No tour of Revolutionary War sites in Queens would be complete without a moment to contemplate the Battle of Long Island. The battle itself took place in Brooklyn (and is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Brooklyn). In the summer of 1776, General George Washington correctly predicted that the British forces would seek to take control of New York Harbor, and he began assembling troops in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in preparation for battle. The Redcoats did indeed arrive in great number, and on the evening of August 26 they marched through Jamaica Pass to attack the Patriot troops at Brooklyn Heights. Historians say Washington’s greatest error was in not reinforcing the Pass; the Americans were cornered in Brooklyn and casualties were high. Washington’s next move, however, showed his strategic abilities in a better light. Rather than surrender, he managed to evacuate the entire company of 9,000 soldiers, plus artillery and supplies, across the East River under cover of night and a helpful fog. The British officers were shocked to find the Americans gone the next morning. Nonetheless, the battle had grave consequences. All of Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens, was under British occupation for the duration of the war. The British forces and their accompanying Hessian mercenaries caused great disruption among the population, as they took over farmland, private homes and churches for quartering troops and storing supplies and ammunition. Bitterness arose between neighbors and even family members as some aided and supported the troops while others sought to sabotage them. One such case close at hand was the Alsop family, who owned farmland and a large house just east of here along Newtown Creek in the Laurel Hill area. Historical accounts indicate that Mrs. Alsop was a supporter of the Crown and welcomed General Cornwallis and other British officers to their home as they planned their attack, even though her husband, Richard, was a Patriot. Following the American defeat in Brooklyn, the Alsop home and its grounds were occupied by British soldiers and officers who used it as a meeting place. Though this spared the Alsops from looting and violence at the hands of the troops, many of their neighbors were not so fortunate. The Alsop house stood for nearly 100 years following the war and was demolished in 1880 to make way for the expansion of Calvary Cemetery; the family burial ground is still maintained as a separate entity by caretakers of the cemetery that surrounds it. Sources: “Brooklyn, Long Island,” American Battlefield Trust. French, Mary, “Alsop, Cumberson & Betts Family Burial Grounds,” New York City Cemetery Project (April 27, 2019). “Newtown and the American Revolution,” The Juniper Berry, Juniper Park Civic (November 28, 2011). “Relics of Long Ago: Additional Particulars About the Old Alsop Mansion,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 25, 1880. Via Brooklyn Newsstand. Stockwell, Mary, “Battle of Long Island,” George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Located in Ridgewood, Queens, just across the border with Brooklyn, the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House and property has been involved with border disputes since its earliest days. The land on which the house was built was originally part of the town of Bushwick, deeded to its first European owner, Hendrik Smidt, in 1662 by New Netherland Governor Peter Stuyvesant. For more than 100 years, the property lay in what was called “The Disputed Territory” between the townships of Bushwick (Brooklyn) and Newtown (Queens). The two towns fought over the dividing line from 1661 to 1769, when an arbitration committee finally decided the exact boundary. Arbitration Rock, a car-sized glacial boulder, served to mark the dividing point. In the meantime, the farm was bought in 1709 by Paulus and Jannetje Vander Ende, who built a stone house with a wooden Dutch gambrel roof, a combination of Dutch and English styles. The home was inherited by their daughter whose husband, Moses Beadel, died in 1779 as a British prisoner of war, having been captured during the Battle of Long Island. It was purchased in 1820 by the Onderdonks, who updated and expanded the house, and remained in their family until the early 20th century, when the property was sold amidst intense development in the area. The house itself, considered the oldest extant Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City, survived decades of industrial use but suffered a catastrophic fire in 1975. Community members formed the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society to save the house, and in 1977 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is now fully restored and serves as both a museum and the headquarters of the historical society. And what of Arbitration Rock? The boulder seems to have disappeared by the mid-19th century, and was long the subject of historians’ searches. In 2001, the city conducted an archaeological dig and unearthed the boulder, which was placed once again on the Vander Ende-Onderdonk property with historical signage. True to its heritage, however, the rock continues to engender controversy, as a number of Brooklyn and Queens historians have debated its authenticity and on which side of the border it should have been placed. Sources: Kershaw, Sarah. “It's a Boulder, All Right, But Was It Once a Border?; Marker Lost to History Is Found (Maybe),” The New York Times, May 16, 2002. Sarah T. Bridges (August 1976). National Register of Historic Places Registration: New York SP Vander Ende-Onderdonk House Site. National Archives and Records Administration. Spellen, Suzanne, “Queenswalk: The Vander Ende-Onderdonk House in Ridgewood,” Brownstoner (August 14, 2013). “The Facts,” Vander Ende-Onderdonk House.

