Patriotism Forest Hills Style, July 5, 1920

By Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Gardens town crier

Back in 1914, the annual Independence Day festival was launched in the Forest Hills Gardens. This set off a tradition where committees, residents, and friends participated in a day-long program for all generations and interests in an exquisitely decorated and uniquely illuminated Station Square, as well as the Forest Hills Inn and Tea Garden, Olivia Park, and along Greenway Terrace. A most historical Forest Hills event was on July 4, 1917, when Colonel Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “One Hundred Percent American” unification speech at the LIRR Station to address WWI. Today, patriotism and tradition continue to echo in a modified form through Children’s Day at Flagpole Green in June. Let’s turn back the clock to July 5, 1920, which marked the 144th anniversary of America’s independence.

The ceremony on Village Green now Flagpole Green

Keeping in mind that the 1919 celebration cost $3,057.90, Dr. Thompson Tyler Sweeny, who served as the Chair of the 1920 celebration, requested that every Gardens family contribute an average of $10. It was anticipated as the greatest of Independence Day celebrations yet! The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin published, “Not only were the birds singing cheerily to arouse the villagers from morning slumbers, but through the streets early on July 5 came the Town Crier calling lustily to all to come to the Green for the Flag-raising at 9:30.” The ceremony featured members of American Legion Post 630 and Boy Scouts Troop 2 under the direction of Harvey Warren, who served as Post president and scoutmaster. Uniformed servicemen and Boy Scouts assembled in Station Square and began marching to Village Green. After Warren played the part of a Colonial Town Crier, he changed into military garb. The flag was raised and a patriotic prayer was made. A chorus sang patriotic tunes under guidance of the famed Glee Clubs leader Bruno Huhn, with piano accompaniment by Mrs. Charles H. Scammell, who was considered “the foster mother of all good singing of Forest Hills Gardens.”

Children were ready to play games in Station Square at 10 AM, thanks to the direction of Dr. W. F. Seybolt.. The publication read, “There are between fifty and sixty very happy boys and girls who are wearing bronze and silver badges, won at the children’s games in canvas-covered Station Square between 10 and 12 o’clock.” It continued, “With kiddie car races, pillow fights, sack and relay races, a whole program of fun, speed, and skill was carried out.” The lineup also included games for adults such as a baby carriage race, football kicking and ball tossing, tilting matches, tug-of-war between easterners and westerners.

 

At 2 PM, Hawthorn Park became a baseball field where the “Inn Warriors” (the Inns) clashed with the “Station Square Cohorts” (the Outs). An umpire appeared in armor, while a batter wore petticoats. The Daily Star reported, “There will be no tennis this year, the committee having decided that tennis is so integral a part of the life of the community as to make a baseball game a greater diversion.” The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin stated, “The Outs came nobly from the rear and put the winning run over the plate to the accompaniment of the deafening plaudits of the assembled throng.” It later read, “It was a dashing game, and the narrow margin of one run by which the Outs won their victory shows how closely it was played.” The Inns’ captain was Ray Bell whereas Edmund O’Shea led the Outs. 

By 4 PM, attendees were in tune for opera at Olivia Park, a natural amphitheatre. Milton Aborn directed a company which performed “Pagliacci” by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1892) and “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni (1889). The Metropolitan chorus featured 24 vocalists and the Metropolitan orchestra featured 17 members. Scenery was minimal to maximize on the park’s charming ambiance.

Between 5 and 7 PM, festivities included a home-cooked supper by the Women’s Guild of the Church-in-the-Gardens social room for $1, where the proceeds would benefit the Community House fund.

At 7:30 PM, they made their way back to Station Square for a band concert and the community Choral Club that performed several patriotic airs comprised of nearly 75 vocalists. Another highlight was music at twilight by the Regiment Band of the 22nd Corps of Engineers, a 40-piece band under Master George Briegel. The evening continued with dancing in Station Square at 9 PM, lasting until midnight. The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin read, “The dance on Station Square, lighted by myriads of red, white, and blue incandescents, will fittingly close a happy family and community patriotic day – the Independence Day of 1920, long to be remembered”… “The decorations will consist of myriads of American flags interspersed with those of the Allies, all placed to produce the best effect.” It also stated, “All the lads and lassies, maids and matrons and escorts danced on the canvas covering until – well, why tell the hour – for the music was the best and the night balmy.” Over 3,000 people were in the audience and among the dancers, and Chairman Henry W. Hirschberg was commended for this final feature.

