Rego Park's 90th Anniversary & A Need For Restoration

Rego Park developers Henry Schloh & Charles Hausmann & co, circa mid 1920s, Courtesy of Bruce Powell

Rego Park homes, office, & stores to be erected circa mid 1920s, Courtesy of Bruce Powell

The building of Rego Park July 13, 1926, Courtesy of Bruce Powell

A Real Good Community Turns 90 & Looks Ahead
By Michael Perlman of the Forest Hills Times/Queens Ledger

Rego Park is a “REal GOod” community to live in, and residents and history aficionados now have more reasons to learn why.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Rego Park. In 1923, the Rego Construction Company, Inc. also known as the Real Good Construction Company acquired land in Forest Hills West, and named Rego Park after their advertising slogan, “REal GOod Homes.”

Their goal was to develop and market the area. On October 14, 1923, the New York Times announced that Rego Construction Co. was chartered for $75,000. The firm consisted of President Henry L. Schloh and Secretary and Treasurer Charles I. Hausmann, both of whom emigrated from Germany.

Schloh and Hausmann came upon farmland which was settled in the 17th century by Dutch and English farmers, who were followed by German and then Chinese farmers, who sold their produce in Chinatown. The sole road was Remsen’s Lane (now 63rd Drive), which was named after the Remsen family farm.

On March 25, 1925, the New York Times published, “Work will be started at once on the houses to be erected on the lots off Queens Boulevard, while the property fronting this 200-foot highway will be developed with modern, high-class apartment houses as soon as the parking and paving are completed.”

With a Bank of Manhattan Company loan, Rego Construction Company began developing 525 eight-room one-family Colonial frame houses between 63rd Drive and Elliot Avenue, which sold for about $7,500. Prospective buyers would call NEWtown 6432.

Marion Court, 62-98 Saunders St developed by Rego Construction Co, Photo by Michael Perlman, March 2010

Remo Hall, 61-40 Saunders St, Photo by Michael Perlman

Jupiter Court, 62-64 Saunders St developed by Rego Construction Co, Photo by Michael Perlman

To complement the houses, the firm developed three apartment houses, which 70 families each called home. They were the Tudor-style Remo Hall at 61-40 Saunders Street (1927), followed by the Spanish Mission-style Jupiter Court at 62-64 Saunders Street (1927), and the Spanish Mission-style Marion Court at 62-98 Saunders Street (1929).

These significant buildings by Architect Benjamin Braunstein survive mostly intact. Architecturally, Marion Court boasts terra-cotta features depicting animals, leaded glass depictions of castles, and a roof garden where residents would recreate and keep cool come summer. For two to four rooms at Remo Hall and Jupiter Court, rentals cost $46 and up.

“When the Depression hit, my grandfather refused to go bankrupt, so a lot of the money invested in his developments came from family and friends,” said Bruce Powell, Schloh's grandson. “According to my mother, he didn’t buy a new suit for 10 years, since he tried to keep everything afloat.”

The children of Rego Park had their first public school, PS 139, in 1929. Then on March 9, 1930, Schloh told the Times, “With the completion of the Queens Boulevard subway now under construction, that section must continue to gain in valuation and in development.”

That came true, as other firms developed buildings along Saunders Street and Queens Boulevard, such as the Saunders Gardens complex featuring a private park, and the Oxford-Cambridge group. A model of urban planning south of the Long Island Railroad is the early 1930s Rego Park Crescents, named after alphabetical concentric semicircular roads. Tudor rowhouses were built by Rodman & English, and freestanding homes are also found.

The Tudor and Arts & Crafts charm at the Rego Park Crescents, Photo by Michael Perlman

 The 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows added to the need for residential development, such as the English-style Queens Blvd Gardens apartment complex, where four out of six acres offer lush gardens.

Commerce increased too, most notably with Art Deco limestone-appointed shops lining 63rd Drive, which once housed Woolworth and McCrory’s. Queens Boulevard shops included Bartons, Hamburger Train, Evelyn’s Bake Shop, Scott’s Seafood, and the longtime survivor Ben’s Best Delicatessen.

Howard Johnson's at 95-25 Queens Blvd with the Trylon & Perisphere monuments of the 1939 World's Fair in the background

“My favorite memory was when all the kids in the neighborhood would go to Howard Johnson’s (1940) for their birthday parties and get a free little white frosted cake,” said Jackie Kilberg of Rego Park, who fondly recalled the long-demolished Colonial mansion on Queens Boulevard, which was deemed the “Largest Roadside Restaurant In The World.”

