New York Preservation Archive Project

New York Preservation Archive Project Documenting, sharing, & celebrating the stories of the historic preservation movement in NYC!

As Pride Month continues, we take a look back at the recent NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project event, Pride & Preservation...
06/24/2026

As Pride Month continues, we take a look back at the recent NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project event, Pride & Preservation. 🏳️‍🌈

Both NYPreservation Archive Project founder Anthony C. Wood Anthony Wood and board member John Reddick John T. Reddick presented, one on Albert Bard and one on Tom Bess. You can find oral histories with Wood, Reddick, Bess, and the evening’s moderator, Ken Lustbader, on our website www.nypap.com (🔗 in bio).

The evening illuminated multiple examples of the overlap of gay life and historic preservation, both in and out of NYC. For more on Albert Bard, see our website or check out Woods’ book about the man, Servant of Beauty. 📕

Special thanks to The J.M. Kaplan Fund for hosting.

The Archive Project was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Margot Wellington, a well-known former head of 📰 But...
05/28/2026

The Archive Project was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Margot Wellington, a well-known former head of 📰 But we were pleased to see that a quote from Margot, included in her obituary yesterday, came directly from her 2012 oral history with the Archive Project. As is so often the case, oral histories with preservationists allow their wisdom, stories, and insights to be shared with future generations.

More on Margot Wellington from our site:

Margot Wellington became involved in preservation in the 1950s through her work with the Downtown Brooklyn Development Association. They were working to preserve the walkability and department stores of Downtown Brooklyn. From there she started documenting the brownstones in Boerum Hill in an attempt to save them from developers. Over the course of her long career, she was involved in the fight to save Grand Central Terminal, the Broadway Theaters, and to landmark the Upper East Side. Notably, while working for the Municipal Art Society, she helped to found and run the Urban Center. She speaks about the need for old buildings to foster creativity, allowing small businesses and artists to flourish, as well as how important it is to preserve the affordability in the city.

🗞️ Link to the NYT obituary in our bio 🔗.

We also note with sadness the recent passing of Randy Bourscheidt, pictured next to Margot in the first slide.

Three cheers for Carol Clark, recipient of the 2026 George McAneny Award for Unsung Preservation Leadership! 🏛️🏅 On May ...
05/20/2026

Three cheers for Carol Clark, recipient of the 2026 George McAneny Award for Unsung Preservation Leadership! 🏛️🏅

On May 1st, NYPAP joined the National Park Service and Friends of George McAneny for an award ceremony followed by a luncheon and optional tour of Federal Hall. Carol’s extensive leadership in the field over the decades was recognized and lauded by numerous civic luminaries. Brava, Carol, for many years of service - often out of the limelight, but always crucial.

📷 Photos (l-r):

1) NYPAP Founder Anthony C. Wood, Carol Clark, NYPAP Chair Adrian Untermyer, and Kay Ciganovic of Friends of George McAneny at Federal Hall.

2) Seri Worden of the National Trust for Historic Presevation, Carol Clark, and Andrea Goldwyn of the New York Landmarks Conservancy in the rotunda at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan.

3) Carol Clark, honoree

☝️ The award’s namesake, George McAneny, was one of the co-founders of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a key figure in saving Federal Hall from demolition.

Join us June 9th! 🗣️🏳️‍🌈 Pride & Preservation - 🎟️ 🔗 in bio. NYPAP is proud to co-sponsor - and participate in - this sp...
05/20/2026

Join us June 9th! 🗣️🏳️‍🌈 Pride & Preservation - 🎟️ 🔗 in bio. NYPAP is proud to co-sponsor - and participate in - this special program.

A conversation moderated by Ken Lustbader with Anthony C. Wood, John Reddick, and Blake McDonald.
This Pride Month, join us on June 9th for a moderated conversation exploring the often-overlooked role of LGBTQ individuals in shaping the preservation movement, from Virginia to New York City. Spanning the 1930s through the late 20th century, the program will reflect on their lasting impact and what that legacy means today.

The conversation will focus on three preservationists: Albert Bard (1866–1963), Thom Bess (unknown -2019), and Mary Wingfield Scott (1895–1983).
Moderated by Project co-director Ken Lustbader, the conversation will feature Anthony C. Wood reflecting on Bard’s role in establishing the legal foundation for New York city’s landmarks law, John Reddick discussing Bess’s work in Harlem and his impact on expanding the field’s reach, and Blake McDonald speaking to Scott’s pioneering grassroots efforts in Richmond, Virginia, carried out with the support of her longtime partners.
Location: The J.M. Kaplan Fund, 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 903, New York, NY (northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and 23rd Street).

Registration is limited to 70 participants. For security purposes, attendees must present a government-issued ID (driver’s license or passport) that matches your Eventbrite registration information.

JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL PANELLost Landmarks and the History of the Hardship Application in New York CityThursday, March 12...
02/26/2026

JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL PANEL
Lost Landmarks and the History of the Hardship Application in New York City
Thursday, March 12, 2026 on Zoom 
Register via link in bio
Prompted by the Landmarks Commission’s multi-year consideration of the West Park Presbyterian Church’s highly-controversial hardship application, this panel will provide an educational overview of the history of the hardship application process in New York City.
A hardship application submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission seeks permission to demolish or alter a landmark due to extreme financial difficulty and evidence that the building can no longer generate reasonable return or fulfill its purpose. Since the founding of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1965, there have only been 23 hardship applications with approximately half leading to the destruction of a historic site.
Join the Archive Project’s all-star group of experts including Anthony C. Wood, Laurie Beckelman, Michael Hiller, Frampton Tolbert, Emily Kahn, and Adrian Untermyer as we consider the intellectual underpinnings of the hardship application – and ponder the future of this oft-mysterious legal tool.
Co-sponsored by the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation and the Historic Districts Council

VIRTUAL BOOK TALK: SERVANT OF BEAUTYJanuary 27, 6:00pmHosted by Registration link in bio!——Join Anthony C. Wood, founde...
01/23/2026

VIRTUAL BOOK TALK: SERVANT OF BEAUTY
January 27, 6:00pm
Hosted by
Registration link in bio!

——

Join Anthony C. Wood, founder of the New York Preservation Archive Project and author of Servant of Beauty: Landmarks, Secret Love, and the Unimagined Life of an Unsung New York Hero in conversation with Adrian Untermyer, Chair of the New York Preservation Archive Project and Vice Chair, Woodlawn Conservancy as they explore the legacy of Albert Bard (1866-1963), grandfather of NYC’s landmarks law and civic advocate extraordinaire. Their conversation will focus on Bard’s connections to Woodlawn Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark located in the north Bronx.
Bard’s life is instructive, inspirational, and at times, seemingly incredible. He often opposed Robert Moses, who is laid to rest here at Woodlawn, on issues of city planning, including Moses’ proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge and the preservation of Castle Clinton. From battling Moses and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America to drafting and achieving the passage of the Bard Act (the state enabling legislation that is the legal basis for NYC’s landmarks Law) the evening’s conversation will explore the relevancy of Bard’s life and legacy to today’s preservationists as they confront the challenges ahead.
Thank you to Woodlawn’s President & CEO Christopher Jeannopoulos and Senior Advisor to the CEO Lisa Ackerman (both Archive Project board members) for their support of this event and Servant of Beauty.
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The New York Preservation Archive is grateful this Thanksgiving to have been awarded $45,500 by the New York State Counc...
11/26/2025

The New York Preservation Archive is grateful this Thanksgiving to have been awarded $45,500 by the New York State Council on the Arts. Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and
culture, NYSCA has awarded $80.9 million in FY 2026 to arts and culture nonprofits across
all 10 regions and a historic number of artists. ”New York’s arts and culture sector is a cornerstone of the state’s identity, and we’re
making bold investments to ensure it remains strong,” Governor Hochul said. “These grants will lift up artists and organizations in every region, fueling local economies and expanding access to the arts. Congratulations to all the grantees – your talent and dedication help power New York’s future.” .

Preservationist, Archive Project founder, and Servant of Beauty author Anthony C. Wood joined host Randy Cohen for a liv...
10/24/2025

Preservationist, Archive Project founder, and Servant of Beauty author Anthony C. Wood joined host Randy Cohen for a live taping of the podcast Person PlaceThing on July 16, 2025.
Person Place Thing is an interview show based on this idea: people are particularly engaging when they speak not directly about themselves but about something they care about. Guests talk about one person, one place, and one thing that are important to them. The result? Surprising stories from great talkers
Wood’s episode will be broadcast in New York on Sunday, October 26, at 1:30pm on WNYE, 91.5 FM, and more broadly tonight (Friday, October 24) at 10:30pm across WAMC Northeast Public Radio. You can hear it any time as a podcast at PersonPlaceThing.org (link in bio) or download it free at iTunes.  
For interviews with Anthony C. Wood and for information about engaging him to speak about his book, please email [email protected]

2025 is off to a great start! The Archive Project is thrilled to announce that it received a Public Impact Projects at S...
01/15/2025

2025 is off to a great start! The Archive Project is thrilled to announce that it received a Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organization grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to launch and grow a new, thematic podcast series featuring voices from New York City’s historic preservation movement. Building off of our growing Oral History collection, this podcast will repurpose completed interviews AND allow us to conduct new interviews with neglected voices in preservation.
Through this grant, we look forward to continuing uplifting voices and advocacy legacies of lesser-known preservationists, projects, and movements. While the vast majority of our oral histories are publicly accessible on our website and YouTube channel, this podcast presents a unique and exciting opportunity to interpret our oral histories in a way that reaches people of all backgrounds who are interested in New York City’s preservation history. Look out for the pilot podcast episodes in late 2025!
This podcast and oral history work has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations. Thank you also to Humanities New York for a Vision Grant which supported podcast planning work in 2024.






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