College Point, Queens
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College Point is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the NYPD's 109th Precinct and Queens Community Board 7.[1] Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often taken as the neighborhood's approximate boundaries with Flushing and Whitestone.
In the past, it was a largely German American community. Today, College Point is a mildly industrial but mostly residential community featuring mostly one and two family homes and condominiums experiencing a housing boom with the construction of multi-family homes.
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[edit] History
College Point was named for St. Paul's College, a seminary founded in 1835 by the Rev. Augustus Muhlenberg.[2][3] The college closed circa 1850, but the name stuck. Former names include Lawrence's Neck, Tew's Neck, Flammersberg, and Strattonsport.
The original settler of this area was Captain William Lawrence.[4] He was also the largest land holder of the original incorporators of Flushing, L.I. He arrived in America on the ship "Planter" in the 1630's. He married the oldest daughter of Richard "Bull Rider" Smith who founded Smithtown L.I. His son from his first wife, William Jr. married the youngest daughter of "Bull Rider" Smith.
Much later, the town was later expanded by a German-American industrialist, Conrad Poppenhusen, who made his fortune in manufacturing hard rubber combs. He founded the community primarily for his workers and became a philanthropist contributor to churches, libraries, and The Poppenhusen Institute, an educational beacon of College Point. He is responsible for the first free kindergarten in America. He connected College Point to Flushing by the Flushing and North Side Railroad, later called Whitestone Branch. A special monument on College Point Boulevard, one of the main streets in College Point, stands testament to Poppenhusen.[5]
College Point became a center for breweries and day trip resorts, but during Prohibition the community shifted towards airplane parts manufacturing.
In 1997, the Queens Historical Society[1] bestowed a "Queensmark" award on College Point, in hopes of encouraging historical preservation of local landmark architecture.[6]
[edit] Notable structures
The First Reformed Church — A church built in 1873 in the small town New England style. The church is on a large lot, has a bell tower, and is adorned with "gingerbread" trim. On June 6th, 2008 there was a large fire in the church and the church is put out of commision indeffinately. (up on 119th ST)
Flessel's Restaurant — Recently demolished in the construction boom, Flessel's stood as a testament to the summer resorts and beer gardens that once marked College Point.
Flushing Airport - Opened in 1927 along the shore of Flushing Bay, the airport had been a busy aviation hub before LaGuardia Airport was built in 1939 about one mile away. It carried the IATA code FLU. In 1977, a Piper Twin Comanche crashed shortly after taking off from the airport. The incident eventually led to the closing of this airport in 1984.[7] The site remains abandoned, although plans have been proposed over the years to convert it into a blimp-port or office park. Given natural deterioration of the hangars and concrete runways, however, it is likely that the site will simply return to being natural wetlands.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Poppenhusen Institute — Built in 1868 by Conrad Poppenhusen, the founder of College Point. The architecture features a French Second Empire Mansard roof topping off the three Italianate style stories. Originally a town hall, Poppenhusen now serves as a cultural and historical center and offers a variety of classes and activities.
Schleicher Court — A mansion built around 1870 that also operated as the Jocker's Hotel; the house was divided into apartments and literally sat in the center of 123rd street. Today the house is no longer there as it has been knocked down; there are now many small condos and the street is now completely open to traffic.
The Spangelberg Mansion — A yellow and white mansion circa 1860 now also divided into apartments.
Poppenhusen Library — An Andrew Carnegie library, built in 1904 featuring a copper roof, is still active as a branch in the Queens Library system [9].
[edit] Schools and churches
Public elementary schools, defined as kindergarten through 6th grades, include PS 29 and PS 129. College Point is home to St. Fidelis, a Catholic school for nursery through 8th grades. It is also home to St. Agnes High School and St. John's Lutheran School, another elementary program.
St. Fidelis Roman Catholic Church[10], St. Paul's Episcopal, St. John's Lutheran, and The First Reformed Church of College Point host the community's four largest congregations.
