The automat at 104th Street was built in 1930, at the peak of Horn & Hardart’s popularity. Automats were the city’s first fast food joints, where customers slipped change into slots to get their meals. Their numbers reached into the 50s in the 1930s and 1940s, and the last one closed in 1991, said Marianne Hardart, co-author of “The Automat” and great-granddaughter of Horn & Hardart co-founder Frank Hardart.
Many of the automats have since been built over or altered beyond recognition, said Kate Wood, executive director of Landmark West!, which advocates preservation on the Upper West Side. The 104th Street automat’s multi-color terra-cotta decorations and large front windows remain intact, she said. Landmark West! added the structure to its designation wish list in 1985.
Source: amNY
Other buildings above 96th Street include The Mount Morris Bank building and St. Thomas Church. T0 see photos click here.
Posted on December 19, 2006 by D. Bell