369th Regiment Armorys-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1390.pdfcenturies, the 369th Regiment Armory is...

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landmarks Preservation Commission May 14, 1985, Designation list 180 tP-i39o··- ---------- ·· 369TH REGIMENT ARMORY, 2360 Fifth Avenue, Borough of 1'1anha t tan. Drill shed, built 1921-24, architects Tachau & Vought; administration building, built 1930-33, architects Van Wart & Wein. landmark Site: Borough of Manhattan Tax Map Block 1740, Lot 17. On September 14, 1982, the landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation as a Landmark of the 369th Regiment Armory and the proposed designation of the related Landmark Site (Item No. 7). The hearing had been duly advertised in accordance with the provisions of law. One witness spoke in favor of designation. ':'here were no speakers J.n opposition to designation. The Division Commander of the 369th Transportation Battalion and the members of the 369th Veterans' Association have expressed support for this designation. AND The 369th Regiment Armory occupies the eastern half of the block bounded by West l42nd Street and West l43rd Street at 2360 ? i f t h A v en u e , just o f f the Ha r 1 em R i v e r Dr i v e. L i k e o t h e r '\} e\v York City armories built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 369th Regiment Armory is a highly specializert structure built to serve as a training and marshaling center for the Guard. The armory consists of two sections, the dri 11 shed and the administration bui 1 ding; these were designed and built in two stages by the firms of Tachau & Vought in 1920- 24 and Van \<Jart & \·Jein in 1930-33 respectively. ':' he 369t.h Regiment Armory combines the medieval design forms of earlier armories with contemporary Art Deco elements. It is particularly noted as the home of the "Harlem Hell Fighters," New York's official black regiment, whose efforts in World War I brought military success and well deserved accolades. York's Armories the Civil \tJar, an increase in J.n th e rn1 l i tia and the dev e 1 opment of new and heavier mi 1 i t.a: .ry equ i prnen :: led the State of :.Jew York to requi . re by law that eor:h county provide suitable armories for its vo 1 unteer regiments. ny 1 9lH) ;: ew York City held the foremost posit ion in the argon i ze d fund j nCJ and erection of armories through the work of the .J\rmory 'loa:rd of the City of York. C r e a t e d in 1<18 4 to s u p p o r t s t at.. e w i d e p u b l i c <1 e f c n s e e f f o r- 1. s , the boord octed q uic kly t.c J;:'lprove the city's fa c i l it i e s f o :r the t r .:i J n .i. n 'J of m i l i. t i. ,,, a n d t he s :. <) r rj r' u f. a rm s. 1 Prior to 188·+ only one_of r·1anhattan's re c pmenL; iiad its own armory head rcJU.J rt ers. L. Other units a n d d r i 1 l e d i n p u b 1 i c rna r k f" t: s , c i t y a r s en a 1 s , o r r en t e d 1 o f t

Transcript of 369th Regiment Armorys-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1390.pdfcenturies, the 369th Regiment Armory is...

landmarks Preservation Commission May 14, 1985, Designation list 180 tP-i39o··- ---------- ··

369TH REGIMENT ARMORY, 2360 Fifth Avenue, Borough of 1'1anha t tan. Drill shed, built 1921-24, architects Tachau & Vought; administration building, built 1930-33, architects Van Wart & Wein.

landmark Site: Borough of Manhattan Tax Map Block 1740, Lot 17.

On September 14, 1982, the landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on the proposed designation as a Landmark of the 369th Regiment Armory and the proposed designation of the related Landmark Site (Item No. 7). The hearing had been duly advertised in accordance with the provisions of law. One witness spoke in favor of designation. ':'here were no speakers J.n opposition to designation. The Division Commander of the 369th Transportation Battalion and the members of the 369th Veterans' Association have expressed support for this designation.

