Walking Tour to World Trade Center area part II: The Lower West Side
I personally prefer a city has old ( I would love to call vintage) style and modern style buildings. It contains eastern and western cultures. And it has people from all over the world. It has an open “mind” just like a human. It tells its true history and magical stories. It stands for its true “self”. It has its own personalities. It has its own systems of different kinds. A city has true freedom~
Four of us followed Joe’s foot steps… and explored the Lower West Side… it was like walking into a story book and became the character who immersed into the pretty vintage buildings… then got lost in the beautiful historical stories…
The Downtown Community House is located at 105–107 Washington Street. It was designed by John F. Jackson with funds from William H. Childs in 1925. It is a 6 stories and 5-bay red brick building. It is known as its ethnic neighborhood so it’s called “ Little Syria.” Started in 1926, the Bowling Green Neighborhood Association was settled in the Downtown Community House. It was an organization served the local immigrant population as a settlement house. In these years, some Arab-American activists and historic preservationists have tried to lobby the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate this building as a city landmark. If you would like to join them, please see following pictures for more information of how to preserve “Little Syria.”
The lot was separated by two early residential buildings before the Community House was constructed. One of the Community House residents was a money broker Samuel Healy. By 1860s, the two tenements were boarding houses for Irish immigrants and sailors from the piers near by. There was a saloon on the ground floor of 105 Washington Street. Because of this area is next to the piers, there were many shootings and fights. The houses were dirty, ventilated, and the stairways were worn. The Board of Health condemned both structures by 1896. In 1897, they were remodeled in order to fit for living. Then, the Syrian immigrants and its residents returned here. In 1980, there was an Italian restaurant named Ferrintino Signorgro’s on the group floor of 107 Washington Street. In 1920, both tenements were bought by Mrs. Schroen Reno Nevada who owned the property for over 40 years. In 1925, it was bought to construct the Downtown Community House which contained the Bowling Green Neighborhood Association.
The Downtown Community House is such a beautiful building. It should be protected and last for ever if possible…
By the side of The Downtown Community House, it’s St. George’s Syrian Catholic Church which is located at 103 Washington Street (between Rector Street and Carlisle Street in the Financial District), Manhattan, New York City.
St. George’s Syrian Catholic Church reminds people that the Lebanese American and Syrian American community used to live in Little Syria once. It was originally a 3 stories building with a peaked roof. It was built in 1812. And it was used as a boardinghouse for the immigrants by 1850. In 1869, two stories were added. In 1925, it was bought by a textiles importer George E. Bardwil. He used it as the Syrian Greek Catholic church to serve the Syrian-American and Lebanese-American community what was known as the Syrian Quarter. In 1929, a Lebanese-American draftman Harvey F. Cassab created a new facade. The building was designed in neo-Gothic in white terra cotta with a polychrome relief of St. George and the Dragon.
The Lebanese and Syrian population declined because of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel what needed space for its ramps. The church eventually became a Roman Rite church. And then it became a disused church. In 1982, Moran Inc. purchased the building and turned it into an Irish bar. Now, the bar is closed, but Moran Inc. still own the building. On 7/14/2009, the building was designated a New York City landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation.
