Community History Groups
Bronx African-American History Project
There are now over a half million people of African descent living in the Bronx, well over a third of the Bronx's population. Blacks have been an integral part of the history of the Bronx since colonial times, have contributed greatly to the borough's cultural and political history, and have recently played a major role in the borough's revitalization, but there has been almost nothing written about this large and diverse population other than isolated passages in books about the burning of the Bronx, the rise of hip hop, and the crack epidemic. From the little that has been written, no one would know that many Blacks in the Bronx have been upwardly mobile and have lived in stable communities. The major overview of the history of blacks in New York City, "The Black New Yorkers: The Schomburg Illustrated Chronology," contains only three pages dealing with black life in New York, and there are no historical works dealing in depth with the development of the Bronx's Black neighborhoods. Many African-Americans who grew up in the Bronx are deeply distressed that their experience has been overlooked or seen exclusively through the lens of crime and urban decay.
One of the major reasons for absence of writing about Bronx African-American history is an absence of primary source material.. There has been no systematic collection of the records of black churches, business, community groups, political and civic leaders, or of the publications of community organizations in the Bronx's black neighborhoods. As a result, powerful and important stories have been overlooked, among them, the migration of upwardly mobile black families from Harlem to the Bronx in the 1930's and 1940's, the development of a rich, diverse Bronx musical culture fusing jazz, rhythm and blues, Latin music and calypso; the rise of a Black political leadership in the Bronx; the migration of West Indians and West Africans to the borough.
To fill this gap in the historical record, and respond to the growing demand for information about Blacks in the Bronx from schools, churches and community organizations, the Bronx County Historical Society and Fordham's Department of African and African-American Studies decided to launch the Bronx African-American History Project. The goal of this project is to create and collect the resources necessary to tell the story of African Americans in the Bronx, and then get the story out to the public through lectures, media appearances, books and articles, public exhibitions, and documentary films. We began a little more than a year ago with an oral history project and have received a groundswell of interest in our work from community residents, the media and the academic community .
In addition, the Oral History project hopes to spur individuals and organizations to donate collections of documents to the Bronx African-American History Archives created in the Bronx County Historical Socieety. By the time the Project is completed, we expect to have created an array of materials that will place the Black experience in the Bronx squarely in the center of narratives of Black life in New York City, and indeed, in narratives of Black life in the United States.
Douglaston/Little Neck Historical Society
East Harlem Preservation
Metropolitan Playhouse
Metropolitan Playhouse explores America’s theatrical heritage to illuminate contemporary American culture. The Playhouse produces early American plays, new plays drawn from American culture and history, and plays from around the world that resonate with the American canon.
Richmond Hill Historical Society
The Richmond Hill Historical Society endeavors to preserve the past and promote the future of Richmond Hill through fostering a better appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of its historic heritage as embodied by its architectural legacy and the contributions of its past and present residents.
The Richmond Hill Historical Society takes an active leadership or collaborative role in preserving and revitalizing historic Richmond Hill through education and resource exchange to the community on historic preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of its historic homes, churches and commercial buildings.
Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society
Asia Society
BROADWAY THEATER INSTITUTE
To preseve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of live theater on Broadway and throughout the world as it relates to Broadway
Bay Ridge Historical Society
Brecht Fourm
Broad Channel Historical Society
To preserve the history of the community of Broad Channel
Brooklyn Information and Culture
Center for Jewish History
Center for Urban Pedagogy
CUP is a nonprofit research and design office dedicated to creative
education about places and how they change. CUP creates exhibitions
about architecture and planning, designs youth programs about places
and politics, and produces media about communities and social justice.
City Lore
City Lore was founded in 1986 to produce programs and publications that convey the richness of New York City's cultural heritage. Increasingly our many efforts embrace national audiences as well.
Day Break B'hoys
Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
In addition to safeguarding the Upper East Side's six historic districts and 125 individual landmarks and being an advocate for sound preservation policies for the city, Friends seeks to maintain and improve zoning laws governing the area's avenues and residential side streets. The Friends website lacks visuals of landmarks and historically important places on the upper east side, but it will be very helpful in finding these places on your own -- clear maps and brief informative descriptions about several different historical districts on the Upper East. Also links to other preservation and landmark sites and resources.
Greater Astoria Historical Society
The Greater Astoria Historical Society, chartered in 1985, is a non-profit cultural and community oriented organization dedicated to preserving the past and promoting Long Island City's future. We host field trips, walking tours,slide presentations, and guest lectures to schools and the public. We focus on the neighborhoods of old Long Island City: The Village of Astoria, Ravenswood, Steinway, Hunters Point, Sunnyside , and Dutch Kills.
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation works to preserve the architectural heritage and cultural history of Greenwich Village. Established in 1980, the Society is a leader in protecting the sense of place and human scale that define the Village's unique community.
