Francis Dixon | Washington Heights NYC

Saint Stephen’s Church

For nine generations of worshipers, Saint Stephen’s United Methodist Church has been a fixture of the Marble Hill, Kingsbridge, Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale sections of the Bronx. This congregation came into existence in 1825 and was incorporated a decade later,

Fort Prince Charles

In the summer of 1776 the Continental troops were fortifying northern Manhattan and the Bronx for a siege from the Royalist Forces. A series of eight forts in the Bronx, and Fort Washington with its defensive works in Manhattan, were

Inwood Marble in Isham Park

New York City sits atop a foundation composed of five distinct layers of bedrock: Fordham gneiss, found primarily in the Bronx; Manhattan schist, in Lower and northern Manhattan; the Hartland Formation, in central Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens; Staten

Marble Hill

The Marble Hill community in the Bronx is the only part of Manhattan connected to the mainland, due to a little-known quirk of geography. Originally, this 42-acre enclave was the northernmost section of the borough of Manhattan and was surrounded

Broadway Bridge

Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill share a common bond. In 1895, the Spuyten Duyvil Creek had been rerouted from 230th Street to 225th Street for improved navigability. A bridge that had connected Inwood and Marble Hill has never been

Blue Bell Tavern

One of the earliest taverns in Washington Heights was the Blue Bell Tavern. It was built between 1725 and 1730 on what is now the northwest corner of 181st Street and Broadway. Taverns like the Blue Bell had many uses.

RKO Coliseum Theater

On the northwest corner of 181st Street and Broadway, the RKO Coliseum boasted to be the third largest theater in the United States, with 3,500 seats, when it opened in 1920. B.S. Moss was involved with the launching of the

Loew’s 175th Theater

In 1930, the Loew’s 175th at 4140 Broadway opened its doors to the public. This theater culminated the RKO Coliseum’s (located at 181st Street and Broadway) brag of being the third largest in America with an added 100 seats with

Audubon Ballroom

The Audubon Ballroom and Theater, located at 3940 Broadway between 165th and 166th Streets, was opened in 1912 by William Fox. The Audubon was one of the first theaters in the Fox theater group for vaudeville and movies to come

Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center

The only major hospital in the Washington Heights and Inwood communities is the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. The center is bounded by 165th Street, 168th Street, Broadway and Riverside Drive. This hospital was originally known as the Presbyterian Hospital and was