| HISTORIC PRESERVATION As residents and business owners of DUMBO we are graced with a spectacularly distinctive neighborhood in which to live and work. The film industry has long sought out our dramatic industrial streetscapes and our mesmerizing views of the waterfront and the City beyond. Who among us does not remember the moment she/he "discovered" DUMBO? Our gritty elegance is threatened, however, and the DNA would like to enlist your help to help us protect the rich character of DUMBO. The DUMBO Neighborhood Association was founded in large part with this specific mission in mind. Long time residents watched in shock as the entire block bounded by York, Jay, Front, and Bridge was razed. PS 7 was among the buildings demolished. Al Capone attended school there, and the intriguing Romanesque building had just been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. As this long forgotten neighborhood reinvigorated, utility companies began to sweep in, excavating large swaths of formerly pristine Belgian block streets. Attempts to enforce the law that the streets be repaired in kind were, and still are, futile. Brick buildings which bore the painted signs of the original owners for over one hundred years are lost forever under sloppy coats of paint. The Kirkman Soap Factory at 223 Water Street is but one heartbreaking example. In 1998 the DNA initiated the preservation process by enlisting the help of the Historic Districts Council (HDC). The two organizations | were jointly awarded a sizable grant from the Preservation League of New York State to conduct historic research. Noted architectural historian and Columbia University professor of architectural history Andrew Dolkart conducted the research on our application for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. DUMBO was successfully listed September 2000. As the pace in our community accelerates, the urgency for historic preservation increases exponentially. Though listing on the National Register provides cache' and esteem, it neither protects buildings nor a sense of place. It is only possible through becoming a locally designated historic district. When one thinks of the most desirable neighborhoods of New York City, one notices that all are locally designated historic districts. To that end, the DNA has continued to enlist the help of the HDC and has fostered communication with our local elected officials and the Landmarks Preservation Commission regarding our goals. The DNA needs help with outreach efforts. Please contact us at if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, or would just like to know more about this issue. Would you like to read more about the history of DUMBO? Please contact the Brooklyn Historical Society, (718-222-4111) for a copy of the neighborhood history guide written by Marcia Reiss, which includes Vinegar Hill, DUMBO, and Fulton Ferry Landing. |