DESCRIP~IO~ AND A~AlYSIS

The 369th Regiment Armory occupies the eastern half of the block bounded by West l42nd Street and West l43rd Street at 2360 ? i f t h A v en u e , just o f f the H a r 1 em R i v e r Dr i v e. L i k e o t h e r '\} e\v York City armories built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the 369th Regiment Armory is a highly specializert structure built to serve as a training and marshaling center for the l~ational Guard. The armory consists of two sections, the dri 11 shed and the administration bui 1 ding; these were designed and built in two stages by the firms of Tachau & Vought in 1920-24 and Van \<Jart & \·Jein in 1930-33 respectively. ':'he 369t.h Regiment Armory combines the medieval design forms of earlier armories with contemporary Art Deco elements. It is particularly noted as the home of the "Harlem Hell Fighters," New York's official black regiment, whose efforts in World War I brought military success and well deserved accolades.

i~ew York's Armories

Followin~J the Civil \tJar, an increase in enrol·~ment J.n th e rn1 l i tia and the dev e 1 opment of new and heavier mi 1 i t.a: .ry equ i prnen :: led the State of :.Jew York to requi .re by law that eor:h county provide suitable armories for its vo 1 unteer regiments. ny 1 9lH) ;: ew York City held the foremost posit ion in the argon i ze d fund j nCJ and erection of armories through the work of the .J\rmory 'loa:rd of the City of iJe ~v.; York.

C r e a t e d in 1<18 4 to s u p p o r t s t at.. e w i d e p u b l i c <1 e f c n s e e f f o r- 1. s , the boord octed q uic kly t. c J;:'lprove the city's then-rleficicni~

fa c i l it i e s f o :r the t r .:i J n .i. n 'J of m i l i. t i. ,, , a n d t he s :. <) r rj '~ r ' u f. a rms . 1 Prior to 188·+ only one_of r·1anhattan's ei~Jht re cpmenL; iiad

its own armory head rcJU.J rt e r s . L. Other :~<:Jtional r~uorj units r::~·t a n d d r i 1 l e d i n p u b 1 i c rna r k f" t: s , c i t y a r s en a 1 s , o r r en t e d 1 o f t

space until funds from armory bonds were appropriated by the board . .foz:. .. the......consttuction of s ui:tEJ?~,np ,J.?e..fmanent ~uarters each of the city's regiments. · c ·• • •• ..... «-=

new .for

C~il4W. C<E4Ci ..-..

The first armories to appear in Manhattan were modeled stylistically after the medieval fortress-like Seventh Regiment Armory of 1880 located on Park Avenue at 66th-67th Streets. The 69th Regiment Armory, Park Avenue and 25th Street, completed in 1906, was the first to reject the picturesque medieval prototype. Both are designated New York City landmarks. While post-1906 armories erected in other boroughs and in other cities continued to incorporate medieval references in their designs, the four ~rmo~ie~ bu~lt in Manhattan from 1906 on were all of modern J.nsp.1.rat.1.on.

History and Development of Harlew

Harlem, originally called ~.J ieuw Harlem, derives its name from the Dutch city of Haarlem. The village was established by Peter Stuyvesant in 1658, and embraced generally the northern area of t1anhattan, above Central Park. rrom the colonial period, through the 18th century, the region retained its rural cast, supporting farms and estates of some of New York's most illustrious early families, including the Delanceys, Beekmans, Bleekers, Rikers, and Hamiltons.

Harlem suffered a decline ln the 1830s when its lush farmland was depleted and many great estates were sold at public auction. ~he area was sought by those desiring cheap property and housing, including many newly-arrived and destitute immigrants who gathered in scattered shanty-towns. However, most of the scenic topography was left untouched and the striking vistas and unspoiled country attracted fashionable downtowners on p.1.cnics and daytrips, particularly after the 1860s.

It was the advent of new and better forms of transportation, as well as the increasing population of New York which brought about the change in Harlem from a rural village to a fashionable upper- and upper-middle class neighborhood. ?he New York '. H a .r l em R a i l r o ad h a d run t r a i n s f r om 1 o \v e .r : i a n h a t t a n t o H a r l ern , starting in 1837, but service was poor and the trip: ·l.ong. As th e pop u l at i o n o f N e w Yo r k s we l l e (} 1 n t_ h e 1 8 7 0 s · T e s i d en t i a l development c ontinued ln a northerly direction.' Harlem was an n exed to i~ew York in Url3, and by l~i8l three lines of elevated railroad reached as far north as 129th St.r eet , precipitating the development of new neighborhoods.