The festival offered a humanitarian aspect. Proceeds from the refreshment booth, which served ice cream cones, lemonade, iced tea, sandwiches, and cake, benefited the Big Sisters of Queens Borough. Based on the prior year’s partnership, the Big Sisters received over $200 and assisted seven children who would have traditionally ended up in institutions, and ultimately helped them find suitable homes. 

Reflecting on the festival’s success, the publication stated, “Our friends and relatives were here in such numbers that it was apparent that our village is growing, and that everyone likes ‘our party,’ as Dr. Sweeny, the chairman, called it.” It continued, “The most impressive and appropriate part of the program, in the humble opinion of the editor, was in the Flag raising and the singing of the newly christened Choral Club.”

A similar version was featured in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: http://foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27760129/article-1920s-patriotism--Forest-Hills-style

Long-Awaited Station Square Restoration Progresses

By Michael Perlman

Station Square is continuing to undergo restoration, brick by brick, after construction began in April and sections were fenced off to vehicular traffic. Last week, local residents and LIRR commuters observed workers reinstalling the historic brick surface along Continental Avenue, which many considered a breath of fresh air. In a time when many buildings citywide that merit preservation fall victim to the wrecking ball, Station Square’s restoration is a rare sight, and marks one of the largest restoration projects in Forest Hills history.

Station Square is the gateway to Forest Hills Gardens, America’s earliest planned garden community, founded in 1909. Inspired by Sir Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City Movement, the model residential development was designed by principal architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Station Square accommodated a classy social life, particularly at the Forest Hills Inn, which opened in 1912 and offered 150 rooms, adjoining the Raleigh apartments on the east and the Marlboro apartments on the west. The LIRR Station, once accessible from the Inn through arcades and bridges sheltering residents and visitors from the weather, enabled a 13-minute commute to Manhattan. The Tudor village ambiance gave birth to historic events including annual 4th of July celebrations, Col. Theodore Roosevelt’s “100 Percent American” speech on July 4, 1917, and Helen Keller’s address to over 1,200 soldiers of the Rainbow Division that same year. 

Tony Barsamian, a member of the Board of Directors of the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation provided an in-depth view of the restoration. In order to upgrade utilities to meet 21st century standards, the overwhelming majority of original bricks were carefully salvaged and stored in Station Square and FHGC facilities. “We have cleaned and replaced every brick with either the original brick or custom-tailored bricks 100 percent to match the originals. We’ve padded them with the same sand in terms of how we lay them down. We don’t use mortar, since it cracks when it is icy or snowy, or water gets into it and then it freezes. We have gone out of our way to maintain it to hopefully last another hundred years.” 

In addition to addressing the roadway’s sinking elevation, Barsamian said, “We made improvements in the center island in terms of bringing it back to its original form.” He continued, “When you dug underneath Station Square, you saw that some of the lines and infrastructure elements were dated. Between National Grid and Con Edison and some other service providers, they came in and upgraded their connections to the homes and our community at large.” Water lines were also repaired. The plans will reportedly include the illumination of Station Square’s arcades.

Routine maintenance has been conducted annually, but not a restoration to this level, according to Barsamian. “This is a unique project that should garner great support from historians, since it will bring to life something that could have disappeared. We will probably be finished in February, but a ribbon-cutting ceremony or party may take place in March to welcome everyone to the beautifully restored Station Square.”

“When I watch bricks being put down in 2018, I imagine what it must have been like in the early 1900s,” said Barsamian. “I ask myself, ‘What were the original construction workers and masons thinking? Did it occur to them that they were involved in something so monumental that it has become a model throughout the country and the world, and when someone wants to create a planned historic village? Did the workers have any concept that the brick that they put down would still be walked and driven on?’ This is a throwback to an earlier time, and yet it was futuristic while designing from the past.” 

