Rego Park Honored As A “Six To Celebrate” Historic Community

By Michael Perlman

HDC Six To Save 2020 Rego Park poster & HDC 50th anniversary pamphlet, Photo by Michael Perlman

Rego Park, founded in 1923 by REal GOod Construction Company, has been selected by a most influential citywide advocate non-profit organization, Historic Districts Council (HDC) as one of the 2020 “Six To Celebrate” communities. Annually, the Six To Celebrate program, launched in 2011, identifies six historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s year-long advocacy and consultation. Rego-Forest Preservation Council will collaborate with HDC and apply for Individual Landmark (façade) and Historic District status via the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for architecturally and culturally significant properties and sections, respectively, as well as coordinate walking tours among other initiatives. 

Friends of the HDC, Courtesy of Ron Caveglia

On January 15, a launch party attended by over 100 guests was held at the landmarked National Arts Club, also known as the Samuel Tilden mansion at 15 Gramercy Park South, which offered an ideal setting to celebrate this special occasion with speeches, food, a PowerPoint presentation, and HDC’s 50th birthday. Even LPC Chair Sarah Carroll was in attendance. Besides Rego Park, the other Six To Save preservation-worthy areas are East Flatbush, Center Park Slope, Bronx Preservation Committee, Todt-Dongan Hills, and Landmarks of the Future Citywide. To date, the program helped create 13 NYC Historic Districts, 50 Individual Landmarks, 5 National Register districts, and 3 National Register properties. Additionally, it has leveraged over $130,000 in private and public grants for these community-driven projects. 

Guests from the 5 boroughs united on preservation, Photo by Michael Perlman

HDC President Daniel Allen, Photo courtesy of Michael Perlman

HDC President Daniel Allen said, “­­­­Over our 50th anniversary year, let’s think back of all that we have done together and all of what’s meant to this city. We all have stories and some documentation. HDC is still collecting, so get in touch with us.” 

CM Ben Kallos, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

Council Member Ben Kallos (5th District, Manhattan), who calls himself “one of the strongest preservationists on City Council,” said “You don’t necessarily know who you’re going to be before you get elected, and when I did, I discovered that I’m a preservationist.” He explained, “You have to keep on going, and the price of preservation and our history is having the HDC and everyone in this room continue to fight for it day in and day out, since all it takes is the wrong person at the wrong place being able to level all the history that our city has.” He continued, “There are not enough preservationists in elected office. For 2021, I am optimistic to elect preservationists to City Council and have people fight for the Landmarks Committee.” 

HDC Executive Director Simeon Bankoff,  Council Member Ben Kallos, HDC President Daniel Allen, Photo by Michael Perlman

He presented a proclamation to the HDC. He stated, “The NYC Council is proud to honor the HDC for 50 years of outstanding service to the community, and whereas HDC is dedicated to preserving historic neighborhoods, buildings, and public spaces across the 5 boroughs, to upholding the integrity of the Landmarks Law, and to further the preservation ethic. Representing a constituency of over 500 community organizations across all 5 boroughs, HDC works directly with people who care about our city’s historic neighborhoods and buildings.” Since 1970, five years after the Landmarks Law was founded, HDC has played a significant role in the creation and preservation of 149 Historic Districts and extensions. 

CM Ben Kallos, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

Rego-Forest Preservation Council, founded in 2006 by this columnist, advocates for landmark status for significant sites in Rego Park, Forest Hills, and nearby Queens communities, and documents local history. Currently, Forest Hills has three official landmarks, Remsen Cemetery (designated 1981), Ridgewood Savings Bank (2000), and Engine 305 & Ladder 151 (2012), but Rego Park has none.

“We look forward to helping Rego-Forest Preservation Council to develop proposals for meritorious sites, which we bring to the Landmarks Preservation Commission and hopefully get designated,” said Simeon Bankoff, executive director of Historic Districts Council. “We are hoping to help organize and better project their knowledge and enthusiasm for the area to a broader audience; not only the public but decision-makers.” 

