The Landmarks Preservation Commission has scheduled a vote tomorrow on the designation of 339 Grand St., a Federal style row house built in 1832.
This past June, the Friends of the Lower East Side, a local preservation organization, stepped up its campaign to persuade the commission to protect the building, the longtime home of Ideal Hosiery. In a message to supporters meant to bolster the effort, group leaders wrote:
We need your help to save 339 Grand Street, a Federal-style corner row house, built 1831-32, that has just come up for sale. The building recalls a distinctive era of private homes in the period following the Revolution in the semi-rural area that later became known as the Lower East Side. As you know, rampant development is rapidly changing the character of the neighborhood and erasing tangible links with its history. Although the Commission heard testimony about the historic and architectural importance of the building from advocates for its preservation on June 28, 2011, it has not yet acted to designate this important structure… Despite some alterations, the building exhibits typical elements of the Federal style, such as the three-bay façade, pitched roof and dormer, Flemish bond brickwork, and symmetrical window openings with rectangular masonry lintels and sills. Although not in pristine condition, 339 Grand Street retains a significant amount of its original features to qualify for landmark designation according to the standards made public by Commission staff.
The item will be considered at noon tomorrow at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s offices, 1 Centre St. The vote in favor of designation is all but assured.
