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Acclaimed architect Lee Harris Pomeroy, of Manhattan and Sag Harbor, died on February 18, 2018. He was 85.
In The New York Times, Sandra Bloodworth of the MTA called Mr. Pomeroy “the quintessential New York City architect,” who “loved the civic side of historic preservation and transportation.” His city projects ran the gamut from a renovation of St. James Church on the Upper East Side to creation of the Fulton Mall in downtown Brooklyn, along with restorations and redesigns of landmarks including Grand Central Terminal, the Plaza Hotel, and Trinity Church. Locally, he was the architect behind the redesign of the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton.
Mr. Pomeroy was a pioneer of adaptive reuse, starting with Henry Street Studios, which transformed the Mason Mints factory in Brooklyn Heights, in 1963. Fifty years later Architect magazine wrote that the project “marked a shift in the profession’s priorities.” His re-design of Manhattan’s Union Square subway station (and others) likewise unearthed and highlighted existing historic details. Mr. Pomeroy also helped lead the movement to revitalize Broadway’s Theater District without destroying its cultural and architectural legacy.
Mr. Pomeroy and his wife, Sarah (a pioneering scholar of women in antiquity), took up part-time residence on the East End in the 1990s. Characteristically, Mr. Pomeroy transformed a ranch house in Water Mill from three bedrooms to eight without altering its modest original facade. In 2013, they moved to a house in Sag Harbor that seamlessly blends design elements from the 19th century to the present.
A generous and active participant in every community he joined, Mr. Pomeroy made enduring contributions to the East End. The Hampton Library was a $6 million project that nearly doubled the size of the historic structure while restoring the proportions of its gabled roofline. The design won a 2013 Excelsior Award for Public Architecture from the New York State chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
“Lee Pomeroy was not just the architect of the library’s building renovation and expansion, he was also a beloved patron. He frequently attended our classical music lectures and Fridays at Five. His wit and wisdom will be missed,” said Kelly Harris, director of the Hampton Library.
Mr. Pomeroy also designed an expansion of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, of which he was a dedicated member, and of the adjoining cemetery. Still works-in-progress, both projects are grounded in Pomeroy’s extensive research into the history of Long Island and Jewish tradition.
He was an avid beachgoer all his life. According to family legend, as a child he filled up an entire automobile with sand at Coney Island. As a father and grandfather, he often applied his professional skills to supervising the design and construction of sand castles.
Along with Sarah Berman Pomeroy, his wife of more than 50 years, Mr. Pomeroy is survived by his daughter, Jordana Pomeroy; his son, Jeremy; and his sister, Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz. He is also survived by seven grandchildren. His daughter, Ali Pomeroy, died of cancer in 2015.
Memorial donations may be made to Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor.
on Mar 16, 2018