Architect John Hauser designed a row of sophisticated, brownstone fronted homes along West 98th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue for William H. Picken in 1896. Completed the following year, the three-story-and-basement residences exuded affluence.
Picken sold 314 West 98th Street to Alfred Watts Kiddle and his wife, the former Florence Isabel Dunham. Each floor of the house was clearly defined by a molded cornice and the openings were separated by decorated pilasters. Expert stone carvers had executed elaborate Renaissance designs in the spandrels.
Born in 1865, Kiddle graduated college with a degree in engineering. Within a year, however, he discovered his passion was law. He entered the Law School of Columbia College, graduating on May 25, 1887. He and Florence were married on October 18, 1893, and the couple would have two children, Marshall F. and Elizabeth, known as Bessie.
Florence was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her great-grandfather, Chauncey Lewis, had fought at Valley Forge, witnessed the execution of John André, and was present at the British surrender at Yorktown.
Alfred Watts Kiddle, New York's Prominent and Progressive Men, 1900 (copyright expired)
By the time the family moved into 314 West 98th Street, Kiddle was a partner in the law firm of Redding & Kiddle. His engineering background enabled him to focus on patent and corporation law, in which, according to New York's Prominent and Progressive Men in 1900, "he has gained his chief reputation, and has become known as an authority." The article added that his knowledge "of chemistry, electricity, and applied mechanics, has materially aided him in the practice of his profession."
Among Kiddle's most celebrated clients was Thomas Alva Edison. As the patent attorney for the Edison Electric Light Co., he worked closely with Edison on acquiring patents for his latest inventions.
Kiddle's work was not solely with patents. He was, for instance, the corporate attorney for the Brooklyn Baseball Club (later the Brooklyn Dodgers). On January 13, 1898, The New York Times reported, "The Directors of the Brooklyn Baseball Club met in the office of Alfred W. Kiddle, in the Potter Building, yesterday afternoon, and elected Charles H. Ebbets, President of the club, to fill the unexpired term of Charles H. Byrne."
In the meantime, Florence kept herself busy with social matters. On March 21, 1909, The New York Times reported, "Mrs. Alfred Watts Kiddle of 314 West Ninety-eighth Street was informally at home on Friday afternoon. Cards are out for a large affair on Friday on this week, at which Miss Kiddle will receive with her mother."
In April 1912, police received a call from Florence, who said that "several hundreds of dollars worth of her jewelry and silverware had disappeared," according to The Sun. When Detectives Donnelley and Quinn got there, street patrolmen were already searching the rooms, since Florence felt the burglar might still be in the house. There was no burglar, but Florence was able to make an inventory of 25 pieces of missing silver valued at $500 (more than $16,000 by 2024 terms).
The following day the detectives returned and interviewed the two servants who lived in the house. Detective Donnelley told The Sun, "From one of the girls I learned that she thought she had carelessly left the basement door open on the evening of the robbery. I could find no other means of entrance, there being no jimmy marks on the doors or scuttle." The detectives scoured the pawn shops, leaving an inventory of the silver at each one. No trace of the Kidddles' stolen goods could be found.
Then, a few days later, Florence was going through Marshall's dresser and discovered her missing silverware. Alfred telephoned Detective Donnelly to explain. "His son Marshall, 10 years old, had hidden the property in his dresser, playing burglar," reported The Sun. The journalist visited the Kiddle house on April 6. Florence told him, "her sons loves excitement and enjoys a joke." The journalist added, "She discussed the matter with him and applied household remedies with precision."
Florence Kiddle received a scare on the night of November 30, 1913. She and two female friends were returning from a party and her chauffeur entered the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and 74th Street. The automobile was violently struck by the car of 22-year-old millionaire Hermann Oelrichs, Jr. The New York Times reported that the wheels of the Kiddle vehicle were "smashed" and it was thrown on to the sidewalk. Happily, despite the serious damage to the Kiddles' touring car, the women "were badly shaken up, but not seriously hurt." The article said, "Mr. Oelrichs...got out of his car and gave his card to Mrs. Kiddle and expressed his regrets. He offered to do anything Mrs. Kiddle wanted done, but she decided to go home."
As with all socially prominent families, the press followed the movements of the Kiddles. On July 22, 1919, for instance, The Sun reported, "Alfred W. Kiddle and family are summering in the Adirondacks, where Mr. Kiddle is hunting the elusive trout."
Alfred Watts Kiddle suffered a fatal heart attack in the house on January 8, 1935 at the age of 69. In reporting his death, The New York Times mentioned, "For a number of years he was associated with the late Thomas A. Edison, for whom he handled a number of patents," adding, "Mr. Kiddle's association with inventors led him to become affiliated with many engineering organizations."
In 1941 the house was unoccupied and the parlor floor boarded up. image via the NYC Dept of Records & Information Services
It is unclear how long Florence and Bessie (who was still unmarried) remained at 314 West 98th Street, but by 1946 it was home to Julius Goldstein. He lived here at least through 1948.
A renovation completed in 1960 resulted in two apartments in the basement, one on the parlor floor, and two each on the upper floors.
One of the apartments was home to 31-year-old James Torello in 1979. He was arrested in May that year with two other men for running a gambling operation on West 45th Street. After being convicted and fined, the trio was arrested again on July 24 at 1133 Broadway for booking bets. The New York Times reported, "Police Officer John Holder, who took part in last night's raid, said gambling records kept by the men revealed a gross of $1 million a day."
photographs by the author
LaptrinhX.com has no authorization to reuse the content of this blog
No comments:
Post a Comment