Greenwich Village icon, the fabulous Victorian Gothic 1874 Jefferson Market Courthouse (now a NYC Public Library) needs re-lighting and applause!
We need to re-light the Bell Tower where hangs Ol’ Jeff, (1851,twice the size of the Liberty Bell)
(Some day: re-light the whole building, 2 sides of which face a large garden):
Our dream is to light the entire building, but we don’t know how far our funds would go. Aside from new beauty, we feel sure LED lighting would cut costs for the NYPL. But we need desperately need plans. Then NYPL approval, Community Board and Landmark approval could follow.
So let me introduce this fabulous iconic building, in historic Greenwich Village NYC,
once voted among the top 10 most beautiful buildings in all America:
The Jefferson Market Courthouse Library. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Market_Library
The "island" on which the Disney-like "castle" stands was once part of a large land grant given by the king to Sir Peter Warren. Fast forward to 1832, a brick market was built in response to a citizens' petition for a public market at Sixth Avenue and Greenwich Lane. It was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Then in 1852 the wooden fire tower at Sixth Av & West Tenth Street burned down, fire bell and all. Thus our bell, a 12,000 lb beauty is born! Ol' Jeff was cast in 1851 and was hung in the 1874 Venetian Gothic Courthouse designed by Frederick Withers and Calvert Vaux. Margot Gayle, the preservation angel who saved the Courthouse in 1961, and I got together, raised money and on April 11, 1997 the NY Times' Weekend Section 2-page cover story headlined: "Old Bell in the Village Regains It's Voice”. It’s an ancient fire bell, twice the size of the Liberty bell. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/11/arts/old-bell-regains-its-voice-and-a-community-resounds.html
I feel sure that escape from its dim, inadequate, antique and expensive lighting would be a "re-birth" for this unique Greenwich Village icon and would be welcomed not only by the community, but by the entire city. I would be most grateful for your consideration. and am available to discuss this further any time, at your convenience. Whatever help any one can provide would be most gratefully accepted.
We got the bell, Ol Jeff, to ring, but the building needs new, today lighting. We are going to do this!