Barsamian owes much of the success to restrictive covenants. He explained, “A major reason that the community has been maintained for 100+ years is that homes are required by a covenant in their deed that they keep the integrity and structural soundness of the founding fathers’ established code. You cannot walk in and say I’m going to put in a checkerboard look or paint my bricks green and orange. People buy into the neighborhood knowing that there are restrictions on what can be done, and they need to seek our approval based on the community’s original design. That is why it is a timepiece, where you might as well be in an 1800s European Tudor village.”

Station Square’s restoration is not only marked by the most recent roadway project, but is witnessed along its Tudor facades. George Hoban, president of Station Square Inn Apartments Corporation, explained, “Over the past 10 years, our corporation has spent over 7 million dollars restoring our three buildings, and I don’t think people realize that it was funded entirely by less than 100 owners through assessments. People may also not realize that out of the hundreds of brick patterns throughout the buildings, each and every brick pattern is unique.”

Hoban also extended compliments to the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation and Friends of Station Square for their commitment to restoring and beautifying Station Square over the years, and said “The planning and logistics behind this project were obviously challenging, but they have come through flawlessly.” As a 21-year resident, he added, “I still feel a sense of joy each and every time I come home and see the beauty of the Square. I would see the surprised faces of New Yorkers coming off the LIRR into the Square for Forest Hills Stadium concerts and sensed that many were unaware such a beautiful and unique place existed in NYC.”

For another resident Dan Ziegler, who is the owner of Station Square Fight Fit at the Forest Hills Inn, he is also very pleased with the restoration of a town center with many paths. “When I come home, I almost feel like I'm in Europe. Famous people used to stay in my building, and I love how we can go for a stroll in the Gardens and look at mansions, or walk to Queens Boulevard for more of a city vibe. It's almost like ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ where you go through a door, and each door has something special.”

“Visitors may not realize that when you get an aerial view of Station Square with its bricks, it looks like a map of England,” said Gigmy Bista, manager of Jade Eatery & Lounge. “I cannot wait for the restoration to be complete. We would always have locals, commuters, and tourists taking pictures and hanging out, and it was really good for businesses.” Station Square is symbolic of his first time settling in America. “When I attended Queens College, I started working at Jade as a server and remember admiring the Square so much, having my meals on the Square’s bench, and feeling special. I always think of Jade and the Square as my second hometown.” 

A similar version of this feature has been published in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27618913/article-Station-Square-restoration-moving-forward

A Forest Hills Tribute To July 4, 1918

By Michael Perlman

Chairman Eckman of 4th of July Celebration introducing Senator Calder, Station Square, 1918

Originating in 1914, the Forest Hills Gardens coordinated annual Independence Day festivals in exquisitely decorated Station Square with activities at the Forest Hills Inn and Tea Garden, Olivia Park, and along Greenway Terrace. One of the most communicated events was on July 4, 1917, when Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. president, delivered his “One Hundred Percent American” unification speech at the LIRR Station, pleading for a single standard of patriotism and loyalty to the America of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, to address WWI.

Now it is time to turn back the clock to the 1918 festivities, which were also meaningful, but yet, long-forgotten. Today, patriotism and tradition continue to echo locally in a modified form, particularly through Children’s Day at Flagpole Green in early June, although a century ago large-scale Independence Day celebrations were held on the actual day. 

Flag raising ceremony on Village Green, July 4, 1918

A flag raising ceremony proceeded on Village Green (now Flagpole Green), and Reverend Joseph McLaughlin of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs delivered an address. H.E. Conway read excerpts of Secretary Franklin Lane’s address and patriotic songs were recited. Tennis matches were played on courts that once occupied the site of The Inn Apartments, and the Obstacle Race was an attraction among the popular children’s games feature in Station Square. In Olivia Park, students of the noted Louis H. Chalif dance school at 165 West 57th Street performed the Twilight Symphony, an interpretative dance. 

