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.