Save Harlem Now

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Save Harlem Now A membership not for profit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and celebrating Harlem’s irreplaceable built heritage.

Save Harlem Now! in the African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 20th. Rain or shine, we show up for Harlem!
09/22/2026

Save Harlem Now! in the African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 20th. Rain or shine, we show up for Harlem!

09/01/2026

The vision for Lenox Terrace began with Dr. Godfrey Nurse, one of the first African American physicians at Harlem Hospital. Seeking to revitalize Central Harlem, Nurse purchased 15 acres of land on Lenox to create what would become known as “Harlem’s Best Address.” Facing financial and relocation challenges, the land was eventually acquired by the city and sold to developer Robert Olnick in 1952 at a subsidized rate. With FHA-insured financing and a slum-clearance program, Olnick began construction in 1957. By December 1958, Lenox Terrace was complete, forever changing the standard of luxury living in Harlem.

The six 17-story buildings between 132nd and 135th quickly attracted prominent residents, including musicians like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, Former Governor David Paterson, Congressman Charles Rangel, and Harlem gangster Bumpy Johnson.

We sat down with Dr. Tracy Peay and Former Governor David Paterson to learn why residents and staff find the building to be such an important cornerstone of Harlem. Save Harlem Now! believes it is imperative that Lenox Terrace be landmarked — not only to preserve its architectural history, but to demonstrate that Harlem residents are worth investing in.

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This video is the culmination of the project summer interns Victoria Barnaby and Amanda Fisher collaborated on throughout their internship with us. They conducted the research, interviews, and editing — and what a great job they did!
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Last week Save Harlem Now! tabled at Senator Cordell Cleare’s Senior Day at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Bui...
08/27/2026

Last week Save Harlem Now! tabled at Senator Cordell Cleare’s Senior Day at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. So many of you came by to chat, ask questions, and tell us stories of your lives in Harlem. We are fortunate to serve those who live and work here — especially those who have been here for decades — and we hope to keep seeing you!

Pictured left to right: President Valerie Bradley; Communications Intern Samuel Geronimo; Administrative Associate Angelique Racine

Save Harlem Now! staff were honored to meet with Governor David Paterson at the Lenox Terrace buildings in Central Harle...
08/18/2026

Save Harlem Now! staff were honored to meet with Governor David Paterson at the Lenox Terrace buildings in Central Harlem for a future segment on the historic apartment complex.

Pictured left to right: Summer Intern Victoria Barnaby; SHN! Admin. Angelique Racine; Governor David Paterson; Intern Amanda Fisher; SHN! board member Mark Satlof; and Dr. Tracy Peay, Governor Paterson’s Administrative Assistant.

07/28/2026

Save Harlem Now! and The March on Washington!

In the heart of Central Harlem, you’ll find 170 West 130th Street – a hallmark building within the 130th-132nd historic district. Save Harlem Now! helped landmark this district back in 2018. The building was the headquarters for the March on Washington over 60 years ago. Our own Lynn Hendy, Board Member and Treasurer of SHN!, shares how her father, the prophetic Harlem Reverend Dr. Thomas Kilgore, owned 170 West 130th Street and let the building be used as its headquarters. This is where Lynn’s activism roots were planted. All these years later, Lynn is a part of the organization that helped preserve the building and the district. Talk about a full circle moment!

06/20/2026

We are privileged to have spoken to Karsten Theadore at the launch of DREAMLAND, a beautiful photobook created to display the beauty of its Jamaican subjects. Photographed by Theadore and edited by Nadia Batchelor (Nadia Batchelor), the project seeks to blend “documentary moments with surreal visual language to create a deeply personal yet collective portrait of Jamaica and its people.”

The room was buzzing with creatives, entrepreneurs, and members of the community who all came down to support one of their own. While the event was held in the quaint bookstore do you read me?! NYC at Swiss Institute we were reminded of gatherings in Harlem, where Jamaican immigrants have often settled to forge a life for themselves. We are grateful for the opportunity to speak with Theadore about his work.

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Quote via Dreamland’s description.

⛪️ ROAD TO HARLEM: SHILOH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, A BEACON OF HOPE ☀️TONIGHT! Save Harlem Now! will examine the founding of...
06/18/2026

⛪️ ROAD TO HARLEM: SHILOH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, A BEACON OF HOPE ☀️

TONIGHT!

