Penn Station’s demolition in 1963
From the April issue: 1965: City’s first landmarks preservation bill becomes law
Despite harsh criticism from the real estate industry, Mayor Robert Wagner signed New York City’s first landmarks preservation bill into law 46 years ago this month. The law restricted changes to the exteriors of protected buildings and converted the Landmarks Preservation Commission from a temporary body to a permanent city agency. At the time of the signing, the commission said there were 700 buildings in the city worthy of designation. The law was prompted by the controversial demolition of significant city structures such as McKim, Mead & White’s soaring Beaux-Arts Pennsylvania Station, which was demolished in 1963 over the opposition of preservationists. Several major landlord trade groups, including the Real Estate Board of New York, the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association and the Avenue of the Americas Association, decried the new law. Compiled by Adam Pincus [more]
