Colony Inn, ca.1910.

The buildings that housed the Colony Inn during the first few decades of the 20th century were originally constructed in the early 19th century as farm houses when the area was still rural. After the Civil War, Flatbush Avenue became a commercial thoroughfare, as well as a fashionable location for new large homes, interspersed with the older wood-frame structures.

The Colony Inn was opened in 1910 by Charles F. Heineman. Heineman was a dry goods dealer and an investor in many ventures including horse racing, car racing, and real estate.

The popular Colony Inn was a hotel and restaurant. Heineman was very involved in fundraising efforts during and after World War I, hosting events that generated money for the war relief, the Salvation Army, and veteran's services.

The end of the Colony Inn is shrouded in some mystery. References to the place end in 1924. (Most of these newspaper references are advertisements for African American service workers; the Colony only hired African American maids, porters, cooks, and waiters.) During the 1920s this stretch of Flatbush Avenue was lined with the construction of five and six-story apartment houses with ground floor retail spaces. The Colony Inn was likely closed and demolished to make way for one of these buildings.