Discover the rich cultural fabric of New York’s Lower East Side with a behind-the-scenes journey that brings the 19th century vividly to life.
Begin at P.E. Guerin, America’s oldest decorative hardware firm (founded 1857) and the city’s last working metal foundry, and see master artisans continue to cast exquisite fittings and hardware using century-old metalsmithing techniques. Then on to the Tenement Museum, where we’ll explore authentic domestic spaces and hear powerful personal stories. To top it all off… a special culinary experience, courtesy of a tasting tour that reveals how food traditions were preserved, adapted, and shared—ultimately helping to define both the Lower East Side and the broader American identity.
Space is limited to 15 participants, and advance booking is required. Registration $95 for members, $125 for non-members; $245 for non-members with one year FOS membership.
Schedule of Events
Foundry Pour Demonstration at P.E. GUERIN
9:15 am | P.E. GUERIN, 23 Jane Street, New York
P.E. Guerin is the oldest decorative hardware firm in the United States, and the only metal foundry in New York City. The company was started in 1857 by French immigrant Pierre Emmanuel Guerin and has been at its current location on Jane Street in Greenwich Village since 1892. Guerin was one of the pioneers in artistic metalwork in New York City, and examples of his production can still be found in various public buildings, parks, and important residences throughout the city and the country. The business was later passed on to Pierre’s son, Emmanuel Pierre Guerin, followed by his son’s wife, Marguerite V. Guerin, and then his great-nephew, Arthur C. Ward. Four generations later, the company remains a family business, now owned and directed by Pierre Emmanuel’s great-grandnephew, Andrew F. Ward.
Tour of Tenement Museum
11:30 am | Tenement Museum, 103 Orchard Street, New York
Apartment tours at the Tenement Museum allow visitors to explore the historically recreated 19th and 20th-century homes of immigrant and migrant families who lived in New York City tenements. Led by experienced educators, these immersive guided tours bring history to life, connecting visitors to the stories of everyday people generations ago and inspiring connections between the past and present.
Culinary Tasting Tour of the Lower East Side
1:00 pm
No single taste or flavor can define a neighborhood, especially one like the iconic Lower East Side. This walking tour experience explores over 150 years of history through the stories of immigrant and migrant communities and the unique food cultures that defined life in NYC’s tenements. A curated program of local tastings, we will explore firsthand how tenement residents both preserved and adapted the food traditions of their homelands, and how generations of street vendors, restaurateurs, home cooks, and grocers sustained communities while shaping wider ideas of American cuisine and identity.