We go back to the winter of 1957 for this vintage view into downtown Tenafly. The photographer is looking north on West Railroad Avenue from the train tracks. The railroad station is out of the frame to the right.
It was during the post-war housing boom of the 1950s that development in Tenafly really took off. Since the turn of the 20th century growth had been steady, with the population increasing by 1,000 or 2,000 each decade. Then, during the 1950s, the population exploded from 9,600 at the start of the decade to more than 14,000 by the end of it. The borough has stayed at that level ever since.
Still, through all the growth, this little strip on West Railroad Avenue has remained largely unchanged.
Shown at far left, the movie theater—which opened in 1915 and is still operating 105 years later—was showing the film “Battle Hymn” starring heartthrob Rock Hudson and Martha Hyer. Next door, in the building with the columns, was Schmid’s Pharmacy. This building’s exterior has been largely unchanged since it was built in the 1920s. The small building next to the pharmacy was the Office Tavern, owned by Clinton Inn manager Henry Dotson.
