Hidden gem of Riverdale: The Old Guard of the City of New York

I wanted to be part of a military tradition. I think it’s an honor to serve this country.”

George Sheinkopf, Commandant of the Old Guard of New York City

On a chilly Saturday morning, Vice Commandant Harold Dworetzky raised the Old Guard flag outside of an unassuming house at 485 W. 246th St. – the only indication to the public of what lies inside the Old Guard of the City of New York. 

Formed in 1868 after the New York Light Guard and the New York City Guard joined forces, the veteran’s organization houses the largest collection of historical artifacts in the Bronx and the lower Hudson Valley. 

Membership has dwindled significantly since the 1950s when they had 200 members and a long wait list of veterans. Currently, their membership stands at 40 members. 

“It was such a big deal in those years to be a member of the Old Guard. It’s a status,” ​​George Sheinkopf said, the commandant (officer in charge) of the Old Guard.

Sheinkopf has has been a member for 15 years andmember for the last three years. He wants people to learn about the legacy of the Old Guard and invite more veterans to join the organization. 

He spoke of the history of the Old Guard wistfully, admiring the drawings and photos taken at the organization’s Annual Military Ball, a tradition with more than a century of history. The last ball was held in 2018, but Sheinkopf said the event will resume this year. 

The headquarters of the Old Guard were originally located in Manhattan at 307 W. 91st St. In 2019, the property was sold and the group relocated to its current Riverdale location. Since the move, Dworetzky has overseen all the organization’s historical artifacts dating back to the Civil War. 

The three floors of the Old Guard featured display cases with handcrafted work and walls covered in framed artwork of past members and events. Items included a book filled with copies of landscape etchings made with copper plates by Union soldier Edwin Forbes during the Civil War. The organization also owns several logbooks, one of which served as a guest sign-in from 1874 through 1877 and boasts the signature of Ulysses S. Grant, the General of the Army in 1866 and 18th president of the U.S. 

The top two floors include the classic Old Guard uniforms featuring a white coat with blue details and gold buttons, blue pants and a Bearskin Shako -- a tall fur hat. 

“All of this is because of his initiative,” Sheinkopf said of Dworetzky, “He's putting this together to make this into a museum.”

On the top floor, an array of inoperable firearms are displayed, including an 1864 Joslyn Carbine Model with a single-shot system. Another display case held weapons designed after the invention of the Colt pistol in 1831, using the pistol’s revolver-style design to advance weapon use by giving soldiers the ability to fire multiple shots without reloading ammunition. The basement boasts two racks of muskets dating from 1861 to 1864, intact with bayonets. 

While Sheinkopf handles the business of the Old Guard, he maintains his role as Police Chief of the New York City Human Resources Administration. 

While receiving his bachelor’s in political science at Fordham University, Sheinkopf joined the Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and joined the military in 1981. 

Despite not seeing active combat in his four years of service, Sheinkopf said he was grateful for his time in the service because it enabled him to give back. 

“I have tremendous respect for people who served in combat,” Sheinkopf said. 

He referred to his Vice Commandant Dworetzky and his active combat service. 

Before Dworetzky saw active combat he grew up in the Bronx, graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School. After graduating he said he couldn’t find a job and went to the draft board and asked to be drafted. 

Dworetzky served three years as a machine gun operator in the Korean War (1950-1953). During active duty, he served in three separate infantry units and was relocated each time to compensate for the lack of fellow servicemen who died in combat.

“Somehow I didn’t get wounded or killed,” Dworetzky said. 

After completing his active duty, Dworetzky returned to New York in 1953 and opened an auto repair business while earning his college degree, first an associate’s degree in automotive engineering from SUNY Morrisville and later a bachelor’s in education from SUNY Oswego. For 38 years he worked in education as superintendent of schools in Pennsylvania. 

Dworetzky is also a member of several veterans’s organizations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Westchester County Jewish War Veterans and the Yonkers Central Committee of Veterans Organizations. 

“I’m not a person to stand still,” Dworetzky said. 

For Dworetzky and Sheinkopf, being involved in veterans’ organizations helps keep their stories and traditions alive.

“I wanted to be part of a military tradition,” Sheinkopf said, “I think it’s an honor to serve this country.”

To schedule a tour, call the Old Guard at (516) 502-5696.