Harlem's Lenox Terrace celebrates 50th Anniversary

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 Sts. and Lenox and Fifth Aves., recently 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 Payton Jr., founder of the African-American Realty Co. in 1904. Payton's entrepreneurial spirit and drive paved the way to the establishment of Harlem as the epicenter of Black culture. 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.