Children’s Museum of Manhattan

New York, NY

Designed by Carrère & Hastings, the Beaux-Arts style First Church of Christ, Scientist was constructed 1899-1903.

Many aging houses of worship are facing a crisis of stewardship, including the former First Church. For more than 30 years, LSA has prepared conditions assessments of the building as conditions have progressively worsened.

LSA serves as a preservation consultant to FXC for the adaptive use and rehabilitation of the landmark site as the future home of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. The intent is to adaptively use the building in a manner that weaves old and new together into a cohesive whole; promote the Landmark’s long term stewardship; balance programmatic needs with respect for the historic structure; encourage the transmission of light into space and connectivity with Central Park; and signal the new life of the building to museum-goers and the public. LSA performed targeted research, provided design review and guidance in meeting the requirements of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), and assisted in making presentations to the Community Board, preservation advocacy groups, and the LPC Commissioners.

Designation: National Register of Historic Places, New York State Register of Historic Places, NYC Individual Landmark

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