No. 98 – “SEAMAN & LETZKUS APARTMENTS”
Postmarked at Stone Harbor on AUG. 14, 1923, this vintage post card depicts the very large 3-story Seamen & Letzkus Apartment house located at 169-93rd Street.
It is interesting to note that there do not seem to be any other houses in the immediate vicinity or surrounding neighborhood area. Of course there is the ever-present original water tower which seemingly so often “photobombs” or shall we say appears as an unintended subject in many a post card image from this early time period in the background to the left. The Seamen & Letzkus Apartment house probably had 4 apartments and as you can see had 2 open front porches as well as enclosed porches in the rear. There were 2 outside entrances, one for the 2 units downstairs and 2 units for the upstairs.
These two images were taken more recently on October 1, 2023 by long-time Stone Harbor resident and my friend Graham Hueber. As you can see here is an example of a property that has stood the test of time and the wrecking ball. Most likely 110 or more years situated on the very same parcel of land, this house stands sentinel for what once was the very early development of Stone Harbor. I show the left-side/front view for you to compare with the vintage post card image and it appears the porches or decks in the rear of the property are no longer enclosed but are now open. Also there is a stairway at the front of the house leading to access to 2 of the 4 units. What’s interesting about the last view showing the right side/front view is that we can see the outside stairs on the side of the house ascending to the first floor for access to 2 more units. Judging from the fact that 4 electric meters are shown at front ground level, we can surmise that in all probability this structure houses 4 separate living units.
This image is very different from the post card image in that now we see other neighbor’s houses to the left and right as well as directly behind this structure. Stone Harbor as you well know has undergone remarkable growth and development over the 110+ years of its history!