abstract:The Historic Districts Council (HDC) was founded in 1971 as a coalition of community groups from the designated historic districts of New York City—of which there were only 18 at the time—primarily to work on special projects and networking. In the late 1970s, its focus shifted to helping advance district designations; in the 1980s its advocacy role expanded and finally, in 1986, HDC became an independent, incorporated organization with its own officers.