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According to Wikipedia, Beverly passed away in Phoenix, Arizona on June 9, 2007. The Riverdale Press article was an interesting read. Thanks.
It looks as though the Free Landing Road might have had one end meeting Spuyten Duyvil Pkwy at where 4568 Manhattan College Pkwy is located with its other end terminating at what is now Gaelic Park.
Julie, you are not as late as I am to this enjoyable party! I found this site through a facebook posting by Brian Andersson, who is a second cousin to my ex-wife (with whom I am still good friends). I’m so glad I signed up. Going through the various offerings has brought back childhood memories and a curiosity for discovering the history of Kingsbridge.I’m wondering if Tetard’s Hill was located in the general area of DeWiitt Clinton H.S.. That area is on high ground looking westward.
I came across a book today that describes in detail The History of the Town of Kings Bridge in which Tetard’s Hill is mentioned. (https://archive.org/details/ldpd_6221416_000/page/n7/mode/2up)
The author is Thomas H. Edsall.
Beginning on page 18 of the document (26 of 119 in the archive) there is a description of Reverend John Peter Tetard and his history in the area. The document is a very interesting read.The preponderance of clues persuades me to agree that Nick’s interpretation is correct. The map shows that the eastern spur of West 240th street was known as Van Cortlandt Avenue and the photograph is noted as “Bway & 240nd st”. And, then of course, there is extensive marsh throughout the west side of Broadway, although one could make the claim that over the intervening years, the marsh on the east side could have crept south to what became Van Cortlandt Avenue. I am somewhat confused as to why Spuyten Duyvil Parkway is not shown as an established road under the brown tracing. Was it being proposed on this map?
The map also shows what I surmise is Irwin Avenue as a road going up the elevation (as Nick mentioned) and connecting to a road going easterly (down hill) and then toward the north, connecting to Old Post Road. That last portion is now known as the beginning of Manhattan College Pkwy. Where the brown tracing of SDPkwy connects with Broadway is shown a building that I believe is in the photograph of the IRT station.
Thank you for offering these clues!In my youth, on the south side of 242nd street, starting at the corner and going west, were a Gulf gas station owned by “Hans” (and his old German shepherd dog), a candy store that became the Greenleaf bar, and a grocery store owned by brothers whose name was something similar to “Mankiewicz”. The building that they were located in is 220 West 242nd street and I can’t see a hint of it behind the billboards in the picture of the train station and the dump truck. According to maps.city.gov, that building was constructed in 1920, so I’m going to guess that the picture was taken before 1920. Judging by the design of the dump truck I’d say around 1915 – 1918. If the picture of 240th street was in a series, perhaps it was taken at the same time. That’s my best guess.
I need to edit my reply #3282: I should have written “Van Cortlandt Park Ave. West”, not “Sedgwick Avenue”.
In the second picture entitled “Filling the swamp. Bway south of Van Cortlandt Park” there is a house partially hidden by the elevated station. To its left and to the right of the billboards is 242nd Street. Under the box shaped support suspended under the station, one block up, can be seen a car. Just to the right of that car is the location of 4652 Spuyten Duyvil Pkwy that was to be constructed in 1923. My parents, sister and I moved there in June of 1937. Further up that road would be the future home of Manhattan College. Just above the cab of the dump truck can be seen the repair barns for the subway cars.
I think that the view noted as “Inland Swamp. Bway & 240th st. New York City” might be a view looking eastward toward the N.Y. Central railroad tracks and Sedgwick Avenue, not westward. There appears to be a street to the right of the dike that would have been Putnam Avenue East that was lost to the construction of the Major Deegan Highway as were the railroad tracks. I could be wrong…
Judging from the photograph of the rear of Old Bridge Tavern, there must be about 35 feet of fill to the surface of Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The tavern itself lost two lower levels and then there must have been an additional 15 feet to the top of the creek. And then the creek must have been about 10 feet deep in the middle, I’m guessing. That is a lot of fill, spanning the distance from 230th Street to St.Stephen’s Methodist Episcopal Church, south of 228th Street. Wikipedia states that excavated material from the construction of Grand Central Terminal was used as fill. Additional excavated material was also transported to Croton-on-Hudson, 40 miles up-river to construct a station there.
The U-Haul building appears to be situated on the filled-in Creek. I wonder how deep the footings are for that building!I don’t know anything about the Old Bridge Tavern, but your description of its location doesn’t jibe with Google Maps that shows the playground being bordered by 230th street, Kingsbridge Ave., 228th street and the apartment buildings. Perhaps you meant the northeast corner of 228th street and Kingsbridge Ave, or the southeast corner of 230th street and Kingsbridge Ave.
It amazes me that any part of the filled-in Spuyten Duyvil Creek could be a good foundation for multi-story buildings.
