530 West 215th Street, Inwood, NYC.
530 West 215th Street at Park Terrace East
Many people, some who’ve lived in the neighborhood for years, often ask me, “What’s the deal with the beautiful bricked up building next door to the Northeast Academy School?”
Well, here’s the deal:
If the architecture looks institutional in style, it should. Built by architect James O’Connor in 1912 , the home served as the private residence of William Hurst, his wife, Minnie, and their ten children.
Minnie and William H. Hurst. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Wright who wrote into MyInwood.net: "Mr. Hurst's daughter Theresa was my Grandmother".
A noted architect, O’Connor graduated from Columbia University in 1898 where he earned the degree of Bachelor of Science in Architecture. The native New Yorker also studied in Paris at the Ecole de Beaux Arts before returning to the States to form his own architectural firm. During a later partnership with James F. Delaney, the two would design convents, schools and public housing projects including the Morrisania Housing project in the Bronx, the convent and hospital building for St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village as well as the Tuberculosis and Cancer Hospital on Roosevelt Island. Over the course of an impressive career, which spanned the first half of the Twentieth century, O’Connor found himself the recipient of numerous architectural awards for both residential and commercial projects, including best design for his work on the Grace Steamship Lines building; once located downtown.
A specialist in the design of indoor tennis courts, O’Connor would also design private residences up and down the east coast including homes in Middleburg, Virginia, Greenwich, Connecticut and of course the old brick house on 215th Street designed for William H. Hurst.
William H. Hurst. (Photo courtesy of Hurst Great-Grandson Kevin Wright)
The 100 x 120 foot lot, which sat across the street from the old Seaman Mansion, was purchased by Hurst in 1910. A wealthy man, Hurst made his fortune as as president of the Stock Quotation Telegraph Company, which supplied stock ticker equipment to financial firms. A year after purchasing the property, Hurst would serve as jury foreman in the famous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in which some 146 garment workers, mostly young girls, were killed. The lethal inferno remains the deadliest industrial accident in New York City history.
Hurst real estate transfer, New York Daily Tribune, April 15, 1910.
Like the current south-north migration, Hurst moved his large family to Inwood to escape the cramped quarters of their former West 80′s townhouse.
Mr. and Mrs. Hurst would also require extra living quarters for their servants.
View of Hurst home in 1920's as seen from traffic circle near current site of Bruce's Garden.
According to the New York Times, “The 1925 census return shows him in the house with his family, four female Irish servants and Alex Setchof, a 22-year-old Russian chauffeur. All five of the staff had been in the United States for only a year.
In 1921, a butler, James J. O’Brien, sued Hurst because he was bitten by the family poodle on the lawn while serving tea. Mr. O’Brien wanted $2,000, and said that Hurst had pressured him to settle for only $25; it is not clear how the case was resolved.”
While little has been written about the lives of the Hurst family–a writer named Robert Emmet Ireton dedicated his 1909 book, A Central Bank, to “William H. Hurst, President of the Stock Quotation Company, Treasurer of the New York News Bureau Association, Loyal Friend and Citizen…as a Token of Esteem, Regard and Respect.”
Old newspaper clippings also tell us that the family placed an advertisement in 1917 seeking the services of a private nurse. Perhaps one of their ten children suffered some chronic malady?
Hurst family seeks nurse, New York Herald December 2, 1917.
Old newspaper clippings also tell us that the Hurst family lost a daughter in 1925 and that the funeral mass was held inside Good Shepherd Church, just down the street from the family home.
Hurst loses daughter, New York Timess June 20, 1925.
The family would be rocked by another tragedy when Minnie Hurst, who had mothered ten children, died in January of 1929. Like her daughter before her, Minnie’s funeral was held at the Church of Good Shepherd. There was likely not a dry eye in the house.
Minnie Hurst obituary- The Kingston Daily Freeman, Jan 26, 1929
Hurst himself would die less than two months after his wife’ s passing.
William Hurst Obituary, NY Times, March 25, 1929
Hurst estate settled, New York Times, September 26, 1930.
After Hurst’s death in 1929, according to the New York Times, the property was sold and the brick building, with terra cotta detailing, was converted into a convent. In 1946 the grounds were expanded to create the Garrard School of the Academy of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
Sacred Heart of Mary ad, Herald Statesman, Yonkers, March 16, 1968.
