The building directly across the street from the library had a crack in it so large that a person on the inside could stick their arm into it. The New York Post had a photo of this, with a story saying that the building was unstable. I used to go to that library often and, after reading that story, I carefully eyeballed that building every time I went, trying to be sure that it would remain standing for as long as I needed to be in the library.
Stan Sherr
03-Jan-2014 16:23
I lived on 178th st between Ryer and Anthony Aves for 22 years, 1947 through 1969. Echo Park was right across the street At times I would walk over to this library , remember studying here as a student at CCNY. I want to tell you, if you dont know, that the author, Doctorow, who wrote Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, World's Fair, and The Book of Daniel, lived on Eastburn Ave around 175th st. In fact he uses the area as settings in some of his novels, like The Book Of Daniel. The "guest" above mentions "cracks " in the buildings. I recall that one of the buildings just north of Lebanon Hospital had to have a huge brace adhered to its facade to prevent it from collapsing.
Guest
11-Jan-2009 02:08
The Public Library at 155 East 173rd Street between Morris Avenue and Selwyn Avenue.
I was at the opening of this library and Robert Wagner was the mayor at that time. Prior to the building being build, there was an old private home and below grade/street level.
It used to be damp and wet when we tried to get our "Spalding Balls" from playing stick ball on Selwyn. FYI, there is a small underground stream which flows from 174th street (under Selwyn Avevnue/the library and continues toward Morris Avenue and Taft High School. at one time you could see cracks in various building due to the shifting of the ground because of this water system (I believe). I recall cracks seen on the outside walls of 1685 Selwyn Avenue, Bronx Lebanon and even Taft high school. The apartment building across from Taft on Morris also had a swampy area when I was a kid. Futher, prior to "The Capri" being build (south west corner of Selwyn) there used to be a big open lot and rocks leading to the Grand Concourse. Geologists from colleges used to bring students to see the rock formations in this lot and the open lot at 174th and Walton Avenue (north east corner).