Samuel W. Eckman, who served as Chairman of the Fourth of July Celebration, introduced Senator William M. Calder, who delivered an eloquent address resulting in rounds of applause by several hundred attendees throughout Station Square. His speech consisted of “The country owes a debt of gratitude to General Leonard Wood and Colonel Theodore Roosevelt for their work in stirring up the sentiment on every hand,” and “We are a long way from success, but we mean to fight it out to the last man, and we must all be ready to answer the call and to stand behind the government.” As a native Long Islander, he felt that Forest Hills was especially delightful, and he praised our community spirit.

Senator Calder felt that one of our most important achievements was passing the draft. He explained that “it put all men, the rich and poor alike, on terms of equality.” He established confidence for our future, based on the success of achievers including Harold Davies (WWI veteran) and Charles Schwab, the famed steel magnate.

Senator Calder discussed America’s conditions in its early days such as the Civil War, and pointed out our fight to free a portion of the human race. “We are now as never before a united people,” he said. “This is a war for justice to nations and to men, and when it is over, the treaties of peace must have a clause in then which should assure to all nations a just and complete peace. We must never forget our obligations to France in the time of the Revolution – how they helped us then and how we should help them now.”

He continued, “While America welcomes the oppressed of every nation to her shores, they must when they come join heartily in building up the honor and glory of the United States. We should here today consecrate ourselves anew to the cause of America and to the just war that she is engaged in.”

The agenda continued with “The Spirit of Play,” a masque presented by children, and character and patriotic dancing followed. Evening festivities consisted of dancing in Station Square, in addition to Camp Upton soldiers performing musical numbers. At the Church-In-The-Gardens, wounded soldiers and sailors of WWI were guests of honor at a dinner.

A great success resulted from the collaboration of various committees such as “Soldiers and Sailors” chaired by L.M. Burt, “Printing” by the prolific American type designer and printer Frederic W. Goudy, “Posters” by famed artist Herman Rountree, “Red Cross” by Mrs. Leon D’Emo, “Entertainment and Program” by John M. Demarest of the Sage Foundation Homes Company, and “Dances and Music” by W. Leslie Harriss.

A similar version has been published in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column:www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27581231/article-A-Forest-Hills-Tribute-on-July-4--1918?

Station Square: Restoring The Gateway To Forest Hills Gardens

By Michael Perlman

The talk of the town is the much-anticipated Station Square Restoration Project, announced last week by the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, which maintains the character of Forest Hills Gardens, an earliest planned garden community in America, originating in 1909.

The Forest Hills Inn triumphs over the stately Station Square, Photo by Michael Perlman, November 2015

Station Square, November 2015 photo by Michael Perlman

A statement read, “This will be a multi-faceted project with many phases, and involving more than just the restoration of the historic road surface. All the public utilities will also be upgraded, including their infrastructure, once the roadway is opened.” The project will commence this week and continue through 2018. While vehicular traffic will be off limits east of Continental Avenue, emergency vehicles will be permitted. 

Station Square circa 1916 to 1920 postcard, Courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council

Local residents began to discuss Station Square’s history and their hopes for a community anchor. Sir Leonard Lombard, a director of the Station Square Inn Apartments Corp said, “What makes its ambiance unique is the whimsical Arts & Crafts style that the architects employed, combined with the fantasy-like Neuschwanstein romantic road castle. The architectural and cultural history, which was in vogue at that time, is unlikely to be duplicated with today's technology and state-of-the-art construction methods.” He hopes the restoration will continue with the facades. “I hope to see a more unified commercial look and more upscale shops along Station Square.” 

Inspired by Sir Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City Movement, this model residential development was designed by principal architect Grosvenor Atterbury and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Station Square accommodated a classy social life, particularly at the spire-adorned Forest Hills Inn, which opened in 1912 and offered 150 rooms, adjoining the Raleigh apartments on the east and the Marlboro apartments on the west. The LIRR Station, accessible from the Inn through arcades and bridges sheltering residents and visitors from the weather, enabled a 13-minute commute to Manhattan. Historic events transpired, including annual 4th of July celebrations, and at the Station, where Col. Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “100 Percent American” speech on July 4, 1917, and Helen Keller greeted over 1,200 soldiers of the Rainbow Division that same year. 