P.ra ct_ ica 1 ly all the resident 1a 1 st. ructures tha t. stand in Harlem today were built in the peri.od begi~ning in the 1870s throuqh tile f1rst .]ecade o f the 2t;th ce>ntu ry. '::xcl usive homes, sllch i:J~; th u :-e on Striver's Hov.• 1n the St. l~ic h olas Histori c District. , rH: lpcd eslal.Jltsh JlarJ C L I d ~; . , ..::: (~nter oJ fash_ion , :!~ r!

elegi:lnce . The area also bo;;stec n ::)\,'S of more modest lJrO\vnstones , the popul.1r iJolo Gruunus, .-ln d t · i ·, ~.' dist_inguished llar.lern Operc1 !-l ouse . Some speculators made trPrn~nnous profits by buyjng on•1

re-selling land. Prices increased so dramatically that one old­timer complained in 1889, "When I . .se,e ... ,~~ pri~..s~~J,.,.~~fl~~-a-:.~~ now bringing in Harlem, it makes me feel that I was a fool for not making . investments years ago when property was so cheap." 5

The character of Harlem changed considerably during the early years of the 20th century. Proposed subway routes to West Harlem in the late 1890s had sparked another wave of real estate speculation which led to highly inflated market values. Tremendous numbers of new residential buildings were constructed around the turn of the century. Extensive vacancies and artificially high rents led to a general collapse of the real estate market in 1904-05 as loans were withheld and mortgages foreclosed.

Taking advantage of the deflated market and the housing surplus which followed, a black businessman named Philip Payton and his Afro-l\mer ican Rea 1 ty Company, founded .in 1904, played a Iilajor role in the development of Harlem as a black community. In the aftermath of the real estate collapse, Payton acquired five­year leases on white-owned properties and rented them at higher rates to black fami 1 ies. Blacks who cou 1 d a £ford high rents had begun moving to Harlem at the turn of the century. A dramatic increase in Harlem's black population came, however, as hundreds of black families were uprooted when their homes in the Tenderloin area near 34th Street were destroyed during the 1906-1916 construction of Pennsylvania Station. For the first time good housing in large quantities was available to New York's blacks. Just as Harlem had been an exclusive white community, it became an exclusive b~ack community, with more than 50,000 blacks living there by 1914.

History of the 369th Regiment

The formation of the 369th Regiment began in 1916 when over 100 members of Harlem's Lenox Community Center expr7ssed their interest in joining a local military organization. ~he 15th Regiment was organized on June 29, 1916, in accordance with state legislation which p .rovided for the formation of a "colored" regiment of infantry in New York City. Two West P61R~ graduates, ~ajar Charles Young and Captain ilenjamin Davis, wer- appointed as its officers. The regiment was then organized' into twelve companies which included a machine gun unit and a band. 8 In November, Governor ~1itman officially presented ~he State colors to the R_egiment in a parade alo_ng i·'ifth J\ven~e. 'l'hey were th~ only un1t to fly a state flag 1n Europe durlng World War 1. 10 ·;he u.s. war Department assiqned Colonel \·Jill iam Hayward as commander in April 1917. It was the first regiment to reach full war st.rength of over 2000 men. r,n hey b e CJan their training immeoi..at.ely at camps in l.Jew Yo rk, where t hr! y ')Uarded captured G e r m a n s h i p s , a n d l n So u t h C ,, r o 1 1 n .3 . ,.., r r i v i n ~ l t n F r a n c e i.. n Ja nuary 1918, the regiment was put unJe .r the command of General leGallais of the 16th Division o f the Fourtlt French i\ rmy.ll In the port of St. Nazaire they built d o cks, h o s p itnJs, a nd railroad

tracks. The regiment's band was led by James Reese Europe who, r"<WAII"ii"tf'la!."-1-'-••._ . .,.111+-~t!!J>M-~X. to .tP,e war~ __ ,had helped to popularize jazz· in New .. York

through appearances in Harlem night clubs and at Carnegie Hall. Together. with Noble Sissle and Frank DeBr.oit, who played in Europe's New York band, the Clef t1ub, the regiment's famous bandmaster introduced jazz to Paris.

