My Archive Spring 2019 "A photograph of my grandmother Martha Shallek Wallenstein, on some occasion, in front of a car across the street from the entrance to 250 Cabrini Boulevard. Perhaps she was about to enter the car behind her?" —Ellen Wallenstein

Coliseum Theatre, ca. 1922. When the Coliseum Theatre opened in 1920 it was the third largest theatre in the United States. The auditorium sat 3,500 patrons in a theatre designed by architects De Rosa & Pereira. The space was so grand that even the bathrooms were decorated with statuary and paintings on the walls. Early on popular on the vaudeville circuit, the venue became an RKO movie theatre at some point in the mid century. The once one-screen film house was divided into a triplex in the 1980s, and sections of the large space were sold off to commercial tenants. Between 1991 and 2011 the venue opened and closed numerous times and was often renamed. It finally closed for good in 2011 and proposed plans in 2015 had the building replaced by a glassy shopping mall. As the fall of 2017, the neglected remains of the old theatre still stand.

185 Wadsworth Avenue, east side between 182nd and 183rd Streets, showing P.S. 132. Board of Education, N.Y.C.

Holyrood Church, 1929. This congregation dates to 1893. They erected a country-style church with a tower on upper Broadway at what is now 181st Street in 1895. By the first decade of the 20th century the congregation was growing and a larger structure was needed. Designed in the Gothic style by Bannister & Schell, the Holyrood Church was begun in 1910 and completed in 1914.

Paterno Castle, August 23, 1938. Charles Paterno was an Italian immigrant who earned a medical degree at Cornell in 1899. Despite this accomplishment, Paterno would never practice medicine. He and his brother took over their father's real estate business, upon his death, and continued to work in the development of modern apartment houses on the Upper West Side. They were well known for their luxurious buildings (including 440 Riverside Drive, an apartment house named for them). In the process of this work the brothers became very wealthy. In 1905 Charles purchased a 7.5 acre plot in what is called Hudson Heights today, overlooking the Hudson River. He hired John C. Watson to build him, well, a castle. By 1909 the German style castle was ready for occupants, though it was not fully completed. Residents and visitors of the castle were required to enter through an underground tunnel that ran under the front of the home into a subbasement. Though the overall style of the castle exterior was medieval, in the interior, each room reflected a different period or style. The building was not the only over-the-top feature. The roof garden included an aviary, solarium, and large conservatory. The grounds also had an Italian garden with colonnades, pergolas, and fountains. The house was called complete in 1916, but by the 1930s, Paterno had a new idea for his picturesque plot of land. As upper Manhattan boomed and real estate became much more valuable (in many ways due to his actions) Paterno said this to the New York Times in 1938, “the many improvements in that part of the city...had led to a strong residential movement in that area with a definite demand for the finer type of garden type apartments.” To advance this residential movement (and his bank account), Paterno had the castle demolished and in its place, the massive Castle View apartment houses were built. Today the castle's guest house, which sits at the north end of the plot of land, remains (and went on the market in 2010 for $3.9 million).

4211 Broadway, 2001. At the I-95 exit on the George Washington Bridge, U.S. Route 9 merges with Broadway. U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is the longest north-south U.S. Highway in New York. It begins in Laurel, Delaware, crosses from New Jersey to New York City via George Washington Bridge, intersecting Broadway at 179th Street and continuing through the Bronx. US 9 terminates a few miles south of the U.S./ Canada border, at a junction with Interstate 87 which connects New York City to Montreal.

Did you know New York City encompasses the highest terrestrial point on the Atlantic Coastal Region? The city's unique geography, including great schists and terminal moraines left over from the last ice age, give each borough a unique high point. Take a look at the highest spots in New York City.

Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights ca. 1994 The Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Heights was founded in 1906; its first home was at 218 West 130th Street. The congregation relocated to 161st Street in 1923. In 1973, it relocated again, this time to a former Christian Science church at 185th Street and Fort Washington Avenue. The domed ceiling in the sanctuary remains from the building’s days as a Christian Science church. It has been updated with a Star of David to represent the congregation that now prays in that space. The ceiling is quite impressive, and it gives the sanctuary a very open feel. In the 1930s and 1940s, Washington Heights became the home to German Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors. Many of them joined the Hebrew Tabernacle, swelling its congregation. German Jews continue to be the lifeblood of this Reform congregation today. In 2002, the Hebrew Tabernacle consolidated with Beth Am, the People’s Temple, and now offers various service styles to reflect its diverse congregation.

