Streetview of 842 Manida Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted on Tuesday to calendar the Manida Street Historic District, a block of semi-attached brick homes in Hunts Point. Residents first pushed for the south Bronx street to be recognized in 2010, as development began to accelerate in the neighborhood. According to the LPC, 42 properties between 814 and 870 Manida Street may be landmarked, as they represent “an intact example of the early 20th-century development” in the neighborhood that coincided with the launch of the subway and industrialization of the area.
Streetview of 843 Manida Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google
According to a 2010 New York Times article, when the designation was first proposed, the homes along the 800 block of Manida Avenue were built around the turn of the century in a “Flemish architectural style that would have been familiar to the Bronx’s overwhelmingly Germanic population at the time.”
With the introduction of the subway to the Bronx in 1904, the area began its transformation from rural to urban, becoming one of the largest industrial areas in the city. The subway, along with access to the waterfront and the Oak Point Yard rail yard, made Hunts Point ideal for the growth of industries. And as one of the only remaining blocks of early 20th-century architecture in Hunts Point, the intact residences on Manida stand out significantly against its commercial and manufacturing neighbors.
The boundary of the proposed historic district, courtesy of LPC
Two developers and two developers led the design and construction of the block between 1908 and 1909. The LPC called the proposed district’s consistent modest Renaissance Revival style a “discreet enclave within Hunts Point.”
There are two city landmarks near the block: the American Bank Note Company Printing Plant on Lafayette Avenue and Sunnyslope, a historic home built in 1860 located on Faile Street.
If designated, the area would become the borough’s 13th historic district. Manhattan is home to the most historic districts in the city at more than 80, followed by Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. LPC Commissioner Sarah Carroll mentioned on Tuesday that this is a very exciting opportunity since there are so few historic districts in the Bronx.
Before giving the block landmark status, the LPC will hold a public hearing followed by a meeting at a later date during which the commission will vote on the proposed district.
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