US House of Representatives Approves Amendment to Include 103 Orchard in ‘Tenement Museum Bill’
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The federal government is just a few votes away from recognizing the recent expansion of the Tenement Museum. You’ll recall, of course, that the local history hub purchased 103 Orchard Street a couple years ago, and opened a state-of-the-art learning facility and gift shop there in 2011.
Last spring, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the “Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site Act” (Public Law 105-378), which effectively acknowledges this new address as part of the museum. Her bill passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and is now headed to the Senate side for confirmation; then to the President for signature.
“We are thrilled that the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1846 today,” said Morris Vogel, President of the Museum. “The Museum has always treasured its relationship with the National Park Service and is excited to see that relationship grow stronger as this new site is added to its boundaries. We’ll use the site to tell the stories of real Puerto Rican and Chinese families—and Jewish Holocaust survivors—who lived and worked toward the American dream on the Lower East Side. Their stories are a critical chapter in our nation’s vibrant melting pot history.”
The Secretary of the Interior declared 97 Orchard a historic landmark in 1994. Four years later, Congress designated the institution an affiliate of the National Park System.
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