‘Astoria Institute’ (1825 – 1860?) funded by John Jacob Astor, was a young woman’s private school, part of a revolutionary development at that time in women’s educational opportunities giving rise to the Seneca Falls Convention. ‘Hallets Cove’ changed its name to ‘Astoria’ because of this building. It was later a parish house for St. George Church. Soon after its Request for Evaluation rejected by the Landmarks Commission, demolished for the Gloria D’Amico Senior Residence, named for a late Queens County Clerk.

At the northwest corner of 26th Avenue is the Mount Carmel Cemetery, 1931. The original Our Lady of Mount Carmel church (completed in 1841) once stood adjacent to this church graveyard. The parish moved to a new church a few blocks away at the corner of Newtown Avenue and Crescent Street in 1873. The church continued to use and maintain the church graveyard into the 20th century. The earliest monument dates back to 1844, with most burials between the 1850s and 1880s. The final burial took place in 1926. Most of the burials are of Irish immigrant parishioners, many of whom likely arrived in the United States in the late 1840s to escape the Irish Famine. As is the case with many of the small church and family burial plots, this cemetery suffered through decades of neglect and vandalism. In 1983 the Diocese of Brooklyn began to clean and maintain the plot, placing it behind a tall fence for protection.

Astoria Pool, ca. 1940. Astoria Pool is the largest of the 11 public pools opened in the summer of 1936 under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration and the planning of Robert Moses (who was an avid swimmer). The pool structures, including the diving towers, fountains, and the bathing pavilion are all of a subtle Art Moderne style. The pool opened July 2, 1936 and two days later hosted the Olympic Trials for the U.S. Swim and Diving Teams who soon there after attended the Olympics in Berlin. The trials would return to the pool in 1952 and 1964. In both cases the two fountains located on the east end of the pool were lit as Olympic torches through the events. Today the pool continues to serve the local neighborhood during the summer months. The diving pool was closed in the 1970s and has been deteriorating since then. In 2012 renderings were release for the conversation of the diving pool into a performance venue but as of 2017 no such project has commenced.

Astoria Pool, ca. 1940.

My Archive Summer 2019 “My mother, Betty Melidis-Lelekidis is pictured in this photo on a snow day in February of 1985. This photo is a part of my personal family archive and was taken by my father, George Lelekidis. My mother grew up across the street of Astoria Park and hung out there every day as a teen. She considered this park her haven and a place to escape to. Today, there is a bench in the park, very close to where this photo was taken, dedicated to her, in memory of her recent passing.” —Anthoula Lelekidis

Astoria Pool Pavilion, 1937.

Astoria Square, March 13, 1931. Newtown Avenue, Astoria Boulevard (formerly Flushing Avenue and Fulton Street), 21st Street (Van Alst Street), and 27th Avenue (Franklin Street) converge at Astoria Square, which sat at the northeast corner of Astoria Park, a 19th century green space that has since been build over. At left is the “Astoria flatiron building” at 18-23 Astoria Boulevard, built in 1889 for the L. Gally furniture showroom.

Astoria Pool, 1937.

St. George's Episcopal Church, Parish House, May 25, 1937. This clapboard building began its life in 1828 as the Astoria Institute for the Education of Young Ladies, a finishing school for the young daughters of the wealthy families residing in the mansions of nearby Hallet's Cove. Sometime after St. George's built their brick church next door (circa 1903-1903), this building became its parish house. In the early 2000s, as the church suffered from lack of funds, a decision was made to raze the building for the construction of senior housing.