Tenement Chic: Ornamentation and Architectural Walking Tour of the LES

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On this tour, we will discuss why sculptures adorn otherwise drab 19th century tenements, and how building ornamentation influenced residential architecture in this ever evolving immigrant enclave.

Garish gargoyles – Greek & Roman mythical beasts -- beautiful botanicals in terra cotta …. Why do these architectural sculptures adorn otherwise drab 19th century tenements? Who were the anonymous artisans that created these treasures, and what motivated the building developers to employ them?

These and other topics will be discussed as you journey with Urban Historian Barry Feldman through the Lower East Side. Trace the development of the typical tenement – a mid-19th century windowless box- to contemporary housing styles. Explore a middle class area which pre-dates the Civil War, and learn how building ornamentation influenced residential architecture in this ever evolving immigrant enclave.