Greater Astoria Historical Society

In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late......this is a time for vigorous and positive action. #martinlutherking #peace #socialactivism #civilrights #astorialic

Greater Astoria Historical Society Annual Holiday Party... this year, online!

The Berger Jorisson Tidemill was at Northern Blvd and 41st Ave. and built at some point in the 1640s. The Tidemill was torn down about 1860 and the millstones were displayed in the yard of the Payntar Farmhouse until it was torn down about 1910, at which time the stones were moved to the front sidewalk of the Clocktower Building. A few years ago during the restoration of Queens Plaza, they have moved a few feet away, had holes drilled into them, and were bolted to a base mak...ing them seats or tables. The new location is a few feet from a bus lane on an active street. They have been documented as being tagged with graffiti. Pieces are falling off. Some records claim they are among the earliest surviving artifacts in Queens from the colonial era. Flour barrels are on the NYC Coat of Arms signifying the importance of milling in launching the city's success.

Photo by Mitch Waxman

Lights, Camera, Construction! New and expanded soundstages across the city will help reshape neighborhoods and turn New York into a Hollywood of the east. The long lists of shows displayed on streaming sites, which seem to grow exponentially by the day, serve to tell you what’s on. But in New York City, they also might reveal a bit about the future of your block.... Many of the studios that produced the television series, which have turned New York into a small-screen production hub, are now planning to open new facilities or expand what’s already here, some in parts of the city that have been unfamiliar with such large-scale investment. Fueled by a pandemic-era demand for stay-at-home entertainment, and generous tax breaks, the studios are targeting a range of locations in Queens and Brooklyn, including historic red brick enclaves, working-class sections of the waterfront, and industrial precincts known not for celebrities, but concrete plants. These areas may not look the same for long. Previous developments of soundstages, as these facilities are known because they are designed to be soundproof, have had transformative effects. The creation of Silvercup Studios in a former bread factory in Long Island City in the 1980s, for example, helped turn that part of Queens into a trendy destination. More: https://www.nytimes.com//real/soundstage-nyc-tv-film.html

Due to your #givingtuesday donations we raised almost $600! Our fundraiser goes until the end of the year, so there's still time to make a tax deductible donation or join for as low as $20! See comments for all the ways to donate! #queenslove #queenshistory #queenssupportingqueens #nyc #nychistory #astorianyc #astoriany #astoria #queens #weheartastoria

Queens realty opportunities opened by new transit routes in 1933. Operation of the new municipal subway to Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway is the first step toward rapid transit connection between the north and south sides of Queensborough. When completed to Jamaica it will open up a territory now largely undeveloped, and which, it is estimated, will provide homes for 1 million people. Back in the last century, the late Theodore Steinway, who had moved his piano factory to Qu...eens, conceived the idea of an under-river connection with Manhattan. He secured a franchise and began the construction of the Steinway tunnel, later to be known as Belmont tunnel, from Lexington Avenue and 42nd St. to Long Island City. There was an explosion when the boring reached Blackwell‘s island and work ceased for many years until the franchise was purchased by August Belmont, then head of the Interboro Company. The tunnel was completed in October 1907, and then arose a question as to the validity of the franchise. For seven years the case was fought through the courts and Mr. Belmont finally won. In the meantime the situation was changed and it was decided to make this a feeder for the subway system in Manhattan. The first train ran to Fifth Street, Long Island City, on June 22, 1915. When the Queens Boulevard line is completed to 178th St., Jamaica, it will not only connect the north and south sides of the borough, an important point in the development of Queens, but it will also give a large part of the borough through service to downtown Manhattan. The north side of queens will then have the benefit of the services of three lines the Independent, Interboro and Brooklyn-Manhattan, as the lines cross at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway. From the present temporary terminus at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway, the line will be extended as rapidly as possible to 178th St. in Hillside Avenue, Jamaica. Actual construction including tunnel work, station finish and tracking is practically complete, and all that remains to be done is the installation of the necessary operating equipment, such as power, lighting, ventilation and drainage. New York Times excerpt, August 20, 1933 Sepia photos: Aerial view of the route of the Queens Boulevard line and the Triangle Building subway entrance at Broadway and Roosevelt Avenue: NY Times, August 20, 1933 Color photo: The same location from 2020 Google Maps Street View The Victor Moore Arcade bus terminal adjacent to the subway entrance from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man, 1956, filmed on location in Jackson Heights and on the Independent line.

Mott Haven, the southernmost Bronx neighborhood, is a fascinating amalgamation of factories including NYC’s foremost ironworks; monuments; and interesting residential architecture. NYC’s colonial past stands side by side here with Robert Moses’ expressways. Take a one-hour tour of this fascinating neighborhood with narration by FNY’s Kevin Walsh and Bob Singleton of Greater Astoria Historical Society. WHEN: Thursday, December 3, 7 PM WHERE: Your device... HOW MUCH: Free of charge HOW LONG: approximately 1 hour TERRAIN: flat, depending on how well you have swept the floor RSVP: by 5:30 pm the day of the event (Thursday 12/03) with the subject line MOTTHAVEN to [email protected]. You will then be sent a Zoom link for admittance.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my followers on this history page! Better times are ahead for sure! Stay safe, wear your mask: don’t be a jive turkey! - Fred Hadley