New threat to Underground Railround stop

5/13/09
underground railroad
By Ryan Chatelain

New threat to Underground Railround stop

Photo credit: Urbanite

Abigail Hopper Gibbons hosted hundreds of slaves at 339 W. 29th St. in Chelsea, documents show. (Photo by RJ Mickelson/AMNY)

By Ryan Chatelain

Fern Luskin thought she was well on her way to protecting the former home of a well-known abolitionist and a stop along the Underground Railroad.

Then she saw the cement mixer in front of 339 W. 29th St. in Chelsea.

“I can’t tell you how totally demoralized all of us are,” Luskin said. “I say I will never quit, and they can’t get away with this.”

Since the fall of 2007, Luskin has spearheaded an effort to halt renovations to the 1840s row house where Abigail Hopper Gibbons and her husband, James Sloan Gibbons, lived in the mid-19th century, hosting hundreds of slaves.Not only would the work compromise the building’s historical integrity, Luskin argues, it would also violate zoning laws because the structure would stand significantly higher than the homes around it.

Last October, the city’s Department of Buildings revoked a permit to construct an additional floor and penthouse there, saying the plans violated the city’s so-called sliver law, which prevents tall, slender buildings. But after the property’s owner nixed the plans for the penthouse, city officials gave the project the green light.

However, a stop-worker order was issued Tuesday because the site’s structural plans still did not meeting zoning standards. It remained unclear last night if the additional floor would be built. The four-story building, which stands about 52 feet high, cannot exceed 60 feet tall, Department of Buildings spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said.

“For me, it’s mostly the hallowed history of that building,” Luskin said. “I can’t tell you how sad I am when I go in it and see how it’s been ravaged by these people.”

The building is owned by 339 W 29 LLC, which state records show is affiliated with Manhattan law firm Leuzzi & Leuzzi. A man who answered the phone at Leuzzi & Leuzzi declined to comment before hanging up.

Since the work began, efforts also have been made to protect a dozen homes on West 29th Street, once known as Lamartine Place, by designating them as a historic district. A vote by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected early this fall, said LPC spokeswoman Elisabeth de Bourbon. Any renovations made to the Hopper Gibbons home would not impact its inclusion in the district, she added.

For more info visit: http://saveabolitionisthome339w29stnyc.blogspot.com
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New threat to Underground Railround stop

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