Harbor Road revisited

West side of Harbor Road between Leyden and Richmond Terr. - Apr 23, 1932


View Larger MapSame view today

These shots of Harbor Road in Mariners Harbor start with the second house north of Summerfield United Methodist Church. All of the houses shown here are still in existence in one way or another. Let me show you.


Map 1874- The first house in the photo above is that of "Capt.Jones" followed by those of "F. Jones", "Capt. J. Wright", "M. Van Name", and "Capt. Tomlinson". I think I safe assuming that the captains here are oyster captains. A nice indication of the neighborhood's famous past.














View Larger Map
The Capt.Jones house - The porch columns match those in the photo but the railings and beautiful eaves and wood shingling have been removed or covered.




View Larger MapThe F. Jones House - All the beautiful detail has been removed and siding of some sort has covered up the wood shingle. The loss of the porch leaves this house a big blank, unattractive box.






View Larger Map
The first house, that of Capt. Wright, is presently greatly obscured by foliage (so I'm not showing it). You'll have to trust me when I write that the front porches have been removed.

The second, that of M. Van Name (and one of many in the neighborhood), is visible, as is the awful faux-brick asphalt shingle that now covers it. Similar to many of the captains' homes that once lined the Terrace, this house has always been one of my favorite.




View Larger Map
Finally, we have the house of Capt. Tomlinson. It's the most beautifully preserved of this series of houses, though the porch columns have lost their elaborate shapes and are simple four sided columns now and the decorative eaves is gone. Still, the dark trim and curved door is much to my liking.


Well, I suspect this is my last post for 2010. I hope you few readers have enjoyed my pretty slack efforts. I appreciate everyone's comments and I look forward to more feedback and questions in the coming year from everybody.

To everyone, a blessed and happy New Year!

Mariners Harbor - how many times is it?

East side of Van Pelt Avenue looking north to the Terrace


View Larger MapSame view (more or less) today - much of the detail appears to have been lost to siding and painting over the decades but it still remains a beautiful house. You can see the large home in the old picture's foreground was torn down and replaced with a smaller one, probably in the 20's.


I keep coming back to Mariners Harbor because it has the greatest collection of surviving old homes (admittedly, since the rape of South Avenue in the 90's, not that many large Victorian piles, and few in perfect condition) on the North Shore. Sure, the preservationists have protected their own homes on St. Paul's and St. Mark's, but for me the real gems are the simple homes tucked away in Mariners Harbor, Stapleton and Port Richmond. These, owned by people often unable to maintain them at all, let alone to the levels demanded by the crazy landmark regulations, are in the greatest danger of being lost.


For me, these houses, some of which date to the earliest part of the 19th century, represent the real woof and warp of life during Staten Island's past. Obviously I'm a sucker for the lost manors and suburban palaces of the Golden Age's magnates, but the places where the working and middle class people lived are my greatest joys. It's much easier for me to imagine, and have some sort of historical empathy for, those families, with their worries and activities.

People like the Stokes, the Vanderbilts and the Camerons lived lives filled with servants and wielded power and wealth beyond anything I'm in regular contact with. The doctors and lawyers, the oyster captains, the clerks, the farmers and brewery workers are the people I'm most interested in. I know, was, and am related to people just like this (okay, well not any oystermen).

These are the people who lost the most with the changes wrought on Staten Island over the past fifty years. Working class neighborhoods were what were destroyed by the advent of the housing projects. The highways that would have crossed Todt and Emerson Hills were stopped but not the one that cut Concord in two. These are the people forced to deal with overcrowded roads and often poorly constructed tract housing.

So that's what interests me and motivates much of what I do here. Don't get me wrong, I do want to know what all those demolished estates looked like, but if I can find more pictures like those on display today I'll be a little bit happier.

Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

Adam, according to the Bible, is the first ever man created by God. He was father to Abel and Cain. His wife is Eve.
According to married men, Adam is the luckiest man in the world - he had no in-laws!

Here are some important facts about Adam.

