12/17 Christmas Fundraiser Concert To Help Restore The Historic First Presbyterian Church of Newtown

The historic First Presbyterian Church of Newtown NEEDS YOUR HELP! All are invited to a Christmas Concert & Restoration Fundraiser on Friday, December 17th at 7:30 PM at the south side of Queens Blvd & 54th Ave in Elmhurst, near the Grand Ave subway entrance. For more information, contact Church Historian Marjorie Melikian at (718) 897-5668.

This church is endangered not by developers which have recently undermined the integrity of historic religious institutions, but is endangered since it is in need of some major repairs to its 1895 building, including weatherproofing, electrical work, roofing, refinishing, and the cleaning and repair of stained glass. Although there is no admission fee, a free will offering will be collected, to benefit the restoration and upgrades of one of Queens' greatest "Landmarks at heart!" Please help by spreading the word, and bringing your family and friends.

The concert is a joint venture of the First Presbyterian Church of Newtown choir with another choral group, known as the Harmonious Chorus. It will be directed by Victor Lui, and the organist is Kiyomi Kimura. Refreshments will be served afterwards. 

The First Presbyterian Church is a greatly intact Gothic brownstone masterpiece with a bell tower, has a 358 year-old congregation, and was an engineering marvel as the 5 million-pound church was moved 125 feet in the 1920s, to spare it from demolition during Queens Boulevard's widening.

At the conclusion of the concert, the church's old bell from 1788 will be rung. It was installed in their 4th  church building, erected in 1791, just after the American Revolution. It replaced their 3rd church, which was desecrated by British soldiers and demolished. The bell survived the destruction of that church by fire, and the moving of the present church a half block in the 1920s, which caused the loss of its original huge steeple. The bell has witnessed significant historic moments in Queens. The bell was originally in an edifice on a single-lane dirt road, with horses going by. The current church was built on a double-lane dirt road. Both the single and double lanes are now bustling Queens Blvd.

The congregation began in 1652, and is one of the oldest in New York City. Originally a community church, it became officially Presbyterian in 1715. It was founded in the wilderness (now Elmhurst) of the Dutch Colony of New Netherlands, and has survived war, invasion, and religious and political persecution. The bell and church are symbols of the lost history of Queens, and have withstood the test of time. Your help is most crucial towards preserving this historic site for future generations to cherish.

A rare and unique history of the First Presbyterian Church of Newtown, composed by Church Historian Marjorie Melikian of Rego Park, NY: http://www.fpcn.org/history/

Postcards and photo documentation by Michael Perlman, Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council & Queens VP of the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, is below and on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/sets/72157605752409722/

Interior of the Gothic sanctuary towards the altar.

Looking out from the altar towards the balcony.

One of the church's many enriching stained glass works.

The 1895 First Presbyterian Church of Newtown is moved during the 1920s, and Queens Blvd is expanded to its current size today. The congregation and riggers worked diligently to spare the church from demolition, and this could potentially be the largest and heaviest building ever moved in New York!

A rare glimpse of rural Queens Boulevard with the First Presbyterian Church of Newtown & humble frame houses. The church's original huge steeple doubled the height of the building, and was sacrificed during the move. ~ Courtesy of the Michael Perlman Postcard Collection.

More stained glass beauty of the 19th century. They sure don't make 'em like they used to!

Spiritual scenes transcend from the artist's vision to reality.

An 1895 Gothic masterpiece is a one & only encounter on Queens Blvd! Visualize farmland with frame houses mere steps from this edifice 115 years ago.

John Goldsmith Payntar left $70,000 in his will for the new 1895 church building. "Payntar Memorial" is inscribed above the entranceway. Stained glass windows and Gothic ornamentation create an empowering entry, which is complemented by its hand-carved wood doors with intricate brass handles. These are a few of many authentic features which merit restoration, before they are lost forever.

A closer eye on the Gothic facade with stained glass overlooking Queens Blvd.

The charming 1931 limestone & brick Church House annex on Seabury St consists of recreational facilities, performance space, and classrooms. It is also in great need of restoration and upgrades.

Historic Blueprints & Promotional Booklets of Forest Hills & Rego Park Unveiled To The Public Eye!

As Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council & as Queens VP of the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, my goal is to digitize all blueprints, facade renderings, & promotional booklets of historic and distinctive Forest Hills and Rego Park apartment buildings, so they can be preserved for posterity, for the enjoyment of all generations. Some of these have not been revealed to the public eye for 70 years!

Our vision is for building residents, managements, landlords, and preservationists to work together, to ensure that Forest Hills and Rego Park sites roughly from 1906 - the 1960s will be restored and upgraded in a historically-sensitive manner, rather than altered insensitively or demolished, in order to make our community more beautiful, and help maintain and enhance property values.

The promotional booklets illustrate how no expense was spared in architectural detail, and the values of urban planning in regard to sensible development and plentiful green space, and also captures historical Queens events at the time of their development.

