Shepherd Ave.
North of Atlantic

Originally part of the Gilliam Schenck Farm. On the left is pictured Charles Carillo's novel "Shepherd Avenue", published in 1986 and now out of print. However, it is now available as a Kindle download on Amazon for 99 cents. Click here to visit the Amazon order page.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

YMCA, Jamaica Avenue

That's not the YMCA on the left you say? OK, so its not a landmark but for some interesting photos on what was there before it was the "Y" go to the YMCA page here.
YMCA gym and pool, early 70's
These low resolution shots are borrowed from Ken Morville's collection for recently reunited denizens of the Y. Wes Miller recalls his sister Esther was in this pool when the blackout of 1965 hit!
Quagliariello Family, 53 Shepherd
Peter Stango sent over this 1945 shot taken in the backyard of 53 Shepherd. That's his Aunt Rose's family (her graduation diploma is up on the St. Rita's page).
57 Shepherd, 1956
Linda Feiling Weiss sent this 1956 snowstorm shot looking north from the front of 57 Shepherd.
90 Shepherd
We're going to slip down the block here south of Ridgewood. The 1941 tax photo on the left is of 90 Shepherd, home to site fan Tim O'Reilly's mother. The different elevation of porches with 88 Shepherd on the right struck me as unusual. Tim notes that his grandfather rebuilt that stoop in the 1950s. It appears the basement level of 88 Shepherd could have been legal living space at one time. Tim recalls "Arlene & Willa & 'Bo' (their toy French poodle) lived there".
90 Shepherd
Tim supplies some great early pictures of 90 Shepherd; that's his mother on her wedding day in 1957 on the front porch with grandfather James and aunt Ethel. The second shot is of his great-grandmother Busch at the rear of the house sometime circa 1926.
96 Shepherd
Tim O'Reilly sent in this 1941 tax photo and noted this was the "Haunted House" of his area. As legend has it, an elderly woman committed suicide in the house in the 30s or 40s, and the house was abandoned and left to rot in the 1960s. It became the hangout and "dare" house of the neighborhood. A number of former Shepherd Ave. residents dropped me notes to confirm this. One note; the family that lived there was referred to by everybody as the "Martins" but the deed which passed on the property had the name as "Martens". Old pal Dom Most sent in the 2 best stories, so I'm including them here, but if anyone else wants to contribute to the legend then drop me a line!
The location of Rob Jefferson's 1962 parade picture was a mystery until the Amazin' Cin noted the house on the left was the famous Shepherd Ave. 'haunted house'. The distinct architecture of 92 Shepherd on the right was the confirmation. I've been tipped off this was Richard Morganelli's grandparent's house, though the brickwork is mostly covered in the 2007 update shot on the right. That's Rob in the scout parade on the left (no cap) and buddy George Cecere on his left with the cap.
The update shots above were shot by me in January 2007. These additional views are a look south down Shepherd towards Fulton and north towards Ridgewood Ave. Dom Most ids the houses down from 96 Shepherd; "Counting from the Old House, going down is Tommy Sciallara's house, John Shevlins house, Lou Tufano's house, Steve Salvati's house then mine, the yellow one on the right. After mine you can just see Mrs Kraus's house and Micheal Scementi's house."
103 Shepherd
Frank Lanni lived across from the "haunted house" at 103 Shepherd. Here he is pictured in front of his house with his dad in April 1970.
108 Shepherd
The 1941 tax photo of 108 Shepherd , with the 2007 update on the right. If I have it correct, according to Dom this would have been Steve Salvati's house, with Dom's house to the left.
109 Shepherd
Thom Henrickson sent in some great early shots of 109 Shepherd. On the left, the house as it looked in 1947. I did some research and found the house dates to 1897, when it sold for $1800. On the right, a good look at the steps and porch in 1953 with Thom and his brothers Rick and Chris.
109 Shepherd
That's Thom on the scooter in front of the house in 1946, and 11 years later in a view south down the block in 1957. That's brother Chris in the background. Thom told me the layout of the house: the main living area was on the lowest level, with bedrooms on the middle level and stairs leading up to the third floor rental. I'm curious if that was the original layout or if it was it altered.
115 Shepherd, 1925
Couresy of Larry Rickert's St. Peter's Website, 115 Shepherd was the 2nd home of the church starting in 1898 prior to the building of the church. This image comes from a 1925 Anniversary booklet. The 2009 Google streetview image on the right shows 109 and 115 Shepherd as they look today. 115 Shepherd may have become available over a tragedy. Owned by the Suss family, in 1896 their daughter was shot and killed by her husband, who then took his own life, after he followed her to Greenpoint on suspicion of infidelity.
Shepherd Avenue 1972
Old friend Dom "Most" sends this over from Italy! I checked with our car expert Rob Jefferson who identifies the car as a Buick Skylark, possibly 1972, but notes in the background a blue on white 1954 Buick Century. Anyone remembers who owned that?

On the right, a contribution from JoAnne Florio via Therese Panariello. The shot was taken at JoAnne's house on Shepherd Ave. on the way to school at St. Michael's in 1973. In the front are JoAnne and Therese and behind them are Margaret Farino and Gail Pennisi. Love those shoes!
Shepherd Avenue
Cynthia sends over 2 views from her confirmation day, 1970. The first is south down Shepherd towards Fulton; you can see the factory in the background. The second is west across from her house, 137 Shepherd. The grey house behind them is the one with the turret in the postcard. She is pictured with friends Alfonso and Lena Mirasola, who attended P.S. 108.
Shepherd Avenue, 1914
This terrific RPPC was sent by a Mrs. Wolfram to a friend in 1914 to show her new home at 139 Shepherd Avenue (though spelled differently). It is the east side of Shepherd, north of Arlington Avenue. To the right is a shot of 137 and 139 Shepherd taken in 2007.
Shepard Avenue , North from Fulton St.
Maker: Wm. Fick Dated: 1913 Status: Own (BG)
Cynthia Rongione, who lived on this block, notes that the view is actually north of Arlington to be accurate.The small block between Arlington and Fulton housed commerical buildings. Note also the spelling of the street in the postcard. I matched off the view with a 2007 update shot.
Sliding all the way down to Fulton Street, the first view is looking West from Norwood in 1946. The second view, from 2005, is Fulton looking east from Shepherd Ave.
Edward Herrschaft began publishing the Record and Advertiser in 1912. It was published at 175 Shepherd Avenue. He published a number of local weeklies, shown in the list on the right. He sold the Canarsie Courier around 1960. Thanks to his niece Doris Merrick for the info. We have a page devoted to the Record here.
We don't have many shots between Fulton and Atlantic. Tony Della Croce sent in this 1955 shot of his buddy Lou Gelato, "borrowing" a Cadillac. Lou lived at 219 Shepherd, this shot is up towards the middle of the block, showing the west side of the street in the background. I used Google streetview to line up a current view.
American Numbering Company, 224 and 226 Shepherd Avenue
I found some sort of order confirmation for this company that was located on the northwest corner of Shepherd and Atlantic Avenue. The receipt had an engraving of the building, which I enlarged. The building is still standing and I need to add an update photo.
The same location in 2008, courtesy of the Google Maps "Street View" tool. It now appears to be a church. On the right, a 1941 tax photo view east from Essex showing the building with the pumping station towers visible in the distance.