As hundreds of residents have recently watched their homes become newly subject to oversight by the city’s Historical Commission, some of them have launched costly lawsuits to try to undo historic designations of their neighborhoods.

Among them are several homeowners in Washington Square West, who launched an online fundraiser to raise the $50,000 attorney fee for their suit against the commission. As of early August, they’d received pledges worth a little over $20,000, far short of the amount they say they need to keep the effort going.

Colin Murphy, who bought his home in Washington Square four years ago, said the group is hoping to receive contributions of about $500 from many of the 100-plus people who sent objections to the commission last year, before the district was approved.

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