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NY Transit Museum website says 10/8/1908–
“Survey photograph looking south at the 242nd Street Station on the IRT West Side / Seventh Avenue Line, two months after the opening of the station. The photograph shows a carnival, including a ferris wheel and carousel, being either put up or taken down.”
https://nytm.pastperfectonline.com/photo/A209B96A-53BC-4279-BC14-748940256500
Dorothy Dewitz
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The widening of Broadway beginning at W 239th Street north to about 6035 Broadway occurred circa 1952.
The carousel may have been constructed circa 1917-1920. This blow-up shows construction occurring to the extreme left viewed under the north stairs to the train station. The photo is in the collection of the NY Public Library Digital Collection.
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I found this photo of the carousel that is claimed to have been taken in 1908. My guess at the construction date in my message #4995 is wrong. I’m providing a link to the photo as I believe that copying it and pasting it here might violate copyright law…I’m not sure.
Broadway & 242nd Street Bronx, NY 1908 B
Though I see no construction materials, the carousel doesn’t appear to be finished; no windows above.
Of interest is the Ferris wheel that appears not to have any seats for people. I wonder how that worked.
The station doesn’t seem to be finished, either. The wall that goes across Broadway doesn’t appear to be there yet. The roof over the stairs looks incomplete, too. So, the picture may have been taken before August 1, 1908, the day that the station was opened to the public.
The weather must have been warm, judging from the lack of overcoats on the woman seated and the man/boy seated by the telephone pole. The trees have leaves, so maybe May-June timeframe.
I wonder about the wooden building that can be seen beyond the carousel. Was it a hotel or a private home? Does anyone know? It looks like it is being razed in message #1877.
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That is where the Pabst Van Cortlandt Park Hotel was located, which I don’t know much about but I believe they were owned or associated with the Pabst beer company. Apparently, there was a number of Pabst hotels around New York City with a big one of 43rd Street.
The information gathered in this thread seems to indicate that the hotel didn’t last very long on 242nd.
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Here is another picture of that same scene showing the date of 7/29/1908.
I’d like to add a new one with a date of circa 1920 that I believe to be at least 1923 or 1924.
https://collections.mcny.org/asset-management/2F3XC5IK5J_X?&WS=SearchResults&Flat=FP
My proof is the building 215 W 242nd street showing in the background that I have circled in red that was built in 1923 and is shown in the 1924 aerial view in NYC Now and Then app.
Also, the building with the United Cigars and Ice Cream stores was build much earlier, I believe, than the build date of 1931 shown in NYCMap, since they are shown in the picture.
By May 4, 1925 the Carousel was gone and 4652 Manhattan College Pkwy (just behind the street light globe) can be seen next to 215 W 242nd street. Looking to the left of the telephone pole in the center of the picture all the way down to the southwest corner of W 242nd street can be seen a gas station, probably the Gulf station that I have mentioned in previous posts. The neighborhood was becoming populated!
The vent in the wall of the store behind the telephone pole and is positioned to the right of it and a foot above the sidewalk in the 1925 picture can be seen in the red circle of the 1923-1924 picture below, thus firmly dating it to those two years.
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