Madison Avenue Armory a homebase of New York Hussars

Madison Avenue Armory

In  1884  a  group of eighteen  wealthy  young equestrians   established  a  club. First it was political club, but lately it became an exclusive troop cavalry. The group named themselves   New York Hussars. Hassars  had a fancy blue uniform that Eurasian fashions dating back to the Napoleonic and Crimean Wars. Uniform consisted  of    black lambskin covered Busby with a cavalry yellow kolpak and crossed sabre insignia. 


Hossars  were frequently called for duty to provide escorts for Presidents and other notables visiting New York City.
 Later they were renamed  Squadron A and became more professional and militarized.

53 of their members inducted into the New York National Guard in 1889. During the Spanish-American War Squadron A served in Puerto Rico and during WWI members of Squadron A earned 3 Medals of Honor, 17 Legions of Honor and 24 Croix de Guerre.
In January, 1941, some 11 months before Pearl Harbor, the Squadron was federalized as the 101st Cavalry with two troops becoming mechanized and one remaining horse.

Today, Squadron A Association has 700 members worldwide who continue to preserve and forward the traditions, memory and contributions of Squadron A and the Horse Cavalry. Now  The Squadron A Association maintains offices and a squad room at the Women’s National Republican Club, just off Fifth Ave.

Madison Avenue Armory that occupy the whole block between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue, between 94th and 95th Street was a home base of Squadron A.


Armories were once very important landmarks in the city. Not many complete armories remain, the most famous being the Seventh Regiment Armory on the west side of Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Street, and the 1851 State Arsenal Building on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street that is now the headquarters of the New York City Department of Parks.

The building was built in 1895 and  was designed to resemble a 14th-century French fortress with square towers, rounded turrets and a crenellated parapet.
  Western part of  Madison Avenue Armory was demolished in the 1960s.



 In    1966 exterior was designated a landmark and in 1972 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. When it was taken over by Hunter to serve as their middle and high school for girls it was  referred to as the "Brick Prison".

 In 1974 a lawsuit was won and the all girl school became coed.  It is now one of the best public school's in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.

 On the wall by the entrance on Madison Avenue are the words, Boutez En Avant, the battle cry of the original armory, meaning, Charge!