The color of preservation: Black historic placemaking in New York City

Abstract

Since 1965, New York City's Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) has listed over 37,900 buildings and sites, overwhelmingly located in 156 historic districts. While official landmark criteria have not changed, designation reports reveal shifting narratives of place and race. I examine historic placemaking in Black-identified districts, focusing on how designation rationales have evolved. Evidence comes from four predominantly Black historic districts, contextualized by comparison with similar cases. In 1967, the designation of St. Nicholas or ‘Striver's Row’ stressed notable architectural histories while regarding race as a secondary issue. After memorializing the African Burial Ground in 1993, Black district reports increasingly included cultural histories of racial justice. In 2011, Addisleigh Park illustrated the broadened approach, featuring the distinctive single-family homes and the Black celebrities who challenged restrictive racial covenants to live there. In 2018, another shift began with Central Harlem's extensive report and online story map, juxtaposing the built heritage with the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights movements. This designation foreshadowed the LPC's ‘equity framework’ of 2021, prioritizing racial inclusion and civil rights. Thus, I argue that antiracist activism has repeatedly driven LPC policy shifts toward greater social diversity in the historic places of New York City.