The Panhellenic House, postmarked 1929.
If you’re ever in New York City, near the United Nations Building, you might notice to the north a small hotel called the Beekman Tower. Its official address is 3 Mitchell Place, but it really is on the corner of 49th Street and 1st Avenue. If you look closely you can see Greek letters in blocks surrounding the door. These blocks harken to the hotel’s Panhellenic history.
The history of the hotel can be traced to the 1920s, before there was even a subway station in the area. The New York City Panhellenic Association, an organization for the alumnae of the National Panehllenic Conference sororities, was formed in 1920. World War I was over and many college women were coming to New York City to pursue careers. Finding affordable and safe housing was a problem. The Panhellenic House Association, Inc. was organized in 1922, with a Board of Directors composed of representatives of the twenty participating sororities. Their goal was to obtain affordable and gracious accommodations for the single sorority women of New York City.
Monogram on a demitasse spoon from the Panhellenic House
Back of a Panhellenic House demitasse spoon
To read and see more about the Panhellenic House and Beekman Tower (Panhellenic) click on the link below.
https://www.franbecque.com/panhellenic-house-to-beekman-tower-panhellenic-to-beekman-tower-hotel/
Back of fork from the Beekman Tower Hotel. The front of the fork is plain.
