Photograph of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, via LPC proposal.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is reviewing a proposal for restoration work on the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, located at 2060 Sedgwick Avenue on the Bronx Community College campus in University Heights, The Bronx. Originally constructed in 1901 by the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, the structure is an Individual Landmark and a notable example of early 20th-century academic architecture. The restoration project is led by architect Michael Stripunsky, along with Bernard Toni and Amanda Loy, and is part of a broader initiative by the City University of New York (CUNY) to address structural issues affecting the building.
The Hall of Fame, built as an open-air colonnade to connect adjacent academic buildings, features limestone and terra cottamaterials, including Guastavino tile vaults. The structure houses nearly 100 bronze busts commemorating influential American figures. Over the years, deterioration of the limestone cornices has become severe and systemic across over 1,000 linear feet of the façade. The current condition includes cracking and spalling in multiple cornice stones, caused in part by the installation of wedge-type anchors during earlier repair campaigns. Due to safety concerns, protective netting has been installed, and the area remains closed to the public.
Photograph of current conditions, via LPC proposal.
The design team evaluated various restoration methods and determined that complete replacement of the cornices would compromise the structural integrity of the Guastavino vaults and require extensive demolition. Instead, the team proposes repairing the damaged cornices using Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete units. This method allows for in-field adaptability, minimizes the need for original material removal, and has been successfully implemented in other landmark projects such as the Plaza Hotel and CUNY’s Thomas Hunter Hall.
Transit nearby the Hall of Fame site includes the 4 train at the 183rd Street station, as well as the B and D trains at the 182–183 Streets station.
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