Rex Moore Apartments
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Rex Moore, a large St. Bernard, has been gracing the entrance and lobby at 2500 University Avenue in the Bronx since 1922. Photo by P. Gavan

“Rex Moore died at his post. July 30, 1919, age 7. Always a most faithful and loyal friend to his master.” – Headstone for Rex Moore, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery

Ever since the apartment boom of the late 1800s, New York City architects and builders have been assigning names to apartment buildings.

According to Elizabeth Hawes, the author of “New York, New York: How the Apartment House Transformed the Life of the City (1869-1930),” building names in Old New York added respectability to what was considered a radical new way of city living. After all, it wasn’t so bad if you didn’t have a mansion but could at least say you lived at the Eldorado or San Remo.

Many apartment names reflect their surroundings or neighborhoods, while others have been inspired by favorite places. For example, Edward Clark named his famous apartment building The Dakota because he was reportedly fond of the “well sounding names” of the new western states and territories.

The Rex Moore, 2500 University Avenue
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The Rex Moore is a five-story building with 52 apartments. William Moore also built the adjoining apartment at 60 West 190th Street, Derwig Arms, in 1922. Photo, P. Gavan

And then there is the Rex Moore, a five-story brick apartment building at 2500 University Avenue in the Fordham Manor neighborhood of the Bronx.

I can’t prove it, but I have a feeling this may be the only apartment building in New York City named for a dog – or at the very least, the only apartment in New York named after a Saint Bernard.

On the outside, the Rex Moore looks like every other cookie-cutter apartment building in the neighborhood. But look closely above the entrance-way, and you’ll see a St. Bernard panel in high relief. Walk into the lobby, and there you’ll find the same sculpture of Rex watching over a decorative fireplace.

I wonder if anyone who has lived here or passed by this otherwise plain building ever questioned the dog, or even knows that the building is called the Rex Moore?

Rex Moore, 2500 University Avenue
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Rex Moore also stands guard over the decorative fireplace in the building’s lobby. Photo, P. Gavan

William M. Moore Takes Over University Avenue

University Avenue takes its name from the hill on which New York University’s Bronx campus was built in 1894 (today’s Bronx Community College).

From about 1886 to 1913, the northern portion of the avenue was known as Aqueduct Avenue, in honor of the Croton Aqueduct constructed between 1837 and 1842. Other stretches of the road were at times known as Ridge Road and Lind Avenue.

Oil painting of Rex Moore, courtesy of Natalie Newell, granddaughter of Bill and Doris Moore.
Oil painting of Rex Moore, courtesy of Natalie Newell, granddaughter of Bill Moore Jr. and Doris Moore.

Once occupied by large farms, suburban villas, and a few large mansions, Fordham Manor and the neighboring University Heights rapidly developed into an urban community of low-rise apartment buildings for the middle class when the IRT Jerome Avenue line began shuttle service between 149th Street and Kingsbridge Road in 1917.

One of the men responsible for developing this section of the West Bronx was William M. Moore, a millionaire real estate developer and builder who constructed numerous five- and six-story brick walkup apartments.

University Avenue 1914
Several mansions and villas were still standing on University Avenue when this photo was taken just north of Burnside Avenue in 1914. Museum of the City of New York Collection

Numerous apartments along University Avenue from West 190th Street to Kingsbridge Avenue are William M. Moore buildings; he also built a few apartments in northern Manhattan and other sections of the Bronx.

William M. Moore was born in Baltimore in July 1872. Although no records of his early life exist in public archives, it is reported that he married Isabelle O. Gingell – who was nine years his senior – in 1895.

Bill Moore, owner of Rex Moore
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William M. Moore. Photo courtesy of his great-granddaughter, Pam Pearce

William and Isabelle had three children: Louise I. (Beezie) was born in 1897 in Baltimore, Elsia M. (Elsie) was born in New York in 1899, and Edna May was also born in New York in 1901.

According to the 1900 census, the family resided at 185 West 102nd Street. During this time, William was working as a “boss mason.”

Sometime around 1902, Isabelle passed away. A few years later, Bill married Martha Elizabeth Hentz.

It’s not clear how William got his start in real estate, but one of his first recorded transactions was in 1909, when he purchased several vacant lots on West 139th Street in the Hamilton Heights section of Manhattan.

University Avenue 1917
University Avenue was just starting to be developed when this photo was taken in 1917. New York Public Library Digital Collections

William constructed two six-story elevator apartments at 508-516 and 518-524 West 134th Street. He named these buildings the Marthmoore and the Billmoore. You can see the buildings on the top right corner of this 1924 map of Manhattan.

In April 1911, the William M. Moore Company sold the Billmoore to Oscar B. Thomas. In lieu of full payment, Oscar transferred to Martha Moore a large parcel of land at the northeast corner of University Avenue and 190th Street containing a three-story frame house and stable.

Soon thereafter, William and Martha moved into the home. It was from here that William earnestly began his real estate dynasty.

