When northern Richmond Hill was originally sub-divided, the streets were given the names of beautiful, strong trees such as Beech, Willow, Walnut, Oak, Elm, Chestnut, Maple and Cherry.
Some 50 homes that adorn these blocks were built by Andrew (Andreas) Jenson Riis (1869-1936), a Danish immigrant who came to Richmond Hill at age 20 in 1889 from Nyker Bornholm in Denmark. He got his apprentice training by working for the Haugaard Brothers.
Riis employed only Danes, Swedes and Norwegians — people who spoke the same language as he did. His business was located at Railroad Avenue and 117th Street. Railroad Avenue was later upgraded andre-named Babbage Street to give the block abutting the Long island Railroad a classier name to sell homes.
Riis built a beautiful home for his wife, Marie, and sons Edward and Arthur at 85-26 117 St. (The family was not related to Jacob Riis, the reform journalist who lived on nearby 120th Street.)
Marie died suddenly in 1905, and Riis married Stella Asling of Ontario, Canada, who helped raise the two boys. Asling was an author and an early activist in the National American Woman’s Suffrage Association.
Then on Feb. 16, 1936, Riis committed suicide, for no known reason. Stella returned home to Canada and died in 1957 at age 87. Arthur became a successful electrical engineer, moved to Williston Park, LI and passed away in 1968.No further information could be found on Edward.
The Riises are gone, but the large homes Andrew built on 60-by-100-foot plots in Richmond Hill have withstood the test of time. They remain magnificent structures, just about 100 years old.
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