1859-1887 Niagara St. 

Currently BRRALLIANCE Market Square Park 

The northeast corner of Niagara and Amherst St. is currently a vacant lot such owned by the Black Rock Riverside Alliance. One must wonder what might have been there more than 150 years ago.  Well, if you are lucky enough to have some community historians and a local historical society you might be able to get a quick community history lesson. 

The building was built by Ignatz Fornes in the Federal style circa 1860 as a hotel. It was best known as F.F. Phillippbar’s Tavern and brewery. Phillippbar also had a liquor store, and the building was used as a public hall that at one time housed the Black Rock Peace Court. The complex also housed many different businesses over the years included a flour-feed-grain-hay and coal supplier, a doctor’s office, a druggist and various other businesses. It was later called the Park Hotel as the Market Square came to be called Amherst Park. The building was the site of several arson fires in the late 1970’s and was demolished in 1978. We are not sure how NHS acquired it, I believe it was a city owned lot before our block club started the park project, it may have been transferred at that time as we worked with NHS on the project.

 author Scott Glasgow, edits MA Kedron