Let's take pride in where we live, and work cohesively to make it an even better community! Enjoy the collection, and please post your observations and share it with parties who may find it most beneficial:

1. Historic Blueprints & Promo Booklets for Forest Hills South:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157625422752583/

2. Historic Blueprints & Promo Booklets for Forest Hills: Austin St, Queens Blvd, & Vicinity:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157625540544154/

3. Historic Blueprints & Promo Booklets for Rego Park: Saunders St, 63rd Dr, Queens Blvd, & Vicinity:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157625548319210/

4. Historic Blueprints & Promo Booklets: Cord Meyer Section, Forest Hills:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157625422709563/

5. Historic Blueprints & Promo Booklets: Western Forest Hills & Eastern Rego Park:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/72157625422748551/

Digitizing the historic blueprints/promotional booklets is a work in progress, so stay tuned! They will always be accessible under the "Flickr Photo Collections" on the right-hand side of this blog, or accessible under Rego-Forest Preservation Council's collections on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8095451@N08/collections/

Happy Hanukkah From Rego-Forest Preservation Council!

Wishing the members of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, our community, and all families and friends abound, a HAPPY HANUKKAH, and a miraculous season & beyond!!! ♥

For the meaning, significance, and how to celebrate Hanukkah, visit: http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm

Now enjoy a rare historic postcard treasure from the Jewish Soldiers Welfare Committee, which dates to 1942, and depicts why it truly is the Festival of Lights in the face of hard times....

 Fast forwarding to 2010, if you like Taio Cruz' song "Dynamite," you will enjoy this humorous Hanukkah rendition, built upon a traditional foundation. It is called "Candlelight" by the Maccabeats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU

Ridgewood Theatre Supermarket? Crucial Effort To Spare Rare Interior Architecture By Thomas Lamb!

The now landmarked Ridgewood Theatre facade is a classic from its 1916 Vaudeville days, but the ornate interior is now in jeopardy of demolition. Theaters were designed as a complete package, so don't surrender the goods!

The ornate lobby featuring angelic muses, domes, and a grand staircase.

Cameos featuring angels playing instruments, and more Greek Revival detail, adorns the lobby and other parts of this theatrical treasure!

Ridgewood Theatre auditorium's rare Adamesque balconies in April 2010 after multiplexing removal. A treasure was rediscovered, but could be demolished shortly without creative adaptive reuse. This is near the rare backlit proscenium. Note the prominent columns, balustrades, ornamental detail on the underside of the balcony, and the figurines. Photo by Sam Goldman, Times NewsWeekly

Ridgewood Theatre medallion and moldings on ceiling in auditorium in April 2010 after multiplexing removal. A treasure was rediscovered, but remains endangered. This is only a fraction of the ornate detail that merits salvation. Be a visionary! Photo by Robert Pozarycki, Times NewsWeekly

This is a very significant issue that extends beyond Forest Hills and Rego Park, and reflects the endangerment of our citywide cornerstones at large; in this case, our theaters. Please read the following and help. Also, join the Facebook Group for Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, and invite your friends to join as well.

Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre has learned that plans to convert the Ridgewood Theatre (55-27 Myrtle Ave) to a performing arts center have failed after the owners gave up, and have sold it to franchisee Tony Guzman of Associated Supermarket. All hope is not abandoned, and we feel the need for a compromise. We are in the process of calling for a meeting with the new owner. 

We respectfully request the owner to:

1. Preserve and restore the theater's rare 1916 interior Adamesque architecture by America's foremost theater architect Thomas Lamb, such as a rare backlit proscenium, balustrades, and ornate plaster detail in the auditorium (treasures unveiled after multiplex removal), as well as angelic muses, domes, and a grand staircase in the lobby;

2. Utilize funding opportunities such as historic grants and tax credits, if the interior was creatively adaptively reused rather than demolished, along the lines of other sites locally and citywide that underwent a successful parallel conversion. Case studies include theater and bank sites;

 3. Be receptive of concerns of the greater community, and realize the extensive history reflected in remaining site features, and also realize the great rapport he will gain if working cooperatively with locals, preservation groups, and elected officials;

4. Lease at least 2 floors as community and performance spaces, to reflect the building's potential, and the adjacent neighborhoods' growing arts community, while boosting revenue at the site.

We won landmark status for the facade in January 2010, but the interior's rare ornate features dating to its Vaudeville & silent film days merit preservation most significantly. For questions, advice, and to volunteer given the theater's newly endangered status, please e-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com


Ridgewood Theatre facade designation report
Landmarking Petition Drive
Join the Facebook Group for the Ridgewood Theatre!
Ridgewood Theatre interior & facade photos on Flickr

Thank you,

-Michael Perlman

Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, Chair
Rego-Forest Preservation Council, Chair
Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, Queens VP
Queens Preservation Council & Central Queens Historical Association, Bd. of Dir.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing families and friends abound a Happy Thanksgiving from Rego-Forest Preservation Council!

Below is a 1939 chrome postcard from The Macy Color Views of New York series, featuring a float making its way around Columbus Circle. Most vintage Thanksgiving postcards feature greetings, poetry, and traditional imagery, but it is rare to discover a postcard featuring both Thanksgiving and a New York City theme. Picture perfect! I am a deltiologist since 2002 (beginning with collecting Forest Hills postcards, which now benefit historic preservation causes), so this postcard resides in the Michael Perlman Postcard Collection. Please feel free to share this artifact with your family and friends.

