This branch of the Red Cross received a rehabilitation honorable mention for this simple brick box fronted by an oversized Colonial Revival white columned entrance portico. The six over six sash windows and the doorway with broken pediment surround added to the historicist design. It has been replaced by a large brick apartment building.
When built Silver Tower was the tallest residential building on Long Island. Today it’s not even the tallest building nearby (which goes to Court Plaza of 1974), but it still largely dominates low rise Kew Gardens. The building is not silver but rather white brick with vertical accents of grey brick. The base is a glossy black granite. The tower rises 16 floors initially and then another 11 as a setback tower. While not an elegant design, the building speaks to the continued market for apartments with the latest amenities during this time.
The Schine Inn was part of the major Schine empire of theaters and hotels across the country, only of a few of which were named Schine Inns, most notably in Massena, NY and Chicopee, MA. In 1966, just five years after the Forest Hills location opened, the chain changed hands and it is unclear if this location lasted beyond then. Today it is a senior living facility and remains recognizable architecturally despite the loss of an undulating entrance awning. The brick-faced buildings also include stone veneer details and enamel panels. The architects were local and known for large brick apartment towers, so the design here is much less striking than some of the other Schine branches.
The Toy & Novelty Workers building is a two-story complex of beige brick with striking decorative elements of sky blue enamel panels and a yellow metal decorative screen. The original signage remains on the building but it seems to house a daycare center now. It is a fitting repurposing of a toy-making union and the decorative details harmonize well with the playground equipment now present in the entrance courtyard.
One of two Armor facilities to be honored, this is the much larger plant that encompasses an entire block (the other building is a tiny administrative showroom in Long Island City). The 70,000 square foot building is two-stories of orange brick and a prominent entrance of aluminum and enamel panels. Originally these panels were turquoise but have since been replaced with brown. The front of the building houses offices and executive spaces on two floors, while the rear of the facility is the same height but all one level of factory space with clerestory windows.