Astor Foundation approves Harlem restoration grant.Astor Foundation approves Harlem restoration grant The Vincent Astor William Vincent Astor (November 15, 1891, New York, New York, United States - February 3, 1959) was a businessman and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Astor family. Foundation has approved a grant in the amount of $500,000 to be used to restore and repair the series of historic wood porches on the landmark block known as Astor Row Astor Row is the name given to 130th Street between Fifth Avenue and Lenox Avenue in Harlem, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. More specifically, it refers to the semi-attached row houses on the south side of the street. in Harlem. The project is being coordinated by the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Landmarks Conservancy and the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, in collaboration with Astor Row homeowners who are members of the West 130th Street Block Association. Astor Row is comprised of 28 houses, grouped in pairs, along most of the south side of 130th Street between Fifth Avenue and Lenox Avenue. The brick rowhouses, which were designated as individual landmarks by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1981, were built in the 1880's at a time when William Astor owned the land. Of particular significance to the historical and architectural character of the houses are their wood porches featuring decorative brackets and spindles. The porches, together with the houses' front yards, provide a rural feeling unusual in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . Since November of last year, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development have been working together and with Astor Row homeowners who are members of the West 130th Street Block Association to marshal sufficient funds from various financial assistance programs to rehabilitate re·ha·bil·i·tate v. 1. To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education. 2. To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity. and restore the Astor Row houses. Those financial assistance programs include the Facade facade (fəsäd`), exterior face or wall of a building. The term implies ordered placement of its openings and other features and thus seems inapplicable to a wall without design. Improvement Program of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which provides grants of up to $15,000 to undertake exterior restoration; the New York City Historic Properties Fund, a revolving loan fund A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) is a source of money from which loans are made for small business development projects. A loan is made to one person or business at a time and, as repayments are made, funds become available for new loans to other businesses. administered by the Landmarks Conservancy, which has offered Astor Row homeowners 3 percent loans for exterior restoration and repairs; and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's loan program, which provide low interest loans to homeowners for both interior and exterior repairs. The Vincent Astor Foundation grant for the restoration of the series of porches -- the most significant feature of this landmark block --represents a vital step in this collaborative effort. |
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