Celebrating Rickert-Finlay

From Douglaston Patch:

Those who live in Douglas Manor have likely heard the names Rickert-Finlay many times before.

But anyone who doesn't call the peninsula formerly know as Little Neck home will likely be unfamiliar with the work of the Manhattan-based real estate developer that forever changed the landscape of northeast Queens.

Still, just driving around the meandering country roads of Douglaston, which trace the natural contours of the area, it's hard not to appreciate the forethought of Rickert Finlay and Company, the oft-overlooked planners of the Manor.

That's because in an era long before New York City zoning laws, the forward thinking Manhattan-based real estate development company had the foresight to purchase the 175-acre peninsula from William Douglas's estate and develop it in such a way to ensure that each plot sold would carry with it a set of restrictive covenants in perpetuity.

And in doing so, they ultimately preserved the architectural aesthetic of Douglaston's suburban transition in the early 1900s. Today it is a vital study of early 20th century architecture.