This 2.5-acre triangular burial ground is easy to miss, tucked into residential streets and dwarfed by nearby St. John Cemetery. Yet it pays tribute to a family that included some of the earliest settlers of Queens as well as several Revolutionary War veterans. The patriarch of the Remsen family, Rem Jansen Van Der Beek, hailed from northern Germany and settled here in the mid-1600s. His sons adopted the surname “Remsen” and farmed the land in what was then called Hempstead Swamp. In 1735 Jeromus Remsen was born, a great-grandson of Rem Jansen. Jeromus served in the British military during the French and Indian War, but later became a strong Whig voice in the community, speaking out in favor of independence. He was a member of the Newtown committee charged with enforcing the policies declared by the 1774 Continental Congress, and when hostilities broke out, he was appointed a colonel of the Kings and Queens County Militia. Remsen fought under General Greene in the Battle of Long Island, and fled to New Jersey for safety after the battle was lost. He returned to the farm after the war, and when he died in 1790, he was buried in the family cemetery. The Remsens owned farmland here until 1925, but seem to have used the cemetery for family burials only until the early 19th century. A survey of the grounds in 1925 found eight gravestones, including that of Jeromus and his brother, Major Abraham Remsen, who also fought in the Revolution. The cemetery suffered from vandalism and neglect in the 20th century, but the local American Legion made efforts to maintain it. In 1980 the Veterans Administration erected new marble gravestones to honor Colonel Remsen, Major Remsen, and two other family members, Luke and Aurt Remsen, who served in the Revolutionary Army. A community World War I memorial was added to the site as well. The Remsen Family Cemetery was declared a New York City Landmark in 1981, and is currently owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Colonel Jeromus Remsen is also remembered at nearby P.S. 144, which is named in his honor. Sources: French, Mary, “Remsen Family Cemetery,” New York City Cemetery Project (April 15, 2016). Lusty, Aimee (2020). “Historic Burial Grounds of Queens Public Parks.” Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Conservancy. "Remsen Family Cemetery," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. “Remsen Cemetery” (Designated May 26, 1981). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Not a trace of it is visible today, but for a brief time in the summer of 1776, a house on the southwest corner of this intersection served as “enemy headquarters.” Following his victory in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, General William Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, occupied the house belonging to Samuel Renne and his family, and quartered his troops in the adjacent farmland. Records show that on September 3, 1776, Howe wrote his account of the battle to officials in London from this house. On September 15, he set sail up the East River to engage Washington again at Kip’s Bay, presumably leaving the Rennes to resume control of their home. Not much is known about Samuel Renne himself. Scant historical records indicate he was born in 1735, married Mary Fish, the daughter of Capt. Samuel Fish, in 1761, and built this home in 1762. The Rennes had at least three children and seem to have survived the British occupation, but no further evidence of them is found. The house itself passed through many owners as Elmhurst developed around it, and was later referred to as the Bretonniere house. By 1939, it had fallen into disrepair and was demolished. At one time a New York State historical marker noted the site’s history, but that too has disappeared, leaving few of the shoppers at this busy intersection aware of its Redcoat past. Sources: “Historic Houses Being Razed to Make Way for the March of Improvement,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 2, 1903, via Brooklyn Newsstand. Lossing, Benson J. (1852). The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 2. Harper & Brothers. Via Project Gutenberg. Marzlock, Ron, “The Samuel Renne House,” Queens Chronicle, July 24, 2008. “Raze Old Renne Farmhouse, Pre-Revolution Landmark,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 14, 1939, via Brooklyn Newsstand. “Samuel Renne,” FamilySearch.org. “Samuel Renne House, Elmhurst,” Forgotten New York (February 17, 2026).