Image Source 

1.) Adam is the first man created by God in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
2.) His wife, Eve, is known as Hawa in the Koran, Islam’s Holy Scripture.
3.) In the Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar, Adam was created at the Garden of Eden in 3760 BCE.
4.) Adam died in 2830 BCE based on the Hebrew calendar at the aged of 930 years.
5.) Only th... From: Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

Adam, according to the Bible, is the first ever man created by God. He was father to Abel and Cain. His wife is Eve.
According to married men, Adam is the luckiest man in the world - he had no in-laws!

Here are some important facts about Adam.

Image Source 

1.) Adam is the first man created by God in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
2.) His wife, Eve, is known as Hawa in the Koran, Islam’s Holy Scripture.
3.) In the Hebrew calendar or Jewish calendar, Adam was created at the Garden of Eden in 3760 BCE.
4.) Adam died in 2830 BCE based on the Hebrew calendar at the aged of 930 years.
5.) Only th... From: Interesting Facts About the First Man Created by God - Adam

A Staten Island Wedding

I was informed by Mrs. B. about the Museum of New York's photo archives when she sent me the following picture asking if I knew what church it was. I was pretty sure it was St. John's Episcopal in Rosebank. It took a little digging to decide that it absolutely was St. John's. I checked present day images of the church on its own website, looked at the old maps to see if there was a house next to the church in the past (there was; a G.S. Schofield lived there), and finally drove past the church to do one last double check. I was right.

On June 1, 1895, Miss Anne Flemming Cameron, third daughter of Sir Roderick Cameron, married Mr. Belmont Tiffany, grandson of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Rosebank, Staten Island. Following the wedding they took carriages to the bride's father's 130-acre country estate in Arrochar, "Clifton Berley".


The Bride's Arrival at St. John's Episcopal Church

A little more digging turned up the following article from the New York Times on May 17, 1895. One of the things I've learned in digging into the history of Staten Island's golden age is that the very wealthy were very well documented.







Above - The Bride's Carriage Returns - Right - The church today












The Bride's Departure


Wedding Reception Photos - presumably this is at "Clifton Berley".

Further research told me that the couple divorce and both outlived their only son, George. Belmont ended up in the papers when he was sued by widow for failing to live up to his promise to marry her. Mrs. Tiffany became a noted society decorator and decorate the Astor Estate on Bermuda. Later both ended up in the papers again when it seemed their son was arrested for drug addiction and committed to the Bloomingdale Hospital for the Insane.

New Link - The Museum of the City of New York

A new link to the right - the Museum of the City of New York. The assortment of Staten Island pictures is greatly limited but it is a nice selection of things I haven't seen before. Cool, and a generous tip of my hat to the lovely Mrs. B. for brining it to my attention.

Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Borobudur is a magnificent Buddhist temple located near Magelang in Java, Indonesia. This architectural monument is Indonesia’s single most visited tourist attraction.

Here are some interesting facts about Borobudur.

Image Source

1.) "Borobudur Temple" is locally known as Candi Borobudur and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

2.) The builder of Borobudur is unknown and so for its intended purpose. It is estimated that its construction started before 800 CE.

3.) It is further estimated that the construction of Borobudur took 75 years and was completed i... From: Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Borobudur is a magnificent Buddhist temple located near Magelang in Java, Indonesia. This architectural monument is Indonesia’s single most visited tourist attraction.

Here are some interesting facts about Borobudur.

Image Source

1.) "Borobudur Temple" is locally known as Candi Borobudur and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

2.) The builder of Borobudur is unknown and so for its intended purpose. It is estimated that its construction started before 800 CE.

3.) It is further estimated that the construction of Borobudur took 75 years and was completed i... From: Amazing Facts About Indonesia's Architectural Pride - the Borobudur

Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is one of the most impressive buildings in the world. It is the iconic symbol of Cambodia and its most popular tourist attraction.

Here are some notable facts about the Angkor Wat.

Image Source

1.) Angkor Wat, which is located in Angkor, Cambodia, was built in the 12th century for King Suryavarman II as his state temple and capital city.
2.) Angkor Wat is the best-preserved temple at the site and the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation.
3.) This iconic symbol, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is embedded on Cambodia&rsqu... From: Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is one of the most impressive buildings in the world. It is the iconic symbol of Cambodia and its most popular tourist attraction.