Simeon Bankoff addresses guests, Photo by Michael Perlman

After naming some altered or demolished properties that HDC fought for, Bankoff stated, “Part of preservation is remembering things that we lost, so we don’t lose things in the future. We cannot forget.” He also cited examples of designations HDC helped obtain such as Sunnyside Gardens and most recently Tin Pan Alley. “Designation is not the end, but just the beginning. We now entered into an eternal compact of making sure that those buildings continue to improve, are use, and preserved.”

Reflecting on the event’s success, Bankoff explained, “It was wonderful to see such a diverse group from all 5 boroughs gathering together to celebrate the work of HDC and community preservation. We saw lots of old friends and met new ones, and best of all were people across the city connecting with sympathetic and like-minded activists.” He pointed out that listening to community board members from the Upper East Side and Crown Heights discussing many shared concerns was a fantastic observation.

Historically, Rego Construction Company acquired land in Forest Hills West and named Rego Park after their advertising slogan “Real Good Homes.” The firm was founded by two natives of Germany; president Henry L. Schloh and secretary and treasurer Charles I. Hausmann in partnership with builder Joseph F. Thone. The firm began by developing 525 eight-room single-family “Rego Homes,” railroad style Colonial frame houses between 63rd Drive and Elliot Avenue along Saunders, Booth, Wetherole, and Austin Street, which sold for an estimated $7,500. 

Three apartment houses accommodating 70 families each followed. They were the Tudor-style Remo Hall at 61-40 Saunders Street (1927) and the Spanish Mission-style Jupiter Court at 62-64 Saunders Street (1927) and Marion Court at 62-98 Saunders Street (1929), which were designed by award-winning architect Benjamin Braunstein, a Constantinople native. Novelty features are recessed facades and courtyards to maximize fresh air, light, and landscaping, once marketed as an advantage over the urbanized city. As a case in point, Marion Court residents experience was personalized with architectural features including terra-cotta reliefs of animals, castles in stained glass, and a roof garden where residents would once recreate. 

Rego-Forest Preservation Council Chair Michael Perlman & Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll, Photo by Ron Caveglia

“Now more than ever, preservation is extremely important, as it provides a visual history for younger generations to understand and learn more about our borough’s origins,” said Forest Hills attendee Ron Caveglia. “Seeing a photo or drawing of a decades’ old building is fine, but the physical presence of an original residence, business, or place of worship provides more of an impact for the observer. Attaining landmark status for our local architectural treasures is an excellent, indispensable tool in turning preservation’s goal into a reality.” Commending the HDC, he explained, “I was most excited to learn that Rego Park has been selected to benefit from generous resources ranging from private and public grants to walking tour brochures, landmarking strategies, and public outreach programs. The occasion reached its pinnacle when Queens’ native son Michael Perlman, Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, was recognized for his spirited, dedicated work in furthering local architectural preservation.”

Eric Schreiber of Kew Gardens has followed Six To Celebrate for years, as a supporter of preserving important historic buildings and neighborhoods. He considers Rego Park a bastion of middle-class America and a historic, unique, and diverse community. He explained, “Perhaps the most significant and unique areas would be the Crescents, an upscale enclave featuring tree-lined, curved streets with lovely pre-war single-family homes. Within walking distance of shopping and public transit, it has a vibe that is more suburban than most other parts of the city. The homes feature well-manicured front and back yards.” He continued, “If not landmarked, the possibility exists that developers and new residents, with no interest in the historical significance of the neighborhood, could come in and raze these beautiful homes, forever destroying its character.”

Barbara Ann Rogers came from Prospect Lefferts Gardens, a previous Six To Celebrate community. She said, “Preservation is important for retaining a sense of history and honoring the architecture designed to make spaces livable and accessible to all, but most importantly, it keeps neighborhoods affordable. Preserving Six To Celebrate neighborhoods means preserving our way of life as true New Yorkers, with respect for all.” She expressed her love for Rego Park. “It was built for working class people, but with care and attention to architecture and open spaces that one doesn’t often find any longer. This is what is threatened by overdevelopment.”

