By Gina Martinez
Borough President Melinda Katz declared April 2015 as Landmarks Month, which will feature a series of events, including a special reception to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmarks law.
Katz spoke about the anniversary and its importance to Queens residents.
“Queens landmarks will come together to celebrate the golden anniversary of the landmarks law with a series of events designed to educate residents and visitors of our neighborhoods’ beautiful and rich histories,” she said. “As our communities and families grow, our borough also balances that growth with efforts to preserve the irreplaceable landmark treasures the contextualize our present and shape our future.”
According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the LPC is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation. It is responsible for protecting New York City’s architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status, and regulating them once they have been designated.
Under the landmarks law, Queens has 11 historic districts, two interior landmarks and more than 70 individual landmarks. Among the many landmarks are the Louis Armstong Museum in Corona, the Bayside Historical Society in Bayside and the Jamaica Arts Center in Jamaica.
Katz will host a special reception April 21 to commemorate the anniversary at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Attendees will get a first look at the opening of the museum’s exhibit “Panorama of Queens, 1965-2015- Fifty Years of Landmarking.” It will identify all Queens landmarks with a special marker on the renowned Panorama of New York City.
The reception will be free and open to the public.
The borough president has put a calendar of commemorative events at various Queens landmarks on her website at www.queen
Celebrations are already planned at the Louis Amrstrong House Museum in Corona, the Lawrence Cemetery in Bayside, the Fort Totten Historic District and the Voelker Orth Home in Flushing.
The Landmarks Commission is comprised of a panel of 11 commissioners who are appointed by the mayor and supported by a staff of approximately 67 preservationists, researchers, architects, historians, attorneys, archaeologists and administrative employees. There are more than 33,000 landmark properties in New York City, most of which are located in 114 historic districts and 20 historic district extensions in all five boroughs. The total number of protected sites also includes 1,347 individual landmarks, 117 interior landmarks and 10 scenic landmarks.
