Take a Free Shuttle and Visit Seven Well-Decorated Landmarks
(Long Island, NY) Now we know why Santa Claus is coming to town! On Sunday, December 6, 2015, seven Queens landmarks will open their doors to the public during the 28th Annual Holiday Historic House Tour. Sponsored by the Queens Historical Society, merry participants will be able to walk at their own pace to the different venues and take a dedicated shuttle from Flushing to Corona from 12:30 pm to 5 pm.
The participating sites — Bowne House; Flushing Town Hall; Friends Quaker Meeting; Kingsland Homestead; Lewis H. Latimer House Museum; Louis Armstrong House Museum; and Voelker Orth Museum Bird Sanctuary & Victorian Garden — will be decorated as they were during Christmas celebrations of yore to present a glimpse into their pasts. They will also offer special, time-honored activities, craft fairs, and refreshments. Descriptions of the venues and their tour plans follow.
On Sunday, December 6, 2015, seven Queens landmarks will open their doors to the public during the 28th Annual Holiday Historic House Tour. Photo Credit: Queens Tourism Council.
English-born religious freedom advocate John Bowne built the Bowne House (37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing) in 1661. It is the oldest domicile in Queens. Nine generations of the Bowne and Parsons families lived there until 1945, when the residence became a museum. Bowne House, which is a unique blend of Dutch and English construction techniques, has just completed a major structural stabilization and exterior restoration project. The house will be decorated for the holidays, and this year, the historic original kitchen is open to visitors. Additionally, there will be a special program, to be announced.
Built in 1862, Flushing Town Hall (137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing) hosted swearing-in ceremonies for Union soldiers before the Civil War. The Romanesque Revival structure also served as an opera house, a courthouse, a jail, and a bank branch but it has evolved into a dynamic cultural venue presenting Global Arts for a Global Community. Visitors will be able to do some shopping at a special holiday market featuring everything from hand-made clothing and jewelry, photographs and greeting cards, to paintings, posters, figurines and ceramics — all made in Queens.
When the Friends Quaker Meeting (137-16 Northern Boulevard, Flushing) was constructed in 1694, it was the first house of worship in a town that was then called “Vlissengen.” Now it is NYC’s oldest structure in continuous use for religious purposes. Visitors will be able to walk around the property and view the historic cemetery.
Charles Doughty, the son of a wealthy Quaker, built a house in 1785. The Victorian estate became Kingsland Homestead (143-35 37th Avenue, Flushing) after his son-in-law, a British sea captain named “Joseph King,” bought it in 1801. The King/Murray family lived there until the 1930s. The tour will feature live music performances throughout the day and a holiday gift sale.
Lewis H. Latimer lived in a 19th century house (34-41 137th Street, Flushing) from 1903 until his death in 1928. The African-American son of fugitive slaves was vital in developing the telephone and the incandescent light bulb. House tours and traditional holiday refreshments will be offered throughout the day.
The jazz legend and his wife, Lucille, lived in what is now the Louis Armstrong House Museum (34-56 107th Street, Corona) from 1943 until her death in 1983. The inside is basically unchanged. A marble bathroom has 24-carat, gold-plated fixtures and mirrors over the walls. In keeping with Armstrong tradition, the residence will be brightly decorated for the holidays. The tour will feature rare audio clips from Satchmo’s personal recordings. Visitors will hear the trumpeter’s magical voice reading Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St. Nicholas in 1971, along with other seasonal recordings. Free candy canes!
The Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden (149-19 38th Avenue, Flushing) dates to 1891 and was the home of a German immigrant family. Its distinguished garden contains many of the popular plants and berry bushes of the late 19th century. They are maintained with time-honored gardening techniques, such as hand-pruning, with no pesticide use. For the tour, visitors will enjoy an old-fashioned sing-along at the piano, accompanied by Grammy-nominated composer/musician John Guari. There will also be a gift-and-plant sale, and visitors will be able to warm up with an aromatic cup hot of mulled cider and cookies.
Due to the Holiday Historic House Tour’s popularity, advance tickets ($20 for adults/$10 for children 12 and under) are recommended. They provide admission to all seven sites and can be purchased at www.queenshistoricalsociety.org. (Tickets will be $5 more on December 6.) For more information, contact Andrea Zrake at 718.939.0647 or azrake@queenshistoricalsociety.org.