By April 1918, the regiment, then designated the 369th Infantr.rj had been sent to the front lines along with the French troops. Despite their. inexperience in actual battle, the 369th Regiment made significant advances into enemy territory and played a major. role in countering the German attack on the Reims­Ar.gonne front. The runners who kept communication lines open under. the threat of enemy at tacks were commended for. bravery by the Fr.ench. 14 On July 23, at the Battle of le Mesnil, the men of the 369th pushed the Germans back despite a barrage of heavy artillery, gas, and shells. 15 ~wo months later, the regiment captured the town of Riport from the enemy along with prisoners and machine guns. 16 This accomplishment won them another. commendation, this time from their division general.

One of the most outstanding achievements of the "Harlem Hell Fighters" took p 1 ace on November. 20, 1918, when they reached the Rhine along with their. French comrades. As the first American unit of the army of occupation to march into Germany they captured the towns of Blodelsheim, Pessenheim, and Balgan.t 7 The Germans, who called them bl utl ustige schwarze t~aenner, feared the 369th as strongly as the French praised their. feats on the battlefield. Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts were the first to receive the Croix de Guerr.e from the Fr.ench. 18 These two fought hand to hand with-over. 20 German soldiers. William Butler. launched a single-handed attack of such ferocity that a report by captured Germans described him as an "enemy group of overwhelming number.s."l':1

A collective Croix de Guer.r.e was recommended for the regiment by Generals Ie Bone, Gour.maid, and Pershing, which read:

369th Regiment Infantry United States, under command of Col. Hayward, who though injured insisted on leading his regiment i n b a t t 1 e , o f L t . Co l. P i c k e r i n g a d m i r a b l y coo 1." a-nd b r a v e , o f f\1 a j . S g t . l i t t 1 e a t r. u e l e a d e r. o f h i s men (b ugh t w i t h great bravery, stormed powerfu 1 enemy ·positions, energetically defended, captured many machine guns, large numb e r s o f p r i son e r. s and c ~n non s 3 n d took 3 f t e r he a v y fighting the town of Sechault. 0

In addition to this award, members of the 3G9th wer e decorated with the Congress ion a 1 11 e d <1 l of I Ion or, the D i s t i n g u i s h e d S e r v i c e C r o s s , a n d t h e L e rJ i o n o f i J o no r :\ w a r d s . 2 l Although the Hegi111ent had less train i n g t h a n any oth e r uni t ( t h r e e we e k s i n : : e w 'i o r k , t e n d a y s i n s ' ) 1 1 t h r : r; r o 1 i n u , a n r3 t , ,. c J

w e e k s l n F r a n c e ) , t h e y \v e r e e n q a g e d ':J t t_ h e f r o n t f o r 1 ') J con sec u t i v e d a y s , 1 on g e r than any o t h e ,- i \ me r i c a n u n i ~ i n 1-: o r J d \>Jar I, Juring which time they did n o t l os e any ground t o th e

4

Germans- 22 -,- · ~114':"444Q a :z·.a'\; · uJ~• • ·-i:-> .-:-~ - · •-.:.: ··-· .... .. .. · · · - -~-~.-,_ __ ·

On February 18, 1919, the men of the 369th Regiment were welcomed home as heroes with a parade up Fifth Avenue. 23 James Europe and the regiment's drum major, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, led the band in appropriate military songs until they neared the home of the 369th in Harlem, where they broke into "Here Comes r1y Daddy.M Thirteen hundred strong, the Harlem Hell Fighters marched past Governor and r1rs. Alfred E. Smith, Henry Clay Frick, ~1rs.

Vincent Astor, and Mr. and Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, and other prominent citizens joined the rest of the community in\ honoring their fellow New Yorkers for their bravery and patriotism.

