Haus Biele

Haus Biele was built in the town of Hovestadt by Friedrich Karl Biele (the grand father of Caspar Biele) in 1770 originally for an agricultural business. In 1804, a distillery was established and later a Gasthaus or "guest house". The property passed through the family and remained private property through the 1990's.

After the restaurant was closed in 1995, the house was bought by the community of Lippetal. (Hovestadt is now part of Lippetal) The community used the house to lodge emigrants and asylum applicants.

A renovation of the House Biele into a community center was completed in the autumn of 2003. The citizen office of the Lippetal is now there. Bus tickets and train tickets can be bought and there and accommodations for the local societies and for the music and art. The Lippetal link is:

http://www.lippetal.de/tourismus_freizeit/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten/Rathaus.php

Present day address is : Bahnhofstrasse 15, 59510 Lippetal, Germany

For the details in German, see the Story of Haus Biele.

A book on Haus Biele including its history, its renovation, and the Biele family member that lived there was writen and published by Elisabeth Frische on 2010. Information (in German) can be found at:

http://www.felixbierhaus.de/hovestadt/html/schrift.html

and

http://www.bruecke-lippetal.de/

Still more details on Haus Biele and other historical information about Hovestadt can be found on a website created by Felix Bierhaus (in German)

http://www.felixbierhaus.de/hovestadt/html/haus_biele.html

Haus Biele from a 1893 Post Card

Haus Biele from 1913 Post Card

Haus Biele Today

Barbara Piasecka Johnson Vitrines

On October 15, 2003, Sotheby’s in Paris held an auction of items from the collection of Barbara Piasecka Johnson.  Mrs. Johnson is the widow of a founder of Johnson & Johnson and one of the wealthiest women in the world.  The items in this sale were from her Monaco home and included a pair of vitrines.  While not identified at the time as vitrines by Charles F. Biele, a subsequent auction in 2006 at Sotheby’s in New York of a similar pair of vitrines did have a tag “Charles F. Biele & Sons” and was sold with the description “An exact pair sold, Sotheby's, Paris, Collection de Madame Barbara Piasecka Johnson, October 15, 2003, lot 24”

It is not known how the vitrines came into Mrs. Johnson’s collection or the buyer at the auction.  If Mrs. Johnson, Sotheby's, or anyone else knows, I would love them to share the information. 

The description from the Sotheby’s website after the sale provides the following information:

Paire de vitrines en acier poli et bronze doré de style Directoire,

A PAIR OF STEEL VITRINES IN DIRECTOIRE STYLE

Estimate: 30,000 - 45,000 EUR

LOT SOLD. 59,125 EUR (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)

The equivalent vale at that time was $68,895.

Below are scans of relevant pages from the auction catalog:



CATALOGUE COVER



Left vitrine in dining room

Right vitrine in dining room



Vitrine as shown in catalogue

Vitrine as shown in catalogue

 

 

 

Edward Biele Obituary

This is the text from the obituary of Edward Biele:

Biele, Edward Caspar, age 95 died peacefully on November 3, 2012 following a very brief illness. Edward, a long time Seattle resident, was born on June 29, 1917 in Hackensack, NJ and grew up in Yonkers, NY. He attended Columbia College on a scholarship and later Columbia Law School. He enlisted in the naval officer program shortly after Pearl Harbor during his second year of law school. Edward often talked about his experiences in World War II as the most formative of his life – particularly his service as Lieutenant Commander of the submarine USS Sea Devil on its four patrols in the Pacific during 1944 and 1945.

 

Edward returned to New York after the war to finish school and begin practicing law. During this time, he met Mary Elizabeth Haskell of Wenatchee, WA who in 1946 became his soul mate for 61 years. In 1950, Edward and Mary relocated to Seattle for a better quality of life and as an ideal location to practice in Edward’s chosen specialty, maritime law. Edward joined law firm Bogle & Gates where he practiced and was senior partner in its Admiralty Law Practice Group until retirement in 1982. Edward was an active member in the Maritime Law Association and served for many years on its Executive Committee. Edward had a second career as an apple

farmer, which began in the mid 1970’s when his son John and he partnered to acquire and operate orchards near Oroville, WA.

