Kenney Building, 1932.

Presbyterian Church of Astoria, 1927. The Presbyterian Church of Astoria began services in 1846 in a local schoolhouse. Within a year the congregation had planned and funded a Gothic style church with a tall steeple. That building served as the church until after the First World War, when it became apparent that the community needed a larger building. The cornerstone for the church seen in this photograph was laid in 1922. The church was a Georgian style (which made it look older than its actual construction) and was deigned by a Flushing architect named A. Edward Richardson. By 2000 the congregation had severely depleted. The building itself was in need of extensive and expensive repair. The church decided (with much opposition from the community and local preservationists) to demolish the church in favor of a new complex with senior citizen housing, a pastor’s residence, a day care facility and a smaller church space which would allow for community activities and events.

James Butler grocery store, ca. 1927. The green fronted James Butler grocery stores dotted the streets of New York City. Butler, an Irish immigrant, began his chain of store in the 1880s and by his death in 1934 owned over 1000 groceries and was worth $30 million. The single-story storefront has long been a staple of the commercial strip of Steinway Street. Instead of groceries and hat shops, today the storefronts are cheap jewelry and clothing shops, corporate pharmacies, and 99 cent stores.

Louvre and the Riviera, apartment houses, 1927.

Most Precious Blood Church, 1932. This 1932 church was designed by architects Henry J. McGill & Talbot F. Hamlin. Hamlin was not only a practicing architect but also a noted architectural historian and founder of the Avery Architectural Library at Columbia University. McGill was known for his intricate detail work, which can been seen in the limestone facade carvings, the stylized cross motif above the entrance, and the neo-Byzantine arched entrance surround of this church. Perhaps the most unique feature of the church and a specific indicator of the time of its construction, is the Art Deco metalwork that crowns the tower. The metalwork depicts a repeating pattern of abstract peacocks and flowers and was meticulously restored in 2011.

If you took a stroll around New York in the early 20th century, eventually you were bound to come upon a store with a green and gold exterior. If you were to go inside, each would be managed in the same way, selling the same groceries and goods. These were the James Butler Stores a name as ubiquitous as Trader Joes at the time.