The house that Hydrox built

By CHARLES FERRUZZA

Only a handful of grand mansions remain on Armour Boulevard, which was once lined with the homes of the city’s movers and shakers. Meatpacking mogul Kirkland B. Armour lived on the boulevard (which is named for his oldest brother Simeon Armour). Also living on Armour were dentist M.C. Carpenter (father of iconic film star Jean Harlow), Abraham Judah, manager of the Grand Opera House and the legendary bakery giant Jacob Loose.

The 99-year-old mansion — now used as a rental facility for parties and receptions — that was once occupied by Jacob and Ella Loose still stands regally on the once-glamorous boulevard. Ironically, the Loose mansion outlasted one of the greatest innovations of the Sunshine Biscuit Company (the brand name of the products made by the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company): one of the most popular cookies ever, the Hydrox, “America’s first creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookie.”