718.939.0647 Office Hours (by appointment): Find Us Mon – Fri: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm www.queenshistoricalsociety.org Museum Hours: 143.35 37th Ave. Flushing, NY 11374 Tues, Sat, Sun: 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

NEWSWORKING TO PRESERVE OUR PAST IN ORDERLETTER TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE FALL 2016

CONTENT Annual Meeting Report

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FALL 2016 | 1 A letter from the Executive Director Branka Duknic

It this age of magnet High Schools the his- that I received all my Education from tory of the schools that are “magnetized” NYC Public Schools. is Lost. “ Here’s s song to her we love The class of June 1956 refused to let Jamaica tried and true. Source of all our tradition die and will be celebrating a dearest aims the school of Red and Blue”. 60th Reunion this October at the Great The school song for Jamaica High School. Neck Inn on October 18th. We have June 1956 was a busy day at the house. celebrated our classmates achievements Both my sister’s graduation from JHS109 and I salute the spirit of those who count and mine from Jamaica was scheduled on Jamaica High School as their Alma Mater. the same day. Diana graduated from the Members of our class have visited the Queens Theater on Jamaica Ave in the Queens Historical Society and they ap- morning and as luck would have it they plaud the effort to preserve our Borough’s split our High School graduating class of History. Alumni from our school have 914 into 2 sections fortunately I graduated distinguished themselves in many walks in the afternoon. I played 3rd Trombone of life and now live here and across the in the High School band which played country . for the ceremony. The selections included I would like to remember the classmates the March from the Prophets by Mey- that made my time at Jamaica and a time erbeer and In a Persian Garden . I went to learn new things, meet new people that from High School to Queens College and I count as friends even today. Patricia B.Sherwod Graduated from there in 1960[BA} 1963 Image Credits: Frank DiStefano {MsED} and a MLS . I take great pride

A Message from Queens Historical Society President Patricia B. Sherwood

Our current exhibit, “Toys and Games Working meetings regarding the From the Attic and Beyond!” has had and Kingsland Roof Replacement project continues to have exposure in community began in the Spring and are continuing. newspapers and television. Thank You We hope that the completion will be done Joseph Brostek for reaching out to the before the end of 2018. press as well as Senior organizations Branka and I attended a Welcome Party and residences. Everyone who comes for John Krawchuk recently. He is the through the doors seems to enjoy the new director of the Historic House Trust. “jogs of memories.” Smiles appear on We are looking forward to him visiting faces and eventually turn into wide grins. our house soon. Kingsland is a member Comments from yesteryear are shared. of the Trust since we are located on Parks Carol Costello has been coaching the staff Property. in the writing of grants for much needed We also met recently with Senator Toby funds. Up to date we received an award Stavisky to ask for State funding. Capital Patricia B.Sherwod from Con Edison. funding is needed to erect an appropriate Image Credits: Anthony O’Reilly Jim Driscoll recently attended an fence and signage for the Moore-Jackson unveiling of a WPA “found mural” at Cemetery. Autumn is here! Frost is in the New York City Health and Hospital The staff and volunteers are working with “ the air. The Queens Historical site on 164th Street. This work of art by the Board every day. New forces are so Society is ever changing and William Palmer had been discovered appreciated and I thank them for their in the basement and now has a place of support and allegiance. also remaining the same. honor in the lobby. Extensive research ” on the artist was conducted by Patrick Thank you for your donations: Branka Duknic, our Executive Director is back Symes. Robert Miller from her maternity leave. She and her husband Mary O’Hara We are in the process of reviewing our Arthur and Millicent O’Meally welcomed a wonderful baby boy into the family site rental agreement. This means of this summer in the moth of June. revenue is very important to us. We Hope to see you at the coming programs. Andrea Zrake has left to investigate new horizons; have to be cognizant of the fact that any P.S. Look for the raffle of the handmade Daniela Addamo is here as Educational Director activity in the museum is a reflection on afghan made by Fran Varon at the and Outreach Coordinator. the mission of our historical house. Holiday Historic House event.

