519 East 11th Street
519 East 11th Street is a former tenement building in New York City's East Village. It has some architectural similarities to the nearby Eldridge Street Synagogue.[1] Following abandonment of the building in the 1970s, a group of tenants organized themselves and applied for funding through Federal and municipal programs to take ownership of the building in return repayment of a 30-year loan and for sweat equity work to rehabilitate the building.[2]
History[edit]
In 1974, a group purchased 519 East 11th Street from New York City for $100 per unit, under the Division of Alternative Management Program and with assistance from the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, and received a $177,000 low-interest loan from the city to aid with repairs.[3] Tenants were able to become co-owners of the building by purchasing units at $500 from the group that purchased the building, or by putting in equivalent sweat equity.[4] The building included eleven units in a total of 10,410 square feet.[5]
They installed solar panels to assist with heating, in 1976.[4] Charles Copeland was hired by the tenants to oversee the project of installing solar heating.[6]
Windmill[edit]
519 East 11th Street became famous for the windmill constructed on its roof, designed to provide power for the building. It had the phrase "El Movimiento de la Calle Once:" The 11th Street movement" written on its tail blade.[4] This windmill was constructed with the assistance of Windworks, a renewable energy company created with the support of Buckminster Fuller.[7]
Excess energy, beyond what was consumed by tenants in the building, was pushed back onto Con Edison's grid by causing the meter to run backwards; as a result, the building was sued by Con Edison. Under volunteer representation from Ramsey Clark, the Public Service Commissioner ruled in favor of the tenants.[3] This ruling played a key role in creation of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978.[4][6] Ed Koch, and Robert and Lola Redford, visited the building to see the famed windmill.[3][2] The MacNeil/Lehrer Report filmed an episode of its show on the roof of the building, to showcase the windmill.[8]
The windmill was credited with powering the building through the 1977 blackout, even while the surrounding neighborhood lost power.[6] The windmill only functioned for a few years, because it was difficult to maintain.[7]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Andito (2012-08-07). "Echoes of Eldridge Street Synagogue on East Eleventh Street". GVSHP | Preservation | Off the Grid. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ a b Joyce, Maynard (1976-07-08). "519 East 11th St.: Neighbors Rebuild Hopes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ a b c Love, Shayla (2014-09-29). "The Almost Forgotten Story Of The 1970s East Village Windmill". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ a b c d Cohen, Michelle (2016-04-05). "This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time". 6sqft. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ Copeland, Charles C. (October–November 1975). "Manhattan Tenement Adds Solar Heater" (PDF). Building Systems Design. pp. 15–17. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ a b c Chen, Jackson (2018-11-15). "Energy pioneer recalls windmills, solar panels and New Yorkers who led charge for change". Real Estate Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ a b "Spatial Agency: Windworks / 519 East 11th Street". www.spatialagency.net. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ "Rooftop Windfarms - Harvesting Winds of Change". cooperator.com. Retrieved 2019-11-14.