West 139th Street north of Amsterdam Avenue, 1905
In this 1905 photograph of West 139th Street, looking west from Amsterdam Avenue, there is a gap with vacant lots on the left where, in 1910, William Moore would construct the Billmoore and the Marthmoore. Museum of the City of New York Collections

A Brief History of University Avenue

The American history of University Avenue goes back as early as 1656, when the entire area of present-day West Bronx and Yonkers was owned by Adriaen van der Donck, one of the original Dutch patroons. Following his death, Adriaen’s widow, Mary, conveyed these lands to her brother, Elias Doughty. In 1666, Elias sold the land to Mr. John Archer, a Dutchman who had settled in the village of Westchester (today’s Westchester Square).

Adreien van der Donck
Adreien van der Donck (1615-1686)

On November 13, 1671, Governor Francis Lovelace gave John Archer a patent which made him “Lord of the Manor.” Archer borrowed money on mortgage from Cornelius Steenwyck, New York’s wealthiest merchant, and established Fordham Manor on 3,300 acres of land bounded by the Harlem and Bronx rivers, High Bridge Road (today’s Fordham Road), and Spuyten Duyvil.

A small number of Dutch families from the Harlem area crossed the shallow passage through the Harlem River and settled around this crossing in Fordham Manor (hence the name Fordham: houses near the shallow place).

Cornelius Steenwyck
Cornelius Steenwyck, 4th and 14th mayor of New York, served from 1668 to 1672 and again from 1682 to 1684. He was one of the richest men in New York of his time.

Because John Archer failed to make full payment before his death, all of the property reverted to Cornelius Steenwyck. Cornelius and his wife, Margaretta, later bequeathed all but 300 acres to the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in their joint will dated November 20, 1684. The remaining 300 acres were bequeathed to John Archer’s descendants.

In 1706, the first Reformed Dutch Church was built on the James Valentine farm just north of the intersection of today’s Fordham Road and Sedgwick Avenue. The old Valentine homestead, a stone building erected around 1702, served as a parsonage for the minister.

Webb Shipbuilding Academy and Home
In 1893, Webb’s Shipbuilding Academy and Home was constructed for veteran shipbuilder William Henry Webb on the former site of the first Reformed Dutch Church. Today this site is occupied by Fordham Hill Oval, a gated residential community. Museum of the City of New York Collections

The one stipulation of the Steenwyck will was that the church could not sell or dispose of the land. However, the “tenants” of Fordham did not like having the church as their landlord, and some refused to pay rent.

On November 21, 1753, the church petitioned the General Assembly to sell the land and give that money to the church minister.

The petition was granted and all the land – except one acre for the church – was sold over the next ten years to Lewis Morris, Theophilus Hunt, Oliver Delancey, Walter Briggs, John Delancey, Isaac Valentine, Isaac Varian, Jacob Dyckman, and others.

1868 West Farms, Bronx
In 1856, Moses Devoe moved into the old church parsonage near the intersection of today’s Fordham Road and Sedgwick Avenue (Devoe Park). The old Berrian burial ground is seen south of High Bridge Road in the bottom left corner on this 1868 map. These burial grounds were used by members of the Berrian, Valentine and Cromwell families (Oliver Cromwell was buried here in 1818).

Fast forward 100 years to 1856, when Moses Devoe, a wealthy Manhattan butcher, purchased a portion of the Valentine farm, once owned by his wife’s grandfather, Peter Valentine.

This land contained the old church parsonage, which had been enlarged in 1792. Moses improved this building and made it his home.

In 1903, about 125 lots of the Moses Devoe estate were auctioned off; 45 lots were sold to the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum while the rest were purchased by investors.

Frederick WIlliam Devoe
Frederick William Devoe was a senior member of F.W. Devoe & Co. paint and oil firm, located at Fulton and William streets in Manhattan. He and his brother Moses were descendants of Frederick Deveaux, a French Huguenot. Many of William Moore’s apartment buildings were constructed on the former Devoe estate.

The House on the Corner of West 190th Street

According to Cindy Moore, William Moore’s granddaughter, the frame house at 2508 University Avenue was quite beautiful. William kept several thoroughbred racehorses in the two-story frame stable, and he also had several dogs, including an Irish setter named Mickey Moore II, a black and tan dachshund, and Rex.

Bill Moore’s great-grandaughter, Pam Pearce, said that Rex was a much-loved dog among all the family members.

The Moores also had a cook, Rose Maxwell, and a servant, Mary McConnell. The frame house and stable, as well as the Rex Moore and Dan Moore apartment buildings, are shown on this 1923 map.

Sadly, just two years after he and Martha moved in, Martha passed away at the home on December 29, 1913.

In 1916, William married Adelaide Cary Smith, a young widow with four children. William and Adelaide also had two children: William M. was born in 1917 and Daniel B. was born in 1918. Willliam’s faithful dog, Rex, died a year later and was buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Westchester County.

