What do a 5,000-pound bell, a cast-iron structure, and a copper roof all have in common? They’re all historically restored components of the Fire Watchtower at Marcus Garvey Park!
Last night, the Preservation League of New York State (PLNYS) celebrated this beacon of Harlem heritage with a 2020 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award – one of only nine – as a model effort. Also dubbed the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower, this prominent neighborhood feature was designated a NYC landmark in 1967 and made the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
For two decades, Principal Angel Ayón advised stakeholders in their fight to save the 1857 structure, the last of its kind in NYC and one of the oldest surviving in NY County. Honored by Peg Breen, President of The New York Landmarks Conservancy (NYLC), as a “proud symbol of the community,” the tower also received two other awards this year, including a prestigious Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from NYLC and a MASterworks Award for Best Restoration from the Municipal Art Society.
Catch up with the recording of the 2020 PLNYS awards ceremony, and explore the fascinating history of this beloved Harlem landmark, and the 20-year struggle to save it.