LIRR Station with original fountain as the centerpiece circa1915, Courtesy of Susanna & Robert Hof

When guests and prospective residents of the Forest Hills Gardens picked up a copy of “Forest Hills Inn,” an early 20th century illustrated pamphlet by philanthropic organization Russell Sage Foundation’s subsidiary, Sage Foundation Homes Company, they learned about the Gardens’ benefits of location, education, and business, as evident by the planning of parks and open spaces alongside homes with architectural treatment. It read, “Grouped around the arcade, through whose arches may be seen the Common, the groves, and the homes of Forest Hills Gardens, are attractive stores and shops that supply every normal want. In the center of the Square, the play of a fountain adds to the vivacity and charm of the scene. The architecture and plan of Station Square have been designed to provide an attractive spot for the common use and pleasure of residents. Beauty, harmony, and utility are here combined in a unique way.” 

Grosvenor Atterbury's sketch of Station Square, circa 1909 - 1910, Courtesy of Susanna & Robert Hof

One couple who builds upon the history of their families living in the Gardens since its origins is Susanna and Robert Hof, owners and managing brokers of Terrace Sotheby’s International Realty, which occupies three Station Square storefronts. Since pedestrians will be channeled onto the sidewalks, he said, “We see it as a net neutral or even positive aspect for businesses.”

The project will preserve and utilize the roadway’s authentic bricks, which will be stored in a loading area along Greenway Terrace. Robert H. explained, “The distance between the roadbed and the sidewalk has deepened. The brickwork, in the pattern of a Union Jack is sacred, and where there are gaps, they will be filled in with proper vintage bricks of the same type and acquired potentially from Upstate New York.”

Susanna H. provided further insight. “As part of the plan, the Forest Hills Gardens Corp. is trying to work out the details to restore the large decorative lanterns that hang from the facades.” The center island is also expected to be repaired, which is where a fountain once provided water for horses, and then around 1916, two kiosks were added and would function as police and taxi outposts. “It is wonderful how it evolved into a sitting area,” she said.

In a joint statement, they explained, “We are very enthused over the restoration plans, and thank Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, who was instrumental in arranging a grant which helps all of us.”

Wendy Bachman, president of Friends of Station Square admires how Station Square was described as "one of the finest public spaces in America" by Robert A.M. Stern, former dean of the Yale School of Architecture and founder of architectural firm RAMSA. “The LIRR, Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, and Friends of Station Square collaborated for over 25 years to raise funds and seek guidance in maintaining this American architectural jewel,” she said.

Past restoration success stories include the center island in 1995, the LIRR Station in 1999 after being deemed “National Register - Eligible,” and landscaping as the result of the Millennium Appeal from 2000 to 2001. She continued, “The guts of the square need a complete overhaul. After the restoration is complete, my hope is that it will take another 100 years before any work of this magnitude.” 

The Sage Foundation’s 1912 ad read, “Endowed by nature with every beauty, the country is disfigured by towns, cities, and suburban developments which make a sorry and hideous spectacle. Our rapid growth may be a reason for our having neglected to take some thought of how we were planning and what we were building, but the time has come for more forethought, and this excuse should no longer be tolerated.”

This precise planning lives up to its testament. “I feel truly blessed to live in Station Square and love looking out my window, seeing the clock and life in Forest Hills Gardens passing by, changing with seasons,” said Mr. James, who embraces the turn-of-the-century ambiance. He continued, “One observation is the expression on people's faces when they step off the LIRR for the first time, wondering where they are, and amazed with what they are seeing in Queens.” 

Forest Hills Inn & Station Square with ivy, 1966 postcard courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council

A similar version appeared in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27562259/article-Restoring-the-Gateway-to-Forest-Hills-Gardens-

For updates on the Station Square Restoration Project, email the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation at info@fhgc.org  

Historic Forest Hills Inn Lobby At Risk For A Nightclub?