The regiment, which was .reorganized after the war, was federally recognized as a National Guard unit on September 6, 1924. A prominent regiment member during this period was Vertner A. Tandy, the first registered black architect in t~ew York. He rose to the rank of major and commanded the regiment briefly. 24 The unit was converted to the 369th Coast Artillery Regiment on August 30, 1940. It was called into service in \.Jorld iva:r II on January 13, 1941, und e.rtaking its rna jor r.esponsibi 1 it ies in the Pacific in three different sections: the 369th Anti-aircraft Gun Battalion, the 870th Anti-aircraft Artillery Automatic \·Jeapon Battalion, and the 726th Searchlight Battery. Both the 369th and the 870th were assigned to Okinawa, the 870th engaging in combat. ?he 726th was stationed in the Hawaiian Islands.

The 369th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion was called into active duty from September 11, 1950, to September 10, 1952, during the Korean War. On February 1, 1968, the 369th Artillery Battalion was designated the 569th Transportation Battalion, and on i'1arch l, 1974, redesignated the 369th Transportation 8attalion, its traditional numbe~. Since 1959 the 369th Veterans' Association has sponsored an annual memorial parade, which in 1968 was named in honor of the Reverend Dr. ~1artin luther· King, Jr.

The Armory and its Design

In its early years the 369th was headquartere d .a-c SH \·Jest l30th Street (one of the houses of Astor Row), 25 : but with reorganization of the unit, a proper armory was require<J. ;\ rnidblock site between l4 2 nd and 143rd Streets was acquired in 1921, and the tenements on the site were demolished. The fir st. stage consisted of t_he drill shed, designed by -:'achau & Vouoht, the successor firm of Pilcher & 'l'achau. Ground was broker~ on Nove mber 6, 1921, and the co .rner.stone was l aid on '·:ay 2"1 , 19 23 . ~he dri ll shed was completed in 1924.

L e w i s F . P i l c h e r ( l 8 7 1 - 1 './ 4 1 ) , who s e r •.; r'" d a s :~ (! \'' ·t' o r r-. S t i-l t e t'\r, : llitect f rom 19 13 to 10/. J ,-Js well a s c n nsult.ing :~r · :h i t e ct t 0

the IJ . S . Veterans Hurcau a t the time the annory ·,;ds c~ e ated , specialized with hilliam G. 'i' achau in designing a rmori. es . L(J r~oth were grad uates of the Columbia llniversity School of ,-,_rchj tecture,

in 1895 and 1896 respectively. They worked together on the . _ ... -· -----K.ingsbridge-Amor..y....;.(.J..9-l-2-1:-1~)--ifl...-.t:he -B ·ronx.,--a-designated-Ne\V""'Yb't.'~ •· • ...._,.-~ .

City landmark, and the Troop C Armory(l903-07) in Brooklyn. Both of these designs followed the castellated, medievalizing forms so popular for armory design. Theodore H. Vought(l876-1945), winner of the Avery Gold Medal of the Architectural league in 1900, served during World War I as assistant to Pilcher in the State Architect's office. After the war he joined the firm and collaborated with Tachau on a number of buildings in the metropolitan area, including the u.s. Marine Hospital on Staten Island, the First Baptist Church of ~-lontclair, New Jersey, an d the B' nai Israel Synagogue in Elizabeth, New Jersey. These designs follow Romanesque and other medieval prototypes.

Initial state appropriations for the armory called only for the construction of the drill shed . To be fully functional an administration building portion was required. The remainder of the block fronting onto Fifth Avenue was acquired in 1929, and construction was carried out in 1930-33, although to the designs of a different architectural firm, Van Wart & Wein, than th e origi n a l.

J o h n S . V a n W a r t ( d . 1 9 5 0 ) a n d S i d n e y \v e i n ( d . 1 9 6 0 ) a p p e a r to have been specialists in apartment house design. Among their known works are nee-Georgian apartment houses at 40 Fifth Avenue a n d 7- 1 3 Greenwich Avenue, both in the Greenwich Village Histor ic Di strict , t he nee-Georgian Beekma n i'i ansion apartment bu i lding a t 435 - 4 4 3 Ea st 5 1 s t Street, the classicizing Art Deco apartment bu i 1 di ng at 2 1 f:a st 79 th Str eet, and t he Tudoresque Blind Brook lodge garden apartment complex in Rye, New York. Van Wart joined forces with Frederick Ackerman to design the Knickerbocker Vi ll a ge housing complex (1934) on the Lower East Side .

