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It seems as if the history of Dwight James Baum, and his role in the residential development of Riverdale is going viral!
So I’d like to start a forum post on this subject so that perhaps at some point, we could have enough information to put together a presentation for our members and the public.
Today, the KHS received a letter from David Jensen of the historic Ludowici Tile Company:
I’m a ceramic engineer at Ludowici Roof Tile, and in my spare time I’ve been researching some of my company’s historic projects. I found an interesting letter buried in our company archives that talks about a residential development in the Riverdale area around 1937 (letter attached). What makes the project notable is that it was by famed architect Dwight James Baum…
Our historic order records for residential projects are often vague about addresses and specific locations, so I was curious if you know anything about this development and its history. From what I could find, this involved five lots (to begin with) that each were roofed with red flat interlocking shingle tiles. Do you know if any of these buildings are still standing?
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For those of you who might not be familiar, Dwight James Baum was a famous architect in the first part of the 20th century, who lived in Riverdale. His biography from the Lehman College web pages on Bronx architecture:
Dwight James Baum
(b. 1886, d. 1939)Distantly related to L. Frank Baum who wrote the Wizard of Oz, Dwight James Baum was born near Newville, New York. He attended Syracuse University to study architecture and graduated in 1909, winning the school’s Architectural Fellowship. Baum worked for several architectural firms in New York City including Boring and Tilton; Kirby, Petit and Green; Sanford White; and finally Frank M. Andrews. In about 1912, Baum purchased a lot in the Riverdale area of the West Bronx where he built a Dutch Colonial style home for himself. He eventually resigned from the Andrews firm and devoted all his efforts to his own designs. From 1914 to 1939, Baum designed 140 houses in the Riverdale area, primarily Tudor and Greek Revival styles. His design for Dr. Francis Collins won the Better Homes in American Gold Medal in 1931 for the best two-story house constructed between 1926 and 1930. In addition to these residential works, Baum also designed the Riverdale Country Club (1917) and the Arrowhead Inn, a restaurant in Riverdale (1924).
In 1922 Baum received the most important residential commission of his career from John and Mabel Ringling. John Ringling was best known as one of the Ringling Brothers of Ringling, Barnum and Bailey Circus. This building is now part of the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. Baum worked in Florida and designed the Sarasota County Courthouse, the Sarasota Times Building and the First Presbyterian Church. He was credited by American Architect magazine (October, 1926) with developing a new Mediterranean Revival style through his work in the area.
During the depression, Baum developed a close association with the Architectural League of New York. From the early 1920’s Baum had been active in preservation activities. Among the projects undertaken at this time by Baum’s office was the research and documentation of historic buildings in Barrytown, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. Two of Baum’s most noteworthy designs during the Depression were the West Side YMCA in New York City (at 5 West 63rd Street), and the Federal Building in Flushing, New York. It was during the Depression that Baum made his major contributions to the architecture of his alma mater, Syracuse University.
Baum’s designs can be found the entire length of the eastern seaboard including New England, New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas and Florida.
https://www.lehman.edu/vpadvance/artgallery/arch/bio/baum.html
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Although we all go by the shorthand of calling our community “Riverdale”, we know that it is actually several neighborhoods. (Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Fieldston, etc.)
So when someone tells me they are looking for something in Riverdale, I know I have to ask for a little more information. There are Baum designed houses in various neighborhoods in Riverdale-at-Large.
But the most important fact that I needed was the date and date range. This particular development was completed around 1937. And the NY Times had a few articles on it, which apparently was on the property of the former Morosini Estate.
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Financier and banker, Giovanni Morosini was born in Venice, Italy in 1832, when Italy was still a part of the Austrian empire During the revolt against Austrian supremacy in 1848, he joined the patriot forces. He fled the country, and once in New York City, he worked in Garibaldi’s candle factory. One night along the waterfront he saved a boy being beaten by a gang of youths. The boy was the son of Nathaniel Marsch, Secretary of the Erie Railroad. Marsch gave him a job as an office boy with the Erie Company on May 25, 1855. Morosini learned bookkeeping, and eventually was appointed General Auditor. He met Jay Gould in 1868, and sided with him during the fight for control of the company. Morosini became Gould’s confidential secretary. He amassed a fortune worth several millions, and a vast art and coin collection. There is a Giovanni P. Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
His home in Riverdale was a rambling Victorian called “Elmhurst”, and was filled with valuable furnishings and art. He also built an armory near his house which was filled with all sorts of ancient weaponry. His stable was considered one of the best in Riverdale. He died in 1908.
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Mr. Jensen asked if any of these homes still stood, with black English tile from the Ludowici tile company.
I found a few real estate listings, several of which mention that Dwight James Baum was the architect.
5 Rivercrest Road
A rare gem in Riverdale, West of the Parkway on a private cul de sac. This classic center hall colonial tucked away in the estate section is set on beautifully landscaped property close to the Hudson river and a short walk to the Riverdale Metro-North station. Designed by noted architect, Dwight James Baum, it is one of a special enclave of homes in Riverdale Heights. sothebysrealty.com/…/5-rivercrest-road-bronx-ny-10471
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Thank you, Stephanie, for this bit of history of Riverdale. Giovanni Morosini appears to be a self-made man with fortuitously good luck! As always, I’m enjoying this bit of Riverdale history.
Do you know if the home at 5294 Sycamore Ave was one of the Baum homes in the article? I was in that house a number of times in my teens as a good friend, Samual McCain, lived there.
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It is indeed. And in the Riverdale Historic District.
There was a LPC hearing on an addition to the structure, but I don’t know what decision LPC made
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Nice work, Stephanie! As a native of the Whitestone/Flushing area of Queens, I was curious about the “Federal Building” that the Lehman story refers to as a noteworthy design during the Depression. As it happens, it’s the Flushing Post Office, built between 1932 – 1934. I know this is off-topic Riverdale-wise, but I thought that other former Queens folks might be interested.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office_(Flushing,_Queens)
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