Save The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium: Landmark Letter Campaign for An International Icon!‏

Please take a few minutes to help preserve the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, an IMMINENTLY ENDANGERED AMERICAN & INTERNATIONAL ICON. 

Classic postcard of a classic! LANDMARK or the dumpster?

  

The Problem....

Remember the 1963 demolition of Penn Station as New Yorkers watched in awe? You may be too young, but you get the picture. That led to the establishment of the Landmarks Law in 1965, to prevent further demolition of our landmarks that read NY all over it. The difference here is that the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium reads more than NY! After a vote on August 19th by a percentage of West Side Tennis Club members with voting rights, the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium may be sold to a developer, who will likely demolish it for a residential development. The greater public, who the Stadium was built for, will be excluded from the voting process. Wouldn't it be wise and more reputable for the WSTC to keep the Stadium or sell it to a reputable developer who will value,  restore, & adaptively reuse an International icon? Will this be Queens' Penn Station? Whether you are or aren't a WSTC member, there are ways that the "greater public" can still take action to defend an ICON!

Lookout below for 2 urgent routes towards preservation 

~ OR~

A prime facet of history will be gone forever!

 Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Significance....

The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is truly an American & International icon in terms of tennis, musically, and architecturally. It was the first concrete stadium of its type in the country, and was referred to as the "World Capital of Tennis." Some prominent tennis players included Bill Tilden, Helen Wills, Althea Gibson, and Arthur Ashe. The facade is embellished with eagles, shields bearing the West Side Tennis Club logo, and grand historic archways. It was the home to the U.S. Open, singles championships, Wrightman Cup, Davis Cup, and a number of firsts in tennis history. It was also home to music festivals starring Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Diana Ross, Judy Garland, Trini Lopez, The Who, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, The Monkees, etc. A key scene in "Strangers On A Train" (1951) by Alfred Hitchcock took place at the Stadium. The Tudor Clubhouse dates to 1913 (Famed Architect Grosvenor Atterbury & John Almay Tompkins), and the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium dates to 1923 (Famed Architect Kenneth M. Murchison). The West Side Tennis Club helped establish the sport of tennis in the U.S. Forest Hills is known for tennis, and tennis is known for Forest Hills. Sadly, the West Side Tennis Club has neglected an icon, letting it sit somewhat abandoned, after the U.S. Open needed a larger space than 14,000 seats in the late 70s, and the WSTC did not promote it as much for music festivals or smaller matches. Photos, memorabilia, history: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157607136282297/

ROUTE #1 - HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE AN ICON:

 *URGENT LETTER CAMPAIGN

Based on the above significance and your own sentiments, please write a letter supporting landmark status to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Clubhouse, interiors, and grounds should be calendared for a public hearing ASAP. If restored and adaptively reused for smaller concerts and smaller tennis matches, it would enhance the appeal of the neighborhood, and preserve a historic icon. Jet Blue can be a sponsor. Breathable space is prime, and we do not need typical condos in a neighborhood accustomed to overdevelopment. City Landmarking will preserve the historic Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Clubhouse, grounds, & interiors for future generations to cherish, increase the chances of funding for repairs, and ultimately enhance our quality of life.

Please e-mail the Landmarks Preservation Commission a letter requesting landmark status ASAP. It can be brief, yet meaningful. 

CONTACT:

- LPC Chair Robert Tierney: rtierney@lpc.nyc.gov
- LPC Dir of Research Mary Beth Betts: mbetts@lpc.nyc.gov
- LPC General mailbox: comments@lpc.nyc.gov 
- LPC Exec. Dir. Kate Daly: kdaly@lpc.nyc.gov   
- Rego-Forest Preservation Council Chair Michael Perlman: unlockthevault@hotmail.com 
 

ROUTE #2 - HOW YOU CAN HELP PRESERVE AN ICON:

Inform any contacts (members) that you know of at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to vote against the plan to sell the historic Stadium to a developer, who will very likely demolish it for a condo. Keep in mind that the vote to sell the stadium is slated for August 19th, which follows the informational meeting at the West Side Tennis Club (1 Tennis Place, Forest Hills, NY) on August 10th.

