Early Kingsbridge Ave

[sdpreschool]

I am researching the history of the Spuyten Duyvi Preschool which moved into the original Kingsbridge Library (built 1905) in 1977. The school started up in Spuyten Duyvil in the backyard of Mrs. Frederick Garnjost. So in advance of our 100th anniversary I am trying to fill in history and photos as available. Anyone able to assist? I am the current director of the preschool.

Thank you

[Thomas Casey]

 

 

[Thomas Casey]

[Thomas Casey]

[Thomas Casey]

[Thomas Casey]

[Thomas Casey]

One of my favorite postcards is attached.  I used it in my Book  – Northwest Bronx

[Thomas Casey]

Kingsbridge Library 1940

[bstein]

I’m an alumnus of the Spuyten Duyvil Infantry. In 1944-45, we met in a large room in the basement of Greystone Manor, 3900 Greystone Avenue. (My parents and I moved to Apartment 63 A in July, 1944.) I suspect, but don’t really know, that the school moved to the building as a precaution against air raids.

[Thomas Casey]

The Kingsbridge branch was designed by McKim, Mead & White,  located on Kingsbridge Ave on land provided by local resident, Dr. James Douglas, and opened May 19th, 1905.

[Thomas Casey]

Kingsbridge library NYPL 1252814

[Alan Lasky]

I attended Spuyten Duyvil Infantry in the basement of RNH ca 1963-65. Arline Strong regularly took photographs and her book “Everything Changes”, with text by Ruth Rea Howell, who was a teacher there, has many photos from that era.
Old Riverdale Press articles can often be found at https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html, and though it has a very strange search interface, searching for  “spuyten duyvil infantry” can show quite a bit of history.

[ndembowski]

Thanks for the post and photos everyone.  It does seem like the Spuyten Duyvil Infantry moved around quite a bit.  Once the construction is finished at Edgehill, we can look through the back issues of the Riverdale News from the 1920s to see if there was some kind of announcement when it opened.

I wonder if the school had any relationship with Edgehill Church.  You mentioned that it started out in the back yard of Mrs. Frederick Garnjost.  She was born Jane Bradley Johnson, the daughter of James Johnson–one of the sons of Isaac G. Johnson who ran the iron and steel works on the Spuyten Duyvil Creek.  The Garnjost home was just about across the street from Edgehill Church at the bottom of Independence Ave where it intersects with Palisade Ave, near modern day 2390 Palisade Ave:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="876"] View looking northeast on Independence Ave.[/caption]

When the Garnjosts lived there, Spuyten Duyvil looked a lot different.  Here’s a view of their house in the mid-1930s.  The Garnjost home is below in the foreground and another home belonging to the Johnsons can be seen in the background.  It looks like someone just got a delivery from Macy’s.  The truck is on what is now Independence Ave but was then a private road owned by the Johnsons:

Jane Garnjost was involved with the church school at Edgehill Church.  Was this something different than the Spuyten Duyvil Infantry or were they the same thing?  In the basement of Edgehill there still are a bunch of tiny antique wooden chairs that would be ideal for a nursery school.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="532"] From the 1939 Riverdale News[/caption]

Jane Bradley Garnjost was a charter member of the Kingsbridge Historical Society.  Apparently she was also one of the last of the Johnson descendents living in Spuyten Duyvil:

I also found this in the September 4, 1952 issue of the Riverdale Press if it is useful:

My daughter attended Spuyten Duyvil Pre K at its current location in the old Kingsbridge Library.  One of my favorite things about it is a huge chunk of locally quarried marble in the back yard.  If you ever feel like you need to get rid of that rock, please donate it to the Kingsbridge Historical Society!

[lewh]

Hi – I am a resident and board member at 2390 Palisade Avenue, which is shown (under scaffolding) in the posts about the Garnjosts in the mid 1930s. We have been trying to deal with the city in regard to the crumbling retaining wall, the majority of which is apparently on city property. In the old photo with the Macy’s delivery truck, I see a stone wall. Do you know of, or have access to, any photos that turn the corner to the left onto Palisade Avenue showing the wall? Thank you!

Lewis Haimowitz

 

[ndembowski]

We can relate, Lewis.  Edgehill has its own city-owned retaining wall in need of repairs.

I will look for a photo and post it if I can find something.

[Author]

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