Lower Park Hill Elevator House
By Mary Hoar, City of Yonkers Historian, President Emerita Yonkers Historical Society, recipient of the 2004 Key to History, Member of the Yonkers Landmarks Preservation Board, and President Untermyer Performing Arts Council
Monday, December 25th
1887: St. Aloysius Boarding Academy for Boys was destroyed by fire. Opened in 1868 by the Sisters of Charity on the South Broadway property, St. Aloysius prospered right from the start as there was a need for a good school for pre-college boys. Among its students were notables such as John and Lionel Barrymore. A notice appeared in the Yonkers Statesman ten days later informing the public “the loss by the burning of St. Aloysius Academy will be considerable, and only partially covered by insurance.” The school was no more. The property was used to build St. Joseph’s Hospital.
1945: Yonkers learned Santa did not always dress in red! After reading about a woman who lost her purse with money for family’s Christmas, Santa, former Board of Contract and Supply Secretary Samuel Aron not only opened his heart, he convinced friends to chip in for the needy. Wearing a business suit, Santa Aron presented the family with $50, returning Christmas joy to a family that lost hope.
Tuesday, December 19th
1923: Because of the extreme conditions in the Hudson, Yonkers Ferry Company President Leo Schwartzstein suspended service until March. Heavy ice floes had damaged the hull of the tugboat FJ Purdy, sinking it off the City Pier. Fortunately, the crew escaped without injury.
1931: Common Council President John S. Davis broke the six-six tie on the long discussed and much-criticized ordinance authorizing Yonkers to operate the Park Hill elevator. Davis voted yes, and it became a city obligation.
Wednesday, December 27th
1917: The State Arsenal sent a representative to inventory all federal property in the old Armory on Waverly Street before they officially “abandoned” it. The captain in charge found 75 blue full-dress uniforms and many condemned olive drab uniforms in the old company drill shed. The Armory was being officially moved to North Broadway, under the command of Captain William McVicar.
1951: Sergeant Valentine Fonseca of Nepperhan Avenue finally arrived to spend Christmas holidays with his family. Along with 38 other Korean War veterans, Fonsecca was delayed by bad weather and plane trouble. Motor trouble caused a two-day delay in Oregon; bad weather grounded them in Des Moines, where they spent Christmas Day in the airport. Engine trouble cancelled takeoff on the 26th. United Airlines picked up them the next morning; the group arrived at Newark Airport midday.
Thursday, December 28th
1905: The Board of Police Commissioners ordered a redistribution of transportation. The buggy used by the Police Captain was to be used by the night patrol mounted squad; the wagon used by the Detective Sergeant would be used as a patrol wagon. Several officers petitioned for new horse blankets, claiming the old ones were worn out.
1929: Although Mayor John Fogarty gave a $1,000 raise to the Public Safety Commissioner and $1,500 raises for the DPW Commissioner, Corporation Counsel and City Engineer in the 1930 Yonkers budget, he refused the raise the salary of the Mayor.
Friday, December 29th
1913: After a proposal by Hugh Thompson of North Broadway to honor the first baby born in Yonkers in 1914, other merchants joined with him to shower the baby with gifts!
1949: News that the State Harness Racing Commission authorized trotting races at the old Empire City Trace for the 1950 season was good news for the people of Yonkers. The track had been idle for several years because the flat racing meeting had been transferred to Long Island. The one drawback was that the name, “Empire City,” still was owned by the former owners who moved the races.
Saturday, December 30th
1901: More than 240 prisoners appeared before Judge Kellogg after having been arrested two days earlier in a raid of Manhattan Hotel poolroom on Warburton Avenue. The courtroom was filled with spectators as eight NYC police officers were swept up in the raid. The NYC officers arrested in the sweep, however, did not give their own names; they claimed Yonkers’ residences and lied about their occupations. As soon as these New York policemen were released on bail, they hightailed it to the Bronx border. Several of the court spectators, however, were detectives from NY Police Headquarters. Not only did they recognize several of the men, they notified New York Police Department superiors who the men really were!
1938: Otis Elevator Company received a $552,950 contract to build 133 elevators for New York City’s Red Hook and Queensbridge housing developments. This marked the first use of elevators on a large scale in low-cost housing projects in the New York metropolitan area. Housing officials stated building six-story buildings with elevators were more economical than building the usual four-story walkups on a larger area. The elevators were to stop only at the first, third and fifth floors, keeping costs down to meet limits set by the US Housing Authority.
Sunday, December 31st:
1931: Dr. James Morrissey of St. Andrew’s Place purchased an airplane, which he kept at Curtiss Wright Field in Rosedale, Long Island. Morrissey had completed training for his pilot’s license, and was believed to be the first Yonkers doctor to qualify as a pilot. His kept his plane at Curtiss Wright Field on Long Island.
1943: Mayor-elect Curtiss Frank, confined to his home with an attack of viral pneumonia, took the oath of office at his home at 70 Rockledge Road; the oath was administered by City Clerk Francis J. Heafy. Mrs. Frank requested this be done so there would not be a lapse between the expiration of Mayor Benjamin Barnes’ term ending that midnight and the beginning of the new Common Council. The 1944-1945 Council was elected by Proportional Representation.
Questions or comments on this column? Email YonkersHistory1646@gmail.com. For information on the Yonkers Historical Society, Sherwood House and upcoming events, please visit our website www.yonkershistoricalsociety.org, call 914-961-8940 or email info@yonkershistoricalsociety.org.