The landmarked National Arts Club at the Samuel Tilden mansion

Our Saviour Lutheran Church: Early Rego Park History Revealed!

THEN: Lutheran Church of Our Saviour's 1932 assemblage circa 1936 at 92-14 63rd Dr, Rego Park

NOW: Mostly unaltered from its origins. Happy 85th, congregation! Happy 79th, charming landmark!

 Most memorabilia Rego-Forest Preservation Council collects can be found on eBay and at postcard shows. Every so often, comes that one find that's the opener of eye-openers! That happens to be the case with a soft-covered booklet from 1936, commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, which was distributed to congregants. Situated at 92-14 63rd Dr in Rego Park, this church is a proud sight in midst of Rego Park's bustling business district, alongside 1930s & 1940s Art Deco canopy-infested retail developments, and the church's character represents a throwback to Rego Park's humble origins with Colonial wood homes on generous landscapes, and its Colonial origins as Newtown with its farms and frame houses featuring porches. The Remsen family owned an extensive parcel of farmland, and Remsen Ave was the neighborhood's first street, which became 63rd Drive.

It is phenomenal how Our Saviour Lutheran Church's 1932 establishment survives mostly intact inside and out, and how its landscaped lawn is always maintained. Our flickr link shows Rego Park, Elmhurst, & Queenswide business ads from 1936, in addition to the historic text and photos also found below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157625914608940/

The 10th Anniversary publication features the first ministry, the church on Booth St, the first chapel, Pastor Kuechle's early ministry, early church finances, the first council, dreams of a new church, dreams answered with the Oct 25, 1931 groundbreaking ceremony led by Pastor Kuechle, the current establishment's Feb 28, 1932 dedication, its years of growth, the Rego Park Lutheran publication, and its religious education, the choir, church societies, and its leadership.

December 20, 1931 marked the corner-stone laying ceremony, where a photographer from the NY Times took a photo of the building committee, which appeared in the Rotogravure section. The contents of the cornerstone were a New Testament, a copy of Luther's Catechism, a Hymn Book, a copy of the Lutheran Annual (1932), a copy of the Lutheran Witness, a Constitution of the US, a copy of the Atlantic Bulletin, coin of the US, $1.00, issue of 1931, history of Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, roster of Communicant Members, the names of congregational officers, members of the building committee, the architect and the builder, a copy of the financial campaign prospectus and a list of the workers, a program of the ground-breaking service, a copy of the Rego Park Lutheran, a copy of the Daily Star (local paper) bearing the story of the corner-stone laying, a program of the corner-stone service, and a copy of The Post (a Rego Park paper).

Unsurprisingly, Benjamin Braunstein was commissioned to design this charming Colonial-style church on 63rd Dr and Wetherole St on land that was owned by the Real Good Construction Company, which named Rego Park in 1923. Lutheran Church of Our Saviour's congregation accepted a bid by the Auserehl & Son Contracting Corp of Jamaica, NY at $12,696, non-inclusive of plumbing, heating, hardware, lighting fixtures, and the pews. Fine facade and sanctuary finishes were produced at a modest cost. The facade presently bears arched multi-paned windows, a pilaster-flanked biblical stained glass arched window on its western exposure, a lattice unifying the transition from the garden to the church, a bell tower, and a tiled pitched roof, amongst other features. The interior is bright, being that it is served by arched windows on its northern and southern exposures, and its double-sided layout of pews in a humble, arches space is graceful, and is embellished by the ornately carved detail on wainscoting, which leads the eye to the ornate woodwork on the triumphant altar. Architect Benjamin Braunstein is well-known for his generous quantity of 6-story garden-style (Georgian) Colonial apartment houses in Forest Hills and Rego Park in the 1930s and 1940s around the period of the 1936 IND subway and 1939-1940 World's Fair, and his earlier Tudor designs, best depicted in Sutton Hall apartments on Ascan Ave in Forest Hills.