 

Edward was voted “Most Resourceful” by his high school graduating class. That tribute portended the trajectory of his life. He loved to travel and to explore new cultures. He embraced new ideas and experiences. Similarly, he challenged everyone around him including his children and grandchildren to think independently and find their own paths. Edward was an avid historian and voracious reader. He had a keen intellect and encyclopedic knowledge of almost any topic.

 

Edward was a benevolent patriarch whose love of his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren was of paramount importance. He is survived by his three children, John Edward Biele of Oroville, Alexander Thomson Biele of Dallas and Mary Elizabeth (Polly) Lenssen of Seattle, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  The family plans a private memorial service. The family requests remembrances be made to: Children’s Hospital Foundation, PO Box 50020, Seattle, WA, 98145 for use by Clinical Nutrition in research or a charity of choice.

Edward C. Biele Jr. 1917-2012

On November 3, 2012, Edward Casper Biele Jr. passed away.  He was 95 years old and the last Biele of his generation in my family branch.  Edward was born on June 29, 1917 in Hackensack, NJ to Edward (Eduard) Casper Biele and Edith Lankenau.

I first met Edward via email just over 14 years ago.  I had sent out a note to a number of “Biele” email addresses I had found in internet directories looking for “lost” family members and he was the first to respond.  The text of his email response from November 1, 1998 is as follows:

I am indeed one of Bieles you seek.  My grandfather was Charles F. Biele who was in the business of making showcases in New York City.  The family business was Charles F. Biele & Sons, Inc. My father Edward and his brother Carl (your great grandfather) took over the business but it got away from them in the 1930s. During the Vietnam War I spent much time in Washington negotiating with the Navy on behalf of a client. Several times during my time in Washington I visited your grandfather (my cousin) who was retired from the Navy and living Silver Springs, MD

I graduated from Columbia College in 1939 and Columbia Law School after World War II although my original class was 1942. From 1950 to 1983 I practiced admiralty law in Seattle after a couple of years at it in New York. I did teach admiralty law at the University of Washington Law School after my retirement from active practice.  My two sons went to Columbia College and my daughter went to Vassar. My wife  graduated from the University Of Michigan.

Purely by coincidence, last month I was in New York and visited my cousin Alma Stucker, the daughter Frieda (Fredricke) Biele Helbing, my father's sister.  She showed me a family history started by my aunt Alma Biele Leber, my father's other sister.

 

Edward and I only met once, but for 14 years we kept in regular contact via email sharing information about the Biele family.  Every time I would find some new information about the family or the former showcase business, I would send it his way and he would usually follow up with a story from his memory that never seemed to fade.

More to come….    

33-37 and 39 Bethune Street

The last business location of Charles F. Biele and Sons was 33-37 and 39 Bethune Street in the West Village area of lower Manhattan. The business moved there in 1926 after a fire at its prior location at 379-381 West 12th Street. 

33-37 Bethune, a large commercial building, housed the operations and 39 Bethune, an adjoining townhouse, housed the offices.

In 1940, New York City took a picture of every building in the city for tax purposes.  The photo below is the 1940 tax photo of 33-37 Bethune.  The building is on the south side of the street and the angle is to the west. 39 Bethune is just to the west.  On the east wall of the sixth floor, an "E" from the Biele logo is visible.

The photo below is 1940 tax photo for 39 Bethune.  On the door, the round Biele logo is barely visible.  Hanging between the two buildings, just above the two men walking, is a sign with the Biele logo.
 

The photo below is from 1932 and is also looking southwest down Bethune.  It was taken from the corner of Greenwich.  The Biele logo on the sixth floor of 33-37 Bethune is clearly visible.

This photo, also from 1932, taken from the corner of Washington, looking southeast up Bethune. A rectangular "Charles F. Biele & Sons Co." is on the west side of the sixth floor and "Biele" is also on the water tower on the roof.  I remember my grandmother stating that you could see the sign on the water tower while traveling over from New Jersey. 

 

33-37 Bethune later housed a business known as Pickwick Papers and was finally converted into residential lofts called Pickwick House.  The address is now 35 Bethune Street.

Recent photo of 25 Bethune

Doorway at 35 Bethune

In a recent listing, Pickwick House is described as "Built in 1886, this 6 story, brick, loft building in historic Greenwich Village, once used as a factory, resides on a a lot measuring 66ft x 100ft. Gustavus Isaacs was the original owner, as well as the architect and builder. Converted to a condominium in 1983, the building known as Pickwick House is comprised of 24 units which over time has been reduced to 22 residences due to a couple unit combinations." 