Description

The armory occupies a site which is a pp r oximatel y 510 by 1 99 f e e t, fi lling about half of the block bounded by Pifth Avenue, 1 42:ld Stre e t, l e n o x ,\ v e nu e , a n d 1 4Jrd Str ee t . l o c a t e d a t the edge of t he Ha r l e m Riv er Drive , it is an especiall y c on spi c uou s p .r:-esence i n th e c ommunity. The dri 11 shed por tion,, .. _situ ated midblock, is a pprox i mately 300 feet by 200 feet. In t h e.ir'design Ta c ha u ~ Voug h t c h ose a vocab u lary of medieval forms that echoes th e ir ea rlier armory desig n s . The walls on 142nd :a n d 143rd Streets, of r e dd ish brown bric k , are art i c ul a te d b y regularl y spaced simul a t ed buttresses wi th sto n e copings , f l a n k ing na r r ow window ope n ing s se t withi n b r i ck arches . A red sa nd ston e beltcourse sets off t h e base . Th e square- headed e n tra nces are set in s t o ne e nframeme n ts below foliat e spandrels a n d marked by o ver sca l ed r ed sandstone pediment s resting o n bartizan-lik e co.r bc l s . L nrg e .::~rc h ed wi nd o w o p e nings set wi th a h o ne ycomb motif rise above sev e ral of the entrances. Th e p a r.-:;!)ct_ t e rmiflates in <:J

c r e nel l a t eci motj f. T\ gobled ruo f rise s abo v e t he pordpets.

The administration building portion of the ar mory fronts o nto Pif t.h Avenue . \-lhile its f o rms and massing r ecA ll medieval

6

FOOTNOTES ·= ... - - ... · · ·-.~ .... .... .. ..... . . ...., ~ <·~-•;r:.....,.. .. <+4* ,..,,_ ua.:a.::w~-1. as:ca&Oi¢Y.•t•SSJi)dQu LY es;@C(z .A~ -·~ •F . • & .4 nl Kt:w.ikltl@l

' .... -.~ ... •, :?' f'' • .

tisise' u rtr e.- sc .. a 94 &t!£U¥fLA . .. . b .»Wt 4r ... . ' ·

1. The Armory Board 1884-1911; Official Deliberations and Proceedings (New York: The Armory-Board, 1912), p.3.

2. Ibid., p. 5.

3. These are the 69th Regiment Armory, Park Avenue and 25th Street (1906); the 102nd Regiment Armory, Fort Washington and 168th Street (1911); and the 42nd Division Armory, 125 West 14th Street (1971); in addition to the 369th Regiment Armory.

4 . G i 1 bert 0 so f sky , H a r 1 em : The 0_ a k i n 9. ~.! ~ G he t to (New Yo r k : Harper & Row, 1971), p~S.---

5. Quoted in Osofsky, p. 76.

6. landmarks Preservation Commission, ~~tr~~l:_ita~ Bapti~! Church Designation Report(lP-1134) by Rachel Carley, February 3, 1981, p.4.

7. New York Time s , ilay 3 , 1 9 16.

8. New York Times, June 26, 1916.

9. New York Times, October 2, 1916 .

10. David levering lewis, v;hen Ha!::l:_~~ h1as 1n ~~.?!~~(r.:Jew York: Vin tage Books, 1982), p . 3 .

11. Charles Halston Williams, The Negro Soldier in Worl~ War I: The Human Side(New York: N-1S Press, 1923), p. 197 .

1 2 . lewis, p. 3 1.

13 . Willi a ms , p. 197.

14. I bid. I p. 1 98 .

15. Ibid., p. 199 .

16 . Ibid.

u. Ibid. I p. 204.

