Located On Fifth Ave, NAACP's National Headquarters Back In Early 1900s On Verge Of Becoming Historic Landmark
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The first NAACP headquarters is one step closer to receiving a historic landmark designation.
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has spent more than two years campaigning for the recognition, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported Monday.
The New School is located at 70 Fifth Ave., but in the early 1900s the building served as the first headquarters of the NAACP.
"That history, people have to be reminded of it daily, that what we bring to the table and what the organization has done," said Hazel Dukes of the NAACP New York State Conference.
After more than two years of advocacy, the city took the first step toward deeming the building a historic landmark.
"But it also protects it by saying that the building can't be demolished or changed without the approval of the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission," said Andrew Berman, president of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
From 1914-1923, the NAACP's national office was on the fifth floor. Members not only fought for racial justice, they set up branches across the country.
It was also where W.E.B Du Bois started The Crisis magazine, which is still in publication today.
"You know, they have the house that Babe Ruth built. Well, we can say, let's go and see the place where Du Bois did his first editing from," Dukes said.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission's new equity framework aims to making sure the diversity of the city's history is better represented.
"We have prioritized several buildings and historic districts that we're continuing to work on," the Commission's Kate Lemos McHale said.
More untold stories are coming to life in a place that we pass by every day.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission still has to vote on the NAACP location. Preservationists hope it's the beginning of recognizing other civil rights organizations that have deep roots in that area.
CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas contributed to this report
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