2 | FALL 2016 Public Programing Updates Daniela Addamo

With the start of a new season we are unique histories! Be sure to check the website enthusiastic to begin our newly developed to find out how to purchase tickets. public and educational programs. As The Queens Archaeology Talk, part of our mentioned in the President’s letter, Con lecture series this past summer, has been Edison has just approved a grant for an rescheduled to take place Sunday, October educational project to be facilitated at QHS 23rd with Professor Jim Moore of the Queens called “Now It’s Electric!”. This program College, City University of New York. Along will use strategies and methods that will with this lecture, Professor Moore has assist in the development of knowledge and been involved with QHS and plans to do appreciation for life and the use of power in excavations in Moore-Jackson Cemetery in Colonial America, to the use of electricity the future. in the 20th century and its innovative applications in the 21st century. Engaging in In addition to the “Now It’s Electric” interactive lessons and activities, the student workshop, we have added a brand new will develop skills in communication and workshop in our educational programs creativity. The workshop will feature various called “Victorian Crafts: Silhouette Portraits”. scientists who advanced the discoveries in the This program was inspired by the Victorian field of electrical engineering and physics. History of the Kingsland Homestead and will teach students about popular items of style In the spirit of the holiday season and culture during Victorian times. This is approaching, we are eager to announce our a fun, hands on class that allows students to 29th Annual Holiday Historic House Tour learn as they create their very own silhouette taking place on Sunday, December 11th. This portraits. is a great opportunity to see seven historic houses in Queens and learn about their

What is New in the Collection? Richard Hourahan James Grabow of Morristown, New Jersey has donated many artifacts from his grandparents’ cold water flat in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City. Collectively they recreate the life of hard-working people enduring the Great Depression of the 1930s— kitchen items, sewing materials, clothing, tools, etc. Life was extremely hard—Mr. Grabow has also provided a sobering and sometimes humorous narrative of the family’s life—after-school activities such as shooting rats under the Queens Borough Bridge with an air rifle, after- school work such as plucking rats out of the brine vat at the Heinz Pickle factory at 5 cents per hour and gathering discarded coal from Silvercup Bakery to heat the apartment. These items may be worth very little in monetary terms; however, as history they are a rare instance of material culture evoking a traumatic period of the United States.

Image Credits: Katherine Avalos

FALL 2016 | 3 GROWING UP IN QUEENS

Fran Varon I was born and raised in Bayside, on 201st escape the sweltering heat inside. We kids loved Street, off 42nd Avenue, a dead-end street this. Dinner was over, baths taken, pajamas on, Remembrance of because the tracks of the Port Washington we were allowed to sit outside too, and maybe branch of the railroad ran there. Even though even get to “visit” a friend who was sitting on a Jamaica High School we were half-way up the block, I can still stoop with his or her family two houses away. If Jean C Bartelt remember how the pictures on our kitchen wall we were really lucky, one of the older children vibrated as the trains ran through. I still recall would treat us to a game of “Hide and Seek.” It this age of magnet High Schools the the sounds of the train, but like all city noises, history of the schools that are “magnetized” those sounds just became part of our everyday I think the best side effect of having a park is Lost. “ Here’s s song to her we love across the street was the number of ice cream lives. Jamaica tried and true. Source of all our trucks that arrived throughout each summer dearest aims the school of Red and Blue”. Our street looked typical of many city blocks, day. Every day, three times a day, came Mr. with its multiple family houses sitting closely Softee, Good Humor, and Melody Bar, one of The school song for Jamaica High School. together, narrow, shared driveways that led my favorites. Melody Bar was an independent, June 1956 was a busy day at the house. to parking nightmares, and lots of people. run by my other best friend, “Artie the Ice- Both my sister’s graduation from JHS109 Back then, the families on our block were Cream Man.” If I absolutely needed an ice and mine from Jamaica was scheduled on predominantly Italian, with a smattering of cream sandwich but was short on change, Artie the same day. Diana graduated from the Czech and Irish. But Queens is home to so would front me the money, knowing he could Queens Theater on Jamaica Ave in the many cultures. Today, 201st Street is enjoyed find my parents right across the street. morning and as luck would have it they by the next generation of immigrants; Asian, split our High School graduating class of Western Indian, and Hispanic families now call The dead end afforded its own unique safety 914 into 2 sections fortunately I graduated net for a kid playing outside during the it home. in the afternoon. I played 3rd Trombone summer. We didn’t know it at the time, but in the High School band which played for In retrospect, it was a great place to grow that allowed us some freedoms that may not up. What could be better than having your have been possible otherwise. We could ride the ceremony. The selections included the grammar school right across the street? I would bikes, roller skate, and push our doll carriages March from the Prophets by Meyerbeer rise 20 minutes before line-up in the schoolyard independently; no need for Mom to stope what and In a Persian Garden . I went from High and make it there before the bell rang. My she was doing to watch us. We only needed “to School to Queens College and Graduated classmates ate in the school cafeteria, but I got stay on the block” and we were okay. When we from there in 1960[BA} 1963 {MsED} and to go home for lunch every day, where I knew got “old enough,” maybe 9 or 10 years old, we a MLS . I take great pride that I received all I’d find my mother, sitting in front of the TV set graduated and could walk up the block to the my Education from NYC Public Schools. watching Jeopardy with Art Fleming (Fleming next street, and spend our nickel or dime in was the first announcer, before Alex Trebec took Conlin’s, the neighborhood candy store, owned The class of June 1956 refused to let the reins). by another very dear friend of mine, Mrs. tradition die and will be celebrating a 60th Conlin, who lived in the apartment above the Reunion this October at the Great Neck Right across the street and adjacent to the store. Going to Conlin’s was always an exciting Inn on October 18th. We have celebrated schoolyard was a city park, my park. It had adventure, filled with thoughts about which our classmates achievements and I salute everything a kid could want: swings, a sandbox, gums or candies or maybe even pretzel rods we the spirit of those who count Jamaica High slides, monkey bars (no rubber matting could buy with our precious change. It never School as their Alma Mater. Members underneath back then; you just tried not to got old. of our class have visited the Queens fall), and a working shower right smack in the Historical Society and they applaud the middle of the playground for summer cooling. Today, my niece raises her children in Duchess effort to preserve our Borough’s History. We loved to cover the drain with towels, County, only 90 minutes away from NYC, but Alumni from our school have distinguished creating a little pool to splash around in. One it may as well be another country. Her children of my favorite “friends,” John the Parkee, was get plenty of fresh air and they often spot horses themselves in many walks of life and now always there to talk with in the early summer on the farm across the road, or see deer and live here and across the country . mornings and to dispense all sorts of park rabbits enjoying their grass. It is idyllic for I would like to remember the classmates that toys, as long as you promised to bring them some, but there are no sidewalks to ride bikes made my time at Jamaica and a time to learn back! And throughout those hot, summer days, on, and the children must be driven to the new things, meet new people that I count as playing in the background was the music of The homes of friends if they want to play. I enjoy friends even today. Yankees announcer, excitedly relaying the plays going there for a visit, but Queens is still the that would bring the “Bronx Bombers” another place for me. win. Jean C Bartelt Class of June 1956 In the summer evenings, 201st Street was filled Secretary to the Board of with families sitting on their stoops, partially Queens Historical Society to chat with neighbors but mainly, I think, to