Please help by composing a brief letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and also forward this preservation campaign posting to all your contacts. Time is of the essence!

Thank you,

- Michael Perlman
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
unlockthevault@hotmail.com

The Stadium hosted annual music festivals, attracting thousands. Still have those ticket stubs?

Althea Gibson: 1st African American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour, & 1st to win a Grand Slam title in '56. 

Vintage magazine explains how the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is the heart of the West Side Tennis Club!

Jorissen Millstones Endangered: Request For Rightful Preservation & Landmarking!

Rego-Forest Preservation Council expands its horizons beyond the immediate vicinity of Rego Park and Forest Hills, and acknowledges the broad picture of what shaped historic Queens, and how Queens' early history impacts and enhances our quality of lives in modern day Queens. We proudly join our neighbors in solidarity, calling on the rightful preservation of the Jorrisen Millstones, which remains at risk in Queens Plaza, Long Island City. Action by the citizens, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and all responsible city agencies and elected officials is requested.....

The following press release is courtesy of the Greater Astoria Historical Society. Information is from James Riker’s Annals of Newtown (1852) and personal recollections of the Payntar Family. The Payntar Family, and some professional organizations including Rego-Forest Preservation Council, HDC, as well as the Queens Borough historian, have gone on record supporting GAHS efforts to preserve the millstones.

Jorrisen’s Mill, built between 1643 and 1654, was the first tidal mill in western Queens. It was powered by ditch, called Berger’s Sluice, which ran just east of Northern Boulevard between 40 Road and 48^th Street. The backbreaking work of grinding wheat and sifting flour was generally done by African–American labor.

We have a fairly clear record of ownership: Parcell, Bragaw, Polhemus, and Ryerson to the Payntar family which bought the mill in 1831. The mill and mill pond remained to 1861, when the Long Island Railroad drove tracks through the area obliterating the location. The Payntar family rescued the millstones and placed them in front of their home on Jackson Avenue some 300 feet north of Queens Plaza.

About the time when the home was torn down in 1913, the stones were transferred to the plaza in front of the Long Island Savings Bank at 41^st Avenue and Queens Plaza North. A postcard from about 1925 shows tall light fixtures with circular bases that seem to resemble the stones.

When the Queens Plaza subway station was built (about 1930) the stones were again temporarily moved, this time to a nearby flower bed. A photo in a booklet published by the Long Island Savings Bank in the 1940s shows the millstones embedded in a traffic island where they remained until late last year. The booklet shows them, at that time, to be in pristine condition.

The historical society has inspected the millstones for over 25 years and has noticed exposure to vandalism, the rigors of the elements, which is a marked deterioration in the last decade. Their centers eroded (someone dumped asphalt in them.) One was cracked. As early as 2001, we went on record with the New York Times expressing our concerns.

As part of the multimillion dollar renovation of Queens Plaza by the NY City Planning and the NYS Economic Development Corporation, the millstones are to be moved to the center of the plaza and mounted to pedestals with four pins drilled through them. Their centers are to be filled with gout. In that location they will be exposed to the vibrations of one of the most congested traffic hubs in New York (elevated, subway, and vehicular).  Their planned siting, next to a bike lane, is not safe. Deserted at night, they be will exposed to vandalism. They will be subject to road salt and weathering.

An application for designation to NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, who called them ‘decorative sidewalks,’ was rejected. They are sitting in crates with large signs designating them as ‘Historic Objects Under Study.’

Custom holds them to be the oldest surviving European artifacts in Queens! Some claim they arrived on a West Indian merchantman. The design on their face is late (perhaps early 19^th century.) The millstones are either replacements, or originals with their faces rescored.  Even if not original, they are still remnants of a 17^th century mill.

The Greater Astoria Historical Society is seeking support to temporarily house them in our museum, to retain experts to study them to determine their origin and age, and to place them on exhibit for the community until an appropriate permanent local interior space is found. The historical society, with the professional expertise to house the artifacts in a secure location, would make them available twice as many hours as an alternative proposal, a branch of the cash-strapped Queens Borough Public Library.