Nearby, Boulevard Tavern hosted receptions, big bands, and singer Patti Page, while Fairyland offered amusements for children.

In 1939, the WPA funded the recreational center, Lost Battalion Hall, which honored the 77th Division of the U.S. Army for its WWI heroism. It included a firing range and drill hall for the Queens Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

After the 1939 World’s Fair, some major Mid-Century Modern planned developments followed with Walden Terrace (1949) and Park City (1955), as well as Alexander’s department store (1963).

Due to Rego Park’s architecture, urban planning, social spaces, and accessibility, even celebrities called it home. Some were composer Burt Bacharach, actor Eddie Bracken, comic actor Sid Caesar, actress June Havoc, dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, 1945 Miss America winner Bess Myerson, comedian Marty Ingels, and producer Fred Silverman.

Rego Park Jewish Center, 97-30 Queens Blvd, Photo by Michael Perlman

Rego Park Jewish Center's mosaic mural adorns its Art Deco facade with Old Testament scenes, Photo by Michael Perlman

Rego Park Jewish Center's prominence on Queens Blvd in the late 1940s

“We have been a beacon for more than seven decades as the largest spiritual, cultural, and recreational center, and a lifeline for the Jewish community and other denominations,” said longtime resident Ruth Loewenstein of Rego Park Jewish Center. “We congratulate Rego Park on its 90th anniversary.”

The Bauhaus-style synagogue earned State & National Register of Historic Places status in 2009.

Ruth Mueller is a congregant of Our Savior Lutheran Church (1931), a charming wooden church on 63rd Drive. Mueller was born in 1922, and witnessed Rego Park’s rural to urban transformation. She lived in a frame house at 97-51 63rd Road, which had to be elevated to make the land level.

Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 92-14 63rd Drive, Photo by Michael Perlman

A charming early 1930s view of Our Saviour Lutheran Church

97-51 63 Rd with elevation, Courtesy of Ruth Mueller who born in 1922 in Rego Park. Park City now stands on this site.

Courtesy of Ruth Mueller

Courtesy of Ruth Mueller

“My life has been a very full life, and I am thankful I can remember all the history,” Mueller said. “I would see movies at the (1939 World’s Fair-inspired) Trylon Theater and the Drake Theatre (1935), go on a date with my husband and have butter crunch and pistachio ice cream at Winther’s Confectionery on Woodhaven Boulevard, swing on Weeping Willow trees, and walk five minutes to the new subway.”

“We’re a long-standing member, and we want to not only be a part of Rego Park history, but more and more a part of its heart and soul, and show simple acts of love and kindness to our neighbors,” said Pastor Matthew Popovits, a six-month Rego Park resident. “We have the world at our fingertips, since the world is in Rego Park, with its ethnic diversity, constant activity, and accessibility.”

The "World of Tomorrow" (NYWF theme) was depicted at the Trylon Theater at 98-81 Queens Blvd, which gave joy to its patrons from 1939 - 1999. Today, it is unfortunate that only a smaller quantity of its 1939 World's Fair-inspired Art Deco design exists. In Rego Park, what will the "World of Tomorrow" bring?

 
Today, Rego Park’s commerce continues to boom with the 2010 development of Rego Center featuring Century 21, Costco, and Dallas BBQ. Despite growth, it is important to preserve Rego Park’s vast concentration of historic architecture which grants a distinctive identity.

Dadras Architects, a firm led by partners Robert Dadras and Victor Dadras, participated in a Rego Park walking tour in 2012. They are the founders of the Downtown Revitalization Group, a collaborative which specializes in historic preservation, urban design, and adaptive re-use. They discovered a unique and rare Art Deco presence along 63rd Drive.

“With façade restoration work, the business district could be brought back to life, so its historic architecture will be fully appreciated,” they stated.

After touring residential Saunders Street, they commented, “This is reminiscent to a European approach to urban living in a garden community, and an excellent prototype of a design for New York City’s future.”

Looking ahead, they stated, “the 90th anniversary is a wonderful milestone, and it is our belief the Rego Park community should take this opportunity to preserve and celebrate their history as a vital part of their revitalization effort.”

More information about Dadras Architects & the Downtown Revitalization Group: http://www.dadrasarchitects.com/downtown.html

Rego Park photos courtesy of Michael Perlman & Rego-Forest Preservation Council: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157617606028777/

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. 

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.