Stierville Story Has Big Beginning & Tragic End Most of the communities in our neighborhood have smaller subdivisions within them—such as Liberty Park in Glendale and Winfield in Woodside—and Ridgewood is no exception. For years, people referred to the northern area of the community near the Brooklyn/Queens border as “Upper Ridgewood.” Most recently, you’ve no doubt read about happenings in “SoMA,” the new nickname for Ridgewood’s industrial area South of Myrtle Avenue. Few people, however, know about the “Stierville” section of Ridgewood. This actually is an antiquated name for the area of Ridgewood northwest of Myrtle Avenue and Fresh Pond Road where Paul Stier built hundreds of one- and two-family brick rowhouses in the early part of the 20th century that have withstood the test of time. This Old Timer was particularly intrigued in reading the news last week that the city Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a new historic district protecting many of the homes Stier constructed in Ridgewood. These grand structures—featuring curved bay windows, ornate cornices and brownstone stoops—offer a warmth rarely found in today’s modern construction. We’ve told this tale before, and considering this new development, it’s one worth repeating this week. The story of Stierville and the man behind it is quite fascinating, yet comes to a tragic and sudden conclusion. 25 • TIMES, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014 Teams of workers built the Stier homes across Ridgewood. This picture shows crews working to build streets and residences in the vicintiy of Elm Avenue (now known as Catalpa Avenue). another 144 in the immediate years ahead. In May 1909, Stier joined Ridgewood National Bank as one of the founding members of its organization committee. He joined several prominent local members of the community, including attorney Alfred Denton, who went on to become a justice of the municipal court; and Sebastian Hofmann, owner of Hofmann Hall picnic park. One year later, the bank’s president, Louis Berger, helped create Bauer and Stier Inc. to build residential housing in the area. August Bauer served as president, Stier was vice president and Berger served as secretary and treasurer. Bauer and Stier purchased part of the Wyckoff Farm and held the land for several years, while Stier continued his own business in the interim. By 1910, Stier acquired a large part of the 14.8-acre Frederick Ring Farm on the west side of Fresh Pond Road from Elm Avenue (now Catalpa Avenue) north to 68th Avenue and west to Buchman Avenue. He laid out two east-west streets through the farm: Silver Street, on which he built 38 homes; and Hughes Street, where he built 48 houses. Selling for $5,600, the twofamily brick homes were constructed by a team of carpenters who worked six days a week, 10 hours a day, for $18 per week. Next, Stier built 54 threefamily brick homes on Van Cortlandt Avenue (now 71st Avenue), which sold for $7,400 each. Two years later, Stier built another 48 two-family brick homes on Jefferson Avenue (now 68th Avenue), followed by 38 brick houses on Elm Avenue. Stier then purchased what was left of the John C. Debevoise Farm off the corner of Catalpa Avenue and Fresh Pond Road and built a number of brick homes on Foxall Street between Buchman Avenue and Fresh Pond Road, and along Edsall Avenue between Buchman avenue and Fresh Pond Road. Additional homes were constructed on Van Cortlandt Avenue. The first apartments In 1914, Bauer and Stier commenced work on developing the Wyckoff Farm, constructing 80 six-family brick houses on Gates Avenue, Palmetto Street, Woodbine Street, Madison Street, Putnam Avenue and Cornelia Street, all adjacent to Cypress Avenue. Much like the Mathews Flats, these structures were built on 27.6’ frontages three stories high, with two flats on each floor. Each flat had five rooms and a bathroom. Initially, these apartments were offered to renters at $15 per month. That same year, Bauer and Stier erected the two first fullfledged apartment houses in Queens at the corner of Cypress Avenue and Woodbine Street. Each brick structure was four -SEE OLD TIMER ON PG. 65- The main branch of the Ridgewood Savings Bank at the corner of Myrtle Avenue, Forest Avenue and Hancock Street is shown in this undated photo. Paul Stier served as one the bank’s founding members, and the institution would later financially support the construction of homes across Ridgewood under the direction of Bauer and Stier Inc. Stier, who constructed more than 750 homes in Ridgewood and Glendale, was born in Germany in 1974 and emigrated the United States at the age of 17. He first settled in upstate Buffalo, where he worked as a mason. He traveled around the state for a while, working at various construction sites, until finally settling in our neighborhood. Building up Ridgewood In 1898, he married Anna Muller, and four years later constructed his first home. By 1905, he built a row of twofamily brick houses on the east side of what was then called Yale Avenue (currently 64th Place). Three years later, he purchased land on Foxall Street (now 69th Avenue) between Forest Avenue and Buchman Avenue (now 60th Lane). He purchased additional land on Edsall Avenue (now 70th Avenue) between Anthon Avenue (now 60th Street) and Buchman Avenue. On this land, Stier constructed two-family brick homes sold for $5,600 each; buyers had to offer a $500 down payment, then paid the remaining balance over time. Each home had 11 rooms on two floors, plus two tiled bathrooms, separate furnaces in the basement and hardwood trim throughout the structure. But this was only the beginning for Stier, who built 200 homes the previous two years and had plans to build ©Times Newsweekly - 2014 - RDWPRESBXM Rev. Victoria Moss Ridgewood Presbyterian Church 59-14 70th Ave., Ridgewood, NY 11385 718-456-1075 www.ridgewoodpc.org Sunday, December 21st - 4th Sunday Of Advent Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Of Lessons And Carols at 6 p.m. Sunday, December 28th - 1st Sunday After Christmas Worship Service 10:00 a.m.
RT12182014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above