Francis Doughty and the Lost Colony of Mespat
In 1642, Rev. Francis Doughty obtained a vast patent at Mespat. War, dispute, and Dutch authority ended his colony—yet it shaped early Queens.
Early Newtown, Queens: From Mespat to Modern Queens
An eight-article series on early Newtown, Queens: Mespat, Middelburg, the 1656 land deal, waterfront farms, religion, revolt, and how to read Riker’s Annals today.
Middletown and the German Settlement: A Lost Rural Community in Long Island City
Middletown, later known as the German Settlement, was a rural Newtown community of farms, schools, churches, and old roads before it was absorbed into Long Island City.
Mizpah’s Watchtower in Old Newtown
Mizpah Lodge No. 738 began when Newtown was still a small Queens village. From a law office and rooms above Broadway to a permanent temple in Elmhurst, its history shows how one lodge preserved fellowship and continuity through a century of urban change.