Coliseum Theatre ca. 1922 The end of 2011 also brought the quiet demise of the last movie theater in Washington Heights, Coliseum Cinemas. Known to most residents as the RKO Coliseum, the large theater, occupying the entire corner of 181st and Broadway, had been a fixture of the neighborhood for over 90 years. On its opening day on September 24, 1920, B. S. Moss' Coliseum Theatre featured live Vaudeville acts while Harold Lloyd entertained onscreen in the latest Pathé comedy. Imagine the impression this enormous brand new theater must have given, the third-largest in the city (second only to the Hippodrome and the Capitol), its lobby and corridors festooned with flowers from well wishers: Vaudevillians, movie stars, as well as the grateful neighborhood community itself — all milling around, smiling mouths agape in awe at the splendor. The interior was ornately decorated in gray, ivory, French gold, and American Beauty Rose red. Even the bathrooms were richly furnished and included statuary and paintings on the walls. Like its neighbor, Audubon Theatre, the Coliseum’s purpose was to present a mixed program of Vaudeville and motion pictures, and was considered primarily as an “amusement center destined to play a large part in the neighborhood community life.” That first night, the 3,500-seat theater easily filled to capacity with eager invitees. Up in the boxes were the big names in Vaudeville, including moguls E. F. Albee and Martin Beck. With its built-in organ, the theater was the ultimate entertainment center. As an overture, music surged from the 25-piece orchestra pit with Ponchielli’s magical “Dance of the Hours,” followed by the latest newsreel. Thus warmed up, the audience was then treated to the latest Vaudeville skits from Eddie Foy and his family, who broke in the new stage and made it shine. The lights were then dimmed to screen the latest silent films, the Harold Lloyd comedy Get Out and Get Under, followed by the Norma Talmadge drama The Branded Woman. The intermission consisted of selections from Sigmund Romberg’s latest musical, The Magic Melody. An exit march concluded the show well after midnight. During its heyday, the Coliseum continued to present live Vaudeville with the likes of Ethel Waters, Eddie Cantor, MIlton Berle, Bob Hope, and even Rin-Tin-Tin making appearances. Most residents though will remember it primarily as a movie theater. I personally recall seeing many poorly-dubbed Kung fu and Italian horror pictures there in the 1970s and 80s. Old-timers may remember seeing Blonde Venus, RKO comedies featuring the Marx Brothers, Mae West and W. C. Fields, and sci-fi classics like The Thing. Interestingly enough, the site of the Coliseum as a community rest and recreation spot goes back further still to the American Revolution, when an inn called the Blue Bell Tavern stood there, its bar situated where the box office is now. The inn's guests alternated between both British and Continental forces during the War, including General George Washington himself. The Blue Bell, which dated back to the 1720s, still existed well into the 19th century, and whatever remained was razed and replaced by the Coliseum. Over the years, the Coliseum's role as a performance venue has experienced a general decline. The theater's structure was gradually broken up into a duplex, then a triplex, and a large chunk of its enormous footprint on Broadway eventually became commercial spaces, occupied by grocery and retail stores. During the 1980s attempts were made by residents to rejuvenate the space as a community arts center. A benefit performance called Salute to Ol' Vaudeville was staged in 1980 by a local arts organization for just this purpose. In recent years, after two closings (and subsequent renamings), and despite such promising local initiatives as a Dominican Film Festival and Children’s Film Festival, the venue still struggles to find its identity.

New York City is known for its nightlife and entertainment. Since its early days, people have gathered in taverns to socialize, discuss the latest news, and gossip while enjoying drinks with friends. Join us as we take you back in time for a 19th century bar crawl that will quench your thirst for more of the City's history.

W. T. Grant Co. Store, 1950. W. T. Grant was an American chain store that was in business from 1906 until 1976. The original store was advertised as a 25-cent store, and sold a variety of mass-produced merchandise. By the time the founder, William T. Grant died in 1972 (at nearly 100 years old) more than 1,100 stores operated nationally. The company went bankrupt in 1976 and this location closed along with all of the others. In 1936 William T. Grant set up a foundation to support research that would contribute to “human betterment and social progress.” That foundation, which has largely focused on education and research related to childhood development, is still active today.

