New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated the historic Lithuanian Alliance of America building as a protected New York City landmark. The four-storey building is the last surviving Lithuanian building in Manhattan and a long-standing hub for the community.
Lithuania’s Consul General in New York, Dovydas Špokauskas, said the decision to recognise the building as an architectural and cultural monument had dual significance.
“It is symbolic, because New York City has formally acknowledged the significant contribution of the oldest Lithuanian-American organisation – and, more broadly, of Lithuanian Americans – to the city’s unique character, shaped by many nations.
It is also highly practical, as buildings on the heritage register in New York are subject to strict legal protection,” he told LRT.lt.
He said the Lithuanian Alliance of America’s decision to establish itself in the building in central Manhattan in 1910 could be seen as one of the foundations of the strategic partnership between Lithuania and the United States.
“From here, many Lithuanians spread across America, including Žemaitė and Jonas Basanavičius,” Špokauskas said, adding that Lithuanian-language publications were also printed in the same building.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission said the building, constructed in 1876–77, reflects the growth of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood in the 19th century. It added that the property has considerable cultural importance because of the long-standing activities of the Lithuanian Alliance of America.
The organisation played “a vital role” in supporting Lithuanian immigrants, while also preserving the country’s cultural heritage, the commission said.
From 1910 to 1971, the building housed the printing press of the weekly Tėvynė, which reported on Lithuanian affairs. In 2018, the Lithuanian Alliance of America completed the restoration of its premises, and in 2022, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Two other sites were also granted protected status: Public School 15 Annex and St Mary’s Church.
The commission said the sites reflect New York’s immigration history and the diverse communities that helped shape the city.
“Immigrants built New York City. Their stories live in every block, every neighbourhood, every corner of the five boroughs,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.
“Today, I’m proud to recognise three more sites that carry that legacy forward – places that, for generations, have opened their doors to newcomers and helped define what it means to belong in the greatest city in the world,” he added.
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