WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 27, 2022 29
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
The spire of St. Matthias Church, opened in 1909. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Alt 55 Victor
transformed into one of the fi rst motion
picture theaters in the area.
Finally, on March 22, 1913, the
Kreuscher family exited the hotel
business. Rosy Kreuscher sold the
hotel to Martin Kramer and Martin
Seubert, who then resold it to the
Queens Labor Lyceum Association.
To build up a trade, the Queens Labor
Lyceum featured three Sunday dinners
at the price of $1.
The nearby Welz and Zerwick
Brewery supplied the beer served to
patrons at the lyceum.
Prohibition, which was enacted on
Jan. 16, 1920, brought business crashing
to a halt. On June 13, 1921, the site
and operated for many years thereafter
as a dance hall and speakeasy.
Following Prohibition, the site was
turned into a row of stores. Though a
March 1966 fi re nearly destroyed all
the businesses, they were rebuilt —
and remain in use today for commerce.
Reprinted and updated from the Sept.
15 and 22, 1983 Ridgewood Times.
Small storefronts on the site of what was once Kreuscher’s Hotel. Photo via PropertyShark/Christopher Bride
/WWW.QNS.COM
