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A South Village Anniversary

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We’re gearing up for the Landmarks Preservation (LPC) hearing about “Phase II” of the proposed South Village Historic District next Tuesday, June 25. We hope you can join us at the LPC at 1 Centre Street, 9th floor, and testify in favor of designating this and the rest proposed South Village Historic District. You can find sample testimony here. The hearing starts at 2:30 P.M. but should last well past 4 P.M., so you can arrive later in the afternoon.

The hearing next Tuesday comes almost two years to the day after ‘Phase I’ was designated a landmark district by the commission. The area encompassed by ‘Phase I’ (or as the LPC termed it, Greenwich Village Extension II)  stretches between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, between West 4th Street and Houston Street  — see map here.

Today we thought we would take a look at some of the notable sites included within this first part of the South Village Historic District.which landmark designation now helps preserve, as we think about some of the sites which (we hope) “phase II” will soon be protecting as well.

The Varitype Building at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Cornelia Street is one of the largest and most striking commercial buildings in the area. The twelve story “flatiron” tower was built in 1907 and designed by Fred Eberling. Read all about its history here.

The Varitype Building.
The Varitype Building.

In addition to great commercial buildings, the first landmarked part of the South Village also houses some striking religious and institutional structures. Most notable is Our Lady of Pompeii Church. Indelibly tied to the neighborhood’s rich Italian immigrant history, the church is situated on Father Demo Square, named for one of the parish’s long-serving priests. Learn about the history of the building and the congregation here.

Our Lady of Pompeii Church rises above Fr. Demo Square.
Our Lady of Pompeii Church rises above Fr. Demo Square.

Turning to some smaller-scale buildings, the early nineteenth century structures at 233-37 Bleecker Street are great survivors of numerous cosmetic alterations, but still manage retain their early New York character. There is also evidence that they may have served as the inspiration for the renowned Edward Hopper painting Early Sunday Morning (1930). More about them can be found here.

233-37 Bleecker Street.
233-37 Bleecker Street.

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