Please sign & comment on the petition to preserve the Jorissen Millstones, and inform your friends and family to do the same:  http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/licmillstones/

For more information, contact the Greater Astoria Historical Society at (718) 278-0700 and http://www.astorialic.org

From Homes To Art Deco Shops, 63rd Dr, Rego Park, Spring 1949

Homes Yield to shops on 63rd Drive in Rego Park

By Historian Ron Marzlock, Queens Chronicle & Rego-Forest Preservation Council Blog contributor

From June 3, 2010 "I Have Often Walked" column

Art Deco shops which took the place of private homes on 63rd Drive between Booth and Saunders streets, in the spring of 1949.

In Rego Park, 63rd Drive was the shopping district that was never meant to be, but was in the end. It and 66th Avenue, formerly White Pot Road, are the two oldest roads in Rego Park, dating to Revolutionary War days. What’s now 63rd Drive, had been known as Remsen Lane, named for the family of Col. Jeromus Remsen, who won fame during the Revolution at the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn. The patriots lost that 1776 melee, leaving the British in control of New York City for the rest of the conflict. The descendants of the Remsen family still owned property on 63rd Drive as late as 1900. 

There were 10 different Remsen streets, roads and avenues scattered throughout Queens until 1913, when the borough largely changed over to numbered streets. Remsen Place in Maspeth still exists.

When Rego Park was originally developed in 1925, 63rd Drive was planned to be a quiet residential street. A row of 10 homes was built on its west side between Booth and Saunders streets. The shopping district was on Eliot Avenue and Queens Boulevard. But it was announced as early as 1942 that the Queens Midtown Highway, later named the Long Island Expressway, would be coming directly through the spot where the stores were. Their destruction began in 1954. 

Anticipating the need for a replacement strip, Robert E. Hill, Inc. of the Bronx wisely bought the homes on 63rd Drive in 1947 to build stores in their place. One house that escaped, just visible on the left of this photo, was demolished later. The strip has been a major shopping mecca for Rego Park residents ever since. 

Calling Volunteers for Membership Drive at June 13th Forest Hills Festival of The Arts

The 10th Bi-Annual Forest Hills Festival of The Arts will be on Sun, June 13th from 10 AM - 6 PM, and situated on Austin St between 69th Rd & 72nd Rd. Happy Birthday!

If you would like to volunteer for Rego-Forest Preservation Council's free membership drive, e-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com where you can present our sign-up form to locals. You will be recognized for your contribution. You can also assist us anytime year-round at your convenience.


The Rego-Forest Preservation Council Sign-Up Form to download: 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/4678330726/sizes/l/

It's always proud to see the neighborhood coming together, as well as former residents paying a visit. There will be food, music, crafts, great bargains, children's games, and much more! Many booths are local businesses. It is sponsored by the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, and held in the spring and fall.

These are photos from prior years...

Oct 4, 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157623387356677/
June 14, 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157619729342877/
June 8, 2008: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157605505830054/

History of Duggan's Pond, Rego Park

From A Filthy Swale To A Swell Spot To Rest

By Historian Ron Marzlock, Queens Chronicle & Rego-Forest Preservation Council Blog contributor

From May 20, 2010 "I Have Often Walked" column

The former Duggan’s Pond at Woodhaven Boulevard and 63rd Drive, Rego Park in October 1938, after the city cleaned it up.

Duggan’s Pond — not really a pond at all but a trash-filled mud hole — was located at the corner of 63rd Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard. It occupied an oddly shaped triangle at a corner where Rego Park meets Middle Village. The so-called pond filled up when it rained and also was used as a popular dumping spot.

The city had acquired the site on Nov 11, 1920 from the Matawok Land Company for use by the Parks Department. It went downhill from there.

On May 27, 1931 the Rego Park Democratic Club sent a letter to the Queens health commissioner requesting that the depression be filled up immediately due to safety and health hazards. The city complied, leveling the ground and leaving the hundreds of discarded bottles at the bottom sealed up forever.

In 1938, only 18 years after the city originally purchased the site, it was finally graded, planted, and provided with study park benches for the local residents. The benches looked across the street just a few feet to the Horseshoe Barbecue Restaurant, which looked like a circular rocket ship prop out of Buck Rogers. That spot later became a Carvel, then a Westsons, Nathan’s and finally Dunkin’ Donuts. The triangle remains, well-appreciated as a safe haven to sit, rest, read, or just watch the day go by.