Another listing says "The historic Pickwick House Condominium at 35 Bethune Street is an intimate six-story converted loft factory building with a stately red brick façade, ideally situated on a quiet, tree-lined block between Washington and Greenwich Streets. Originally constructed in 1886 by Gustavus Isaacs, the address was formerly home to Charles F. Biele & Sons Co. and the Pickwick Paper Company. 35 Bethune is now one of the few residential prewar condominium properties in the Far West Village with only 22 residences and an elevator. The lobby is adorned with vintage black & white photography of New York City, a chandelier, and a beamed ceiling signature to many of the residences. Abingdon Square, Bleecker Playground, the Hudson River Greenway and Whitney Museum of American Art are moments away."  

39 Bethune is now a residential townhouse.  On Zillow it is listed as built in 1889 and is 750 square feet in size.  It sold in 1995 for $4M and is currently valued at $2.5M. 

Recent photo of 39 Bethune

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/39-Bethune-St-New-York-NY-10014/31501639_zpid/

39 Bethune was also the fictional residence of the villainess in the best selling fictional novel "The Angel of Darkness" by Caleb Carr.

More information on Charles F. Biele and Sons can be found at:

http://www.biele.org/charles-f-biele-and-sons.html

A New World Record!

We have a new world record for the most distant record of a Biele showcase.  A recent email from Elsie in South Africa shared the following information:

“I am currently in possession of a glass and oak showcase, produced by the company of Charles F Biele, with the original engraved brass plate on the front and the name of the company painted on the bottom of the showcase.

This display cabinet was used by my grandfather in his general dealer shop in Calvinia, Northern Cape, South Africa. The cabinet most probably arrived in Cape Town by steamship and was via railway to Calvinia.

The cabinet has been in use in a shop until 1990, and after that has been in my home. It will now be sold to once again be used as a shop display cabinet in the little town of Stanford in the south western Cape.”

And he shared the following photo:

And here is where Calvinia is located:

1940 Census - Eduard (Edward) Biele

At the time of the 1940 census Eduard (Edward) Biele was living at 25 Cliff Avenue in Yonkers, New York.  Living with Edward (53) are his wife Edith (50), son Edward Jr. (22), daughter Adele (21).  There were also four boarders at the house.  Two of the boarders had lived there since 1935.  The home was owned with an estimated value of $10,500 at the time.

Regarding employment, Edward is listed as a laborer on a WPA streets project and had been out of regular work for 60 weeks.  Edward Jr. is also listed as seeking work as a “new worker”.  Adele is listed as a secretary for an “advertising concern”.  With the start of WWII, Edward Jr. would serve with distinction as a submarine officer in the Pacific and Adele was awarded the Legion of Honor for her work in military intelligence in the Army.  Edward died in 1946.

1940 Census - Carl F. Biele

The 1940 US session was released this summer after the mandatory 72 year delay.  I am making my way through the information and will be posting various Biele items of interest.

First up is Carl F. Biele who according to the census was living at 315 Cumberland Road in South Orange, NJ.  Living with Carl (62) are his wife Theresa (59), son Eugene (28), daughter Helen (27), and son Bernard (22).  His eldest son, Charles E. Biele (35) had moved out many years earlier and during the 1940 census was living with his wife and two children in nearby East Orange, NJ.

Regarding employment, Carl is listed as “President” in the “Tools” industry and Eugene is listed as “Owner” in the “Radio” industry.  Theresa is noted as engaged in housework, Bernard as a student, and Helen as “other”.

Carl was renting the home at 315 Cumberland for $60 per month.  According to Zillow, the house is 5,431 square feet and sits on a half acre of land.  It was built in 1905 and today has an estimated value of $665K.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/315-Cumberland-Rd-South-Orange-NJ-07079/38734063_zpid/

Happy 4th! - Biele Naturalizations

What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than to highlight the Biele naturalization records?