875 West 181st Street, November 18, 1936. This structure, the Stirling Towers, consists of several units; the main entrance being shown on the left. Appearing partially on the right is the Dunncraggan, No. 867, midway between the Drive and Northern Avenue.

This memorial commemorates the Battle of Fort Washington, which took place here on November 16th, 1776. The memorial was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett and the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1901. The park, at which this memorial sits at the foot of, is named for James Gordon Bennett. Fort Washington was the last stronghold of the Continental Army in New York after British General William Howe gained control of Long Island earlier that fall. General George Washington ordered General Nathaniel Greene to defend this outpost - however, his army of 3,000 men was no match for the 8,000 British soldiers who took the fort from multiple sides. The fort was lost to the British at 3:00 PM, with over 600 lives lost. The fort was returned to American possession on November 25 of 1783.

Paterno Castle, with the George Washington Bridge in background, 1938. Charles Paterno was an Italian immigrant who earned a medical degree at Cornell in 1899. Despite this accomplishment, Paterno would never practice medicine. He and his brother took over their father's real estate business, upon his death, and continued to work in the development of modern apartment houses on the Upper West Side. They were well known for their luxurious buildings (including 440 Riverside Drive, an apartment house named for them). In the process of this work the brothers became very wealthy. In 1905 Charles purchased a 7.5 acre plot in what is called Hudson Heights today, overlooking the Hudson River. He hired John C. Watson to build him, well, a castle. By 1909 the German style castle was ready for occupants, though it was not fully completed. Residents and visitors of the castle were required to enter through an underground tunnel that ran under the front of the home into a subbasement. Though the overall style of the castle exterior was medieval, in the interior, each room reflected a different period or style. The building was not the only over-the-top feature. The roof garden included an aviary, solarium, and large conservatory. The grounds also had an Italian garden with colonnades, pergolas, and fountains. The house was called complete in 1916, but by the 1930s, Paterno had a new idea for his picturesque plot of land. As upper Manhattan boomed and real estate became much more valuable (in many ways due to his actions) Paterno said this to the New York Times in 1938, “the many improvements in that part of the city...had led to a strong residential movement in that area with a definite demand for the finer type of garden type apartments.” To advance this residential movement (and his bank account), Paterno had the castle demolished and in its place, the massive Castle View apartment houses were built. Today the castle's guest house, which sits at the north end of the plot of land, remains (and went on the market in 2010 for $3.9 million).

514-522 Fort Washington Avenue, ca. 1922. This photograph perfectly captures a very specific time in the history of upper Manhattan. The large brick apartment building signals the new population and real estate boom that occurred in the first few decades of the 20th century, while the two modes of transportation seen at front (horse-drawn carriage and automobile delivery truck) denote a time period where both these vehicles were viable options.

Nathan Hale Apartments, ca. 1913. A New York Times blurb from 1920 noted that a resident of this building, after inviting friends to sample some of his expensive whiskey, found 30 gallons of the whiskey missing and the remaining bottles filled with water.

Dr. Henry L. Hirscher, Dog & Cat Hospital, 1932. In 1939 a wealthy New York woman named Louise Baier passed away and left her former alley cat, Tommy, a trust fund of $5000. Dr. Henry Hirscher was the cat's veterinarian and was entrusted with his care. When the doctor requested a payment of $2 a day for the cat's housing and care, the executors of the estate refused and the case went to court. A judge ruled that the bequest to the cat was illegal. Dr. Hirscher, who had also been left a sum of money in the woman's will, decided to keep the cat despite it no longer having its own trust fund.

Chelsea Methodist Episcopal Church; May 23, 1929. In the early part of the 20th century, the Chelsea Methodist Episcopal Church, Parish House, and offices were located at the intersection of 178th Street and Fort Washington Avenue. While the church orginally worshipped at 331 West 30th Street in Chelsea, the congregation relocated uptown in 1907. Upon moving, the church held services in its new Washington Heights building until the late 1920s, when it was razed to make way for the George Washing Bridge.

109 Wadsworth Avenue, May 27, 1927. 109 Wadsworth Avenue at the N.E. corner of West 178th Street, showing what was then the synagogue of the Congregation of Mount Sinai Anshei Emeth.

Wadsworth Pharmacy, ca. 1995.