Eyewitness of 4-Alarm Fire in Forest Hills: May 23rd around 8:15 PM - 10:30 PM

To The Media:

Our heart goes out to the community and local business owners. On Sunday, May 23rd, around 8:15 PM, a 4-alarm fire began on the corner candy/convenience shop of 99th St and 66th Ave, and extended to the other 99th St shops towards 66th Rd in Forest Hills, NY. Firefighters were also observed on the Queens Blvd frontage.


A number of long-term "mom and pop" businesses which are dear to the neighborhood, such as a candy/convenience store, laundromat, a barber, a fruit store, and a dress shop amongst others were affected on the 99th Street side. The 4 corner businesses were completely destroyed. These have been shops since the 1939 World's Fair, and some are owned by immigrants who established their business from the bottom up. The same development wraps around the corner to Queens Blvd, but fortunately Trylon Liquors, Trylon Vet Care, and Danny's Antiques were spared from the extensive damages. The historic former Trylon Theater, which has ties to the 1939 World's Fair (now a Russian community establishment), has suffered smoke damage and a partial ceiling collapse. The famed Tower Diner, which was formerly Emigrant Saving Bank with its Colonial clock tower, also suffered smoke damage. Thankfully, no one was killed, and at least 1 cat or other pets from the vet are believed to be rescued. 

I witnessed the bulk of the fire until 10:30 PM. I grew up in Forest Hills for the past 27 years, and have never seen such a potent local fire. There was way over 150 local residents at the scene, and nearly 200 firefighters. It felt as if a majority of the neighborhood came out to observe and mingle with their family and friends. Citizens united in solidarity. I observed tears and shock.

I captured 129 photos from the early stages. Feel free to feature the photos in your stories, as well as my personal account, and grant credit to "Preservationist/Photographer Michael Perlman." Please cover and investigate this catastrophe. Although hope is grim in times like this, we hope the infrastructure and businesses will recover.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157624123080640/

- Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair

http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/
unlockthevault@hotmail.com

Buster Brown Shoes Closes in Forest Hills - The End of An Era

UPDATE: As of July 2010, the famed Buster Brown Shoes sign has been removed, restored, and displayed in an Austin St office, with our intervention.

We just learned that on May 11, 2010 at 11 AM at Buster Brown Shoes/Austin Shoes, 71-24 Austin St, Forest Hills, NY, there will be a bankruptcy auction by Richard B. Maltz of David R. Maltz & Co., Inc. The auction will feature: Infant/children shoes and sneakers (Buster Brown Brand), sandles, handbags/purses, rain coats, chairs, stools, display, etc.

In April 2010, Queens residents were disheartened to see one of the few remaining mom & pop shops in Forest Hills at 71-24 Austin St, shut its doors, and a For Rent sign being tacked into the classic Buster Brown Shoes sign. It was one of the oldest shops in existence in Forest Hills, being that it opened in the late 1940s, and is where generations have memories of their earliest shoe purchases. Buster Brown sold infant and children shoes, parochial shoes, orthopedic shoes, and even shoes for adults in midst of the majority of younger age shoes. Operator Lenny inherited the shop from his father. He recently retired, and although locals were hoping that he would be successful in finding another operator to carry on the tradition, he gave up hope. The sign's famed caricature was based on the Buster Brown and Tige comic strip characters.  

The role of Rego-Forest Preservation Council will be to ensure that the historic sign and any other vintage possessions within the shop will be rescued and not discarded, and a suitable home be found, so it can one day be on exhibit for all to see. That is our first priority.

Our flickr photoset, featuring close-ups of the historic signage: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157617681208185/ 
 

1950s TV commercial featuring a Buster Brown Shoes jingle: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm4xH9unqzU 

General history & timeline of Buster Brown Shoes (chain), according to Brown Shoe Co:
http://www.brownshoe.com/history/

In 1878, a young man named George Warren Brown believed St. Louis could become a manufacturing center for the shoe industry. He invested his life savings and founded his own company to manufacture and sell shoes even though most shoe companies were located in the Northeast. Brown thought he could change the face of the industry and he was right - his company thrived. Today, Brown Shoe is a leading $2.4 billion consumer-driven footwear company with global, integrated operations, delighting consumers with a portfolio of compelling brands.