1 8 . Art h u r We s t L i t t 1 e , !i a r l:_ ~~ t o t h e R h i.!2~ ( : J e w Yo .r k : Co v i c i Fr ied e , 1936), pp . 198-201 .

1 9 . \Vi 11 i a m s , p . 2 U 0 .

2U . Ibid., p. l <J l r~ .

21. Williams, p . 2 US .

22. Ibid~, p. 207. ·---··- - -~ .... ---... ------~__.....- .. - ,

23. lewis, pp. 3-15, and New York ~imes, November 29, 1918.

24. Richard Dozier, "The Black Architectural Experience in America," AlA Journal, July 1976, 166.

25. William Thompson Bonner, New York, the \vor..!_d' s t!etropo..!_is (New York: R.l. Polk, 1924), p.~.

26. "Pilcher, lewis F.," Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased) Henry F. and Els.re--~Wlthey-:- eds.-(Los Angeles: New Age Publishing Co., 1956), p. 473.

27. New York Times, May 26, 1916.

FHJDINGS AND DESIGNA'~'ION

On the basis of a careful consideration of the history, architecture and other features of this building, the landmarks Preservation Commission finds that the 369th Regiment 1\rmory has a special . character, special historical and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage and cultural characteristics of New York City.

The Commission further finds that, among its important qualities, the 369th Regiment Armory is the home of the "Harlem Hell Fighters," New York's official black regiment, whose efforts in World War I brought military success and well-deserved accolades; that the armory was built to house this successful regiment following these World War I triumphs and to serve as a training and marshaling center for the Uational Guard; that it was built in two stages, the drill shed and the administration building, in 1921-24 and 1930-33 and designed by the firms of Tachau & Vought and Van Wart & Wein respectively; that in this two-part design the armory follows a vocabulary of traditional fonns while at the same time it looks to contemporary'.1\.r.t Deco sources for its massing and stylistic inspiration; ~hat the structure is handsomely articulated in brick and terra oo'tta; and that the 3 69th Regiment l\rmory is considered a community symbol of unity, service, and pride.

1\ccordingly, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 21, Section 534, of the Charter of the City of '·le\~· ·~·ark and Chapter B - A of the Administrative Code of the City 0f 'i e w Yo rk, the Landmarks Preservation Co mmi ssi on designntes ~s i'! Landmc-1r\o;. the 369th Regiment Armory, 23b0 Fifth .'\venue, qorou(J 1 1 o f ~<onh<ittttn,

and desig n ate s Tax ~1ap 13lock 1 740 , Lot 17, l'.o rouyh of ~ianhattan ,

d S its related Lan drn<'lrk Site.

BIBLI OGRAPHY

Bonner, William Thompson. New York: The \vorld's Metropolis. New York: R.I. Polk & Co., Inc., 1924.

Columbia University. ~~ery Obitua~ Index of Archit~~~ a n d Artists. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1963.

Dozier, Richard. "The Black Architectural 166. Jl.me rica." AIA Journal, July 1 976 ,

H a mlin, A.D.F. "Th e Architec tural Record, 53

St a te Archit ec t a nd ( January 1923 ), 27-43 .

Experien ce 1 n

His \·i o r k s . "

L andma rks Preservation Commissio n. Sixty-Ninth Re g i men t 1\rmory ~·J u r .ray . Des ignation Report (LP-12 28) . Report p rep ared by Cassie

New York: City of Ne w York, Apr il 12, 1 983 .

14 \vest 1 30th Stree t !louse (Pa rt O J

~~!~~ Ro~ De~i_3_!2~_t:_i_on Rep~rt (LP - ll40)~ Report preparc(T by Vi r g inia Kurshan. Ne w Yor k : C i ty of New Yo rk , Au g u st ll, 1981 .

Lew i s , Dav id lev e rl i n g . Vintage l3ooks , 1982 .

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Sa lt z ma n, Judith. "The Armo ri es of Man h attan." Un p ubl i sh ed research pape r. Colu mb i a Unive r sity G r aduate Sc h oo l of i\rchitectu r e a n d Plannin(j , Historic Preservation Prograri1. l1pr il l ~ltl() .

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