[edit] Recreation and attractions
[edit] Parks
McNeil Park [11], formally known and still affectionately called Chisholm's by many locals (after the family that owned the mansion that once stood in the park), features a water front view, full playground, basketball and handball courts, and baseball fields.
Poppenhusen Playground [12] is a park for primary school aged children.
College Point Park [13], the former location of P.S. 27, is located across the street from Poppenhusen Library. It has basketball and handball courts as well as an adjacent municipal parking lot. A hot-dog vendor is often in the park on days with good weather and has handballs available for sale.
Powell's Cove Park [14], an environmental waterfront park, lies on the border of College Point and Malba and affords a great view of the Bronx Whitestone Bridge
Frank Golden Memorial Park [15], located behind the strip mall on 14th Avenue, features 4 baseball diamonds and is used by local softball leagues.
[edit] Shopping & Entertainment
Empire Market on College Point Boulevard has sold German meats and groceries since 1920 and is owned by a third generation German family. The store also offers a wide variety of candy in glass jars and is a favorite amongst children.
College Meat Center, family owned and operated since 1963, has been serving local residents for over 40 years, notably surviving a fire in the 1980s.
Shopping centers on 20th Avenue include Target, TJ Maxx, BJ's, Old Navy, Babies R' Us, Waldbaum's, and more.
The College Point Multiplex Cinemas offers 12 screens of movies, as well as a mini-arcade.
[edit] Sports
- College Point Sports Park
College Point is home to a newly reconstructed hockey rink on Ulmer Street complete with floodlights and bleachers, which was part of a larger reconstruction of the College Point Fields. The baseball fields and hockey rink are now New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Fields, but the entire property used to belong to the College Sports Association, which leased the fields from the City for $1 a day. The fields were to be rebuilt in the late 1990's, but due to complications due to the EnViroFill dumping construction debris, in 1999, the construction was stopped, the fields closed and the lease revoked. The local leagues nearly collapsed due to the closure of the fields, but under the leadership of Jerry Castro, President of the Little League until 2006, and Tony Mongeluzzi, President of the Roller Hockey League, the leagues survived and are now thriving.
- College Point Little League
The College Point Little League is chartered by Little League Baseball in Williamsport, and serves the College Point, Flushing, and Whitestone areas of Queens. The College Point Little League is an all volunteer organization dedicated to providing boys and girls, ages 5 through 18, a place where they can build their baseball skills while learning good sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork, and most of all, having fun.
- College Point Stars
The College Point Stars (not affiliated with the College Point Little League) are a youth baseball team that advanced to the 2007 Cal Ripken Babe Ruth Division World Series. They are coached by Nelson Santiago, who was involved with the Little League for several years, including managing a team of 11 year olds to a second place finish in New York State in the summer of 2006.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of College Point include:
- David Gallagher - Actor that portrayed 'Simon Camden' on the show 7th Heaven.
- Steve Karsay - Major League Baseball pitcher.[8]
- Conrad Poppenhusen - Founder of College Point, education innovator, rubber factory tycoon, failed railroad venture capitalist, and philanthropist from Germany.
[edit] References
- ^ Queens Community Boards, New York City. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ College Point, Times Ledger, January 20, 2000. Accessed October 24, 2007. "North of Flushing is College Point, named College Point in 1835 by the Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg, who established St. Paul's College there in 1838."
- ^ College Point, Forgotten New York.
- ^ College Point Park, New York City department of Parks and recreation. Accessed October 24, 2007.
- ^ Conrad Poppenhusen Statue, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Accessed September 10, 2007.
- ^ Queensmark Comes to College Point. Accessed September 10, 2007.
- ^ 1977. The Queens Spin. Queens Tribute.
- ^ "Closing suits Karsay", The Atlanta Constitution, June 25, 2001. "Karsay, 29, grew up in College Point, NY, five miles from Shea Stadium."