Here are some notable facts about the Angkor Wat.

Image Source

1.) Angkor Wat, which is located in Angkor, Cambodia, was built in the 12th century for King Suryavarman II as his state temple and capital city.
2.) Angkor Wat is the best-preserved temple at the site and the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation.
3.) This iconic symbol, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is embedded on Cambodia&rsqu... From: Interesting Facts About the World's Largest Religious Building - the Angkor Wat

17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

The Colosseum, which was originally named Flavian Amphitheater, is the most impressive building of the Roman Empire and the largest building of the era. It is also considered as the greatest work of Roman architecture and engineering.

Here are some interesting facts about the Colosseum.

Image Source
1.) The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian, founder of the Flavian dynasty, for Titus, his successor.
2.) Colosseum is an elliptical building measuring 189 meters long and 156 meters wide with a base area of 24,000 m² with a height of more than 48 meter.
3.) It has about 80 ent... From: 17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

The Colosseum, which was originally named Flavian Amphitheater, is the most impressive building of the Roman Empire and the largest building of the era. It is also considered as the greatest work of Roman architecture and engineering.

Here are some interesting facts about the Colosseum.

Image Source
1.) The Colosseum was built by Emperor Vespasian, founder of the Flavian dynasty, for Titus, his successor.
2.) Colosseum is an elliptical building measuring 189 meters long and 156 meters wide with a base area of 24,000 m² with a height of more than 48 meter.
3.) It has about 80 ent... From: 17 Interesting Facts About the Colosseum

World’s Tallest Animals Two | Scienceray

World’s Tallest Animals Two | Scienceray

Shire Horse – 6.9 Ft Tall

Image Source

The Shire Horse is one of the tallest breeds of horse. It holds the record for the largest over-all horse and the tallest horse in the world.  A Stallion can attain a height of 178 cm or 6.3 ft tall or more. The all-time tallest horse on record is a Shire named Mammoth. It stands 218 cm high or 6.9 ft tall. A Shire named Goliath was the Guinness World Records record holder for the tallest horse in the world. It died in 2001 with a height of 193 cm or 6.3 ft tall.

Read more...

World’s Tallest Animals Two | Scienceray

World’s Tallest Animals Two | Scienceray

Shire Horse – 6.9 Ft Tall

Image Source

The Shire Horse is one of the tallest breeds of horse. It holds the record for the largest over-all horse and the tallest horse in the world.  A Stallion can attain a height of 178 cm or 6.3 ft tall or more. The all-time tallest horse on record is a Shire named Mammoth. It stands 218 cm high or 6.9 ft tall. A Shire named Goliath was the Guinness World Records record holder for the tallest horse in the world. It died in 2001 with a height of 193 cm or 6.3 ft tall.

Read more...

Anson Phelps Stokes' Mansion

1928 - The Stokes Mansion two years prior to its demolition. A close look reveals a collapsing roof on the sun room in on the center first floor. There's a general look of abandoment to the place.


One of the most elaborate appearing mansions from Staten Island's Golden Age was that of Anson Phelps Stokes. It occupied part of the hillside land between Hamilton Avenue and St. Mark's Place and looked out over the harbor and New Jersey.

With architects, merchant bankers, Episcopal priest and whatnot in their family tree it would be interesting to see where the heirs of this once prominent family have ended up.

The family was clearly very devout, with Anson's grandfather helping to found the
London Missionary Society. Anson Stokes actively supported the American Bible Society, the American Tract Society and the American Peace Society. His son, Anson II, became an Episcopal priest and resident canon at the National Cathedral. His grandson, Anson III, also became an Episcopal priest and eventually the bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Caroline Phelps Stokes, one of Anson's sisters, left her estate to the form the Phelps Stokes Fund in order to help improve the housing and education of minorities. Later his other sister, Olivia, used the fund to specifically aid "Negro education". Nowhere on its website does it do more than acknowledge that it was founded by a bequest of Anson's sister Caroline. Her brother Anson and his son the Rev. Anson P. Stokes were both initial trustees of the fund. I wonder if any members of the family have anything to do with the fund at all anymore.



