ABOUT THE ST. MARK'S HISTORIC LANDMARK FUND
The St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund was founded by a group of concerned citizens in 1979 following a devastating fire at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, a remarkable East Village ensemble of buildings and landscaped property dating back to 1799. Originally the Citizens to Save St. Mark’s, the Landmark Fund embarked on an ambitious renewal project and—in a program that drew national attention—rebuilt the church.
The 1979 fire destroyed the church steeple and consumed the sanctuary and the Parish Hall. The restoration of the buildings took 10 years and was carried out by local artisans, master craftspeople and participants of the Preservation Youth Project, a job-training program for low-income residents of the surrounding community.
In 1988, disaster struck again, when a fire roared through the historic Ernest Flagg Rectory Building. Again the Landmark Fund—and the community—rose to the task, rebuilding the Rectory and creating the Neighborhood Preservation Center. The NPC is a unique and highly successful partnership of city-wide historic preservation efforts dedicated to aiding and encouraging citizen participation in the improvement of New York’s diverse neighborhoods and cultural heritage.
Located in the heart of the East Village, St. Mark’s Church has for more than 200 years been a vibrant center of spiritual, political, artistic and community activity. Since the 1920s, the St. Mark’s arts projects have been world-famous laboratories of innovation, providing a venue for such diverse figures as Edna St. Vincent Millay, Kahil Gibran, W.H. Auden, Frank Lloyd Wright, Sam Shepard, Allen Ginsberg, Meredith Monk and scores of others. Today the Church hosts the internationally known Danspace Project, Poetry Project, and Richard Foreman’s Ontological-Hysteric Theater.
The St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund looks both forward and back—back to the rich history of the St. Mark’s Church site, which it is committed to preserving—and forward to the future, to ensuring that St. Mark’s continues to flourish as a vital part of the community.
For a Self-Guided Walking Tour of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, click here for guide. Click here for the Spanish version. Translation by Mayra Vargas with special thanks to Mano a Mano.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 8, 2008, 6:30pm
St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund's Fourth Annual Lecture Series:
St. Mark's Preservation Ethic
40 Years of Innovation: Lessons for the Future?
Parish Hall, St. Mark's Church In-the-Bowery
131 East 10th Street at Second Avenue
RSVP to info@smhlf.org or call 212-228-2781
Members of the Preservation Youth Project in
front of St. Mark's Church In-the-Bowery, 1975
A discussion that celebrates the history of preservation at St. Mark's, looks at the precedents it set throughout New York and the U.S. and considers the future direction of community building through preservation.
Panelists:
- Lisa Ackerman - Executive Vice President & COO, World Monuments Fund
- Stephen Facey - Executive Vice President, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine and President, Board of Trustees, St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund
- Jeffrey Hebert - Director of Planning at Concordia Architecture & Planning and former Director of Community Planning for the Louisiana Recovery Authority
Moderator: Anthony C. Wood, preservation activist & author of Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City's Landmarks
Reception to follow
Wine generously donated by Union Square Wines & Spirits
Food compliments of All About Food
After the lecture, Mr. Wood will be available to sign copies of his book. A silent auction to support the Landmark Fund will also be held during the event. Donated items, so far, include:
10th Street Russian & Turkish Baths Gift Certificate - $65 Value
St. Mark's Bookshop Gift Certificate - $50 Value
Veselka Dinner for Four Gift Certificate - $100 Value
Jimmy's No. 43, Dinner for Two Gift Certificate - $75 Value
Angelica Kitchen, Gift Certificate and Cookbook, $105 Value
Gemma Restaurant, $150 Value
Personalized Handwriting Analysis by handwriting expert, Denise DiTrani - $175 Value
Danspace Project , 4 tickets to Spring 2008 Performance - $60 Value
Ontological-Hysteric Theater, 2 tickets to Summer 2008 Performance - $34 Value
The Poetry Project, Pass to attend 5 readings - $40 Value
The Anatomy of a City by Julia Solis - $30 Value
Vanishing Histories: 100 endangered sites from the World Monuments Watch, 2 copies, $60 Value each
"New Orleans: Recovering Our History," Walking Tour and Lunch in New Orleans hosted by Jeff Hebert of Concordia and Patty Gay of the Preservation Resource Center
Behind-the-Scenes Tour of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine conducted by Stephen Facey, 2 Adults
"Vertical" Tour of St. John the Divine, 2 Adults
Eastern State Penitentiary Tour, 6 Admission Tickets, $72 Value
Merchant's House Museum Membership & t-shirt, $60 Value
Municipal Art Society Membership, $75 Value
Lower East Side Tenement Museum Membership, $45 Value
National Trust for Historic Preservation Membership & Tote, $30 Value
RECENT EVENTS
November 14th-18th, 2007
Five Dutch Days in the Five Boroughs
This November marks the third Five Dutch Days in the Five Boroughs event. Held annually, Five Dutch Days is a city-wide collaboration celebrating Dutch-American Heritage Day and the continuing influence of Dutch arts and culture in New York City.