Save Harlem Now! will examine the founding of Shiloh Presbyterian Church in Greenwich Village, one of the earliest Black Presbyterian congregations in New York City. Founded in 1822, Shiloh played a vital role in the abolitionist movement and was an active station on the Underground Railroad.

Event Details:

📅 TONIGHT! June 18th, 2026
⏰ 6:00-7:30pm
📍 Virtual
💲 Free

Click the link in our bio to register! (Or use the QR code on the second slide.)

Together with preservation partner Village Preservation (GVSHP) we will explore Shiloh’s enduring legacy, including its connection to the founding of St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem, a descendant institution that continues this powerful history of faith, activism, and community leadership.

Our presenter, the Reverend Dr. Derrick McQueen (Senior Pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church) will guide us through this remarkable history, connecting Greenwich Village’s 19th-century Black community to the rise of Harlem.

We hope that you will join us for this important conversation as we continue to trace the history of Black communities in Manhattan.

OUR SPEAKER ✝️
REVEREND DR. DERRICK MCQUEEN was named Senior Pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church in Harlem in 2020. He previously served as Interim Pastor since 2015. Dr. McQueen earned his Ph.D. in Homiletics and the New Testament from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he also completed his M.Div. with a focus on Theology and the Arts. He contributes to LGBTQ inclusion through organizations such as Presbyterian Welcome (now Parity) and That All May Freely Serve.

OUR PARTNER 🌆
 VILLAGE PRESERVATION, founded in 1980, works to document, celebrate, and preserve the special architectural and cultural heritage of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo.

“Dreamland is an immersive photo book and visual experience by photographer and director Karsten [Theadore], exploring J...
06/18/2026

“Dreamland is an immersive photo book and visual experience by photographer and director Karsten [Theadore], exploring Jamaican culture, youth, memory, and diaspora through vibrant imagery and storytelling. Rooted in themes of identity, home, and transformation, the work blends documentary moments with surreal visual language to create a deeply personal yet collective portrait of Jamaica and its people.”

Save Harlem Now! attended the launch of DREAMLAND last Friday, June 12th. It was a wonderful evening and we are grateful for the opportunity to speak with Karsten Theadore about his project. Interview coming soon!

On May 21st, we held our 3rd Annual Gene Norman Preservation Awards Gala where we honored several preservationists and c...
06/03/2026

On May 21st, we held our 3rd Annual Gene Norman Preservation Awards Gala where we honored several preservationists and cultural institutions who have worked for decades to keep Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous culture alive in Harlem.

Our honorees were:

Voza Rivers, Founder of the New Heritage Theatre Group, who we have awarded the A. Philip Randolph-Bayard Rustin Lifetime Achievement Award;

Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Strategic Advisor to the President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, who we have awarded the Ella Baker Leadership Award;

The Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative (its members: Sharon Wilkins, Rev. Dr. Patricia Singletary, Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Melinda Velez) who we have awarded the Arturo Schomburg Stewardship Award; and

Dr. Marta Morena Vega, founder of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, who we have awarded the Frederick Douglass Visionary Award. Her guest accepted the award on her behalf as she was unable to attend in person.

The HARLEM AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND INITIATIVE will be honored at Save Harlem Now!’s Third Annual Gene Norman Preservation ...
05/12/2026

The HARLEM AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND INITIATIVE will be honored at Save Harlem Now!’s Third Annual Gene Norman Preservation Awards Gala with the ARTURO SCHOMBURG STEWARDSHIP AWARD.

In 2009, a group of Harlem community members formed the Harlem African Burial Ground Task Force (HABGTF) to advocate for the creation of a memorial that would restore honor, dignity, and respect to those buried at this sacred site. In 2011, NY Community Board 11 designated the HABGTF as the organization representing the interests of the historic cemetery. The HABGTF is now the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative ().

Its members are (left to right):

Sharon Wilkins (former Deputy Borough Historian of Manhattan)

Rev. Dr. Patricia Singletary (Pastor Emerita and the first female Pastor of Elmendorf Reformed Church established in 1660, the descendant church of the Harlem African Burial Ground)

Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito (President of the Hamilton Campaign Network and former NYC Council Speaker and Member representing District 8)

Melinda Velez (former Legislative Assistant to former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito)

📅 Thursday, May 21
⏰ 6 - 10PM
📍 The Historic Riverside Church – Assembly Hall
91 Claremont Avenue, New York, NY 10027

Visit the link in our bio to learn more, support the gala, and get tickets of your own!

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