May 14, 2007
Article from the Spring 2007 Newsletter

The Golden Jubilee Celebration took place on April 5, 2006 at the Battery Gardens Restaurant in Battery Park-a fitting venue for the event as Battery Park was the site of a preservation battle to save Castle Clinton over 50 years ago. Over 100 guests gathered to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the law known as the “Bard Act.” The Bard Act, written by Albert Bard addressed aesthetic regulation and became the enabling legislation for the New York City Landmarks Law. The anniversary of this milestone in preservation’s history also gave NYPAP reason to salute preservationists who have been active since the 1950s. NYPAP honored 14 preservationists whose campaigns, staged from Washington Square Park to the halls of the legislature, helped to define the preservation movement in New York City. Anthony C. Wood, founder and chair of NYPAP welcomed guests and honorees to the celebration. NYPAP board member Dorothy Marie Miner, a lawyer, preservation veteran, and professor at Columbia University, followed with a brief history of preservation legislation in New York City, including the Bard Act. Ms. Miner also emphasized the importance of remembering preservation’s past while looking ahead to the future, the core mission of NYPAP. Anne Van Ingen, Director of Architecture, Planning, and Design Projects at the New York State Council on the Arts, recognized each preservation honoree with a brief tribute to his/her contribution to the field of preservation and gave a rousing toast to the special guests. The event provided a venue for seasoned preservationists to interact and share stories with the newer preservationists.