SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District Expansion Campaign

In 2006, the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America submitted a request to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to expand the boundaries of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District (see map).

We have heard that the Landmarks Preservation Commission is interested in this expansion, but no definitive action has been made yet to make the expansion a reality.

We need your help
We need the support of SoHo residents and all New Yorkers to ensure that the expansion is designated before it's too late. Please write a letter of support to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission urging them to designate this much-needed and incredibly worthy expansion. A sample letter is posted here for your convenience.

In addition, please send us an email to let us know that you are interested in the SoHo historic district expansion. We will keep you up to date on the progress of the expansion. Also please spread the word to your neighbors, and email us if you would like to receive post cards that you can pass out to people for them to sign in support.

For more information on the project, see our 47-page submission to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which outlines the importance of the buildings in the proposed expansion, highlights the area's most oustanding buildings, and provides a history on all of the 72-buildings within the district.

Margot Gayle's 100th birthday on May 14th, 2008
We are hoping that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will designate the expansion in 2008 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Margot Gayle on May 14th. Margot, the world's leading expert on cast-iron architecture, was the person who first brought to the public's attention the incredible importance of SoHo's cast-iron buildings. Without her tireless efforts, the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District would have never been designated, and the wonderful buildings within the historic district would not be with us today.

Despite her success in saving SoHo, Margot was never satisfied with the boundaries of the SoHo historic district. As one of the original founders of the Victorian Society in 1966, Margot turned to us to see that her dream of expanding the boundaries of the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District comes true. We are asking the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the SoHo expansion as a centennial birthday present to Margot Gayle so that Margot can see the culmination of her incredible lifetime of preservation work.

For more information on Margot Gayle, please visit the page on our Margot Gayle Fund for Preservation of Victorian Heritage.