Looming on a corner along Prospect Avenue in the Bronx is a 1905 Neo-Renaissance style apartment building – home to a cornerstone of New York City’s Latin music history.
The triangular Manhanset Building was constructed during a building boom in the Bronx in the early 1900s, which happened after the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) subway was extended from Manhattan in 1904.
Designed by architect James F. Meehan, the six-story stone and brick building is decorated with cornices, stone balconies, and repetitive window embellishments.
Tucked into a ground-floor storefront is Casa Amadeo, antigua (formerly) Casa Hernández. This small space has hosted big names and gained international acclaim in the world of Latin music.
It is also one of the few physically intact spaces representing the heyday of the Bronx Latin music scene.
Current owner Mike Amadeo – a composer, musician, and the son of Puerto Rican composer Titi Amadeo – has owned and operated the store since 1969.
During his decades of business, he has cultivated an international reputation for Casa Amadeo as a premier (and beloved) destination for Latin musicians and music aficionados.
The store’s roots, though, date back to Casa Hernández and owner Victoria Hernández.
Victoria Hernández was one of the earliest female Puerto Rican entrepreneurs in New York City.
Her brother Rafael Hernández is considered one of Latin America’s greatest composers.
Continue reading about Victoria Hernández and Almacenes Hernández and the history of Bronx Latin music scene in a recent essay by the Division for Historic Preservation’s Aine Leader-Nagy in the New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog.
Illustration: Casa Amadeo antigua Casa Hernández (National Register nomination photographer Edwin Pagán (July 2000).
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