The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has voted to landmark an historic East Village synagogue.
Tifereth Israel Town & Village Synagogue's landmark designation will take effect immediately.
"The building is a reminder of the rich cultural and social history of the Lower East Side," said commission researcher Gail Harris.
The building, located at 334 East 14th Street was initially a church. In the 1920s, it became the Ukrainian Autocephalic Church of St. Volodymyr. It wasn't until 1962 that the site became known as the Town & Village Conservative Synagogue.
The building was put up for sale last year, prompting preservationists, including the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, to urge the Landmarks Commission to take action to protect the 150 year old building. It had originally been proposed for landmark status in 1966, but was lost in what the preservation society called "landmark limbo" for nearly 50 years.
“It’s wonderful that after nearly half a century, this venerable piece of our city and our neighborhood’s history will finally receive the recognition and protection it deserves and which we fought so hard for,” said Andrew Berman, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
The commission did not landmark a rear structure that is part of the synagogue.
"I think this is a good compromise," said commission chairwoman Meenakshi Srinivasan, appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this year.