Forest Hills Inn is an anchor of Station Square, Photo by Michael Perlman

The Forest Hills Inn's historic lobby is at risk of demolition for a nightclub, to the disrespect of shareholders, Photo by Michael Perlman

Controversy Brewing At The Forest Hills Inn
by Michael Perlman, Forest Hills Times
 
http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/22211192/article-Controversy-brewing-at-Forest-Hills-Inn

An unofficial landmark in the heart of Forest Hills is at risk of being forever altered.

May 1, 2013, will mark 101 years since the Forest Hills Inn opened its doors and greeted guests and passersby at the gate of Forest Hills Gardens. In our country’s earliest planned garden community, the Forest Hills Inn towers, with its Tudor and Arts & Crafts charm over Station Square, is analogous to how the Empire State Building towers triumphantly over Manhattan.

Both symbols echo the first of their kind in regard to their lofty height and architecture, and cast countless social associations for generations. In May 2012, residents and visitors attended a 100th anniversary ceremony in the Forest Hills Inn’s elegantly appointed lobby, which featured historic presentations by the Inn board’s Historic Committee. Nearly a year later, a controversy is brewing.

The Forest Hills Inn’s One Station Square co-op board is at odds with Reiner & Kaiser Associates, the commercial landlord of the Forest Hills Inn and its accompanying Tudor buildings along Station Square.

The board learned that the company has plans to erect a concrete wall in the Forest Hills Inn’s historic lobby between the three centrally-located pillars for the intent of commercial conversion. The proposal would likely downsize the residential lobby by 75 percent

The plans may include the removal of historic woodwork from the wall separating the Inn's lobby and the neighboring Jade Eatery and Lounge at 1 Station Square. Plans are also rumored to involve the demolition of other English wood-paneled walls, wooden doors, a fireplace, ceilings, chandeliers, and sconces.

“This is defacing history,” said one board member. “Once you knock down a historic wall or details, you cannot put it back.”

At a board meeting, members were told that building manager AnnMarie Ferrelli was taken by surprise on March 20 when she saw a construction crew taking measurements for the installation of a concrete wall, blueprints in hand. First she asked who sent them and was told it was a sponsor. Then they presented a printed email with requests from Ray Kaiser of Reiner & Kaiser.

The board is set to fight the proposal.

“We already contacted the Department of Buildings to call attention to this matter,” said a representative of the One Station Square board. “As far as we can tell, it would be illegal to convert a portion of our lobby into a commercial space. It’s not zoned for anything other than residential use.”

“We learned that Kaiser plans to rent out the Forest Hills Inn’s basement and lobby for a split-level nightclub, so we made an offer for the lobby space to block a nightclub,” said Raymond Taylor, manager of Jade Eatery and Lounge. “Our offer has not been accepted, yet.”

When asked what Jade’s plans would be for the lobby, Taylor responded, “We have not put any energy into plans, since our main focus now is making an investment to stop what would attract the wrong element to the Forest Hills Inn and Station Square.”

“In Jade, we restored many original elements from the Inn’s earlier restaurants, such as the original wooden bar,” said Taylor. “We have done a lot to maintain class, and we’re also working towards the restoration of the abandoned Tea Garden, which our restaurant overlooks.”

The properties within Forest Hills Gardens are subject to “restrictive covenants,” which are upheld by the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, to maintain the aesthetic beauty of period architecture and landscapes. One Station Square, Inc. emphasized prior frustrations with Reiner & Kaiser Associates for not being a team player and, in their opinion, allowing commercial facades along Station Square to decay. The co-op board is continuing to fund façade restoration work through shareholder assessments.

Residents have also had problems with tenants in the past. Bartinis Lounge once occupied the basement, and it became notorious for the fatal beating of a patron in November 2010. Board members recalled wild functions that would last until 4 a.m., compromising Station Square’s quality of life. In spring 2012, the former nightclub’s entryway was padlocked.

“If the co-op can take over the basement and make it into something to benefit the Inn, then we won’t have to worry about Kaiser opening another nightclub,” said one board member.

