John Metzner was born on November 14, 1875 in Bavaria, Germany — likely in the town of Trabelsdorf. He and his parents, Georg and Magdalena, came to the United States in 1880. On November 25, 1896 he married Caroline Leyes.

At the time of his marriage, John Metzner worked as a brewer and he and Caroline lived at 129 Moore Street in Brooklyn.

He ran his brewing and bottling business on Forest Avenue, near Metropolitan Avenue, from 1902 until 1912. At that time he lived at 14 Harrison Place and then at 45 Forest Avenue, possibly adjacent to the brewery. He opened “John Metzner’s Café and Bowling Alleys”, located at 1521 Metropolitan Avenue at the corner of Collins Avenue, in 1912, and lived in the rear of the building.

After passage of the Volstead Act in 1919, John Metzner sold the café and went into the real estate and building businesses. At that time he lived at 104 Collins Avenue, which today is 60th Street. He built several houses on Greene Avenue and on Lilac Street (62nd Street).

Sometime after the death of his wife on November 18, 1921, John Metzner moved into a house he built at 6116 Lilac Street (now 62nd Street). In 1921, John Metzner ran for the office of Alderman in the 61st Aldermanic District. Unfortunately he was not elected.

Metzner was a member of Exempt Fireman’s Association of the Town of Newtown. He was an active fireman for 8 years, including 2 years as Foreman, with Metropolitan Engine Company No. 12. Other memberships he held were: Member of Euclid Lodge, F. & A. M., Charter Member of Metropolitan Democratic Club and Metropolitan Benevolent Society, Member of Owls of Ridgewood and Member of the Manhattan Relief Circle.

John and Caroline Metzner had 9 children: John, George, Frederick, Andrew, Adam, Lucy, twins Margaret & Madeline and Caroline. All of the children went to P.S. 71 on Forest Avenue. At the time of his death, John was the Supervisor of Maintenance and Repair at the Queens Borough Public Library. He died on February 2, 1933 and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.