Abraham Salkowitz

Abraham Harold Salkowitz
BornNovember 17, 1908
The Bronx, New York
DiedJanuary 7, 1998(1998-01-07) (aged 89)
New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArchitect
Years active20th century
Notable workLake Success Shopping Center
North Shore Towers
SpouseFae
Children4

Abraham H. Salkowitz (known professionally as A.H. Salkowitz; November 17, 1908 – January 7, 1998) was an American architect, best known for his work throughout the New York metropolitan area – specifically in Queens in New York City, and in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. He is credited as being one of the key architectural figures in the suburbanization of Long Island.[1]

Biography and career

Abraham Harold Salkowitz was born in the Bronx, New York, on November 17, 1908.[1] He attended the Hebrew Technical Institute and the New York Building School, as well as City College of New York.[2] Salkowitz also studied architecture at New York University, but he dropped out of the school before finishing his degree.[1] He soon thereafter began working for a Queens architect, Joseph Unger, before opening his practice in 1936.[1][3][4]

Salkowitz primarily worked on residential architectural projects in Queens up until about 1950. It was about this time when he began also designing commercial buildings, shopping centers, and synagogues – and expanding into Nassau and Suffolk Counties.[1]

In the early 1950s, Salkowitz designed the houses for the 150-home Westwood at Roslyn development in East Hills, New York, located on land previously occupied by the Schumaker Farm; he would eventually move into one of those homes: 151 Westwood Circle.[5][6] In 1952, he designed 515 homes for the 120-acre (49 ha) Southwood-at-Syosset housing development, off South Oyster Bay Road in Syosset, New York.[7]

In 1953, Salkowitz designed the 20-acre (8.1 ha) Lake Success Shopping Center in North New Hyde Park, New York; it was completed in 1956.[1][8][9]

In the mid-1950s Salkowitz designed the houses in the Cherrywood Homes development in Manhasset Hills, New York.[10] This development was built on a 24-acre (9.7 ha) tract by Barney and Martin Spiegel, consisting of 88 split-level houses, and was constructed on one of the last remaining major, undeveloped tracts of land available in Manhasset Hills.[10]

Salkowitz, along with his partner, Carl Heimberger, designed the North Shore Towers in Glen Oaks, Queens, in 1971.[11][12]

In 1988, Salkowitz closed his firm. Heimberger continued working as an architect, eventually founding Heimberger & Seidman.[1][13]

Death

Salkowitz died on January 7, 1998, aged 89.[1][14]

Personal life

Salkowitz was Jewish and was a member of Temple Beth Sholom in East Hills, New York, which he designed.[1] He was married to his wife, Fae, who predeceased him. They had four children and several grandchildren.[15] For many years, they lived at 151 Westwood Circle in East Hills – a home which he designed as part of the Westwood at Roslyn development.[3]

Notable works

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "A.H. Salkowitz | Queens Modern". queensmodern.com. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  2. ^ "HEBREW INSTITUTE GIVES 116 DIPLOMAS; Exercises Include Motion Pictures of School and Display of Student Electrical Apparatus". The New York Times. June 5, 1925. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  3. ^ a b Records & Briefs, New York State Appellate Division. Appeals, New York (State) Court of. 1965. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  4. ^ "AIA Directory of American Architects" (PDF). American Institute of Architects. 1970.
  5. ^ "PLANS 150 HOUSES ON ROSLYN TRACT; Builders to Offer Ranch Style With Three Bedrooms--Great Neck Section Opens". The New York Times. May 28, 1950. p. 160. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  6. ^ "150 RANCH HOUSES BOUGHT IN ROSLYN; Lane Realty Reports More Than Half of Group Sold in Westwood". The New York Times. July 9, 1950. pp. R6. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  7. ^ "HOUSES AT $9,990 OPENED IN SYOSSET: Warfield and Tarlofsky Using New Materials and Methods in 515-Family Project HOUSES AT $9,990 OPENED IN SYOSSET". The New York Times. July 6, 1952. pp. W1 – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ a b "BIG NASSAU STORE FOR NAMM-LOESER: Lease Taken for 42 Years at 20-Acre Shopping Center in Lake Success Area NEAR THE SPERRY PLANT Peck and Shactman Sponsoring Union Turnpike Project -Parking for 1,500 Cars". The New York Times. December 27, 1953. pp. R1 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ a b Appeals, New York (State) Court of (1955). New York Court of Appeals. Records and Briefs.
  10. ^ a b "BUILDERS ON L.I. PLAN NEW HOMES; Manhasset Hills Tract to Be Site of 88 Split-Levels in the $24,990 Price Class". The New York Times. 1957-05-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  11. ^ a b Hadley, Fred (August 2015). "Architect's NST Site Plan". Tower Times. Vol. 20, no. 8. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-01 – via issuu.com.
  12. ^ Oser, Alan S. (June 11, 1976). "About Real Estate; North Shore's Monument to Superluxury". The New York Times. p. 20. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  13. ^ Shaman, Diana (November 22, 1998). "Commercial Property / Long Island; Demand Spurs Construction of Spec Office Buildings". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  14. ^ "Salkowitz, Abraham". The New York Times. January 7, 1998. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  15. ^ "Salkowitz, Fae". The New York Times. November 30, 1997. Retrieved 2024-04-01.