4 | FALL 2016 QUEENS AND THE NEW DEAL

Jim Driscoll

Recently, the Queens Hospital Center, the is very large, nearly 25 feet long and more may have solved that problem. It has a booklet enormous city hospital on 164th Street in than five feet wide. The mural doesn’t pull any published in connection with an exhibition on Jamaica, just north of the Grand Central punches. Some of the people in it are hurting, New Deal art on Long Island that appeared at Parkway, unveiled a New Deal mural in what probably from the Great Depression that was Hofstra University in 1978. The booklet lists seems to be a hallway just off the lobby of the still going strong when the hospital opened in all the known New Deal art in Queens. It says administration build-ing. The artist who did 1935. It was a godsend to have city hospital a that Palmer did the painting in 1934 and that the mural, probably in 1934, was William short trolley ride from downtown Jamaica. it was done for the PWAP. If you really want to Palmer and I think he did a wonderful job as know where the New Deal art is located this is We used to call the old hospital Queens did the hospital crew who restored it. a great place to start. General and it was taken down around 1998. It was actually an unveiling because when This allowed for the building of the new Thanks to research done by Patrick Symes, everyone finished speaking they pulled away hospital now called the Queens Hospital we know that eventually Palmer worked for this large curtain, and some saw the mural Center around 2002. Some of the people at the the WPA-FAP. He was commissioned to for the first time. I had already seen the mural unveiling remember seeing the mural at the paint three post office mu-rals. The WPA on the internet and thought it was dark and old building and are glad to have it back. (Works Project Administration) was probably dreary but when I saw the actual painting I the most famous of the New Deal agencies A couple of times in the ceremony they said was more than pleasantly surprised. and eventually employed a couple of million that Palmer worked for the WPA-FAP. This workers. It had within it a small subdivision It is called “Function of a Hospital” and it may not be true because he painted the called the FAP (Federal Art Project) which tells the story of many who came to the city “Function of a Hospital” in 1934 and WPA com-missioned artists like Palmer. No hospital seeking help. First they are admitted was started in 1935. He may have actually matter who he worked for, the artist proves then they are examined. If they are very ill worked for a forerun-ner of the WPA called to anyone that has seen the mural he is an they may be operated on. The operating room the PWAP (the Public Works of Art Project). exceptional artist in which case I am glad that in all its brightness is shown. This leads to This was started in December of 1933 and was the government put him to work beautifying more examinations and if they are well they shut down in the middle of 1934. A visit to Queens General. are released. The mural tells a great deal and the Queens Archives of the Queens Library Does it Look familiar? If you guessed the Long Island City Courthouse, you are correct !

