Courtesy Greater Astoria Historical Society
Newtown Creek was a notorious nuisance in the 1800s with spectacular fires almost an annual event.The shoreline of the Long Island City and Astoria waterfront was the topic of discussion at the Greater Astoria Historical Society last week. The talk and power-point presentation was given by
Bob Singleton, Executive Director and Debbie Van Cura, Secretary, of the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
Long Island City and Astoria, as transportation terminals, owe their existence to the waterfront.
Bob Singleton opened the presentation from a historical point Looking to the future while paying homage to the past: Gantry Park as a successful reinvention of the waterfront space. of view, describing the area as residential with many mansions. When Europeans arrived in the 17th century, they moved into the same waterfront clearings where Native Americans had lived from time immemorial. The American horticulture industry started along its salt meadows, rich soils and water tempered climate. On the waterfront, farmers built piers to ship produce and constructed tide mills to mill grain. The Long Island City shorefront launched fortunes and would become one of the most densely developed and polluted places on earth. For most of our history, the waterfront was cut off from the community, first by wealthy estates and farms, then by industry. The threat of massive development – or the promise of public parkland – makes its future today among the largest questions facing our community.
He presented a slide show of the mansions that sat along Vernon Boulevard and Shore Road. He then discussed the door from the mansion that was once along the shoreline in Ravenswood in the late 16th or early 17th century, owned by Jacob Blackwell which is now on permanent exhibit at the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
After the Civil War, the Steinway piano factory relocated to the Queens waterfront. Later, North Beach, an amusement park opened on the waterfront. The location is now LaGuardia Airport. As the shorefront changed from residential to manufacturing, the mansions slowly gave way to factories.
Debbie Van Cura then continued the presentation by looking at current issues on the waterfront. She discussed proposed projects in Long Island City, Ravenswood and Hallets Point. “People need to be knowledgeable about what is going on in other communities,” she said, “as development can have a positive and negative impact on neighborhoods.”
The GAHS is located at 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor, Long Island City, NY and is open every Saturday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Monday Wednesday from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. www.astorialic.org.
