Buster Brown Shoes Closes in Forest Hills - The End of An Era

UPDATE: As of July 2010, the famed Buster Brown Shoes sign has been removed, restored, and displayed in an Austin St office, with our intervention.

We just learned that on May 11, 2010 at 11 AM at Buster Brown Shoes/Austin Shoes, 71-24 Austin St, Forest Hills, NY, there will be a bankruptcy auction by Richard B. Maltz of David R. Maltz & Co., Inc. The auction will feature: Infant/children shoes and sneakers (Buster Brown Brand), sandles, handbags/purses, rain coats, chairs, stools, display, etc.

In April 2010, Queens residents were disheartened to see one of the few remaining mom & pop shops in Forest Hills at 71-24 Austin St, shut its doors, and a For Rent sign being tacked into the classic Buster Brown Shoes sign. It was one of the oldest shops in existence in Forest Hills, being that it opened in the late 1940s, and is where generations have memories of their earliest shoe purchases. Buster Brown sold infant and children shoes, parochial shoes, orthopedic shoes, and even shoes for adults in midst of the majority of younger age shoes. Operator Lenny inherited the shop from his father. He recently retired, and although locals were hoping that he would be successful in finding another operator to carry on the tradition, he gave up hope. The sign's famed caricature was based on the Buster Brown and Tige comic strip characters.  

The role of Rego-Forest Preservation Council will be to ensure that the historic sign and any other vintage possessions within the shop will be rescued and not discarded, and a suitable home be found, so it can one day be on exhibit for all to see. That is our first priority.

Our flickr photoset, featuring close-ups of the historic signage: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157617681208185/ 
 

1950s TV commercial featuring a Buster Brown Shoes jingle: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm4xH9unqzU 

General history & timeline of Buster Brown Shoes (chain), according to Brown Shoe Co:
http://www.brownshoe.com/history/

In 1878, a young man named George Warren Brown believed St. Louis could become a manufacturing center for the shoe industry. He invested his life savings and founded his own company to manufacture and sell shoes even though most shoe companies were located in the Northeast. Brown thought he could change the face of the industry and he was right - his company thrived. Today, Brown Shoe is a leading $2.4 billion consumer-driven footwear company with global, integrated operations, delighting consumers with a portfolio of compelling brands.

Many people mistakenly think Brown Shoe was named after the much-loved Buster Brown character. In fact, our Buster Brown shoe brand came 25 years later.

In 1904 at the "Meet Me In St. Louis" World's Fair, a young Brown Shoe executive met Buster Brown's creator, cartoonist Richard F. Outcault, and purchased the name from him. At the time, Buster Brown was a mischievous cartoon character, who, together with his dog Tige and sister Mary Jane, delighted children of all ages.

Brown Shoe made marketing history when it sent on the road a series of actors, each dressed as Buster and accompanied by a dog (Tige). They toured the entire country selling Buster Brown shoes as they performed in theaters, department stores and shoe stores. In those days, such a touring show generally brought out the whole town.

1878

Bryan, Brown & Company formed in St. Louis by George Warren Brown and his partners Alvin Bryan and Jerome Desnoyers.

1893

Company name changed to Brown Shoe Company.

1904

Rights to Buster Brown name purchased; Buster Brown brand introduced to public at the St. Louis World's Fair.

1904

Succession of actors, dressed like Buster Brown and accompanied by dogs, toured the country (1904-1930), playing to audiences in rented theaters, department stores and shoe stores.

1913

Brown Shoe Company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under stock ticker symbol BWS.

1925

George Warren Brown School of Social Work endowed at Washington University in St. Louis by G.W. Brown's widow.

1927

Naturalizer brand created.

1931

Connie brand created.

1940

LifeStride brand created.

1943

Smilin' Ed McConnell and his Buster Brown Gang debuted on the West Coast NBC radio network. In 1951, Smilin' Ed moved to television, where his show ran until 1954.

1951

Brown Shoe Company acquired Wohl Shoe Company, operator of 350 specialty stores and 800 shoe departments for many major department stores.

1952

Brown Shoe Company moved headquarters from 1600 Washington Avenue to Clayton, MO.

1954

Naturalizer Shoe Store, the first of several hundred stores to carry Naturalizer shoes, opened in Jamaica, NY. Regal Shoe Shops, with 110 locations, acquired by Brown Shoe.

