November | 2013 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for November, 2013

Rumor Mill Says Coney’s Oldest Building To be Demolished

Posted in News, Real Estate, Redevelopment, tagged arcade, Game World, Gameworld, Grashorn Building, Jones Walk, Thor Equities on November 13, 2013| 4 Comments »

Thor Equities Vacant & Shuttered Grashorn Building. November 10, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

For the past two weeks, the Coney Island Rumor Mill has been abuzz with the rumor that Thor Equities-owned Grashorn Building, Coney Island’s oldest structure, is set to be demolished. Though you’d never guess to look at it today, the building dates back to the 1880s and predates Coney’s first amusement parks, which were built in the 1890s.

We can’t confirm the rumor, there’s no demolition order for 1104 Surf on the DOB’s website. Thankfully. Not yet. But we’d be remiss not to mention it. In the past, there’s been a lag on updates to the DOB site when for example, Thor’s teardown of the Henderson Music Hall at the end of the 2010 season caught people by surprise as the asbestos abatement that preceded the demo got underway.

Grashorn Building in 1969. Photo © Charles Denson via Coney Island History Project

The Grashorn rumor started as Gameworld moved out of their Surf Avenue storefront, where the arcade had relocated the year after losing their spot in the then soon-to-be demolished Henderson Building. Known as Faber’s Fascination because of the vintage bare bulb sign from the earlier Fascination parlor, the Henderson arcade was one of the few businesses open year round in Coney Island’s amusement district. Not only are there no year-round arcades in Coney Island today, there are signs on Thor’s new building touting “ARCADE” where there is nothing but retail space for rent.

After auctioning off some of the Gameworld arcade machines, owner Carl Muraco moved the rest to a newly leased space on the Bowery. Owned by Jeff Persily, the location is next-door to the lot where Coney Island Arcade was before it burned down in 2010. Gameworld is expected to reopen next season.

In June 2010, Save Coney Island’s rendering imagined what the Grashorn could become if it was preserved, restored and reused. Via SaveConeyIsland.net

The Jones Walk side of the Grashorn building has been vacant since 2008, as ATZ reported in “The New Coney Island: A Tale of Two Jones Walks.” In the summer of 2010, Save Coney Island published renderings showing the potential of the building if restored, but their plan to create a Coney Island Historic District along Surf Avenue was crushed by Sitt’s demolition of all but one of his historic buildings. Only the Grashorn remains.

Originally Henry Grashorn’s hardware store, the Grashorn building later housed shooting galleries, arcades, and cotton candy and taffy stands. Considered too “altered” to win landmark protection by the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, the vacant, deteriorating building has been a victim of the continuing decimation of the amusement area by Thor CEO Joe Sitt. It may not survive in the New Coney Island. Demolition by neglect?

UPDATE December 9, 2013:

On Saturday, we were alarmed to receive a call about men in hazmat suits starting interior demolition on Thor Equities-owned Grashorn. Asked by a pedestrian if there was danger, a worker replied they were doing demolition. As it turns out, the demo crew was working next door to the Grashorn building where Henry Grashorn’s hardware store was in the 1880s. They are doing interior demo in the neighboring space that was G. Grashorn’s Groceries. The work continued through the weekend. There are no permits posted, nor are there any work permits on the DOB website for the buildings at 1102-1106 Surf Avenue. Anonymous tipsters sent us these photos:
“Thor’s Coney Island: Weekend Work for Hazmat Men,” ATZ, December 8, 2013

Grashorn Building, Surf Avenue, Coney Island. July 12, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

After 80 Years in Popcorn Biz, Family’s Heirloom Wagons Up for Sale

Posted in Artifacts, Auction, Food, tagged Bob McWhirter, caramel corn, concession business, Cretors, Joe Kitchen, popcorn, popcorn wagon on November 11, 2013| 4 Comments »

1906 Cretors Model D Popcorn Wagon from the McWhirter Collection. Mosby & Co Auctions, November 16, 2013

On November 16, the McWhirter collection of rare antique Cretors popcorn wagons will be on the auction block in Maryland and a family that has been selling caramel corn and caramel apples for 80 years will retire from the popcorn biz. ATZ asked Bob McWhirter, 59, if he would miss it. The answer was both yes and no.

