From the Times Ledger:Flushing resident Jack Eichenbaum, plans to focus on environmental preservation, changes in Queens’ demographics and using technology to document history in his new role as borough historian, he said during a ceremony celebrating his new post last week.
“This is the garden borough and we’re paving it,” Eichenbaum warned last Thursday at Queens Borough Hall.
Eichenbaum, who was appointed historian by Borough President Helen Marshall in June, was joined by a large group of history and preservation buffs as well as civic leaders, at the Queens Preservation Council reception.
The new historian said he plans to work with area colleges to document the changing demographics, including archiving interviews with community leaders from different ethnic groups.
He also stressed the need to attract Queens’ newer residents to the preservation movement in the borough.
“We’ve got to get the second-generation immigrants interested in preservation and history in Queens,” Eichenbaum said.
New technology could be a big boost when it comes to documenting changes in Queens, including using aerial photographs to show shifts in population and buildings trends, Eichenbaum said. Additionally, he said he would like to create walking tours in the borough that individuals could access from their cell phones.
“You could hook into a recorded walking tour for wherever you are in Queens,” he said. “It would be free and maybe funded in part by merchants along the tour.”
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Queens has an opportunity to revitalize its plentiful amount of waterfront property, Eichenbaum said.
“We have miles and miles of forlorn waterfront that we have to build up into something better,” he said. “The jewel in the crown that could be something splendid is Newtown Creek. There’s Flushing Bay, Little Neck Bay, Jamaica Bay has good waterfront.”
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The rest of the country (starting with Manhattan) is getting connected with its waterfront via parks.
We get an apologist for developers who wants to develop toxic brownfields on Newtown Creek for housing.
He also stressed the need to attract Queens’ newer residents to the preservation movement in the borough.
“We’ve got to get the second-generation immigrants interested in preservation and history in Queens,” Eichenbaum said.
Translation: I guess this guy will be working with Tierny landmarking the Peurto Rican casitas and the Dragon Boat docks in Flushing Meadows while we continue to loose stuff like Niedersteins and St Saviours.
. . . and Flessel's
Glad to see supporting local historical societies and neighborhood grass roots efforts to fight development are part of his agenda.
Useful stuff just like his predecessor's brainstorms.
Four boros? Queens Marks?
I guess in his world 'Old Astoria Village' is 'Two Coves'.
Let's outsource this type of employment to India, body shop it to some third world country. Can't wait until we outsource our politicians, let's start with Bloomberg's job since he's loving on illegal immigrants so much.
Niederstein's was a Business. If the owner cared about having land marked then they should have applied for it. They also could have sold it to a new owner who wanted to keep the history . They didn't. They went for the cash. I got free Arby's coupon's at eh Juniper Civic meeting once, thanks.
St Saviour's church was a church no one cared about until it was too late. It should have and could have been land marked 20 - 30 years ago, but no one cared. Too little too late. Now it's a a pile of wood in a box , just let it go.It's gone putting it back together is just a waste of money. Also why should taxpayer's money be spent on a church anyway, private fine, but it shouldn't be spend on religious structures.
If St. Saviour's is reconstructed, who says it will be a church for worship? Most likely some kind of community/performing arts center. So long as there's no religion involved, I'm OK with that. Gotta get real.
I wish the reign of Queen Helen Marshall was history!
Um, the community applied for St. Saviour's to be landmarked in 1965, 1970, 1992 and 2005. It was rejected each time. It's not that no one cared, it's that real estate is king in this city and that's a full block of land. Also, many churches have been landmarked and repurposed for community use.
I dunno. An edifice not at its original site seems sort of out of place. The Latimer House in Flushing and the Teddy Roosevelt "birthplace" in Manhattan don't seem like the Real McCoy anymore.
Except that in this case the original site is still available and the church can be rebuilt there.
Yeah....Dr. Jack-off Eichenbaum isn't a strong believer in landmarking!
Another tired old sell-out joins the anemic preservation (bowel) movement!
"Geritol" anyone....for that "tired blood" feeling?
The real problem is 70 people dutifully showed up for his cornination and for their marching orders.
As long as that is the case, there is not a whole hell of a lot anyone can do.
Our own brothers and sisters in preservation march on cue in lockstep and are the greatest supporters of this travesty.
George is wrong. The Teddy Roosevelt birthplace was reconstructed at its original site, 28 E 20 St, near Gramercy Park. We did a tour last weekend.
According to the National Park Service: "After TR's death in 1919, prominent citizens decided to purchase the site, raze the [1916] commercial building, and reconstruct Roosevelt's boyhood home as a memorial. The reconstructed birthplace was opened to the public in 1923."
Further, "Most of the furnishings are from the original house or were provided by family members. Color schemes, layouts, and other room details were provided by TR's sisters and his wife."
georgetheatheist said...
I dunno. An edifice not at its original site seems sort of out of place. The Latimer House in Flushing and the Teddy Roosevelt "birthplace" in Manhattan don't seem like the Real McCoy anymore.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
to last poster
yes, really good point. that chair does see out of place with the rest of the desk furniture on the titanic.
Walt Disney recreated the castle of Neuschwanstein at Disneyland ("Cinderella's Castle"). Recreating the Roosevelt birthplace is just that: a recreation. Ersatz. The spirit is long gone. And how meticulous was this recreation?
MYTH:
Crappy, why did you not put up the Daily News piece:
NABES, FORGET ME-FIRST
Historian urges preservationists to team up
QUEENS' NEW borough historian implored leaders of local historical groups to join forces at a Borough Hall speech last week, calling for an end to neighborhood-first approaches among preservationists.
In his first major address since assuming the post in June, Jack Eichenbaum emphasized a united front to help Queens celebrate and protect its underappreciated past.
"Our neighborhoods can be our greatest strength, but they can also dilute that strength if we revert to parochialism," he warned.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/
ny_local/queens/2010/11
/01/2010-11-01_nabes_forget_mefirst_
historian_urges_preservationists
_to_team_up.html#ixzz14cgF3ABy
Translation:
He WARNED?!?!
Well, its great to know that that everything is ranked and ordered and all thought out.
St Saviours? Millstones? Either the party way or the highway. Instead of fighting the developers or the pols you have to now contend with an 'official' apologist.
No more making Queens look bad.
We will tell you what is important, give it the press, give it the funding, and if you don't like it, you can go f##$&# yourself.
Go ahead. Fight for your community and see who you local politicans gives your funding to.
No put up that damn Queenmark!
No more making Queens look bad.
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Queens doesn't need a historian. It's already history!
Does New York Historical Society tell the borough historical societies that they all need to work together?
Hope so.
Cause I'd rather work with them then any of the local 'talent.'
“We’ve got to get the second-generation immigrants interested in preservation and history in Queens,”
How about the first generation??? They get a free pass???? So Hop-Sing can pave over the patch of grass in front of his house so he can park the "Church van" there, but Hop-Sing Jr, thats the guy you want to start talking too???
ITS TOO LATE.
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