Sunday, September 1, 2013

Breaking: Machpelah office building demolished?

I hate to interrupt our special Labor Day weekend celebration of Marie Hinson, but AbandonedNYC reports that the old office building at Machpelah Cemetery in Queens has been demolished. Houdini's family plot sits just in front of this building. Here's what the site recently posted on Facebook:

I got an email from someone who lived nearby and had a relative buried at Machpelah that the place had been leveled. I wasn't able to find any mention of it online either, but the tip seemed reliable. Has anyone been by the cemetery to confirm?

It's shame to lose this unique building erected in 1928. But it has been abandoned for years and was probably in danger of falling down by itself. Also, it was not there when Houdini selected and erected his family plot, so maybe he wouldn't have liked having the cemetery office so close to his final resting place.

One thing is for sure, Houdini's grave will now be clearly visible from the street. Wave to Harry as you pass by!

For more photos of the (former) Machpelah Cemetery office building, visit AbandonedNYC. And if someone could supply me with a photo of what the site looks like now, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to Tom Interval for the alert.

UPDATE: Our good friend Colleen from Queens has confirmed that the building has indeed been demolished:

"The building absolutely was torn down. I was at the plot last Tuesday and there was a back-hoe moving piles of dirt and cement where the building used to be. I didn't take a pic of the mess but I was rather shocked. Everything seemed normal at Houdini's plot."

Thanks Colleen.

UPDATE 2: Click here for photos of the new Machpelah.

4 comments:

  1. He all ways want to be in front so people can see hlm.

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  2. I went to the cemetery today. The entire building is gone, just dirt. I pulled my car just into the driveway where there was a mass of just dirt. Houdini's grave is untouched and be easily accessed by foot. I took pictures.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the pics. It looks so different! I will share these later in the week.

      Delete

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