Inwood History

Miramar Saltwater Pool

Miramar Saltwater Pool, Inwood, New York City, thumbnail

As the dog days of summer approached, generations of children in Inwood, and around the City, looked forward to one thing only…The Miramar Saltwater Pool. Built in the 1920′s, the massive facility was located on 207th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. Photos, dating as early as 1927, show a large outdoor pool just west [...]

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Inwood: The Bar Scene of Not So Long Ago

Bars of Inwood, New York City

There was a time not so long ago when Inwood had a thriving bar scene.  Up, down and between Dyckman Street and 207th, there were some 100, mainly Irish, bars. While a few bars, The Piper’s Kilt, The Liffy, Irish Eyes, as well as a few others still remain, most disappeared as the demographics of [...]

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The Building of Modern Inwood

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During the mid to late 1800′s, Inwood was a quiet, pastoral environ with cows crossing dirt roads–in fact there were very few roads to speak of.  Perhaps the old neighborhood might be best summed up in the words of Robert Perkins, who, during the retirement ceremony for the Reverend George Shipman Payson, pastor of the [...]

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Inwood Chatter: January, 1944

Inwood Chatter, January, 1944

In this January, 1944 edition of the “Inwood Chatter,” produced by the students of P.S. 52 in Inwood, New York City, the nation remained locked in the grips of the Second World War.  It must have been a trying time for the children of Inwood as funerals of returning dead, war rations and talk of [...]

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Inwood Chatter, June, 1943

PS 52 Inwood Chatter from June, 1943

My grandmother used to have a saying: “Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do, or do without.” She had learned the expression during World War II and it stuck with her for the rest of her life. In June of 1943, the students of P.S. 52 in Inwood were learning similar expressions, or, [...]

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The Creepiest Playground in Inwood’s History

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Not long ago, a descendant of George W. Hadley contacted me.  She was working on her family tree and had seen her ancestor’s name in a post on this website.  I told her that George Hadley had been buried in an old cemetery on 212th Street east of Broadway, but that the graves had all [...]

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Science Fair: P.S. 52 in 1928

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In 1928, Inwood, as we know it, was coming into its own. With two subway trains having now reached the neighborhood, families with children flocked to the area. At the time the entire region was a blur of activity. New apartment buildings were rising almost daily both east and west of Broadway. With low rents [...]

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The Children of War: P.S. 52′s “Inwood Chatter” from January, 1943

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In January of 1943 America, Inwood and much of the globe were transfixed by the horrific battles of World War II.  That very month, as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sat down for their famous meeting, allied forces were finally able to force Japanese troops off of Guadalcanal.  The news from this far off [...]

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