The Ferry and the Forgotten Places
Some transportation histories leave landmarks. Others leave only traces. This article recovers forgotten ferry routes and vanished connections that once shaped how Queens neighborhoods related to one another.
Brother Frederick T. Hallett: The Measure of an Astorian
Merchant, undertaker, civic organizer and the 209th member of Advance Lodge No. 635, Frederick T. Hallett helped shape Astoria as it entered the age of the Queensboro Bridge. His story connects an old waterfront family to the shops, lodge rooms and public institutions of a changing Queens.
Hell Gate and Hallett’s Point
Hell Gate was once New York’s most dangerous waterway. In 1876, engineers blasted Hallett’s Point Reef and reshaped navigation, Astoria, and the Queens waterfront.
Advance Lodge No. 635: Astoria’s First Masonic Lodge
Founded by twenty-two Masons, Advance Lodge No. 635 became Astoria’s first Masonic lodge in 1867. Follow its history from rented rooms above local businesses to the 1916 temple on 30th Avenue, now home to Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.