14 MARCH 12, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Bar stories across the street, and across the tracks, in Glendale
BY THE OLD TIMER
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD: THE WAY IT WAS
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Long ago, on the southeast corner
of 73rd Street and Edsall
Avenue in Glendale, stood
a historic tavern that was operated
for many years by the Gundolff
Family.
George Gundolff was born in
France and came to America in
1887, at the age of 27. Soon after his
arrival in America, he got married
and settled in Glendale.
We believe that he purchased
several lots on the southeast corner
of Railroad Avenue (later Edsall
Avenue) and Wyckoff Avenue (present
day 73rd Street) from William
Johnson. Following the sale, he had
a 2 ½-story wooden frame building
erected.
He opened a florist shop catering
to the Lutheran (present-day All
Faiths) Cemetery trade, which used
the rear entrance at this location. He
had his greenhouse in the rear on
73rd Street.
Across the street on the southwest
corner of present-day Edsall Avenue
and 73rd Street was the saloon of
Christian Kirschmann. On the north
side of the railroad, just to the east of
the entrance to Lutheran Cemetery,
was the florist shop of Philip Knack.
He had his greenhouses located adjacent
to his shop.
In 1882, Kirschmann — who came
to America from Germany in 1864
at the age of 22 — had signed a fiveyear
lease with Philip Kern at $360
per year for a building in which he
intended to operate a saloon. It was
on the south side of Metropolitan Avenue,
just to the west of the terminal
of the elevated train there; this is the
present-day Metropolitan Avenue-
Middle Village subway station.
In 1885, Kirschmann decided
that he would acquire property at
the rear entrance to Lutheran Cemetery
in Glendale, and have a building
erected there for a saloon. On
Sept. 28 of that year, he purchased
a 25-foot-wide lot from John King
for $400. That lot was fronted on
Railroad Avenue and was adjacent
to the southwest corner of Wyckoff
Avenue and Washington Avenue
(present-day 72nd Street).
A few days later, on Oct. 3, he purchased
the corner lot, also 25 feet
wide, from Angeline Lilly for $600.
He then hired a builder to construct
a 2 ½-story wooden frame building
which was ready the following year.
There he opened a saloon and hotel
on the premises.
On Oct. 14, 1892, John Siney sold to
George and Karolina Gundolff two
lots measuring together about 50
This 1900 photo shows the Kirschmann’s Tavern (left) and Gundolff Tavern (right) at the corner of what’s
presently known as Edsall Avenue and 73rd Street in Glendale.
Ridgewood Times archives/Courtesy of Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
This 1927 photo shows the fl orist and home on the northern side of the Long Island Rail Road tracks in
Glendale, off the corner of Edsall Avenue and 73rd Street.
Ridgewood Times archives/Courtesy of Greater Ridgewood Historical Society
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