Ever wonder about the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? This is an impressive run-down, so get your study cards!

http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_history1.htm
http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_More_History.htm
http://www.nyctourist.com/macys_menu.htm

What are you thankful for? Let's be grateful for cherished experiences with loved ones and true friends, living in a diverse borough, or other unique sections of the city and beyond. Also, let's extend our thanks for the small moments in life that convey great meaning. We are blessed in more ways we can imagine.

Landmark Campaign for Forest Hills Tennis Stadium: Diversity of Support Letters & How You Can Help

The Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is the heart of the West Side Tennis Club, as stated in a vintage Holiday magazine feature.

Since July 23, 2010, Rego-Forest Preservation Council has launched an ongoing letter campaign to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, urging a most democratic public hearing and landmarking for the endangered Forest Hills Tennis Stadium. Not only would it preserve a historic site in terms of tennis, music, and architectural firsts, but city, state, and federal landmarking would have financial benefits for restoring the historic stadium, which would then tie into the long-term historic appeal and economic benefits of the West Side Tennis Club and greater community. Landmarking is a must-have!

***This is the landmark letter campaign link, which you still have the power of participating in, by composing a letter of support, even if it's brief. Also, forward this post to friends, encouraging them to do the same. Base it upon the following:

http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/07/save-forest-hills-tennis-stadium.html

Below is a handful of landmark support letters, representing the diversity of prominent figures, residents, tennis, art, and preservation organizations. More to appear on this blog in the coming days....

10/6/10 Landmark Support Letter from Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe:
http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/10/jeanne-moutoussamy-ashe-says-landmark.html

9/9/10 Landmark Support Letter from Peter Pennoyer Architects: http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/09/landmark-support-letter-from-peter.html

9/2/10 Landmark Support Letter from The New York Landmarks Conservancy:

Dear Chairman Tierney:

The Conservancy joins local elected officials in requesting that the Landmarks Preservation Commission evaluate the West Side Tennis Stadium in Forest Hills, to determine if it should be designated as an Individual Landmark.

The arena has been home to pivotal events in the history of tennis and NY tennis in particular, since it opened nearly 100 years ago. As this year's US Open gets underway, we're reminded of the many famous matches played for over 50 years, when the Open was known simply as "Forest Hills."

We acknowledge that the Stadium has not been used to its full advantage since the Open left, and that some features may be in poor condition, but the overall volume is unchanged from its most significant era. Protected by landmark designation, it could be restored and re-used to its best potential use, as a sports and entertainment complex.

The West Side Tennis Stadium embodies the vibrant tennis culture which flourished in the 1960s and 70s, and is a monument of NY's social history. We urge the Commission to work quickly to study and evaluate the West Side Tennis Stadium.

Yours Truly,

- Peg Breen, President, The New York Landmarks Conservancy

8/16/10 Landmark Support Letter from the American Institute of Architects:

Dear Chairman Tierney,

Given the circumstances surrounding the possible sale of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium for development, the Preservation Committee of the Queens Chapter of the American Institute of Architects encourages the Commission to calendar a hearing as soon as possible, to consider the merits of the Tennis Stadium for designation as a NYC Landmark.

In our opinion, it has true value in its historical significance as the home of the United States Tennis Open Championship from 1923 to 1977.

We believe the Stadium alone and as part of the greater West Side Tennis Club complex - a storied venue in the annals of tennis history - stands as a symbol of past glory and sporting firsts, and that it should be celebrated as a source of civic pride, not only by residents of Forest Hills, but by all New Yorkers, and forever be preserved as an example of our city's 20th century heritage.

Should a hearing be scheduled, please note that the Preservation Committee of the Queens AIA wholeheartedly endorses designation of the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium as a NYC Landmark.

Sincerely,

- Laura Heim, AIA Queens President
- Kevin Wolfe, AIA Queens Preservation Committee
- Michael Almon, AIA Queens Preservation Committee

Photo Series: Eye Above Forest Hills & Rego Park

 Aerials from Kennedy House

Aerials from Howard Apartments

Introducing an ongoing series of aerial views of Forest Hills & Rego Park from mainly residential high-rises! The first two photosets have been uploaded to a flickr collection, and features views of the neighborhood from the roof of 2 notable Modernist structures in Forest Hills, including the 12-story Howard Apartments at 99-32 66th Rd, and the 34-story Kennedy House at 110-11 Queens Blvd.  Both are valuable assets designed by award-winning architect, Philip Birnbaum, completed in 1952 and 1964, respectively.

Aerial Photo Collection of Forest Hills & Rego Park on Flickr

This aerial photo series makes one appreciate aspects which make our neighborhood distinctive:

1. Our architectural and cultural history
2. Urban planning
3. Garden apartment house movement and greenery.

This will benefit our historic preservation neighborhood survey work. To volunteer by recommending sites to photograph from, or to submit photos after corresponding, please e-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com