A Record of Stewardship
Our Work: Completed and Ahead
Work on a National Historic Landmark cannot be ordinary maintenance. Every project the Fund undertakes is held to the standards required of a landmark property: historically accurate materials, period-appropriate methods, and skilled conservators and craftspeople. The Fund does not cut corners in the projects we undertake for this historic building; we also solicit multiple bids from qualified, recommended vendors to ensure our supporter dollars are spent effectively. We steward every gift so that it translates directly into the preserved landmark fabric.
Not one dollar we raise goes to interior adornment or fixtures for the membership club. Our resources serve the landmark building and essential systems, protecting the educational and public engagement resources inside for generations to come.
Guided by our volunteer board and funded by generous donors, we have established a record of active stewardship. Below are some of our past preservation initiatives, and the priorities ahead.
Prior Projects
The Stanford White Façade Restoration
While much of the original 1845 north façade stone weathered the decades well, the 1888 Portland Brownstone used for the Stanford White portico developed stability problems in the 20th century. Eventually, the deterioration of the landmark façade and other elements meant the terrace overlooking Gramercy Park could not be safely enjoyed. Stained glass panels, vault glass balcony skylights, distinctive gas lights, and White decorative elements also needed substantial repair and conservation, and served to inspire the development of the Preservation Fund.
The Fund's ambitious inaugural projects, led by its founding president Mary Workman, were executed onsite and in expert artisan studios. The façade projects restored the magnificent front exterior, including stonework, columns, and decorative ironwork to sound, authentic condition — an effort recognized with the Lucy G. Moses Award by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Today the only outdoor space overlooking Gramercy Park stands secure to be enjoyed as intended.
The Edwin Booth Room Windows
Before this project, The Fund had completed landmark window restoration on the ground level and main floor of the house. Booth's third floor bedroom suite, however, had been sealed for years behind blackout shades to protect it from sun damage. When the Players Foundation embarked upon an extensive historic conservation of the rooms and objects, the Preservation Fund provided resources to facilitate rebuilding the original windows. The completed windows were supplemented by UV-filtering interior glass panels, and period-accurate hardware was matched to the original fixtures. The New York City Landmark-sanctioned project restored natural daylight and the room's views of Gramercy Park while protecting its priceless contents. Visitors now experience the space as Booth himself did, in his “nest among the treetops.”
Essential Systems & Back-of-House
Preservation is not only what can be seen. Each year, the Fund makes critical interventions and planned renewal of the systems on which the 175-year-old building's survival depends: roofing, plumbing, electrical, and structural integrity.
Current Priorities
The East Façade. The building's rear eastern wall has exhibited growing signs of structural decline. Like much of the most important preservation work, this manner of structural aging is easy to overlook until it becomes a crisis. The multi-element process of stabilizing it began during the summer of 2026 and is the Fund's current and most immediate priority.