BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 8-14, 2019 55
BRONX SCENE
Bronxdale Ave. tunnel led to MP Racecourse
Tom Vasti is very knowledgeable
about the history
of Morris Park, even the minutiae.
It was no surprise
therefore that when he noticed
a large street opening on
Bronxdale Avenue on March 4
that he stopped to examine it.
There is an area behind Con
Edison’s Building #21 where it
is quite evident that an opening
was closed off with a wall
just behind the building just
north of the Bronxdale Avenue
entrance to the Con Edison
Yard. A check of old maps
shows that the walled off area
led to a tunnel which served as
the grand entrance to the Morris
Park Race Course used by
some of the most prized race
horses of the day owned by
such luminaries as August
Belmont, John A. Morris, the
Vanderbilts, et al.
A New Haven Railroad
spur deposited the race horses
and fans next to this tunnel.
They entered on the west side
of Bear Swamp Road, now
Bronxdale Avenue, which led
Nick DiBrino photographed these three-ton sandstone blocks on the east
side of Bronxdale Avenue opposite the Con Edison Yard this past March.
They came from an old abandoned tunnel that led to the grandstand of
the Morris Park Racecourse over a century ago.
to the 20,000-seat grandstand
and the clubhouse on the east
side. The race course opened
offi cially on August 20, 1889
and the last race there was
held in 1904 after which the
races moved to Belmont Park.
The old racetrack took on a variety
of uses including bicycle
and auto racing along with pioneer
aviation activities. The
307-acre track was fi nally auctioned
off in 1913 after having
changed hands a couple of
times during which time the
City of New York began laying
out a street grid.
The street opening of early
March unearthed the tunnel
which was opened over a century
ago and personally approved
by John A. Morris.
Vasti knew what he was looking
at and immediately called
Nick DiBrino, the author of
“The History of the Morris
Park Racecourse” and the recognized
authority on the subject.
DiBrino responded at
once and began taking pictures
and interviewing the owners
of the construction company
doing the excavation. The
open trench was 14’ deep and
held a considerable amount of
dirt and debris. He also noted
that the tunnel was lined with
huge brown sandstone blocks.
A couple of blocks had been removed
and weighted approximately
three tons each. These
were placed on the side of the
road and Nick dutifully photographed
them.
The contractors were very
responsive and kept DiBrino
up to date on any new discoveries.
When they found a
buried stairway on March 18
at the east side of the street,
they called Nick asking him
to come over and examine it
in the morning. They had exposed
six steps of a 20’ wide
stairway while Nick watched.
The sandstone blocks were approximately
5’ x 4’ and weighed
about three tons each. The
roadway of Bronxdale Avenue
had been reconstructed circa
1912-13 at which time the tunnel
was fi lled. The only disturbance
to the tunnel was in
1928 when holes were bored
through it for various conduits
to the Borden’s milk plant on
the east side of the avenue. A
school is now under construction
at the old Borden’s site.
For years the question of
whether or not the old tunnel
was backfi lled has fi nally
been answered. Another old
historical poser has been answered
dispelling all rumors
thanks to the vigilance and
diligence of Tom Vasti and
Nick DiBrino along with that
of a very helpful and cooperative
contractor.
REPRINTED FROM 4-29-2010