This imposing Gothic Revival church, with its 85-foot-tall bell tower, has been one of Elmhurst’s most recognizable buildings for more than 100 years. Built in 1895 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, it is nonetheless the fifth church building to serve the Presbyterian congregation of the town – a relative newcomer! First Presbyterian’s roots stretch back to the earliest days of European settlement in Queens. The congregation was founded in 1652 and at the time met in a small wooden building with a thatched roof that was also used as a school and town hall. In 1669, funds were raised among the community to build a new church, dedicated solely to worship services. In 1715, the growing congregation received a gift of land from one of its prosperous members, Jonathan Fish, and a larger church was constructed across the street from the present site. The deed, written on sheepskin, is still in the church’s possession. As the outbreak of the Revolutionary War drew near, the church faced many challenges. Like most Presbyterians in the Colonies, the Newtown congregation opposed the Crown, and when the Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776, a copy was read out on the steps of the church. Tory residents of Newtown sought revenge on the church and shortly before the British invasion, its steeple was sawed off by vandals. When British troops marched into Newtown following the Battle of Long Island, they showed no mercy to the church building. It was used as a prison and guard-house, the pews were removed, and the pulpit was placed in the street as a hitching post. Finally the structure itself was torn down and the wood used to build huts for the soldiers. Following the war, only five members of the congregation remained; the rest were either killed or had fled for safety. But in 1787, construction began on the fourth church, which would come to be known as the “Old White Church.” The wood-frame building was dedicated in 1791 and stood across the street from the present church. When services moved to the current church building in 1895, the Old White Church was used as a Sunday school until it was destroyed by fire in 1928. The bell from that building fortunately survived the fire and was moved to the new church, where it still rings today. Sources: French, Mary, “First Presbyterian Church of Newtown Cemetery,” New York City Cemetery Project (September 21, 2022). “History,” First Presbyterian Church of Newtown. Jonathan Taylor (April 2013). National Register of Historic Places Registration: First Presbyterian Church of Newtown. National Parks Service. Waxman, Mitch, “Inside the First Presbyterian Church of Newtown,” Brownstoner (January 29, 2015).

Although worship services have not been held here for more than 150 years, the distinctive, cedar-shingled building known as Old St. James Church retains an important function: It provides the local Episcopal community – and Elmhurst as a whole – with a very visible link to the town’s Colonial past. The St. James congregation began as part of the “mission parish” of Newtown, Flushing and Jamaica in 1702. By 1735, the Newtown contingent was large enough to start building its own church, which was completed the following year. The congregation formally became the Church of England Parish of St. James in 1761, and in 1772 the building was expanded. But as the town developed, the old church was outgrown, and in 1848 the congregation moved to a new building one block north (the site of the present St. James Church). Fortunately, the original church was retained and used as a chapel, Sunday school and parish hall. Due to its association with the Church of England, St. James Church was spared occupation and damage by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Indeed, many high-ranking military officers attended services here, including General William Howe, Commander in Chief of the British forces, and Prince William, who eventually became King William IV. A notable member of the congregation at this time was Rev. Benjamin Moore, who went on to become president of Columbia College (now Columbia University) and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York (1815-16). Moore’s only child was the author Clement Clarke Moore. The original St. James Church building continued to be used well into the 20th century by diverse groups including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Alcoholics Anonymous. Much-needed restoration work was done in 2004, and in 2017 it was designated a New York City Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sources: French, Mary, “St. James Episcopal Churchyard,” New York City Cemetery Project (September 7, 2025). Ilel, Nellie, “Elmhurst Parish Turns 300; Celebrates With Major Facelift,” Queens Chronicle, August 5, 2004. “Old St. James Episcopal Church.” New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (September 19, 2017). Kathleen A. Howe (September 1999). New York SP St. James Church. National Archives and Records Administration.