A local resident who attended the school in 1964 described life there in a neighborhood forum. “The entrance way was a grand style with black and white tiles, a crystal chandelier and symmetric winding staircases to the second floor. To the left of the staircase was a sunroom which was used as a sacristy for the chapel. On the first floor there were two sitting rooms on each side of the entrance. Opening into the lager area a chapel on the right and a classroom on the left (front hall like a T shape).
Upstairs another grand entrance way with the classrooms surrounding it. All rooms with fireplaces and sunshine. Some rooms were painted light blue and some light yellow. Mantels were white. On the third floor were the nun’s quarters. One died up there so there could be a ghost. We heard rumors of terrible things that went on up there. We had quite an imagination.
In the basement were the kitchen and a room to eat. Not a full cafeteria style. There was a nun that was one of the lesser orders of the RSHM and she was called “sister”, as opposed to “Madame” which (is what we called) the teachers.
We learned and spoke French. All prayers were in French and we had to curtsey in a sweeping style bringing one leg out in a ballet motion and bow with skirt held. Meeting a nun in the hallway to curtsey was difficult when you had a full load of books in your arms.”
The school closed around 1969, and in 1974 the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists bought the old Hurst house as well as the property next door, 632 West 215th Street, for a new school, Northeastern Academy.
Unfortunately, Mr. Hurst’s former home, which had fallen into disuse, was gutted by a fire set by vandals in 1988 and has been bricked up ever since.
And…as often happens when digging through history, one often finds something unexpected.
According to 1936 newspaper advertisement, the family of William La Morte lived in a home where Northeastern Academy now stands—Their house was built in 1925 and boy did they like their carbs.
1936 ad from the Herald Statesman, Yonkers, November 18, 1936 (note the address under the family photo is 532 West 215th Street.)
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Mr. Thompson,
Do you have any further information about this home and Mr. Hurst? He is my Great Grand Father and I am trying to gather information on him, thanks.
Kevin,
Thanks for writing. I`ll see what I can dig up. We should talk sometime and compare notes. Shoot me your email address again. I tried emailing you, but it bounced back. All the best..Cole.
Great photos!
Amazing – I never knew the background before the RSHM sisters had it. By the time my sisters attended in the 1960s, the nuns were called “Mothers” – by the time I got there, they were called “Sisters” – and I graduated in 1973, so I think the school remained open before the Adventists took it, through 1974. I believe ’74 was the last graduating class.
In “grammar school”, I’d attended Gerard School circa ’64 – ’66 (before returning back to GSS) – and by that time, its classes were not in the Convent anymore, but within the high school building.
My Uncle Gene & his (large) brood used to visit us during the summers, and the nuns let him park his station wagon in the parking lot – which was a huge help. I was only inside once, and just in the parlor area, so I really have no thorough description. Does anyone know who owns this house/property now?
Curious that the address was 530 W. 215th St. The entrance was on PT East.
I attended Gerard School from 1954-1962 before moving on to the high school until 1966. The buildings had separate addresses. The Gerard School building (former Hurst residence) was 37 Park Terrace East while the high school used the 530 address. The parlors described above that were located on each side of the entrance were definitely add ons, included in renovations to the building after the RSHM bought the property. The sun room mentioned above was part of the small upstairs kitchen adjacent to the formal dining room that was most likely used by the household staff to keep food warm before being served to the family. The formal dining room was one of my favorites with built in cabinets located in the corners and very interesting paneling. There was an area on the second floor where a wall of built in wood lockers were located. I’ve long wondered if that was the living area for the household staff since it appeared there could have once been a door that would have separated it from the rest of the floor. In 2007 I had the opportunity to take a tour of the high school building. According to the administrator Northeastern Academy the smaller building was not gutted by fire as has been reported many times over the years, but suffered only minor damage from a small fire that was confined to one room. She said they have a long range plan to renovate and reopen the building for use as their administrative offices and that work had already begun on cleaning it out. I was not permitted access to that building during my tour since there is no electricity and no one is allowed inside. It’s a pity that such a beautiful building has fallen into such disrepair.
I attended Gerard Schl for Girls for grades 1-8, 1952 until 1960. I recall the building, especially the parlors, because I would visit Mother Kevin there after school to chat or for piano lessons in the library. It is still an awesome place, and I sincerely hope they will continue to refurbish the school building. I am so glad the fire didn’t cause more damage.
If there is a fund to help with the restoration, it would be a good idea to contact those that went to school there for assistance with such funding.