1970-74

Cloth World, Eagle Rubber, Hedstrom, BottomHalf and Meis Department Stores bought by Brown Shoe. Juvenile and Recreational Products Companies Division formed.

1981

36-store Famous Footwear chain acquired.

1984

Brown Group International established.

1985-96

Brown Group begins decade-long strategic repositioning — non-footwear businesses sold, all domestic manufacturing plants closed.

1987

Acquisition of Pagoda Trading Company completed.

1991

Brown signs long-term license for Dr. Scholl's brand.

1999

Company changes its name back to Brown Shoe Company.

1999

Buster Brown & Co. is established as the Kids' Division of Brown Shoe.

1999

Naturalizer revitalizes its image. New product styling is geared to a younger, more fashion-conscious woman. And naturalizer.com launches.

2000

Brown Shoe acquires 26 store Mil-Mar chain and folds it into Famous Footwear.

2001

Naturalizer named "Brand of The Year" by Footwear News.

2002

Naturalizer celebrates 75 years.
Carlos by Carlos Santana brand launches.

2003

Brown Shoe awarded “Company of the Year”
by Footwear News.

2004

Buster Brown celebrates 100 years.

2005

Brown Shoe acquires Bennett Footwear Group, LLC (BFG). Adds Franco Sarto, Via Spiga, and
other brands.

2006

Naturalizer launches Naturalizer Signature luxury women’s shoes, available online and in select store locations.
Bennett Footwear Group integrated into Brown New York.

2007

Brown Shoe announced plans to open Naturalizer and Via Spiga stores in China.
Brown Shoe announced an agreement with Sam and Libby Edelman to invest in Edelman Shoe, Inc.

2008

Brown Shoe launched celebrity licensed footwear brands for: country music superstar Reba McEntire (Reba), music and entertainment superstar Fergie, and style and beauty expert Gretta Monahan (Gretta).
Brown Shoe announced plans to create interconnected footwear company in St. Louis headquarters.

Invite: Preservation Tricks of Trade & Networking Event, Apr 26 at 6:30 PM

You're Invited: Learn an overview of our NY preservation movement, and network with preservation professionals and advocates from citywide neighborhoods. Support your neighborhoods and also be a friend to others! See you there?

When: Apr 26, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Where: Central Park Arsenal. 
Contact: Municipal Art Society's Melissa Baldock at ameisels@mas.org

More info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105546202821144&ref=mf

Join Our New Facebook Group For Rego-Forest Preservation Council

A huge thanks to everyone who became a fan of Rego-Forest Preservation Council on our Facebook Fan Page to date! Please help us fulfill our mission by joining our new Facebook Group via the link below, or search Rego-Forest Preservation Council on Facebook. 

 http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=363711621253&ref=ts

 Benefits for Members

* A chance to learn about and post feedback to neighborhood preservation campaigns, preservation resources and new programs, historic preservation/history events, historic research, as well as interact with other members that share your interest in historic preservation of Rego Park, Forest Hills, and other noteworthy Queens-wide preservation causes.

* Access to e-mails from Rego-Forest Preservation Council to your inbox via Facebook, which ensures delivery. News items posted on the Facebook Group wall will automatically be posted to your Facebook homepage newsfeed. 

Questions? Suggestions? Interest in volunteering? E-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com 

Pride in your neighborhood's historic character must begin with YOUR support. A little input can go a looooooooong way!!!

Greater communication = Greater teamwork = More neighborhood landmarks designated and preserved! 

Early Rego Park Architecture Merits Preservation

Consider these questions....

- How was Rego Park named?
- Between all the bustle of Queens Blvd, where is Rego Park's history?
- What can we do as citizens to preserve our neighborhood from insensitive alterations and demolition? Are there any benefits?

What Rego Park has to offer in the name of history is directly in front of our eyes, but for some residents and passersby, it can be a needle in a haystack, so we have to be informed........

Rego Park was named in 1923 by developers Henry Schloh and Charles Hausmann of the “Real Good” Construction Co, after buying farmland. The land was once part of Forest Hills, which was named in 1906, but changed for real estate purposes. The first developments included 525 8-room Colonial houses bordering 63rd Dr and Elliot Ave, followed by elaborate apartment houses on Saunders St in the late 1920s, which continued through the 1940s on Saunders St and Queens Blvd, and were also highly regarded. A large quantity of the original homes stand today in a relatively unaltered state, and the apartment houses remain mostly intact. The first street was Remsen Ave (now 63rd Drive), named after the Remsen family, which owned a large parcel of farmland in Rego Park, which is difficult to visualize today.

