NEWS AND ISSUES
Testimony by New York State Senator Thomas K. Duane before the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Regarding the Granting of Landmark Designation to The F.W. Devoe & Co. Factory Building
June 24, 2008
My name is Thomas K. Duane, and I represent New York State’s 29th Senate District, which includes the Far West Village. I would like to join Manhattan Community Board Two in urging the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to approve landmark designation for the F.W. Devoe & Co. Factory Building, which is located at 110-112 Horatio Street.
The last remnant of a large industrial complex which dominated the block from the 1870’s to 1918, the Devoe Factory has a history characteristic of the Far West Village’s industrial roots. This building, erected in 1883, served as a factory and a warehouse before its 1984 conversion to residential use. Unfortunately, evidence of these roots is too rarely seen in this area, as most industrial buildings have been demolished to sustain the ever changing neighborhood. Designed by Kimball & Wisedell, the building boasts a functional and well-balanced combination of brick and terracotta, with four decorative terracotta panels at the top portraying symbols of the painterly trade.
Furthermore, as you know, this building is part of a group of landmarking proposals that came at the behest of the community in 2004. I was thrilled in 2007, when the first three buildings in this collection were approved: 354 West 11th Street, 159 Charles Street and 150 Barrow Street. I very much appreciate the Commission’s continued attention to the preservation of the Far West Village, as demonstrated by its consideration of this beautiful building today.
With its bold Romanesque detailing, the Devoe factory makes an important contribution to the enduring character and history of our neighborhood. I am proud to support this designation, and I am eager to come before you again to support the four nearby buildings for which the community also supports landmark designation.