Originally built in the 1870's, restored and expanded in 1904 after a severe fire, the Courthouse continues to serve as one of the homes for the county' civil term. Known for both exterior and interior ascetics, the Courthouse was rebuilt in a neoclassic style featuring a grand staircase covered in marble. The Courthouse was used as the site for many noteworthy trials including those of Willy Sutton, Ruth Snyder, and Henry Judd Gray. The Courthouse was also used as the setting in Alfred Hitchcock's "the Wrong Man" and Cecil B. deMille's Long Island City Courthouse Image Credits: Woodruff Brown Photography "Manslaughter" and continues as a setting for film and television production today.

FALL 2016 | 5 All programs & exhibits Upcoming Events – Fall 2016 are held at the Queens Archaeology Talk Kingsland Homestead Sunday, October 23 @ 2:30 – 4:30PM unless otherwise noted Professor Jim Moore of the Queens College, City University of New York will be joining Off-street parking available in us at the Queens Historical Society for municipal lot at 37th Ave & Union St. an archaeology of Queens County Talk. Museum Admission: Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor with research interest in European Prehistory, $5 General, Toys & Games From the Attic $3 Seniors/Students, Historical Archaeology, Hunter-Gatherer QHS Members are FREE and Beyond! Studies; focusing on Eastern North America Exhibitions Now on View at QHS Step back into your childhood and experience and Ireland in particular. He has a strong the magic of the toys of yesteryear. Indulge connection with QHS as he has done Days & Times for All Exhibitions: yourself in nostalgia, learn about toys and archaeological surveys at the historic Moore- Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday from games from across the world, and discover Jackson Cemetery in Woodside, and plans to 2:30-4:30 pm toys you’ve never even heard of! The Queens do excavations there in the months ahead. Historical Society presents our newest Exhibitions Now on View at exhibition, Toys & Games From the Attic Holiday Historic House Tour and Beyond! This exhibit features dozens of Sunday, December 11 @1:00 – 5:00PM Queens Historical Society playthings and collectibles -- everything from an antique Chinese pinball game to a Star Celebrate the holiday season with seven Wars collection to the Queens-born Fantastic Queens historic sites and learn about Mr. Machine! Learn about the importance and their unique histories! history of generations of toys and games. On Set your own pace and visit as many sites as view from July 2016 to June 2017. you choose. One ticket is good for all seven sites (The Kingsland Homestead, Voelker Orth House, Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, Friends Meeting House, Flushing Town Hall, the Bowne House, and the Louis Armstrong House Museum). Each historic house offers tours, sponsors activities, and provides refreshments and snacks. Many of the house Kingsland: Past to Present will have musical performances throughout In our main hallway is a refurbished exhibit the day, holiday crafts to make and take, and on the history of the Kingsland Homestead historically-themed seasonal displays and and the family that made it their home for decorations. over 100 years. The six sites are within walking distance. Victorian Parlor Shuttle bus transportation will be available The Kingsland Victorian Room has been between sites. There will be a dedicated shuttle modeled to appear as it would have in the that runs between Flushing Town Hall and the year 1870. This year was chosen because it Louis Armstrong House Museum. represents a traditional period for the Murray family. Ticketing information is available online at: http://hhht2016.eventbrite.com/ Share with us Using #HHHT

Aunt Mary’s Landing Mary King Murray was affectionately referred to as “Aunt Mary” by her family. Aunt Mary resided at Kingsland from 1847 until the 1920s. She is the linchpin in the history of Kingsland and its owners from its construction in 1785 until its sale during Further events will be announced the Depression of the 1930s. Aunt Mary Weeping Beech Park though our social media. saved numerous mementoes from her great Come enjoy nature at work and watch as the grandparents, grandparents, and her parents. buds on the Landmark Weeping Beech tree in Follow as on: Displayed on Aunt Mary’s Landing are these America continue to grow and have their own handed down memories along with other daughters. While here, don’t forget to look for personal items that were part of her everyday the progress of our recently planted New- life from childhood to adulthood. Town-Pippen apple tree.

6 | FALL 2016 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS OR PROFESSION HERE! BANK OF NEW YORK CITY RICHARD GELMAN YOU WOULD REACH HUNDREDS OF READERS! CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER LET US HELP YOU 136 - 29 38TH Ave, Flushing, NY 11354-4112 TEL 718.358.4400 FAX 718.358.4488

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Chapin Home For The Aging Founded in 1869 ...caring in three centuries

165- 01 Chapin Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11432 Tel 718.739.2523 Fax 718.739.4797 Fax 718.291.0989 www.chapinhome.org

QUEENS HISTORICAL SOCIETY SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS MEMBER OF THE QUEENS SITE RENTAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Did you know, you can rent space at the Kingsland Homestead? Both the Kingsland homestead and surrounding Weeping Beech Park are available for weddings, business meetings, bridal shower, children’s parties and other private events. If you are interested in finding out more information on site rentals at the Kingsland Homestead, please contact us at:

Tel: 718.939.0647 Email: [email protected]

FALL 2016 | 7 8 | FALL 2016