Grand Concourse, east side, south from and including Mount Hope Place, 1935. The six-story apartment building at the far right of the image is called the Royal Plaza and was built in 1927, just prior to the proliferation of Art Deco structures on the Grand Concourse. While the narrow building mid-block still stands, the large wood-frame home on the corner has been replaced with generic apartment building, constructed in 1953.

"Echo Park (Bronx): An early view of the small park on the west side of Valentine Avenue, between East Tremont and East Burnside Avenues, ca.1900." This park was called Echo Park for more than a hundred years due to the echo that can be heard between the two large rock masses that monopolize the landscape. The park was renamed Richman Park in 1973 to honor Julius J. Richman, who served on Mayor Lindsey's West Bronx Neighborhood Task Force and was chairman of the Twin Parks Association and the Urban Action Task Force. In 1997 the 'Echo' part of the original name was added back parenthetically.

Tremont Presbyterian Church, ca. 1909. The Tremont Presbyterian Church began in the spring 1854 as a small group of people worshiping at a house meeting. The church was officially organized as the Union Church of Upper Morrisania in November 1854. A permanent church building was completed in 1860, and was renamed the First Presbyterian Church of Tremont. In 1915 a new church building was constructed on the nearby Grand Concourse, and the congregation moved out of this 1860 building. The church still stands, though with some questionable exterior alterations (what appears to be metal or vinyl siding and asphalt shingles). It currently houses St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Catholic Church.

"250 East 178th Street. Apartment building. Detail of corner window, 1937."

"4192-4194 Park Avenue, adjoining the S.E. corner of E. Tremont Avenue, showing an abandoned, old frame house, 1938." The wood-frame home seen at right was likely demolished soon after this photograph was taken. The ground level windows are covered with posters and ads, such is the life of an abandoned storefronts. The larger sign just below the dormer windows marks this building as the one time Tremont Dog and Cat Hospital. The building on the left at no. 4196 remains with its stone arched door frame.

Tremont Towers apartment building, 1938. This uniquely curved apartment building was designed by Jacob M. Felson in the mid to late 1930s. Felson was a Russian immigrant to the U.S. In 1938 he became the president of Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc., which specialized in building apartment buildings. In addition to his apartment houses, he is also known for designing movie theatres and parking garages. This simple Art Deco apartment house is one of his lesser known works, though he designed quite a few more elaborate Deco buildings in this neighborhood.

Tremont Branch, date unknown. The neo-Federal, red brick Tremont Library was designed by Carrère & Hastings and completed in 1905. The cornerstone was laid on January 21, 1904 at an event attended by a couple hundred people. One the speakers at this program was Reverent F.B. Makepeace, President of the Bronx Free Library, which has only the year before merged with the NYPL. In 1916, using surplus funds from the Carnegie bequest, the addition was constructed.

Bronx Savings Bank, 1930. The constructions dates for this bank building are a bit of a mystery. This classically-inspired bank building stood likely from the early 1930s until 2016. (After its life as a bank ended, it was a restaurant and event space.) The area surrounding the building is being redeveloped, and in 2016 there was an agreement to preserve certain architectural and historical elements, and incorporate the Bank’s facade into the lobby at the entrance of a new building. But the building has been entirely demolished as of the start of 2017.

250 East 178th Street, 1937. A distinctive Art Deco apartment building with attractive curved fire escapes. The decorative block projections at the roof line seen in this photograph have unfortunately since been removed.

FDNY Engine 46, 1937 Mack truck.

This is a walking tour of historic sites in the Tremont neighborhood hosted by urban design graduate students from the Spitzer School of Architecture.