The Dutch settlers who established the Reformed Church of Newtown in 1731 would no doubt be shocked to see the bustling town that has grown up around their church, and to learn that services are conducted here in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese. Earlier worshippers heard preaching in Dutch only until 1802, and Dutch services were retained until 1849. The Greek Revival-style church that presently stands at the site, built in 1831 and considered one of the oldest wood-frame buildings in Queens, is the congregation’s second church building. The original church, constructed in 1731, was octagonal in shape and included a bell tower; that bell now hangs in the current church, which also incorporates the cornerstone of the first building in its foundation. Historical accounts indicate that the years of the American Revolution were difficult ones for congregants. The pastor at the time, Rev. Solomon Froeligh, was a supporter of the Patriot cause and reportedly prayed for the destruction of the British forces from the pulpit. When the British prevailed in the Battle of Long Island, Rev. Froeligh was forced to flee for his safety. Services at the church were interrupted and at one point suspended when British troops used the building to store gunpowder. The church property also contains a cemetery, with gravestones dating from the early years of the church’s history. One of the more notable burials is that of Major Leonard Bleeker (1755-1814), who served in the Revolutionary Army for the entirety of the war, and was instrumental in fending off British troops at Fort Schuyler in 1777. After the war, Bleeker joined his brother, famed financier Anthony Bleeker, in signing the Buttonwood Agreement, which established the New York Stock Exchange. Sources: Kleinman, Dena. “Immigrants Spur Renaissance for Queens Churches,” The New York Times, November 15, 1982. “Leonard Bleeker,” National Parks Service. The Reformed Church of Newtown. Virginia Kurshan (September 1979). New York SP Reformed Church of Newtown Complex. National Archives and Records Administration. Waxman, Mitch, “Courage and Action,” The Newtown Pentacle (May 12, 2014). White, Arthur, “Historic Old Reformed Church Links Elmhurst With Early Days of Dutch-English Colonization,” The Daily Star, Queens Borough, April 2, 1928. Via FultonHistory.com.

Most of the neighborhood residents who enjoy the jungle gyms and basketball courts at the Moore Homestead Playground probably have little idea that this patch of green is the birthplace of New York City’s official apple, the Newtown Pippin. The community park, which is just under 2 acres, is named to honor the Moore family, who originally owned 80 acres of land in this vicinity. Rev. John Moore (1620-1657) was Newtown’s first minister, and is said to have negotiated a peaceful purchase of land for the new settlement from the Mespeatches tribe in 1656. His son Capt. Samuel Moore built a home on the property, and generations of the family owned land here until the early 20th century. At the time of the American Revolution, the Moore family were Loyalists and accommodated encampments of British soldiers on the property. Decades before the war, however, Samuel’s brother Gershom Moore had a farm on the property and cultivated what would become the most beloved apple of Colonial times. The Newtown Pippin, as it came to be known, was the first apple commercially grown in the U.S. and a favorite of the Founding Fathers. A yellow-green, somewhat irregularly shaped apple, its sweet, complex flavor made it ideal for eating, baking and cider-making, and its durability allowed it to be shipped long distances. Benjamin Franklin is credited with introducing the Pippin to England as he had barrels of them shipped to London during his stay there in 1759. Moore’s original seedlings were grafted – at first by the Prince Nursery in Flushing – and sold for planting elsewhere as the apple’s popularity spread. After the war, Thomas Jefferson had barrels of Pippins sent to him in Paris, along with grafts of the trees. Both Jefferson and George Washington also bought trees for planting in their Virginia homes, and the Pippins are still grown at Monticello and Mount Vernon today. By the 20th century, the Newtown Pippin was eclipsed in popularity by the Granny Smith and other varieties with sweeter tastes and more attractive appearances. But the Pippin is still in demand for bottled cider and juice, and is prized by apple aficionados as an heirloom specimen. In 2013, the City of New York designated the Newtown Pippin as its official apple. Sources: Karp, David, “It's Crunch Time for the Venerable Pippin,” The New York Times, November 5, 2003. Letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 17 September 1787. National Archives: Founders Online. "Moore Homestead Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. “The Newtown Pippin - Our Historic Apple,” Newtown Historical Society.