I have more extensive records, but thought I would just share a few of the cards:

Alex Biele (not sure of his Biele branch)

Bertha Mayer Biele (not sure of the branch and she went back, presumably to Germany)

Casper Biele (my branch)

Charles Biele (not my branch)

Emil Biele (son of Casper)

Ewald Biele (son of Casper)

Frank Biele (Italian branch)

Frederick Biele (from Germany, not my branch, one of the first Bieles in the US)

Jennie Rose Biele (Italian branch)

Biele House at 544 East 164th (later 310 E 164th) and the corner of College

From around 1895 to 1915, the family of Charles F. Biele lived at 310 East 164th Street in the Bronx. The house faced 164th Street and on the right side College Avenue. The house number was originally 544 E. 164th Street and sometime between 1905 and 1910 it changed to 310 E. 164th.

 The date the house was built is unknown.  The house next door at 312 East 164^th Street is listed online as built in 1901.

The first NYC directory listing is 1895. 

1900 Census – 544 164^th – Charles F Biele (46), Fredericke (43), Charles (22), Alma (15), Edward (13), Frida (9)

1910 Census – 310 164^th -  Charles F. Biele (56), Fredericke (54), Edward (23), Frieda (20)

The last NYC directory to list a Biele at this address is 1915. 

By the 1920 Census the Bieles had moved elsewhere

This notice from the NY Times on Aug 1 1895 repots the construction of a stable on College Avenue south of 164^th by Charles F. Biele.

The date of this photograph is unknown, though the address is 554, so presumably before 1910.  Note there is no stone wall around the property as in later photos.

The date of this photo is unknown.  There is now a stone wall.

The following is written on the back of the photo:

“Home of

Mr and Mrs Charles F Biele

544 now 310 E. 164 St – Bronx N.Y City
Corner of College Ave”

There is also a picture taken around the same time of the side of the house and the stables:

The following is written on the back of the photo:

“Home of Mr and Mrs Charles F Biele

544 now 310 E164 St Bronx NY City
Rear view of house and barn”

During 1940, the city government pictures of all buildings to appraise real property for taxation purposes. Here is the photo for 310 East 164^th.  Note there are power lines in the photo.

Today there is no trace of the original structures and they have been replaced by a brick apartment building that was built in 1997.

This is the overhead view (the Biele house and stable were on the corner that the large grey roofed building now occupies)

 And this is the street view

 

The property is just 8 blocks from Yankee Stadium (less than a mile) which first opened in 1923.

The runaway horse carriage

I recently found another article from 1907 that tells the story of Charles F. Biele out for a Sunday ride in Central Park.

New York Sun - September 9, 1907.

Here is a more detailed article and colorful version from a previously found article in the New York Times.

1895 Suicide of Charles F. Biele’s Father-in-Law

An August 30, 1895 article in the NY Herald provides the details of the suicide of Charles F. Biele's father-in-law, Albert Eaglau. Image of the article is below.

Albert was the second husband of Charles' mother Caroline Stellwagen Prediger. A family history record spells the last name as Eglau. There are also listings in the NYC directories for Albert Eglau and none for Albert Eaglau.

Charles F. Biele work at Dunbarton Oaks

 

My latest find is related to work done by Charles F. Biele and Sons at Dunbarton Oaks in Washington DC.  A former estate in the Georgetown area that is now a institute and research center administered by Harvard.



 In the archives, under the section Thomas T. Waterman Architectural Plans and Drawings, there is a listing for Charles F. Biele and Sons as one of the contractors that worked on the architectural plans for the 1938–1939 Plans for Byzantine Collection Wing from 1938 to 1939.

The listing is:

Charles F. Biele & Sons
39 Bethune St.
New York, N.Y.

Under the listings of plans, there are four items related to show cases that are likely related to the work of  Charles F Biele and Sons:

Details of Display Cases New Museum Wing, [bp], 2/18/1939 (initialed T.W.);

Details of Display Cases New Museum Wing, [bp], 2/18/1939, 3/1/1939 (initialed T.W.);

Details of Exhibition Cases, [bp], 4/24/1939 (initialed T.W.);

Bronze & Glass Case on Antique Wood Base, [bp], 9/26/1939 (initialed T.W.) (2 copies)

Next step is contact the institute and see what else I can find out.

First Post

This is the first post to the Biele Family blog.  This blog is a supplement to my website at www.bielefamily.com

Postings will be updates and information from the website.

That's all for now....