Many people mistakenly think Brown Shoe was named after the much-loved Buster Brown character. In fact, our Buster Brown shoe brand came 25 years later.

In 1904 at the "Meet Me In St. Louis" World's Fair, a young Brown Shoe executive met Buster Brown's creator, cartoonist Richard F. Outcault, and purchased the name from him. At the time, Buster Brown was a mischievous cartoon character, who, together with his dog Tige and sister Mary Jane, delighted children of all ages.

Brown Shoe made marketing history when it sent on the road a series of actors, each dressed as Buster and accompanied by a dog (Tige). They toured the entire country selling Buster Brown shoes as they performed in theaters, department stores and shoe stores. In those days, such a touring show generally brought out the whole town.

1878

Bryan, Brown & Company formed in St. Louis by George Warren Brown and his partners Alvin Bryan and Jerome Desnoyers.

1893

Company name changed to Brown Shoe Company.

1904

Rights to Buster Brown name purchased; Buster Brown brand introduced to public at the St. Louis World's Fair.

1904

Succession of actors, dressed like Buster Brown and accompanied by dogs, toured the country (1904-1930), playing to audiences in rented theaters, department stores and shoe stores.

1913

Brown Shoe Company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under stock ticker symbol BWS.

1925

George Warren Brown School of Social Work endowed at Washington University in St. Louis by G.W. Brown's widow.

1927

Naturalizer brand created.

1931

Connie brand created.

1940

LifeStride brand created.

1943

Smilin' Ed McConnell and his Buster Brown Gang debuted on the West Coast NBC radio network. In 1951, Smilin' Ed moved to television, where his show ran until 1954.

1951

Brown Shoe Company acquired Wohl Shoe Company, operator of 350 specialty stores and 800 shoe departments for many major department stores.

1952

Brown Shoe Company moved headquarters from 1600 Washington Avenue to Clayton, MO.

1954

Naturalizer Shoe Store, the first of several hundred stores to carry Naturalizer shoes, opened in Jamaica, NY. Regal Shoe Shops, with 110 locations, acquired by Brown Shoe.

1970-74

Cloth World, Eagle Rubber, Hedstrom, BottomHalf and Meis Department Stores bought by Brown Shoe. Juvenile and Recreational Products Companies Division formed.

1981

36-store Famous Footwear chain acquired.

1984

Brown Group International established.

1985-96

Brown Group begins decade-long strategic repositioning — non-footwear businesses sold, all domestic manufacturing plants closed.

1987

Acquisition of Pagoda Trading Company completed.

1991

Brown signs long-term license for Dr. Scholl's brand.

1999

Company changes its name back to Brown Shoe Company.

1999

Buster Brown & Co. is established as the Kids' Division of Brown Shoe.

1999

Naturalizer revitalizes its image. New product styling is geared to a younger, more fashion-conscious woman. And naturalizer.com launches.

2000

Brown Shoe acquires 26 store Mil-Mar chain and folds it into Famous Footwear.

2001

Naturalizer named "Brand of The Year" by Footwear News.

2002

Naturalizer celebrates 75 years.
Carlos by Carlos Santana brand launches.

2003

Brown Shoe awarded “Company of the Year”
by Footwear News.

2004

Buster Brown celebrates 100 years.

2005

Brown Shoe acquires Bennett Footwear Group, LLC (BFG). Adds Franco Sarto, Via Spiga, and
other brands.

2006

Naturalizer launches Naturalizer Signature luxury women’s shoes, available online and in select store locations.
Bennett Footwear Group integrated into Brown New York.

2007

Brown Shoe announced plans to open Naturalizer and Via Spiga stores in China.
Brown Shoe announced an agreement with Sam and Libby Edelman to invest in Edelman Shoe, Inc.

2008

Brown Shoe launched celebrity licensed footwear brands for: country music superstar Reba McEntire (Reba), music and entertainment superstar Fergie, and style and beauty expert Gretta Monahan (Gretta).
Brown Shoe announced plans to create interconnected footwear company in St. Louis headquarters.