This year, in addition to hosting the opening day kickoff ceremony and free walking tours, the St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund is joining forces with Danspace Project in welcoming two pioneers of the Dutch modern dance movement, Beppie Blankert and Bianca van Dillen who will perform their Oak Sacre, a dance concert inspired by the compositions of Igor Stravinsky and Sebastian Bach. All performances are held in the St. Mark's Church sanctuary, 131 E. 10th St. at 2nd Ave. For tickets contact Danspace Project at 212-674-8194 or www.danspaceproject.org.
For more information on Five Dutch Days in the Five Boroughs 2007 and for a list of programs, please visit www.5dutchdaysnyc.org.
Five Dutch Days is organized by Susan De Vries of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum, Sean Sawyer from the Department of History-Columbia University and the St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund's Felicia Mayro.
November 18th, 2007
Sunday - 1:30 & 2:15pm (English) - FREE
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery Walking Tour
Explore St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery built in 1799 on the former site of Peter Stuyvesant's bouwerie, or farm. In addition to its role as a religious institution, St. Mark's is home to several innovative arts groups.
October 27th, 2007
Saturday - 7:00pm & 8:30pm*
St. Mark's Ghost Walking Tour
$10; 45 min.
Take a step back in time to Peter Stuyvesant's bouwerie, or farm, the land on which St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery stands and explore the history and hauntings of this ghostly site! Space is limited. RSVP to 888-377-4455 or reserve online at www.ghostsofny.com. Hot cider and cookies will be served between tours at an open house reception at the Neighborhood Preservation Center.
October 6th-7th, 2007
Sat & Sun - 11am-5pm
openhousenewyork
For the fifth year in a row, the Ernest Flagg Rectory and St. Mark's Church's yards and burial grounds will be open to the public as part of the annual openhousenewyork weekend. America's largest architecture and design event, the OHNY weekend allows the public rare, behind-the-scenes access to nearly 200 of the City's most fascinating, innovative and inspiring architectural sites--at no charge. These locations, the majority of which are normally closed to the public, chronicle the City's architectural, artistic and urban development and we are pleased to participate in this exciting event.
October 7th, 2007
Sunday - 1:30 & 3 pm - FREE
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery Walking Tour
Join one of our 45 minute guided tours for an informative look at the cultural and architectural history of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery. RSVP required: info@smhlf.org or 212-228-2781.
St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund's Third Annual Lecture Series:
Local Food Panel
April 19, 2007
St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, Parish Hall
The "Buy Local" Movement and its Role in Promoting Economic Stability
A discussion of local food and the role of New York City residents in preserving and supporting our regional farmland.
Panelists:
Colin Alevras: Chef-owner, The Tasting Room
Judith LaBelle: President, Glynwood Center
Cheryl Rogowski: Farmer, W. Rogowski Farm & MacArthur Fellow
Keith Stewart: Farmer, Keith's Farm & Author of It's a Long Road to a Tomato
Moderator: Loren Talbot, Co-Founder of Local Labels
Click here for the Podcast
Part 1
Part 2
© St Mark's Historic Landmark Fund 2007SUPPORT US
The St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund, with a Board of Trustees and assets separate from the Church, is a non-profit institution devoted to maintaining for future generations the historic St. Mark’s campus.
To learn about upcoming programs join our mailing list by sending an email to info@smhlf.org, or contact us at 212-228-2781.
If you wish to make a financial contribution please make checks payable to the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund, 232 East 11th Street. NYC 10003. We also accept online contributions via PayPal.
The St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund gratefully acknowledges the support of The Cowles Charitable Trust, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, The Zankel Fund, and
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Special thanks to State Senator Tom Duane and Council Member Rosie Mendez.
St. Mark's Historic Landmark Fund
232 East 11th Street
New York City 10003212-228-2781
fax: 212-471-9987