As of press time, Reiner & Kaiser Associates has not responded to a request for comments.

The Forest Hills Inn was once the center of a classy social life in Forest Hills. When tennis championships and music festivals took place at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, notable figures stayed at the Forest Hills Inn. The Tea Garden featured afternoon teas, string music, plays, and dancing under the stars. The Windsor Room hosted dancing on weekends and dinner music evenings. Much preceded the Inn’s residential conversion in 1967.

“The Forest Hills Inn will always be our jewel in an architectural crown,” said a board member.

Forest Hills Inn lobby at risk of demolition, Photo by Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Inn lobby at risk of demolition, Photo by Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Inn lobby at risk of demolition, Photo by Michael Perlman

Forest Hills Inn lobby at risk of demolition, Photo by Michael Perlman

The Forest Hills Inn at Station Square circa 1915, which would be a few years after the Inn's May 1, 1912 opening, Courtesy of Michael Perlman Postcard Collection

Going forward to a March 2012 view of Station Square, Photo by Michael Perlman

A 1950s super-sized matchcover, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

A 1950s super-sized matchcover, where even the matches depict an artist's rendering of the Forest Hills Inn, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

The charming social spots of the Forest Hills Inn were captured in a 1950s super-sized matchcover, Courtesy of Michael Perlman

4th of July: Forest Hills Edition

4th of July 1917, Station Square costume dance

This is Michael Perlman's article, "4th of July: Forest Hills Edition," published in the Forest Hills Times/Queens Ledger on July 4, 2012. Please feel free to comment & share:
http://www.queensledger.com/view/full_story/19208316/article-4th-of-July--Forest-Hills-Edition

Patriotism and tradition echo in Forest Hills. In recent times, on the weekend following Memorial Day, Forest Hills Gardens organizes a celebration known as Children’s Day at Flagpole Green, which features decorations, face painting, cotton candy, hot dogs, raffles, and games.

Historically, music has played a significant role in Forest Hills Gardens celebrations, so attendees can expect to rejoice to the sounds of John Philip Sousa, a late American composer, who is noted for his patriotic and military marches.

Stepping back in time, Forest Hills Gardens witnessed the light of very elaborate 4th of July commemorations on the actual date. The teens are nearly a century ago, so let’s place our modern minds into the shoes our ancestors walked, and stand in the footsteps of triumph in our country’s earliest planned garden community. Station Square, Village Green, and Olivia Park were classic sites of rich tradition, and exist in a pristine state to this very day.

July 4, 1914 marked the Gardens’ first annual Independence Day celebration. Since the population of the community was minimal, and Forest Hills at large was a small town, the first celebration was noted for its camaraderie.

Greenway Terrace became an al fresco dancing pavilion, which signified the first step of solidarity. A highlight of the second celebration in 1915 was the Pageant of Colonial Times in Station Square, the dedication of the Piping Pan bird fountain (cherub blowing a flute) in Olivia Park with Baroness von Rottenthall’s interpretative dancing, and the Fourth of July Committee’s acquisition of a silver cup for annual tennis matches, which began that year.

 The Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin defined the success of teamwork through organizations and residents in 1916, which read, “The Fourth of July Celebration at the Gardens is primarily, yes wholly, a community affair. It is the people’s day – a memorial of the first great test of unity in this country, and it is interpreted here in the Gardens as an expression of organized community effort.”

That same year, attendees participated in the dedication of a 108-foot flagpole on Village Green, with an inscribed bronze collar at the base. The official flag of the Forest Hills Gardens was first to be raised on the 4th of July.

An allegory called The Happy Stranger was presented in the natural amphitheater-style Olivia Park. The Red Cross Society generated proceeds by selling ice cream, Cracker Jacks, lemonade, peanuts, popcorn, and lollipops under the Square’s archways.

 In great anticipation, Gardens residents decorated their homes, and the Committee on Decorations and Illuminations applied their touch to Station Square and Village Green. The iconic Forest Hills Inn offered special menus and decorations. The Inn’s Tea Garden was boasted as a particular attraction, since children of the entire community were treated as guests to a party of their own.

