Free Fun, A Walking Tour of Flushing, Queens
Self-Guided Landmark Tour incl Revolutionary War-Era Homes (60 Min.)
Oct 8, 2009
Tucked away at the very end of the #7 subway line in Queens, the neighborhood called Flushing is better known for its large immigrant Asian community (and bad jokes about its name) than for its historical sites. But, actually, it's well worth a visit from Brooklyn, Manhattan and out of town. In Flushing, one can find rare colonial history, interesting architecture, and of all surprising things, an affiliate of the national Smithsonian museums. Plus, there are good, cheap Chinese and Korean restaurants galore.
Colonial Fight for Religious Freedom
In the mid-17th century, Dutch administrator Peter Stuyvesant, who ruled the area with an iron fist, prohibited the practice of Quakerism. Irked, in 1657 local leaders in Flushing called a town meeting where they defiantly issued a letter calling for religious tolerance. They called it the Flushing Remonstrance; scholars consider it a precursor to the Bill of Rights, issued a century later. One of the local heroes in this resistance movement was John Bowne, a non-Quaker who, on principal (and perhaps because his wife was Quaker) defied Stuyvesant's ban and allowed Quakers to hold religious gatherings, called Quaker Meetings in his home. His actions were penalized by Stuyvesant (see Bowne House, below).
Free, Self-Guided Walking Tour of Landmarks in Flushing
Here's a self-guided walking tour of sites stating from 1661 to 1866, or pre-Revolutionary War to Post-Civil War era.
- Bowne House. (37-01 Bowne St.) This is the oldest house in Queens. Possibly part of the Civil War Underground Railroad, this old house, with “1661” stenciled under the dormer carries a sign announcing it as a "National Shrine to Religious Freedom.” John Bowne built his home on land sold to him by the Matinecock Indians for eight strings of wampum. Bowne, a non-Quaker, opened this home for Quaker meetings, leading to his arrest, imprisonment, and deportation. A marker in the garden honors George Fox Stone, a leader of the Religious Society of Friends in England who preached here 1672 under two large oak trees subsequently named "The Fox Oaks." The Museum holds a collection of over 5,000 objects. (Note:Check for hours; undergoing renovation.)
- Flushing High School. (35-01 Union St.) From Bowne House, walk west on 32nd Ave. and turn south on Union St. Going south 5 blocks down Union to Flushing High School.It's impossible to miss this Gothic structure built 1912-15 that, complete with gargoyles and a grassy campus, was designed to resemble Cambridge or Oxford.
- Kingsland Homestead and Weeping Beech Tree Park. (143-35 37th Ave.) Charles Doughty, the son of a Quaker, built this homestead in about 1785. Saved twice from development by being relocated, it's noted for its gambrel roof and a crescent shaped window.Go 2 blocks east to Parsons Blvd, then south a half block to 37th Ave. Or, to shorten the trip, from the junction of Union and Northern Blvd, head west on Northern Blvd,
- Armory. (137-58 Northern Blvd.) Built in 1906 and now home to Queens North Police Force. The Flushing Remonstrance was signed in a home belonging to Michael Milner, which stood on or near this site, in 1657. Passing two war memorials (1866 for the Civil War and 1920 for World War II) you will see, on the right, Flushing Town Hall
- Flushing Town Hall.(137-35 Northern Blvd.) an early Romanesque revival style landmark building dating to 1862. Three years after it was built, African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke here. Today it is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and home to a very active cultural organization, Flushing Council on the Arts.
- Friends Meeting House. (137-16 Northern Blvd.). Dating to 1694, this building is a national Landmark. Once a stop on Underground Railroad, it looks today as it did in the 18th-century. Turn left (south) on Main St. one block.
- St. George's Episcopal Church. (35-32 38th Ave.) The church was founded in 1702 and granted a royal charter by King George III of England in 1761. Parishioners included Francis Lewis, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; see the plaque dedicated to him. Also, note the Tiffany stained glass panels on the north wall. Today services are held in English, Chinese and Spanish.
- Underground Railroad Stop; Macedonia A.M.E. Church (37-22 Union St). In 1811 the African Methodist Society was founded on this site; it later served as a stop on the Underground Railroad station in the years before the Civil War.
Transportation Tips
Allow 45 minutes transportation time to and from Grand Central, and about an hour for the walking tour itself. For detailed directions, see hopstop. To get to Flushing, take the #7 subway train from Manhattan. Or, take the Long Island Railroad to Main Street and 41st Ave. Bring a map; Queens can be confusing.
This self-guided walking tour is fun for college students, parents, teachers, tourists, and New Yorkers who like to learn about their own city.
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