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Zone 4 |
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Weismantel's Showboat On the far right of the 1941 tax photo sent in by Tim O'Reilly is Weismantel's Showboat, a catering hall. . In 1872 George Distler's Hotel and Brewery sat in this location, followed by Harmon's Casino Grove. By 1948 it was known as Weismantel's Hotel. Tony Davenport first reminded me it was called Mickey Alan's by the 1970s, and Rod Maggio sent in a menu from 1982. Rod notes that Mickey was close friends with Floyd Patterson, the heavyweight boxing champion. |
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Weismantel's Showboat We're still trying to piece together the history of the showboat, but one great legend is that when they knocked it down in the late 1990s they discovered that where they were expecting solid ground there were in fact underground chambers. The chambers consisted of extensive brickwork and the only apparent entrance was a 'secret' entrance from the kitchen. That raises a lot of interesting theories including a bootleg bar during prohibition, secret storage, or maybe not so secret storage. Neil Sullivan supplied the 2005 update photo of the grocery which took its place in 1999. |
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Weismantel's Showboat, 1947 Courtesy of Peter Stango, this picture was taken inside at his Uncle Ray's wedding reception in February 1947. | |
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| Jamaica Avenue Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery Maker: Wm Fick Dated: unknown Status: need Great shot from early 1900s with a running trolley and the Cypress Hills station in the background.Take a close look at that station. It was the last stop of the BMT line at the time. Go to the Crescent Ave. page for more details. Entrance to Cypress Hills Cemetery Maker: Wm. Fick Dated: Unknown Status:Own(RG) Another great similar shot, with a horse drawn carraige. The arch dates from 1893. We now have a page devoted to the Cypress Hills Cemetery located here. |
| Joe and Sons Sitting on the south side of Jamaica Avenue near Autumn is Joe and Sons, an auto shop that has been around since the 1960s. They have a great picure hanging in the office which ties to the cemeteries across the street which you can see below. Thanks to Peter Stango for discovering the gem and sending over a picture of the shop. | |
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Cemeteries There are 2 smaller cemeteries east of Cypress Hills; the first is Maimonides and the second is Mt. Hope. This early image we believe dates to the 1880s and shows the building long before those glass domes were removed. This is now the rear entrance for Maimonides and is no longer used. Maimonides was a 12th century Rabbi and is credited with writing out the first systematic code of Jewish law. 
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Cemeteries Moving further east down Jamaica Avenue we come to Mount Hope Cemetery. Kurt Eger contacted us, his father was a caretaker and they lived here from 1958 to 1970! The story gets better; his father fought for the German side during World War II and was a POW in Nebraska and Missouri after the war, yet became a caretaker for a Jewish cemetery! His sister, Ursula Trojcak "graduated from PS 171 and from Lane in 1969- she was the Queen of the Lane prom in 1969. She told my father that she would not get married while we still lived at Mount Hope- the thought of her walking out of the front door in a wedding dress to enter a waiting limousine was too much Munsters and Adams family for her to bear." That's Kurt and friend Dennis Friscia in 1985 on the right. |
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Bands Kurt follows up with two priceless time capsule photos. "My various rock bands would rehearse in the meeting room at Mount Hope and cars that waited at the stoplight at Jamaica Avenue and Nichols Avenue would often be treated to "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" and "Wooly Bully" among other hits." Pictured on the left is "Seclusion, a blues- rock band that rehearsed at the drummer's house on Miller Avenue. Left to right is George Prechtl (in cape and beret), Jimmy Custer, Dennis Gustaferri, Dennis Friscia in shades and me. All of us from East New York. The photo is from about Novem ber of 1968. Notice the front facade of Lane in the left of the photo." On the right, "is a shot of the Cypress Hills Grave and Memorial Blues Band circa 1968. This is inside Mount Hope Cemetery. From left to right it's yours truly then Mike Armando of Elderts Lane, Dennis Friscia and my brother John." Big thanks to Kurt for those. |
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Kurt also sent another rock band shot, this of "We Forsaken", taken in October 1966 inside Mt. Hope. The plaques behind them are dedicated to deceased Board of Directors of the cemetery. I like the lo-tech band label on the drum. On the right, a family photo taken in on the cemetery grounds in winter of 1963. |
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" > | Kurt keeps it rolling with this shot of the family ready for the Brooklyn Day parade in 1961. The view is south from Mt. Hope across Jamaica Avenue and Kurt points out the Nichols Inn in the background. |
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Cypress Pool, 1961-2 A huge gold star to Cynthia Rongione for digging up not only a photo of the Cypress pool, but a gem as well, showing a smooth(?) high dive in action and the Cypress Hills Station in the background.The Cypress Pool now has its own page with a lot more pictures and history which can be found here. |
