, and Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn were honored in April in ceremonies unveiling cultural medallions placed on the façades of each of the brownstones where they once resided in Murray Hill. 

To commemorate other illustrious residents who once lived in Murray Hill, the P&D Committee is exploring several names to add to our list of cultural medallion honorees. These include the songwriter, Cole Porter, the architect Marcel Breuer, the playwright Tennessee Williams and the actress Helen Hayes. 

Funding for the research, fabrication of the medallions and the videotaping of the ceremonies comes from individual sponsors, honored building owners and private donations. If you would like to sponsor or contribute to the Medallion Program, please visit our website at www.murrayhillnyc.org and click Donate. Email Susan Demmet at sldemmet@gmail.com when you donate so your contribution can be properly acknowledged, or if you know of a significant person who lived in Murray Hill whom you believe should be nominated for a Cultural Medallion.

Meet Your Neighborhood Walking Tour Guides

Every last Sunday of the month, starting March 25, you can become better acquainted with local history, sites and stories in a 90-minute walk compliments of The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association’s Preservation & Design Committee. Four expert guides conduct these tours.

Photo: Left to right, Robin Garr, Barbara Sagan, Paula Thomson, statue of Jan Karski, the Polish Underground hero in front of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York

Preserving Our Neighborhood

Thanks to the creation of the Landmark Preservation Commission in 1965, thousands of buildings in New York City have been granted landmark or historic district status, saving them from demolition. The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association’s Preservation & Design Committee is committed to preserving and protecting the historic residential character of our neighborhood, and takes great pride in its work.

As you walk around and enjoy the brownstones, stately mansions, stables and historic buildings in our neighborhood, we hope that you appreciate the efforts of the Preservation & Design Committee to safeguard our historical, cultural and architectural heritage. 

Our LPC Proposal to Landmark 29 Buildings in Murray Hill - Update

The P&D Committee identified 29 buildings worthy of landmarking in Murray Hill and requested landmark status for those building from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commisison. In October, we received a disappointing response from the LPC. They have chosen only 3 of the 29 buildings for consideration.

We will let you know if these properties come up for a hearing at the LPC, although we think it will not be soon. In the meantime we will continue working to acquire landmark status for more buildings in order to preserve and protect the historic residential core of Murray Hill. 

Photo: 38 East 38th Street

Before Hillary There Was Victoria Woodhull

A Murray Hill resident was the first woman to run for President, nominated by the Equal Rights Party in 1872. Victoria California Clafin Woodhull was an advocate for women’s rights, including suffrage, the 8-hour work day, a graduated income tax, social welfare programs, profit sharing, free love and the legalization of sex work. She and her sister Tennessee were also the first women to operate a brokerage firm; they were called “the Queens of Finance” and “the Bewitching Brokers.”

Photo of Virginia Woodhull by Matthew Brady c. 1870

LPC Proposes 12 buildings in Greater East Midtown for Landmark Status

At a public meeting on May 10, 2016 the Landmarks Preservation Commission identified twelve buildings that merit landmark designation and contribute to the rich historical and architectural context of Greater East Midtown. The proposal is part of the NYC Administration’s larger effort to plan for the future of one of New York City’s most dynamic neighborhoods. 

Spotlight on Murray Hill’s Landmarks - NYC Landmarks Celebrating 50 Years

In each article we will feature a few of Murray Hill’s landmarked buildings.  We begin with the buildings that have had landmark status the longest:

1966: The Morgan Library at 29-33 East 36th Street
1967: The set-back Federal house at 152 East 38th Street
1975: The DeLamar Mansion at 233 Madison Avenue
1979: The Church of the Incarnation at 205-207 Madison Avenue

Spotlight on Murray Hill’s Landmarks

This is the second article to feature a group of four landmark buildings in Murray Hill. The landmark buildings are presented in the order that they became landmarked. This series of articles is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of New York City's Landmarks Law.  

1979: Lanier Mansion, 123 East 35th Street
1979: Adelaide Douglas House, 57 Park Avenue
1979: Thomas Clark House, 22 East 35th Street
1997: Bowdoin Carriage House, 149 East 38th Street

Spotlight on Murray Hill’s Landmarks

This is the third article in a series that features a group of landmark buildings in Murray Hill. The landmark buildings are presented in the order that they became landmarked: 

1997: Jonathan W. Allen Stable
1998: J. Hampden Robb Mansion
2002: J.P. Morgan, Jr. Mansion

This series of articles is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of New York City's Landmarks Law.

Spotlight on Murray Hill Landmarks

This is the fourth and last article featuring fourteen individual landmark buildings in historic Murray Hill, presented chronologically by the date that the building was designated as a landmark. The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association’s Preservation & Design Committee has been an active participant with the Landmarks50 Alliance’s two-year celebration to honor landmarks in all five boroughs of the City. The LM50 celebration continues through 2016.

2008: The Allerton 39th Street Hotel, 45 East 39th Street
2010: Beaux Arts Style Mansion, 36 East 38th Street
2011: The Union League Club, 38 East 37th Street

Landmarks Preservation Commission designation documents for The Murray Hill Historic District