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JANUARY 30, 2023 • PASCACK VALLEY PRESS
TO SEE MORE BACK IN TIME FEATURES
‘An Evening in Hollywood’ is the theme for Spectrum’s second prom.
SPECTRUM FOR LIVING PROM SUIT, DRESS DRIVE PASCACK VALLEY Spectrum for Living seeks formal wear and prom dress/suit donations for its second annual client prom, this year themed “An Evening in Hollywood,” on June 14 at Florentine Gardens in River Vale. The organization is collecting all sizes of new and gently used evening gowns and bags, jewelry and accessories, suits, ties, vets, and belts. Donations are accepted until June 1. According to Nicky Napolitano, Spectrumʼs director of central recreation, “This is an opportunity for our clients to get all dressed up and walk the red carpet and dance and have fun. Weʼre doing photo booths, corsages, boutonnières — basically a prom that they might not have been able to attend when they were in school.” Call (201) 836-3721 or write nnapolitano@spectrumforliving.org.
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Montvale’s Grove House hotel, Kinderkamack Road and Grand Avenue, as it looked approximately 120 years ago.
‘Check in’ to storied Grove House
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BY KRISTIN BEUSCHER SPECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS UILT IN THE 1870S shortly after the rail-
MONTVALE
road came through, the Grove House was a hotel that stood on the northwest corner at Kinderkamack Road and Grand Avenue, near the railroad station, in what is now downtown Montvale. In 1900 Montvale only had about 415 residents, but like other Pascack Valley towns in that era, it had its own little hotel. During the summer months this region was a vacation destination for New Yorkers looking to escape the stifling city streets in favor of some time in the country. In our local communities it was common to find the railroad station, a hotel, and a livery stable (for renting horses) all within walking distance of each other. The Grove House was also an important meeting place in early Montvale and it was where elections took place. When the village broke off from the Township of Washington to form its own borough in 1894, the men went to
the Grove House to cast their votes. At the time, John A. Blauvelt was the proprietor. The poll was unanimous in favor of forming a borough, with 49 votes. The photograph above must have been taken after 1902, which is when Blauvelt died and the hotel changed hands. The new owner was William C. Baur, whose name we see on the sign. In this wintertime photo we can also see wagon tracks all over the unpaved road, muddied by melted snow, and there are hitching posts along the front porch for tying up horses. Born in Germany in 1840, Baur had come to America as a child. He was a widower and ran the Grove House in the first decade of the 1900s with help from his sister-in-law. After he died in 1913, the running of the hotel passed to another German family. William Wilke and later his widowed wife, Marie, ran the business in the 1910s and early 1920s. William and Marieʼs son, Henry C. Wilke, was born in the hotel in 1911. Later in life he recalled that the hotel had 15 rooms, with six downstairs and nine upstairs. There was no furnace in the building; each room downstairs had
its own small stove, which burned wood or coal, and the second floor was heated by a single large stove in the hall. One of the livelier eras for this building was when it was owned by Fred Wohlfahrt in the 1930s. He kept a small zoo behind the hotel with bears, monkeys, and exotic birds. It was a popular spot on weekends; kids would pet and feed the animals while their parents enjoyed glasses of beer. There was a circular stand in the area where the park is now, and from there the owners sold peanuts, and baby bottles filled with condensed milk, for the bears. During Prohibition, the hotel was raided at least twice (1924 and 1931) and bottles of liquor were found on the premises. On one occasion Wohlfahrt was arrested. In the 1940s the old hotel was converted into an apartment complex. That lasted until the 1970s, when the 100-year-old building was condemned by the borough and then torn down. The Montvale veterans memorial is now located about where the Grove House stood.
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Kristin Beuscher is president of Pascack Historical Society.
WESTWOOD
WITH ‘THE CONTEMPORARIES,’ YOUNGER WOMEN FINDING WAYS TO SERVE
The Womanʼs Club of Westwood unanimously voted, Jan. 23, to create The Contemporaries of the Womanʼs Club of Westwood as a new committee within the 115-year old volunteer and philanthropic organization. Committee co-chairs Nicole Dragona, Lauren Letizia, and Jennifer Sirchio look forward to welcoming new members to the Club and offering a full calendar of social, charitable, and networking events. Membership is now open. The club and committee will host charitable social and cultural events through col-
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laborations with local businesses and other non-profits. Perks of membership include invitations to exclusive member events and public events. Members have the opportunity to participate in the planning of events ranging from themed dinner parties and wine and food tastings, to wellness and personal development classes. Dragona sought to create an organization for what she identified as a “frequently untapped demographic of young adult to middle-age women who might otherwise find themselves engaged in growing their careers
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or focused on child-based activities like sports and PTOs.” The co-chairs identified their peers as a group of talented, interesting, and interested women seeking to make a long-lasting impact on their community. As Sirchio noted, “for me, and a lot of these women, Westwood is going to be our “forever home.” The co-chairs thereby sought to join an organization that focuses on giving back locally while also creating a welcoming space for women to socialize, connect, and
John J. DeFina John Snyder Michael Olohan Kristin Beuscher Keith J. Harcher George F. Harcher
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The articles and opinions printed in Pascack Press are not necessarily those of the publisher. Pascack Press is neither liable nor responsible for typographical errors. This publication contains material developed independently by Pascack Press. It may not be reproduced, in whole or in part. Pascack Press is published in Westwood and is distributed to every household in our circulation area.