REMEMBER: PROTECTING HISTORY ON 149TH STREET

Another example that shows the importance of a block association in preservation effort can be found in Hamilton Heights.  About four years ago, the government deemed an a shell on the block as unstable and had a demolition crew show up one morning to dismantle the building.  Neighbors on the block contacted the owner of the building who apparently already had an architect confirm the integrity of the building and already had a plans in motion to renovate the townhouse.

Multiple phone calls and message were sent out by several members of the block association to the government agency during the course of the day while the building was being chipped away at.  By early evening, the construction crew was officially told to stop the work at hand but much of the top section of the building had been removed. To some without vision, this might have been too little too late but one can see from the lower photo that the townhouse has been perfectly restored today.  Read more in our past post: LINK