1928 - Same house different vantage point





1874 - The Stokes Mansion and Estate - The heyday of the Island's great estates. To the west is Ladislao de Escoriaza's estate and to
the east that of J.C Green, esq.




1917 - De Escoriza's and Green's mansions are gone, the latter replaced by Curtis High School.





2010 - The only reminder of the Stokes estate is Phelps Place.






1928 - Gate and gatehouse to the Stokes Estate - northside of Hamilton Avenue between Phelps and Egmont



1928 - Gate and gatehouse to the Stokes Estate - northside of Hamilton Avenue looking west from Egmont Place

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils Two | Gomestic

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils Two | Gomestic

Here’s an additional list of unique dining or kitchen utensils.

Caddy Spoon

Image Source

This could be mistaken for a flower vase or a sort of wall décor. This unusual-looking utensil is called Caddy Spoon. This spoon is used for measuring leaves of tea. Caddy Spoons are traditionally made of silver and they were particularly popular during the 19th century when tea was still an expensive commodity item.

Read more...

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils Two | Gomestic

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils Two | Gomestic

Here’s an additional list of unique dining or kitchen utensils.

Caddy Spoon

Image Source

This could be mistaken for a flower vase or a sort of wall décor. This unusual-looking utensil is called Caddy Spoon. This spoon is used for measuring leaves of tea. Caddy Spoons are traditionally made of silver and they were particularly popular during the 19th century when tea was still an expensive commodity item.

Read more...

Top Six Tallest Animals in The World | Scienceray

Top Six Tallest Animals in The World | Scienceray

Here’s a list of the world’s tallest animals.

1.) Giraffe – 20 Ft Tall

Image Source

Undoubtedly, Giraffes are the tallest of all land-living creatures on Earth. This well-known African mammal is also the largest ruminant.

Read more...

Top Six Tallest Animals in The World | Scienceray

Top Six Tallest Animals in The World | Scienceray

Here’s a list of the world’s tallest animals.

1.) Giraffe – 20 Ft Tall

Image Source

Undoubtedly, Giraffes are the tallest of all land-living creatures on Earth. This well-known African mammal is also the largest ruminant.

Read more...

50 Interesting Things About Charice Pempengco: A Little Big Star

50 Interesting Things About Charice Pempengco: A Little Big Star

One of the hottest and most popular Filipino singer in the world – the pride of the Malay race Miss Charice Pempengco.

Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, more popularly known asCharice Pempengco, was born on May 10, 1993 in Laguna, Philippines.

Image Source

1.      In 2005, this Filipina singer initially became popular when she won 3^rd place in a singing contest in a local TV station known as“Little Big Star” which is loosely patterned after the “American Idol”.

2.      She rose to popularity through her uploaded videos on YouTube and dubbed by Oprah Einfrey as the “Most Talented Girl in the World”.

3.      Charice Pempengco is the first solo Asian artist in history to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart. Her self-titled international debut album with Reprise Records was released on May 11, 2010.

4.      From singing to acting, Charice has appeared on the popular TV series Glee where she plays a recurring character named Sunshine Corazon.

5.      At age seven, Charice started joining amateur singing contests on town fiestas and on TV to help support the family.

Read more...

50 Interesting Things About Charice Pempengco: A Little Big Star

50 Interesting Things About Charice Pempengco: A Little Big Star

One of the hottest and most popular Filipino singer in the world – the pride of the Malay race Miss Charice Pempengco.

Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, more popularly known asCharice Pempengco, was born on May 10, 1993 in Laguna, Philippines.

Image Source

1.      In 2005, this Filipina singer initially became popular when she won 3^rd place in a singing contest in a local TV station known as“Little Big Star” which is loosely patterned after the “American Idol”.

2.      She rose to popularity through her uploaded videos on YouTube and dubbed by Oprah Einfrey as the “Most Talented Girl in the World”.

