Target Location Question

[ndembowski]

I received a question from someone wondering what buildings stood previously at the site of the Target store in Marble Hill.  I know that was the site of the Kingsbridge Velodrome before it burned down in 1930.  But I do not know what came after the velodrome.  I believe someone mentioned there was a furniture factory or warehouse there.

The above photo of the velodrome was from a stereoview and it is part of our panorama exhibit at Edgehill.  The exhibit is open this Sunday (May 12th) from 12-3 pm.

[Thomas Casey]

Good to know exactly where the Velodrome was

[Thomas Casey]

The NYC tax photographs are a good start

[Thomas Casey]

Francis H. Leggett & Company , a wholly – owned subsidiary of Seeman Brothers , Inc. , a New York corporation ( hereinafter called Seeman ) . Seeman and said subsidiary share an office at 40 West 225th …  The directors of Seeman Brothers, Inc., and of the Seabrook Farms Company have approved an agreement providing for the merger of Seabrook into Seeman – NY Times   8/30/1960

[Sheila903]

In the 1960’s there was a company there called Brooks Collegiate where we purchased our catholic school uniforms.  In later years NewYork-Presbyterian used space there for a variety of things including storing records.

[Peter Ostrander]

I knew about the Brooks Collegiate name on building but didn’t realize what it was, thanks.

The site in question is  also an old and historic location of the pre-Revolutionary Free bridge or Farmers bridge. The Kings Bridge at that time was a toll bridge. The Kingsbridge Historical society placed a bronze plaque on the Brooks Collegiate building in 1959 to celebrate the anniversary of the Free bridge having been build in 1759.  Unfortunately, in the years when the “Bronx was burning” the plaque was stolen and likely melted down for its value.

Here is a write up on the plaque from  William Tieck’s book on Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Spuyten Duyvil.

[Jennifer Hudson]

I used to work at Brook Collegiate.   We would have the order and go around and collect the items to be put in a box to be mailed, blouses, shirts, boys pants and jumpers.  Girls were not allowed to wear pants back then to school.  I must have been 15 with my working papers.
There were women working on sewing machines who kindly sat me down to teach me how to use the machine.
The boss thought I was pretty smart and had me doing paperwork.  I was a jack of all trades.
I believe another building in that stretch was Art Steel.  It had office furniture.

[ndembowski]

Thanks, Jennifer.

Were they actually manufacturing uniforms there or just mending them?  How many women were working there on sewing machines?  Perhaps this blazer was made in Marble Hill?  I am curious because I think there was more manufacturing around here than people realize.

The initial questioner sent this in from the April 14, 1965 New York Times.

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