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| 3296 Fulton Street, 1925 Another of my favorite shots, contributed by Peter Stango. It is his grandfather's grocery, located on the south side of Fulton between Euclid and Pine St. It was DeStefano's, and the picture on the right was taken in 1916. In the cart are Peter's Uncle Lou (right) aunt Christina (middle) and a family cousin. |
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Therese Panariello sends over a shot of her parent's wedding reception at Club 880 in 1952. Located on Jamaica Ave. between Hemlock and Autumn, the building was replaced in 1996. | |
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Mt. Zion, Autumn and Ridgewood Ave. Neil Sullivan sent over this 2006 photo of the church on the southeast corner of Ridgewood and Autumn. It looked familiar and I found a historic photo of the church from 1909 when it was known as the Church of the Transfiguration. The Episcopalean congregation starts out in the late 1890s in a building on Fulton Street near Autumn Ave. In 1901 plans to build a new church on Euclid and Ridgewood are opposed by Trinity Episcopal over on Schenck and Arlington, for fear of splitting the parishioners. The Diocese decides not to issue a permit and this church is built instead sometime between 1905 and 1909. Richard Woitowitz recalls it was a Russian Orthodox Church for a brief spell, and also served as a community center. |
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Richard Woitowitz sends over a shot of the 'band', on the corner of Etna and Lincoln in the 1970s. Named "The Path" are; Tony (Bass), Richard Woitowitz (Guitar, Vocals), Seated in the VW was Thomas Bettinger (Guitar), Peter Dunn (Guitar, Vocals) and "Bird" (Drums). On the right, a view north up Lincoln across Etna circa 1979. |
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Richard Woitowitz also sent these shots looking south and north from 139 Lincoln Avenue in 1971. He identifies Antonio Rodriguez by the car. |
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Finally, Richard sends over a shot of his mother and a neighbor during a 1972 Lincoln Avenue block party. | |
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Block parties were a big part of the neighborhood. Glen Gochal sent in these shots of a Lincoln Avenue block party in 1971, between Ridgewood and Fulton. |
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The second set from Glen includes a nice wide shot on the left, lots of little kids in the picture. Anyone recognize themselves?. |
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Vinnie Sanzillo sent in these shots taken around 1972. The first is in the I.S. 171 schoolyard facing Lincoln Avenue, and the second is of Max's Furniture store on Fulton Street between Nichols and Elderts Lane. |
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Atlantic and Autumn, 1913 A reminder that we feature Atlantic Avenue on their own pages in Zone 5 and Zone 6. Two more from the Brian Merlis Collection, you will notice Autumn Ave. was known as Railroad Avenue at the time. Note the pedestrian crossing was underground. On the view north, you can see a sign advertising "5 1/2 Miles to Abraham and Strauss". I also believe that is 171 in the distance on the right. |
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Mike McGrath helps fill in a blank for us- we were missing shots of Grant Avenue. Mike explains, " In this shot from 1967, my home (212) is to the left. Yes, our building adjoined a lot that had been left undeveloped. If there were similar situations to this elsewhere in Cypress Hills, I don't remember them. Every once in a great while, the property's owner, Mr. Martin, would appear, unlock both fences, and drive through the lot to a solidly-built garage, inside which he would busy himself with... who knows? On this day, we kids had put together a carnival to raise money for MDA. Over the rooftops, and across Nichols Avenue, can be seen IS 171." Mike also supplied a 2009 shot, I believe these houses were built within the last year or so. |
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Mike McGrath sends some shots of Grant Avenue, taken in 1972. He IDs Steve Kaponyas in the shot on the left, and on the right, Louis Surico holding the football and Mike Mallon behind him, noting the alleyway and his house are in the background. |
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Mike also sent this 1972 view looking north to Ridgewood Avenue. It appears the garbage truck is creating a roadblock. Mike noted the building at the end of the block on the left housed an American Legion Post. Site fan Jon Schmidt first brought that post to my attention- it was the Elmer J. Bennett Post, and his grandfather was a member. Jon recalls it had a last man standing club from WWI and also a Fife and Drum Corp that played at Ebbetts Field. We're still looking for more info on that Post if anyone has it. | |
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Mike's picture prompted me to post a Grant Ave. mini-mystery. In the 1908 map on the left (turned sideways, north is to the right), we see a Richards Lane once existed behind the houses on the west side of Grant between O'Brien Place and Etna. (Liberty Street on that map is now Karweg- Jon Schmidt recalls that one block stretch was their wiffleball/stickball/touch football field). The 2009 aerial view, oriented with Grant Avenue on the right, shows the existence of that lane which now appears to be a driveway to multiple garages. I wonder what the story was behind that lane. |