“I can actually remember being 5 years old and working for my grandfather,” he recalled. “My job at that point in time was to open up the bags to get them ready for him to use to sell corn as customers came up. I think I earned 25 cents or 50 cents for the day. I had a ball doing it. I was allowed to sit on the stool and talk to the customers.”

Joe Kitchen on the street corner in his popcorn wagon. Hibbing, Minnesota, 1935. Photo via popcornbiz.com

The 1906 Cretors Model D “Circus” wagon, the oldest in Saturday’s sale at Mosby & Co. Auctions, is one of his grandfather Joe Kitchen’s original wagons, purchased in the 1930s. The sale has 21 lots from the McWhirter collection, including wagons, popcorn machines and parts, and framed prints.

The family business called “Doc Kitchen’s Kitchenette” was started during the Great Depression. Mr. Kitchen used to tease people that he was the only man he knew that had six kitchens in one house. After he died in 1976, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren carried on the business. “We all work full time and did this on evenings and weekends for 30 years here in northern Virginia,” said McWhirter, who brought the wagons to craft shows, car shows and county fairs. Restored in the 1980s, the 1906 wagon was in near continuous use by the family from 1933 until the mid 2000s.

Rare Circa 1920 Cretors Popcorn Machine and Peanut Roaster from the McWhirter Collection. Mosby & Co Auctions, November 16, 2013

C. Cretors and Co. has been in business since the 19th century when its founder invented steam powered machines that could roast quantities of peanuts as well as pop corn. Cretors wagons were considered the best of the best by concessionaires and are prized by collectors.

“As I grew older, actually as we all grew older, we were allowed to make caramel apples,” says McWhirter. His grandfather had his own recipe for caramel corn as well as for caramel apples. “We made caramel corn for years and years and years. The recipe that was handed down to me was a scoop of sugar, a can of milk, and seasoning. I had to figure it out from there.”

1922 Model T Custom Bodied Popcorn Truck from the McWhirter Collection. Mosby & Co Auctions, November 16, 2013

Why is the family selling their heirloom wagons now? “We’re getting older,” McWhirter said of himself and his elder sister and brother. “The kids are all having their own families. None of them wanted to carry on so we felt it was unfair to the wagons just to let them sit in the garage and rot. They needed to be taken care of.”

A nephew is keeping one of the wagons, though he currently has no plans to take it on the road. “Right now I think what he might do is pop some corn for the kids in the neighborhood.”

Mosby’s live auction is on November 16 in Frederick, Maryland, but the catalogue is online and you can bid now or in real time during the auction.

UPDATE December 10, 2013:

The popcorn wagons did not find buyers at the auction and are currently available for private sale. If you’re interested in getting into the popcorn biz, visit Kitchen’s Kitchenette website for Bob McWhirter’s contact info.

The Model A- Cretors finest, most elaborate and expensive popcorn wagon. McWhirter Collection. Mosby & Co Auctions, November 16, 2013

Photo Album: Early November in Coney Island

Posted in amusement park, Coney Island, Photo Album, Photography on November 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island Boardwalk Stores Are Open, November 2, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita

Here are some photos that we snapped last Saturday of an early November day in Coney Island. It was the first weekend after the amusement parks closed for the season. Most of the shops, bars and restaurants will be open this weekend too, along with the Eldorado Bumper cars and a few independent games on the Bowery and West 12th Street. The dancing doll “Miss Coney Island” and adjacent games will open at 2pm, weather permitting. See “Coney Island Always: Visiting the Big CI Year-Round” for info on what’s doing in Coney’s amusement area in November.