Jackson Heights Beautification Group
Preservation and landmark information about this historic Brooklyn neighborhood just 20 minutes from midtown Manhattan.
Kingsland Homestead
The headquarters of the Queens Historical Society is located in this typical 18th century homestead in Flushing. The homestead's name derives form the British sea captain who bought it in 1801. It offers a Victorian period room, and an exhibition covering 300 years of Queens History.
Landmark West!
Landmark West! is a non-profit community group working to preserve the best of the Upper West Side's architectural heritage from 59th to 110th Streets between Central Park West and Riverside Drive. Since 1985 it has worked to achieve landmark status for individual buildings and historic districts.
Lower East Side Conservancy
Dedicated to the preservation, stewardship and promotion of the Lower East Side as the cradle of Jewish Cutural life in America. Its focus is to preserve, enhance and support the Lower East Side's body of historic buildings, including its architecturally, culturally and religously-significant living synagogues; also to raise public awareness of the Lower East Side's distinct cultural identity as both an historic and present-day Jewish community.
Morningside Heights Historic District Commitee
Morningside Heights Historic District Committee is a non-profit community group formed in 1996 to preserve the Heights' architectural heritage. Covers 110th St. north to Tiemann Place, including Riverside and Morningside Parks.
Museum of American Financial History
New Immigrant Community Empowerment
The mission of NICE is to bring together immigrants from all backgrounds and give them a political voice and information about cultural, political,and other resources in their communities and the larger NYC area.
New York Correction History Society
Documents, photos and other information relating to New York Prisons since 1625.
Also an exhibit featuring another NYC mayor who responded to times of crisis and terrorism in 1864...
New York Military Affairs Symposium
Place in History
Place in History's mission is to bring together individuals with a diverse range of backgrounds - including urban planners, architects, historians, artists, educators and community members - to create collaborative projects which explore urban themes from multiple perspectives.
Preservation League of New York State
Historical preservation resources and information about NYC and the state at large. Website has many history/preservation links.
Preservation League of Staten Island
Since its organization in 1977, The Preservation League of Staten Island has devoted its time, energy and resources to identifying, fostering an appreciation for, and supporting the preservation of Staten Island's historic built environment through a wide variety of activities.
Queens Council on the Arts
The mission of the Council is to provide services to cultural organizations and individual artists and to promote Queens' many diverse cultural activities on a county-wide level to the two million residents of the borough, as well as to others either living in or visiting the New York City region. resources and up to date listings of cultural events in and about Queens.
Queensborough Preservation League
The Queensborough Preservation League is a coalition of organizations and individuals united to preserve the architecture, history and quality of life in Queens. Web site is not exhaustive, but a good starting point for Queens preservation info.
REPOhistory
"To retrieve and relocate absent historical narratives at specific locations in the New York City area through counter-monuments, actions, and events. The work is informed by a multicultural re-reading of history which focuses on issues of race, gender, class and sexuality. We choose to create public art because we wanted to expand the audience for art by going outside the confines of the museum and gallery structure."
Roosevelt Island Historical Society
The mission of the society is to preserve the history of the island through educational projects, lectures, tours, exhibits and outreach to the community and others interested in this unique community; to restore and preserve the landmark structures on the island; and to collect and maintain an archive of written material and memorabelia.
Snug Harbor Cultural Center
Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford Stuyvesant History
St. George Civic Association
Historical information about specific areas on Staten Island.
The City & Suburban Homes, York Avenue Estate
Union Square Community Coalition
The Coalition was formed in 1980 to advocate for the rehabilitation of historic Union Square Park and to work with New York City in its re-design. That accomplsihed, the organization continues its historic preservation and landmarking activities in the Union Square area. It has attained landmark designation for eight buildings on the Square, plus a portion of the Ladies' Mile Historic Distric at the northwest conerner, and it is petitioning for numerous other in the neighborhood.
Victorian Society in America, Metropolitan Chapter
The Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America actively promotes the understanding of our past through tours and special events, such as our annual awards program honoring outstanding projects that communicate the relevance of 19th century subjects to our lives today. We cultivate tomorrow's advocates by supporting scholarships to the national Victorian Society Summer Schools.
West Harlem Art Fund
openhousenewyork
openhousenewyork is a diverse group of New Yorkers who share a passion for architecture and the built-environment. We are committed to making New York City's most exciting and celebrated buildings accessible to the public in order to:
1. Raise awareness and further the understanding of architecture and the built-environment.
2. Celebrate New York City's wealth of fine architecture with particular reference to bold new work.
3. Promote open debate and create the potential for better quality architectural and urban development
4. Encourage civic pride throughout the city's residential and business communities.
5. Demonstrate that in spite of recent events, our city remains open and accessible
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