The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead claims the distinction of being the oldest home that has been continuously used as a private residence in New York City. The property has had only two owners since the original Lent-Riker family, and yes, it is connected to that other famous Riker site: The house sits footsteps away from Bowery Bay, directly across from Rikers Island, which was once owned by the same family. Dutch settler Abraham Riker was given a grant for the land in 1654 by Governor Peter Stuyvesant, and built the earliest part of the house in 1656. A one-room stone addition was built in 1729, and a second stone room was added sometime later in the 18th century. A wooden section was constructed in 1800, but the Dutch Colonial-style farmhouse has remained largely unchanged in its outward appearance since then. Behind the house, which stands on approximately three-quarters of an acre, is the Riker Cemetery. It contains 132 marked graves, mostly of family members, which date back to 1746. Among the more notable are those of Captain Abraham Riker, who served in the New York Militia and was killed at Valley Forge in 1778, and Dr. John Berrien Riker, who was a surgeon with the Revolutionary Army. Dr. Riker is credited with saving the life of (future U.S. President) James Monroe during the Battle of Trenton in 1776, after Monroe suffered a nearly fatal gunshot wound to his shoulder. Dr. Riker also survived the war and died at the Riker home in 1794. The house and property were purchased in 1975 by Michael Smith, and he and his wife, Marion Duckworth Smith, began a major restoration effort in 1980 that resulted in the home’s being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Michael Smith died in 2010 and is interred in the on-site cemetery. Marion, now in her 80s, continues to raise funds for repairs to the house and occasionally gives tours of the property; see Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead for details. Sources: French, Mary, “Riker Cemetery,” New York City Cemetery Project (February 14, 2021). https://nycemetery.wordpress.com/2021/02/14/riker-cemetery/ “History,” Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead. James E. Dibble (February 1981). National Register of Historic Places Registration: New York SP Lent Homestead and Cemetery. National Archives and Records Administration. O’Donnell, Michelle, “Farmhouse Called Home Is a Home to History, Too,” The New York Times, October 11, 2006.

The Lawrence Family is one of early New York’s most prominent clans, including such notables as Cornelius Lawrence, mayor of New York City (1834-1837); NY State Supreme Court Justice Abraham Riker Lawrence (1832-1917); and Sarah Lawrence, wife of William Van Duzer Lawrence and namesake of the college he founded. The first Lawrences, brothers John (1618-1699) and William (1622-1680), obtained deeds to land in Queens from Dutch Governor Willem Kieft in 1645. At one time, the family had three private graveyards – this site, another in Bayside and a third location in Astoria, which has since disappeared. The two extant sites have both been landmarked by New York City. This half-acre cemetery was established in 1703, when Major Thomas Lawrence, younger brother of John and William, was buried. Another Lawrence descendant interred here is Major Jonathan Lawrence (1737-1812), who served with General Washington in the Revolutionary War. In total, the cemetery contains 89 graves, including several veterans of the War of 1812 and the Civil War; the last burial was that of Ruth Lawrence in 1956. The land on which the cemetery exists was inherited in the 1960s by James Sheehan, who lives in an adjacent house. His father-in-law, who was the cemetery’s previous caretaker, inherited the land from Ruth Lawrence upon her death. Sheehan has served as caretaker and advocate for the burial ground ever since, and successfully campaigned for its landmark status in 1966. As he is now in his 90s, Sheehan is looking to the New York City Council and the Queens Historical Society to help preserve this small but significant piece of New York history. Sources: “About,” Bayside Historical Society. Antos, Jason D., “Astoria Man Breathes Life Into Forgotten Family Cemetery,” Give Me Astoria (October 28, 2020). Clark, Roger, “Historic Cemetery in Astoria in Good Hands for Six Decades,” NY1.com (May 2, 2022). “Lawrence Cemetery,” FindAGrave.com. “Lawrence Family Graveyard” (Designated April 19, 1966). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. “Lawrence Family Graveyard,” The Historical Marker Database. “Thomas Lawrence,” WikiTree. Walsh, Kevin, “A Look at Lawrence Cemetery in Astoria,” Brownstoner (June 3, 2014).

