#InTheLoop | Historic Queens Property Hosts Author Talk and Free House Tours on June 27
Peanut Butter & Jelly. Batman & Robin. Rock & Roll.
Now the world has another great combination: The newest book on Queens and the borough’s oldest domicile.
Author Rob MacKay will discuss his latest work, Historic Houses of Queens, at the Bowne House on Sunday, June 27, at 2 pm. From under a tent in the front yard, he will present an illustrated talk, participate in a Q&A session, sign copies and sell his book.
The afternoon will include tours of the Flushing property, an official New York City and National landmark. The event is free, but RSVP is required.
Released by Arcadia Publishing on May 10, Historic Houses of Queens uses 200 images and lengthy captions to inform on several distinguished districts and more than 50 significant residences that date back as far as the mid-1660s. The subjects include rustic farmsteads, seaside escapes for the extremely wealthy, corporate towns, over-the-top mansions, and planned communities. Their owners were America’s forefathers, religious dignitaries, nouveau riche industrialists, Wall Street tycoons, world leaders, prominent African American entertainers, and the middle class.
MacKay lives in Sunnyside and works as Director of PR, Marketing & Tourism at the Queens Economic Development Corporation. He’s also a trustee of the Queens Historical Society.
Of course, the Bowne House is described at length in MacKay’s book. In or around 1661, English immigrant John Bowne (1627-1695) built a wooden-frame house in Flushing’s small, English-speaking community, which was part of Dutch-controlled New Netherlands and called “Vlissingen” at the time. The activism began soon thereafter.
John became a pioneer in the fight for religious liberty. His house was a meeting spot for Quakers, who practiced their faith despite threats from the government, which only allowed the Dutch Reformed Church at the time. Though he didn’t sign it, John was a leading force behind the Flushing Remonstrance, a 1657 petition to New Netherlands requesting freedom for Quaker worship. The document, which his brother-in-law signed, is considered to be the base for the freedom-of-religion or “liberty of conscience” provision in the Bill of Rights.
John’s descendants (members of the Bowne and Parsons families) were extremely involved in the abolition movement. The dwelling, whose address is 37-01 Bowne St., was a busy stop on the Underground Railroad, as many escaped slaves hid from bounty hunters there. Plus, several descendants helped found the Flushing Female Association, which provided free education to African American children of former slaves.
Nine generations of Bownes lived in the English Colonial saltbox until 1945, when they donated the property to the Bowne House Historical Society, which maintains the estate as a museum. Newly opened, but still compliant with Covid safety protocols, the dwelling displays roughly 5,000 objects (furniture, clothes, textiles) that the family acquired over more than three centuries. There’s also a collection of rare books and correspondence that offers insight into the civil and political activities that surrounded the family. Plus, it’s the oldest domicile in Queens and one of the oldest houses in New York City. For more information, send an email to office@bownehouse.org.
