Van Nest Historical Walking Tour 

Van Nest Historical Walking Tour 

By Robert Press

About two dozen history buffs came out to take a tour of Historic Van Nest with Rich Vitacco of the East Bronx History Forum led the tour that began at the old telegraph tower that still stands next to the East 180th Street Subway station. Van Nest Neighborhood Association President Bernadette Ferrara would hold up a book with photos of what the spot the tour would stop looked like about one-hundred years ago. The photos will speak for themselves.

 

The Telegraph Tower where the tour began is used now to hold cell phone boosters.

 

Photos of the original New York, Westchester, and Boston Railroad Administration Building, now the East 180th Street #2 and # 5 subway station where this photo was taken inside of.

 

The Telegraph Tower can be seen from a long distance as the Transit Police building is on what use to be the Astor Mansion property before the city took over the land.

 

Carl Paul Jeenewein Place is named after the famous artist who lived in Van Nest.

 

This stop is where the famous artist lived 538 Van Nest Avenue.

 

A photo of the Morris Park Race Track which was in the Van Nest area.

 

The home of Stokely Carmichael, one of the organizers of the Civil Rights Movement. The House still stands in Van Nest below.

 

Above – St. Dominick’s Church when it was built.
Below – St. Dominick’s Church today.

 

The tour would stop at the firehouse on White Plains Road, and finish in Little Yemen at the Bronx Muslim Center.
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