Upon reading the 10th Anniversary publication from 1936 below, think of how Our Saviour Lutheran Church on 63rd Dr embodies the spirit of our community in context of early Rego Park history, its fine craftsmanship and landscape, and its timeline and contributions to the present. One should never take anything for granted. HAPPY TREASURE HUNTING!

Early Rego Park Architecture Merits Preservation

Consider these questions....

- How was Rego Park named?
- Between all the bustle of Queens Blvd, where is Rego Park's history?
- What can we do as citizens to preserve our neighborhood from insensitive alterations and demolition? Are there any benefits?

What Rego Park has to offer in the name of history is directly in front of our eyes, but for some residents and passersby, it can be a needle in a haystack, so we have to be informed........

Rego Park was named in 1923 by developers Henry Schloh and Charles Hausmann of the “Real Good” Construction Co, after buying farmland. The land was once part of Forest Hills, which was named in 1906, but changed for real estate purposes. The first developments included 525 8-room Colonial houses bordering 63rd Dr and Elliot Ave, followed by elaborate apartment houses on Saunders St in the late 1920s, which continued through the 1940s on Saunders St and Queens Blvd, and were also highly regarded. A large quantity of the original homes stand today in a relatively unaltered state, and the apartment houses remain mostly intact. The first street was Remsen Ave (now 63rd Drive), named after the Remsen family, which owned a large parcel of farmland in Rego Park, which is difficult to visualize today.

Some other notable sites that are reflective of Rego Park's historic fabric include Public School 139 on 63rd Dr, which was filed with the Dept of Buildings in 1928, Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, which opened its first formal home in 1931 on 63rd Dr, and Rego Park Jewish Center on Queens Blvd with a cornerstone reading 1948 (Placed on the State & National Register of Historic Places in Oct. 2009), and the Lost Battalion Hall on the north side of Queens Blvd between 63rd Dr & Horace Harding. In the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s, classic Art Deco shops were erected on Queens Blvd and along 63rd Dr, and some were considered showrooms for goods, with customers appreciative of their mom & pop status and revolutionary architectural touches.

Remo Hall, erected 1927, is the earliest apartment house in Rego Park on Saunders St. It is a Tudor architectural gem alongside neighboring buildings that exhibit a smorgasbord of styles in our neighborhood, including Georgian Colonial, Art Deco, Moorish, and Medieval. Other historic apartment houses include Marion Court, Jupiter Court, Savoy Gardens, Elizabeth & Victoria complex, and the Oxford and Cambridge complex, and the the Saunders Gardens complex, which were all developed from the late 1920s - early 1940s. Many apartment houses are symbolic of Ebenezer Howard's Garden City Movement, since they grant a sense of place by reserving space for landscaping and breathing space by not developing the land in its entirety, have recessed building wings, feature courtyards, are low-rise in scale, feature roof gardens for residents to associate and keep cool during the summer months, and most incorporate traditional English architectural touches. Even though the Saunders Gardens complex is a later addition with Art Deco touches, it features recessed areas and the traditional roof garden, along the lines of Marion Court, and was developed around the central theme of a park.

The architectural and cultural diversity within a concentrated section of the neighborhood, sheds lots of history, and therefore merits preservation within a Rego Park Historic District by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/home/home.shtml). The general boundaries are inclusive of Queens Blvd, 63rd Dr, Saunders St, and Elliot Ave, and touch upon Booth St and Wetherole St. Rego-Forest Preservation Council has been documenting and researching this section of the neighborhood (and other sections of both Rego Park and Forest Hills) for nearly 2 years. This is much-needed, and will ensure survival of its historic and harmonious character, ensure that any future development is in context, and will maintain and enhance property values over time. NYC Landmarking (sometimes in combination with State & National Register of Historic Places status) also increases the likelihood of acquiring grants for property owners, through funding programs for historically-sensitive restoration work and building upgrades.

This is a collection of Saunders St, Queens Blvd, & 63rd Dr photos by Chair Michael Perlman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157617606028777/

This is a work-in-progress! Please browse and become our flickr friend and a supporter throughout the research process. E-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com with questions, suggestions, or to become a preservation supporter. All contributors will be recognized.