Some other notable sites that are reflective of Rego Park's historic fabric include Public School 139 on 63rd Dr, which was filed with the Dept of Buildings in 1928, Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, which opened its first formal home in 1931 on 63rd Dr, and Rego Park Jewish Center on Queens Blvd with a cornerstone reading 1948 (Placed on the State & National Register of Historic Places in Oct. 2009), and the Lost Battalion Hall on the north side of Queens Blvd between 63rd Dr & Horace Harding. In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, classic Art Deco shops were erected on Queens Blvd and along 63rd Dr, and some were considered showrooms for goods, with customers appreciative of their mom & pop status and revolutionary architectural touches.

Remo Hall, erected 1927, is the earliest apartment house in Rego Park on Saunders St. It is a Tudor architectural gem alongside neighboring buildings that exhibit a smorgasbord of styles in our neighborhood, including Georgian Colonial, Art Deco, Moorish, and Medieval. Other historic apartment houses include Marion Court, Jupiter Court, Savoy Gardens, Elizabeth & Victoria complex, and the Oxford and Cambridge complex, and the the Saunders Gardens complex, which were all developed from the late 1920s - early 1940s. Many apartment houses are symbolic of Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement, since they grant a sense of place by reserving space for landscaping and breathing space by not developing the land in its entirety, have recessed building wings, feature courtyards, are low-rise in scale, feature roof gardens for residents to associate and keep cool during the summer months, and most incorporate traditional English architectural touches. Even though the Saunders Gardens complex is a later addition with Art Deco touches, it features recessed areas and the traditional roof garden, along the lines of Marion Court, and was developed around the central theme of a park.

The architectural and cultural diversity within a concentrated section of the neighborhood, sheds lots of history, and therefore merits preservation within a Rego Park Historic District by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/home/home.shtml). The general boundaries are inclusive of Queens Blvd, 63rd Dr, Saunders St, and Elliot Ave, and touch upon Booth St and Wetherole St. Rego-Forest Preservation Council has been documenting and researching this section of the neighborhood (and other sections of both Rego Park and Forest Hills) for nearly 2 years. This is much-needed, and will ensure survival of its historic and harmonious character, ensure that any future development is in context, and will maintain and enhance property values over time. NYC Landmarking (sometimes in combination with State & National Register of Historic Places status) also increases the likelihood of acquiring grants for property owners, through funding programs for historically-sensitive restoration work and building upgrades.

This is a collection of Saunders St, Queens Blvd, & 63rd Dr photos by Chair Michael Perlman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157617606028777/

This is a work-in-progress! Please browse and become our flickr friend and a supporter throughout the research process. E-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com with questions, suggestions, or to become a preservation supporter. All contributors will be recognized.

New Preservation Grant for Queens: The Elizabeth & Robert Jeffe Preservation Fund for NYC

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is pleased to announce creation of a new grant fund targeting historic preservation and community revitalization in New York City, made possible by the generous support of Elizabeth and Robert Jeffe.

The Elizabeth and Robert Jeffe Preservation Fund for New York City will provide seed monies to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for critical work in stewarding and safeguarding the rich heritage and vitality of the nation's largest city. These grants are intended to build capacity, leverage additional support, and provide momentum to get community preservation and revitalization projects off the ground, by providing capital in early stages and at important junctures.

More information, including application and guidelines, is available at: www.preservationnation.org/about-us/regional-offices/northeast/jeffe_preservation_fund_nyc.html

·         Government agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Individuals and private, for-profit entities are ineligible.

·         Grants are awarded for planning and education activities focused on preservation and revitalization within New York City limits.  Examples of eligible activities include: retaining professional consulting services in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation or land-use planning, economics, fundraising, organizational development, media relations, and education; sponsoring workshops or community forums; designing, producing, and marketing printed materials or other media communications to advance historic preservation; surveys and inventories of historic resources.

·         Grants will not be awarded for bricks-and-mortar construction activities, property acquisition, salaries, operating expenses, staff time, or academic research. 

·         Grants must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Typical award amounts will generally range from $2,500 to $10,000 (in exceptional cases, up to $15,000).

·         The application deadline for the inaugural grant round is June 1, 2010. Thereafter, round deadlines are October 1, February 1, and June 1 yearly.

