Lenox Terrace, a residential rental complex with 1,716 units in Harlem, is celebrating a landmark event – its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the property’s rich history, the owners and operators of Lenox Terrace, located between 132nd and 135th Streets and Lenox and Fifth Avenues, today unveiled the first in a series of plaques honoring events and individuals that impacted Harlem’s musical influences, politics and culture. The plaques will be known as the “Path of Promise.”
The first plaque is a tribute to Philip A. Payton Jr., founder of the African-American Realty Company in 1904, whose office stood in close proximity to the current Lenox Terrace Management Office. Mr. Payton’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive paved the way to the establishment of Harlem as the epicenter of Black culture.
“As we join together to celebrate Black History Month, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the legacy of the residents and guests of Lenox Terrace, which many consider Harlem’s finest residential development,” says Dion Keene, general manager of Lenox Terrace. He added that when Lenox Terrace was built in 1958, it was impossible to know the many ways its development would impact the intricate fabric of Harlem.
Lenox Terrace’s owners are planning to unveil the remaining plaques throughout the anniversary year. The additional plaques will recognize notable figures that called Lenox Terrace home, as well as individuals who contributed to the vitality of Harlem and Black culture. Among the honorees will be, Dr. Godfrey Nurse, Marcus Garvey, Anna Hedgeman, Malcolm X, former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, Congressman Charles Rangel, former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, and legendary musicians Fats Waller, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Billie Holliday.
Photo: From left to right: Dion Keene, general manager, Lenox Terrace and Jeanette Spencer, president, Lenox Terrace Association of Concerned Tenants unveil the first in a series of plaques celebrating Lenox Terrace’s 50th Anniversary.
Posted on February 27, 2008 by D. Bell