 One of Forest Hills’ most notable 4th of July moments took place atop the steps of Station Square’s Long Island Railroad Station in 1917, where onlookers heard Colonel Theodore Roosevelt’s One-Hundred Percent American Speech. He pleaded for allegiance to the America of Washington and Lincoln, and thousands cheered in response.

A miniature Greek temple was erected in Olivia Park, which functioned as a stage setting for attendees witnessing the light of Ralph Renaud’s The Masque of Liberty.

A 1918 highlight was U.S. Senator Calder’s speech in Station Square. That year had a more sacred feel, since wounded soldiers and sailors of WWI were honored over dinner at the Church-In-The-Gardens. Students of Louis Chalif’s famed dance school performed in Olivia Park.

 The success of the U.S. and her allies played a pivotal role in the 1919 commemoration. An excerpt from the Forest Hills Gardens Bulletin captured the spirit.

“Nothing was more impressive than the raising of the Flag by a member of the old Rifle Corps while the people assembled sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and nothing was more skillfully done than the reading of the Independence Day Proclamation of the Citizens by the Town Crier, Harvey Warren, in old New England costume. Captain Horace F. Pomeroy, chairman of the celebration committee, spoke of the history of the old Rifle Club – the first military organization of Forest Hills – and then introduced the Rev. Rowland S. Nichols, Chaplain of the Rifle Club who spoke briefly and offered prayer.”

The Forest Hills Rifle Club was the first case of loyalty locally, and its revival for the celebration was integral.

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Village Green hosted flag-raising exercises, the Community Chorus sang patriotic airs, and the Rifle Club reunion took place. Station Square hosted political addresses at 11 a.m. Tennis matches took place at the Forest Hills Inn Courts at 12:30 p.m., which featured the Inns vs. the Outs. The Inns lived in the Forest Hills Inn, and the Outs lived throughout the Forest Hills Gardens.

At 1 p.m., attendees enjoyed children’s games, as well as the French Doll Dance, where female dancers were assisted by the Boy Scouts. Games included yard dashes for children, grand tilting matches for parents, a kiddie car race, a paper fight, a sack race, a baby carriage race for fathers, a pillow fight, an optic contest for adults, a half-mile relay, and dressing and obstacle races.

At 4:30 p.m., The Golden Day allegory by Ralph Renaud took stage at Olivia Park, where locals and talented students of the Chalif Normal School of Dancing performed in a sylvan setting. The play featured the harmonious Butterfly Dance, The Dances of The Summer Nocturne, and The Song of The Birds. The setting was complemented by an orchestra of strings and a vocal interlude.

At 7:30 p.m., under incandescent lights and electric streamers with flags and pennants, nearly 3,000 attendees would enjoy the 9th Coast Artillery Band Concert in Station Square, followed by the flamboyant Costume Dance at 8:30 p.m. Popular costumes were the Pierrot, Pierrette and Yama Yama.

Artists designed highly stylized 4th of July posters annually. Herman Rountree’s 1916 poster depicted a clown and a mule with astonished children in period clothing in the backdrop. It read, “Yes Mule – It’s The Greatest Show on Earth.”

B. Hooper’s “Coming July 4th” poster from 1916 depicted a clown-like child rejoicing on a circus elephant bearing a humanly expression of wisdom and holding high a 4th of July flag.

Rountree’s 1917 poster depicted the Forest Hills Inn and Station Square as the backdrop of Village Green, where bystanders witnessed the raising of the flag. That same year, another one of Rountree’s posters captured the masquerade feel of Station Square with the train station in the backdrop. On various levels of creativity, beauty was indeed in the detail!

A typical celebration called for glorious expression, as in the case of Gertrude Knevels’ Station Square – A Fourth Of July Impression, which read:

Old Glory from the Tower looks down. 
To bless the folly of the town,
Lights, laughter, color everywhere –
Wise folks like happy children there,
At play in Station Square.
Far over all the clear night sky
Spreads tender hands – What hurries by? – 
It is the train that grumbling goes,
Bearing the world and all its woes
Away from Station Square!