East 7th Street: Anatomy of an East Village Block

On December 14th, 2011, the Introduction to Public History class in the NYU Archives and Public History Program presented to an enthusiastic audience of approximately seventy Village residents the history of East 7^th Street. The presentation was given in collaboration with the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Throughout the course of its work to preserve Greenwich Village, GVSHP has learned a lot about the architectural history of the area. To supplement its work, we, the students in the Introduction to Public History class, researched the social and cultural history of East 7^th Street.

Working in pairs, each group was assigned one block on the street between 3^rd Avenue and Avenue D. Throughout the semester, we used census records, newspaper articles, Sanborn maps, and photographs to piece together stories of East 7^th Street’s past. Although we all worked on one small area, our findings were diverse, and groups focused on many different themes, including public health, politics, the military, immigration and tenement living, and changes in the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood throughout the 19^th century.  At the public program, each pair presented its findings, accompanied by historic photographs and newspaper clippings. At the end, attendees asked many questions and shared some of their historical knowledge of the neighborhood. In addition to the talk, each group also wrote a short blog post for GVSHP’s website. Overall, the program was a great success, and we all enjoyed engaging public interest in local New York City history. Thank you to GVSHP Program and Administrative Associate, Dana Schulz, GVSHP Director of Preservation and Research, Elizabeth Finkelstein, and our professor, Dr. Peter Wosh. Your guidance throughout the semester was invaluable to each of us!

THEN: The Tompkins Market and Armory was completed in 1860 and housed a butchers’ meat market along with the 7^th regiment of the militia. When the 7th regiment moved uptown in 1879, the 69th regiment took over their old headquarters before the building was demolished in 1911.

NOW: The new Cooper Union building was completed in 2009 and is the first academic building in New York City to receive a LEED platinum rating, the most rigorous level of certification that acknowledges the building’s array of green features which reduce energy use and enhance the environment.

-Heather Wilson and Megan Findling