3.      Charice Pempengco is the first solo Asian artist in history to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart. Her self-titled international debut album with Reprise Records was released on May 11, 2010.

4.      From singing to acting, Charice has appeared on the popular TV series Glee where she plays a recurring character named Sunshine Corazon.

5.      At age seven, Charice started joining amateur singing contests on town fiestas and on TV to help support the family.

Read more...

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils | Gomestic

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils | Gomestic

Have you ever used these utensils before? Scroll down and check it out!

Spoon, fork and knife are the usual eating utensils we used everyday. Here’s a list of unique utensils you don’t usually see or used everyday.

Slotted Spoon

Image Source

One of the most peculiar utensils is the intricately designed Slotted Spoon. This implement is used in food preparation. This utensil let liquid pass through while preserving the larger solids on top.

Read more...

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils | Gomestic

Unique Forks, Knives, Spoons and Other Utensils | Gomestic

Have you ever used these utensils before? Scroll down and check it out!

Spoon, fork and knife are the usual eating utensils we used everyday. Here’s a list of unique utensils you don’t usually see or used everyday.

Slotted Spoon

Image Source

One of the most peculiar utensils is the intricately designed Slotted Spoon. This implement is used in food preparation. This utensil let liquid pass through while preserving the larger solids on top.

Read more...

Unique Tourist Attractions in The Philippines | Trifter

Unique Tourist Attractions in The Philippines | Trifter

Here’s a list of some of the most popular and peculiar tourist destinations in the Philippines – my beloved motherland.

Come to the beautiful archipelago called Philippines – the Pearl of the Orient and see some of the most unique and wonderful tourist destinations in the country.

Calawit Wildlife Sanctuary – Palawan

 

You might have thought this is Safari Jungle in Africa.

Calawit Wildlife Santuary is a unique tourist destination located in the Calawit Island which lies in the northwestern coast of Palawan. It was declared a game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in 1977 in response to IUCN or the International Union of Conservation of Nature appeal to save the endangered animals of Africa.

Read more...

Unique Tourist Attractions in The Philippines | Trifter

Unique Tourist Attractions in The Philippines | Trifter

Here’s a list of some of the most popular and peculiar tourist destinations in the Philippines – my beloved motherland.

Come to the beautiful archipelago called Philippines – the Pearl of the Orient and see some of the most unique and wonderful tourist destinations in the country.

Calawit Wildlife Sanctuary – Palawan

 

You might have thought this is Safari Jungle in Africa.

Calawit Wildlife Santuary is a unique tourist destination located in the Calawit Island which lies in the northwestern coast of Palawan. It was declared a game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in 1977 in response to IUCN or the International Union of Conservation of Nature appeal to save the endangered animals of Africa.

Read more...

Remarkably Unique and Amazing Animals That Can Walk on Water | Scienceray

Remarkably Unique and Amazing Animals That Can Walk on Water | Scienceray

Here’s a list of known animals that can walk on water.

Growing up as a Christian, I have learned that Jesus walked on water and I have never known that there are also some few animals that can perform such amazing thing.

1.) Water Striders (Gerridae)

Image Source

There are about 500 known species of Water Striders. These creatures are known to walk on water. They can stand effortlessly on water due to their non-wetting legs which are covered by large numbers of oriented tiny hairs. These animals that can walk on water are also known as Water Skaters, Water Skimmers and Jesus Bugs.

Read more...

Remarkably Unique and Amazing Animals That Can Walk on Water | Scienceray

Remarkably Unique and Amazing Animals That Can Walk on Water | Scienceray

Here’s a list of known animals that can walk on water.

Growing up as a Christian, I have learned that Jesus walked on water and I have never known that there are also some few animals that can perform such amazing thing.

1.) Water Striders (Gerridae)

Image Source

There are about 500 known species of Water Striders. These creatures are known to walk on water. They can stand effortlessly on water due to their non-wetting legs which are covered by large numbers of oriented tiny hairs. These animals that can walk on water are also known as Water Skaters, Water Skimmers and Jesus Bugs.

Read more...