While you’re on the waterfront thinking about battleships, take a stroll up to Astoria Park to view the majestic Hell Gate Bridge and consider the fate of the HMS Hussar. In 1780, the British frigate was wrecked in the choppy waters here, attempting to navigate between Randall’s Island and what is now Astoria. Like many shipwreck stories, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the Hussar. What’s known is that the ship, under the command of Captain Charles Pole, set sail up the East River on November 23, 1780, headed for Gardiner’s Bay at the eastern tip of Long Island. The goal was to bring the ship’s cargo to safer waters, away from the American and French troops skirmishing in New York Harbor. Against the advice of his own pilot, Capt. Pole insisted on sailing through the dangerous waters of Hell Gate, and the Hussar was swept onto Pot Rock, just a few feet below the river’s surface. The ship and its contents sank quickly in the strong currents, though the captain and crew were able to evacuate. What exactly that cargo was has been the subject of debate ever since. At the time, rumors were that the ship carried the military payroll – thousands of pounds in gold coins. It was also thought that American prisoners of war were shackled in the ship and left to die in the wreck. The British military vigorously denied that there was anything of value, but then launched three separate (unsuccessful) recovery missions to the site. Over the years, many treasure-seekers and history buffs have attempted to reach the wreck in the dangerous waters. The most successful efforts took place in the 1850s and ‘60s, when diver Charles Pratt reached the ship and brought up swords, wine bottles and even two cannons. He also found skeletal remains, still shackled within the ship. But Pratt was unable to get to the lowest level of the Hussar, where he thought the gold might be stowed. Later efforts to locate the ship have failed, prompting many to believe it was blown apart when Hell Gate was cleared using explosives in the late 19th century. But the tantalizing prospect of hidden treasure still spurs the imagination. As a side note, the cannons that Pratt recovered were donated to Central Park and are on display near Fort Clinton; in 2013, workers on a restoration project discovered one of them was still loaded with gunpowder and a cannonball! It has since been safely disarmed. Sources: “Are Millions in Gold from a British Shipwreck Still in the East River?,” Untapped New York (April 2, 2014). Arichavala, Alan, “The Lost Bounty of the HMS Hussar,” Queens Ledger, May 27, 2026. Kile, Jenny, “The Mystery and Lost Treasure of the H.M.S. Hussar,” Mysterious Writings (April 27, 2018). Kokenes, Chris, “Cannon from Revolutionary War Found With Gunpowder, Cannonball in New York,” CNN.com (January 13, 2013).