Applicants are required to contact the National Trust’s Northeast Office for guidance and assistance before submitting an application.

Northeast Office

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Brent Leggs, Field Representative

7 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 4^th Floor

Boston, MA 02109

617-523-0885 ▪ brent_leggs@nthp.org 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation helps people protect, enhance, and enjoy the places that matter to them.  Learn more at www.PreservationNation.org

Historic Preservation Funds Available

Rego-Forest Preservation Council received an e-mail from the NY Landmarks Conservancy, and we consider this a must-read for property owners in need of funding for their historic properties, and for community preservation advocates:

As you may know, the New York Landmarks Conservancy is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and reusing architecturally and historically important buildings in New York City. Much of the Conservancy’s work takes place in low and moderate income neighborhoods, demonstrating over and over again the positive effect of historic preservation on community development and revitalization. Through its Neighborhood Preservation Programs, the Conservancy has provided millions of dollars in grants and low-interest loans, as well as countless hours of project management and technical assistance, to owners of all types of buildings.

There are funds available in our Neighborhood Preservation Programs to help finance exterior (and interior structural) capital work and related costs on older buildings. The properties need not be designated landmark buildings in all cases, as the funding programs have different guidelines. All of the programs are accompanied by project management assistance to foster landmark quality work and facilitate public approval processes. The Neighborhood Preservation Programs are:

1. Historic Properties Fund – A revolving loan fund for any type of property or owner. Low interest, collateralized loans for preservation work on buildings that are officially landmarks, within historic districts, or eligible for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places. (Conservancy staff can help you to obtain this determination from the State Historic Preservation Office; it involves little further public regulation or compliance cost.) Loans range from $20,000 to approximately $300,000 per project.

2. City Ventures Fund – A grant program for nonprofit owners/developers of properties that serve lower income people. Although there is a priority for projects that provide affordable and special needs housing, properties that provide services to lower income people, such as employment training, socials services, and other educational purposes, are also eligible for funding. Capital grants of up to $30,000 are available for preservation work on older buildings that generally do not have any landmark status but have good architectural quality and integrity; consulting grants of up to $10,000 are available for professional services.

3. Emergency Preservation Grants – Capitalized by The New York Community Trust, a grant program for nonprofit owners of historic properties for emergency repair work. Grants of up to $25,000 are available for immediate work that addresses public safety, water penetration, or other issues that threaten the preservation of the property.

In addition to the Neighborhood Preservation Programs, the Conservancy also provides city and statewide matching grants specifically for houses of worship (Sacred Sites Fund). Visit our website at http://www.nylandmarks.org/ for more information about our programs. Please call me or any of the people listed below to see if your project may be eligible for one of our programs.

Thank you,

- Karen Ansis
Fund Manager, New York Landmarks Conservancy
karenansis@nylandmarks.org

One Whitehall Street, 21st Floor
New York, New York 10004
http://www.nylandmarks.org/
Tel: (212) 995-5260 Tel
Fax: (212) 995-5268 Fax

Program Coordinators:

Ashley Hahn: ashleyhahn@nylandmarks.org
Jim Mahoney: jamesmahoney@nylandmarks.org

Fundraiser To Save RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre, Fri, March 19 at 8 PM

This is a preservation cause that calls for citywide and nationwide support! Please attend the comedy fundraiser to save the historic RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre, an endangered highly significant gem designed by America's foremost theater architect, Thomas Lamb in Flushing. This theater holds a special place in the hearts of many, but has been victimized for over 2 decades.

Fundraiser Details

- Friday, March 19th at 8 PM at Fuzzy's Wolfrose, 239-21 Braddock Avenue, Bellerose, NY. Please hurry, since tickets are selling out fast!
- Besides an evening of comedy, it will also feature a silent auction, music & dancing!
- If you cannot attend, you can still donate.

For the most up to date campaign information, history, photos, and contact information, please visit and bookmark:

1. http://www.savethekeiths.com/

2. Facebook Group for Friends of RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1450792045#!/group.php?gid=60984938277
(Join the 2,860 members...& growing!)

3. Petition: http://new.petitiononline.com/rkokeith/petition.html

Please attend and contribute to a noble movement in the history of our diverse borough and city, and help spread the word to your colleagues and friends. With creativity and dedication, nothing is impossible to achieve. Power to the people! If you would like to volunteer or have questions, please contact Chair Ed Tracey: ejtracey3@gmail.com