190th Street Bronx
Known as Croton Avenue when it was opened from University to Jerome Avenue (and later as Pipe Street), the entire stretch of present-day 190th Street was renamed St. James Street in 1884 at the request of Frederick Devoe and other landowners. The name paid homage to the Protestant Episcopal church, which was built in 1864 on the northeast corner of Jerome and Croton Avenue. St. James Street is pictured here at the intersection of Kingsbridge Road in 1890. Museum of the City of New York Collections

Over the years, William Moore constructed numerous apartment buildings in the Bronx, including the Loumoore (1914) and Danmoore (1918)–named after his children–at 2512 and 2600 University Avenue; the BillZan apartments at 2725 Webb and 2719 Sedgwick Avenue (1925); 2714-2734 University Avenue; 104 West 190th (1915); 111 and 115 West 190th (now a parking lot); and several buildings on the former Ryan homestead on E. 184th Street between the Grand Concourse and Creston Avenue (1914), to name a few.

The Will Dan Court, 75 West 190th Street
Where the Moore’s frame house and stable once stood, William built the Will Dan Court at 75 West 190th Street. William also moved his offices to this building. Most of Moore’s apartments, including the Will Dan, are still providing housing for Bronx residents.

Sometime after 1926, William and Isabelle moved to 3031 Spuyten Duyvil Parkway (today’s Henry Hudson Parkway), where they lived with sons William and Daniel; Isabelle’s grown son, Richard Smith (a bricklayer); and two servants, Rose and Elizabeth Kern.

In his last few years of life, William enjoyed racing his horses, Lahor and Stretcher, at the Empire City Track (Yonkers Raceway). He died on August 3, 1934, leaving the business and his Bronx real estate legacy to his wife, sons, and sons-in-law.

The Moore Family

I recently received a note from Pam Pearce, William Moore’s great-granddaughter. Pam’s grandmother was Edna Moore — William’s third daughter with Isabelle Gingell — whom I did not know about until I received her note.

In her note, Pam wrote: “I’d love to be able to just see and even better to walk into that Rex Moore. I think that’s the one one my mother (Lucille) said they had to live in with other family members during the depression.”

Pam sent me several photos of her family, including the photo of William above, which I’d like to share here.

Elsie Moore_Hatching Cat
Edna May Moore, Pam’s grandmother
Moore Daughters_Hatching Cat
Elsie and Beezie Moore
Moore Family_Hatching Cat
Edna Moore and her husband Fred Erwig with their children Lucille (bow in hair), Doris, and Freddy.
Rex Moore, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
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Rex Moore, the St. Bernard that stands guard on University Avenue, was buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. Unfortunately, no arrangements were made to maintain his grave site, and the monument was moved to the far edge of the cemetery. Photo, P. Gavan

  1. Gerald says:

    Great article, Peggy; we can see that this required much research and a lot of effort to obtain those pictures;

    FYI re Rex Moore, according to an article in the New York Folklore Quarterly (Vol. IX, No. 3, Autumn, 1953, Title: Epitaphs: Hartsdale Canine Cemetery, page 222) :

    “Another hero is a dog which roused tenants in the Rex Moore Apartments in New York City and saved them from fire.”

    Nor sure if this canine was Rex Moore himself, tho.

    BTW, please see the attached for :

    “One of the most unique and charming spots, not only in New York State, but in the whole country, is The Hartsdale Canine Cemetery”

    http://books.google.com/books?id=HCkyAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA120&dq=starry+dross+hartsdale&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lk1FU9qAGqm-sQTC_oCIBg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=starry%20dross%20hartsdale&f=false

    Regards,

    Gerald

    • P. Gavan says:

      Wow, this is so interesting about the hero dog. I am going to have to dig deeper and see if I can find any more information — in all my research, I had not come across anything about a fire or rescue at the Rex Moore apartments. My curiosity is piqued. Thank you, Gerald.

      • Pam Pearce says:

        If you have ever found out any more information on my great grandfather or any of his buildings, I would love to be contacted about it!

  2. Brian G. Andersson says:

    Fantastic article! I lived here (best years of my life, wonderful Neighborhood) 1962 – 1978 and then across the street at the other Moore building 75 West 190th Street. Thanks for this. A little more Bronx history that I played the critical role in last year: see attached NYTime article.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/nyregion/from-bronck-to-the-bronx-a-name-and-a-swedish-heritage-to-celebrate.html?

    Brian G. Andersson
    Former NYC Commissioner, Dept. Of Records (the archives!)

    • Thank you, Brian. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story! My Bronx animal stories are always interesting to research and write because my father grew up in the Bronx (just south of Kingsbridge), so I have lots of memories visiting his old childhood home when I was a kid.

      It’s always my hope that people who are “related” in some way to my stories — whether they are a descendent of someone or lived in a building I write about — discover them, and in turn, discover something they didn’t know before. I’m sure a lot of people walk past the Rex Moore apartments and wonder about the dog, so I hope more people come across this tale.

      I also enjoyed the article you attached — I may want to use some of this information about Mr. Bronck sometime in another animal story. Thank you again (BTW, I’d probably love to have your past job, how interesting!)

      Peggy