Thursday, December 25, 2008

Former clubhouse gets a Queensmark

On Wednesday, the Queens Historical Society declared [Queensboro Community College's art] gallery a "Queensmark," or Queens landmark, for its role as clubhouse for the prestigious Oakland Golf Club in the early 1900s.

The ceremony doubled as a tribute to students from two English composition classes who wrote persuasive letters urging the college and historical society to honor the structure. It has a mix of architectural styles, with a facade that incorporates white clapboard and stone masonry.

As the clubhouse for the exclusive golf course, the so-called Oakland Building played host to presidential advisor Bernard Baruch and veteran Sen. Robert F. Wagner of New York.

Another club member, railroad magnate Horace Harding, urged construction of a highway from Queens Blvd. to the Nassau County border - now the modern Long Island Expressway - to provide better access to the golf course.

The building's glory days dwindled after the club closed in the 1960s to make way for Queensborough, which converted it into an art gallery in 1981. It has been renovated several times since.


New 'art' for QCC gallery: Site earns Queensmark plaque

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice, now how about a real landmark designation?

Anonymous said...

So Horace Harding is responsible for the pollution and traffic jams of the LIE - some visionary - he should live next to it today - probably a goldcoaster resident.

Anonymous said...

Naw, Queens needs Queensmarks. We have fake culture, fake community boards, fake government, fake elected officials, so why not fake honors?

Anonymous said...

It's unfortunate that most of these comments revolve around negative attitudes, instead of the value of this project.