From
Oct 23, 1951, page 34 - The Herald-News at Newspapers.com:
513Matthew WeinsteinMatthew (Matt) Weinstein, the operator of The Barn, Wyckoff Tavern, died yesterday in Barnert Hospital, Paterson. He entered the institution on Saturday. His home was at 359 Sicomac Road, Wyckoft. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Frances Bates Weinstein; a daughter, Mrs. Charles (Lillian) Siwaci, of Wyckoff; two sons, Matthew, of Lakeland, Fla., and Robert, of Wyckoff; a brother, Benjamin, of Ridgewood, and two sisters, Ida, of Passaic, and Alice, of Ridgewood.
From
Oct 25, 1951, page 1 - The News at Newspapers.com:
514Matt Weinstein DiesWYCKOFF — Death came suddenly Monday morning to Matthew Weinstein of 359 Sicomac Avenue, beloved proprietor of The Barn. He died at the age of 68 at Barnert Hospital, where he was taken on Saturday.
From a wide area, this week came messages of condolence to the Weinstein family and tributes to “Matt,” who moved to Wyckoff in 1924 and, over the span of years, won countless friends with his genial hospitality and winning personality. Characteristic of the esteem in which he was held was the remark by Mayor Roger Van Blarcom, “There was only one Matt; they don’t come any better.”
Funeral services will be held today at 2 o'clock at the Richardson Chapel, Market Street, and E. 23rd Street, Paterson, with Rabbi Ahron Opher officiating. Burial will follow in Cedar Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Weinstein's reputation in Wyckoff was built upon his warm grace at his famed Barn, the 170-year-old frame building he transferred into a tavern and restaurant in 1929. A friendly welcome was always given to those who stopped to sample Matt’s matchless steaks. He was proud of the fact that The Barn’s guest register read like a list of Who’s Who, containing names of stage celebrities, notables of the worlds of business and government, and foreign diplomats.
Habitues of The Barn claim no one could equal Matt’s skill as a chef or host. He received great pleasure in supervising beefsteak dinners and clambakes, proud that his food was the best. When he established The Barn, he retained the rustic atmosphere of the ancient building. Its interior is described thusly in the “Story of Wyckoff:”
“A favorite rendezvous, the tavern owes its appeal to its genuine barn-like atmosphere. Still visible are the ancient hand-hewn beams and hand-split shingles pinned together with wooden pegs, and around the walls hang kerosene lanterns, oxen yokes, feed bags, and butter churns. Cow stalls serve as drinking nooks, and the bar is part of an old milk wagon.”
Many of his Wyckoff friends did not know Mr. Weinstein was one of Paterson’s pioneer automobile dealers before moving here. He established the Eastside Garage on Williams Street in 1908 and, five years later, erected the City Hall Garage on Union Street. In 1915, he opened the Model Garage on the present Alexander Hamilton Garage site. He later engineered the construction of this latter garage and erected a building at 1000 Market Street, the location of a present Pontiac dealer.
He was an active member of the New York City Elks Lodge and was an organizer of the Peg Club, a branch of the Paterson Elks Club. Last week at the annual Elks dinner, he was host to Mayor Van Blarcom and Township Committeeman Jacob Flaker.
Mr. Weinstein was a Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce charter member and one of its most active supporters. At the Chamber meeting Tuesday night, members stood in silent tribute to Matt and sent an appropriate floral piece to the funeral home. Another who gave warm tribute was Mayor Louis Bay II of Hawthorne, a close friend for many years who assisted the family with funeral arrangements.
Surviving are his wife, the former Frances A. Bates; one daughter, Lillian Marguerite, the wife of Charles Sawicki of Worcester, Mass.; two sons, Matthew Francis Weinstein of Lakeland, Fla., and Robert Curtis Weinstein of Wyckoff; one brother, Benjamin Weinstein of Ridgewood; and two sisters, Ida of Passaic and Alice of Ridgewood.