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Did you know that the New-York Historical Society—the American history museum and library found along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets on the Upper West Side—was actually the very first museum to open in town?
Now, 219 years after its 1804 founding, the institution is undergoing a massive, 80,000-square-foot expansion project that will include the opening of a new democracy wing by 2026, dubbed the Tang Academy for American Democracy and timed to the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
The new destination will consist of two classrooms, allowing the New-York Historical Society to serve 30,000 students annually—up from the 3,000 it caters to at the moment through its award-winning educational initiative.
The renovation will include the construction of the first-ever home for the American LGBTQ+ Museum as well, a partner institution that will take over the top floor of the new democracy wing. Until its completion, the new museum will develop programs in partnership with and within the existing spaces of the New-York Historical Society.
Also on deck: the Stuart and Jane Weitzman Shoe Museum, where 150 pairs of historic shoes revealing the evolution of women's footwear over two centuries will be on display as part of the permanent exhibition “Walk This Way: Footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection of Historic Shoes;” a conservation studio for painting and paper for internal use; rooftop garden terraces overlooking Central Park; a courtyard and expanded space for educational programs and storage to preserve materials related to the history of American democracy.
“As construction begins on our new wing, we are fulfilling a vision set into motion in 1937 by the Trustees of New-York Historical Society, who had the foresight to purchase the lot adjacent to our building, knowing that our growing collections and evolving programs for scholars, students, educators, and the public would someday need room to expand,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, the president and CEO of the New-York Historical Society, in an official statement. “As we look ahead, our new wing will serve as a beacon for democracy education, a powerhouse of inclusive history, and a home for history enthusiasts of all backgrounds and perspectives.”
The Landmarks Preservation Commission has already unanimously approved the plans for the five-story structure that were designed by architecture firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and, interestingly enough, the team will build the new wing's facade using granite from Deer Isle, Maine that was excavated from the same quarry that provided the stone of the museum's existing building.
It will be a lovely, seamless and much-anticipated transition.