CultureNOW | A Celebration of Culture & Community

Historian Barry Moreno discusses the Arab immigrant neighborhood Little Syria, which existed from the 1880s through the 1950s near the site of the World Trade Center.

Historian Barry Moreno discusses the historic immigrant neighborhood of Little Spain, which surrounded 14th Street between Sixth and Tenth Avenues. Remnants of the old neighborhood remain, including La Nacional, a restaurant that is nearly 150 years old. 

Historian Barry Moreno explains Ellis Island's history as an immigration station and eventually a deportation center. He speaks in detail about the immigrants' experience within the building as they were processed through the center, in addition to speaking about how United States immigration laws shaped Ellis Island's role as an immigration station.

Historian Barry Moreno discusses Castle Clinton's varied history, from its years as an immigration station to its decades as a performance space. He describes its brief version as an aquarium, and its near destruction to make room for the Battery Tunnel. 

Originally erected in 1808-1811 as the Southwest Battery for the War of 1812, Castle Clinton was part of the NY Harbor Coastal Fortification system. It was originally located 300 feet offshore and connected to Manhattan via a bridge.  In 1817 it was renamed Castle Clinton in honor of DeWitt Clinton, the mayor of New York City, and served as a reception hall for important visitors.

It was one of the city's most popular attractions until it closed in 1941, when a vindictive Robert Moses (who had recently been prevented him building the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge), tried to demolish it.   Thanks to supporters in the City and Federal Government, the fort became part of the National Park System in 1946 and was saved. The National Park Service restored it in 1986 as the original Castle Clinton.

Historian Barry Moreno discusses Italian immigrants' early neighborhoods in New York City, as well as their migrations within New York City. 

Historian Barry Moreno details the history of Lady Liberty, from her construction in France to her thousands of tours daily. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and liberty. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886 and was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924. It became a World Heritage Site in 1984. The island was extensively restored and reopened on July 4, 1986, shortly before the Statue's centennial in October 1986.

Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of Foley Square and the African Burial Ground. The current site of the African Burial Ground consists of the outdoor monument, adjacent to the Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway, which holds an interpretive center on the first floor for the burial ground. The center features 5 public artworks commissioned and funded by the General Services Administration. "Unearthed" by Frank Bender, sculptor and forensic artist, is a bronze sculpture inspired by three of the individuals removed from the burial ground. "America Song" by Clyde Lynds is a sculpture composed of granite, concrete and fiber optics, and features an Indian headdress and feathers. At night, the sculpture is illuminated by the fiber optics.

Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of the Tweed Courthouse, including the exploits of William M. "Boss" Tweed and Tammany Hall. The Old New York County Courthouse, better known as Tweed Courthouse, is the legacy of Tammany Hall boss William M. Tweed, who controlled the initial construction. Built over a period of twenty years, between 1861 and 1881, it is the product of two of New York’s most prominent nineteenth-century architects, John Kellum and Leopold Eidlitz. Grandly scaled and richly decorated, the courthouse retains its original spatial arrangement, including thirty monumental courtrooms and a five-story central rotunda.

Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of the Surrogate's Courthouse on Chambers Street. Exemplifying the ideals of the “City Beautiful” movement, this opulent Parisian courthouse was originally built as a storage facility for the city’s records. Statues on the exterior, by Philip Martiny and Henry Kirk Bush-Brown, depict various allegorical figures such as Law and Philosophy, as well as prominent features of New York history. 

Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in Foley Square. One of the last buildings by the elder Cass Gilbert, this courthouse combines a monumental portico with a tower topped by terra cotta and gold leaf, recalling the designs of Gilbert’s nearby Woolworth and New York Life buildings.