Long before the name “Astoria” was invented – and even longer before there was a Sculpture Park – Hallett’s Cove was the waterfront boundary of a vast tract of farmland and orchards owned by the Hallett family. In 1652, William Hallett, an English settler living in Connecticut, purchased approximately 160 acres from New Netherland Governor Peter Stuyvesant. By 1664, he had expanded his property to more than 2,000 acres, encompassing all of present-day Astoria. Hallett’s descendants continued to farm the land, and by the mid-1700s there was a boat landing, used for the transportation of crops, livestock and wood across the East River to New York. During the Revolutionary War, the British recognized the strategic location of Hallett’s Cove and used it as a staging area for their troops, who frequently stole food from the nearby farms. Shortly after the war ended and the unwelcome tenants were evicted, Col. Ebenezer Stevens purchased the original Hallett farmhouse and a parcel of land, upon which he built a large home he called Mount Bonaparte. Stevens had been a participant in the Boston Tea Party, and served with distinction under both General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. When the War of 1812 began, Stevens came out of retirement at the age of 60 to take command of the temporary fort being constructed at Hallett’s Point to defend against potential British attacks; it was named Fort Stevens in his honor. Fort Stevens was decommissioned after the war’s end, although its lighthouse remained until 1982. Stevens himself died in 1823, but the house was passed down to his descendants and remained standing until at least 1937, when it was photographed for the Federal Art Project “Changing New York.” Sources: Aronson, Morgan, “The Halletts: Political Activists, Religious Refugees, and Active Readers,” The New York Society Library Blog (January 12, 2015). “Ebenezer Stevens,” DAR Pathway of the Patriots. "Hallets Cove Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. “History,” Old Astoria Neighborhood Association. Stevens, John Austin, “The Old Stevens House.” Letter to the Editor, New York Herald, January 26, 1903. Via Newspapers.com.

The namesake of this pre-K through 8th grade public school may not be a household name today, but in the Revolutionary era, Jacob Blackwell (1717-1780) was a well-known citizen who paid dearly for his devotion to the Patriot cause. The Blackwells were a prosperous English family that owned many acres of farmland in what is now Astoria, including Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island). Jacob served the Crown as a colonel in the Newtown militia during the French and Indian War, but like many colonists, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with British policies, especially “taxation without representation.” Blackwell was elected to represent Newtown at the 1774 Continental Congress, and served with the Patriot troops when hostilities broke out. Following the British victory at the Battle of Long Island, Blackwell and his family fled to New Jersey for safety, but soon returned to Newtown on hearing of property being seized and homes looted by British troops. Upon their arrival, the Blackwells were placed under house arrest in their own home, and an “Arrow of Confiscation” was hacked into the front door, a crude symbol that the property belonged to a traitor and was now owned by the Crown. Jacob did not live to see his vindication; he died of a heart attack in 1780, three years before the British surrender. After the war ended, Blackwell’s widow and sons faced significant debt and were forced to sell the home. It went through a string of owners and even served as a school at one point before it was demolished in 1901. The door, however, with its arrow marking still intact, was saved by the current Queens Parks Commissioner. The 8-foot-tall, 400-pound artifact had a series of homes over the next century, including the F.D.R. Presidential Library and the Brooklyn Museum. Jacob Blackwell’s door finally returned to his neighborhood when it was acquired by the Greater Astoria Historical Society in 2005. Due to its size and a lack of exhibit space, the door has been in storage since 2018, but a special display is planned at Astoria’s Advance Service Mizpah Masonic Lodge for the 250th anniversary celebration. Jacob Blackwell himself was laid to rest in St. George’s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Astoria. Sources: Arichavala, Alan. “Astoria’s Oldest Door? The Story of Colonel Jacob Blackwell and the Rare Artifact He Left Behind,” Queens Ledger, May 7, 2026. “Behind the Gray Door: Historic Relic at Greater Astoria,” Forgotten New York (January 2, 2008). “Col. Jacob Blackwell memorial,” FindAGrave.com. Seyfried, Vincent F. (1984). 300 Years of Long Island City: 1630-1930, Edgian Press. Via Queens Public Library Digital Archives. The Greater Astoria Historical Society’s Long Island City Teacher’s Guide (2009). Greater Astoria Historical Society.