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.
Far Rockaway: A Queens History Hub
A research hub on the history of Far Rockaway, Queens, covering architecture, transit, institutions, redevelopment, notable residents, and primary sources.
Queens Neighborhood History Index
Explore the history of Queens neighborhoods including Flushing, Long Island City, Hunter’s Point, Dutch Kills, Ravenswood, and Blissville.
How Long Island City Was Created in 1870
In 1870, Astoria, Hunter’s Point, Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Blissville, Steinway, and other communities united to create Long Island City.
Maspeth and English Kills: Newtown’s Early Colonial Frontier
Maspeth began as one of Queens’s earliest and most troubled colonial settlements. Its history runs through Newtown Creek, English Kills, farms, roads, and the making of urban Queens.
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.
Blissville: The Forgotten Village Along Newtown Creek
Blissville was once a Newtown Creek village of farms, old houses, roads, and bridges. Its history reveals how rural Queens became an industrial city.
Ravenswood: The Lost Estates and Industrial Shoreline of Western Queens
Ravenswood was once a wooded East River district of colonial estates and country homes. Its history runs from the Blackwell family and Hell Gate to industry and Long Island City.
Dutch Kills: The Creek, Mills, and Farms Beneath Modern Long Island City
Dutch Kills was once a tidal creek country of mills, farms, and old Newtown families. Its hidden waterway still tells the story beneath modern Long Island City.
Hunter’s Point: The Vanished Hill That Became Long Island City’s Gateway
Hunter’s Point began as a solitary hill at the mouth of Newtown Creek. Discover how Dominie’s Hook became a railroad terminal, industrial waterfront, and the gateway to Long Island City.