Does this house in Jamaica date back to 1799?

"Here's a Queens gem for you. Have you ever heard of Keteltas Manor? According to photographer Matthew X. Kiernan, the colonial-period mansion built in 1799 is still standing at 88-35 144th Street in Jamaica. This building has had numerous renovations over the centuries and the City Map lists its completion as 1935.

Its original owner, Rev. Abraham Keteltas was a Revolutionary but also a slave owner. Its current owner is Deokallie Loknauth. Being located on a corner, I can imagine developers salivating over the thought of demolishing Keteltas Manor.

So let's fight for it while it has a chance!

Keteltas is a descendant of Huguenot French settlers. He is buried in Prospect Cemetery."

Your loyal reader

Historic Woodside tree proposed for landmarking

From DNA Info:

Historians and local community leaders are looking to landmark a giant beech tree in Woodside that may have been planted during the Revolutionary War.

The tree — which is taller than the 5-story building it stands next to — grows on what today is 63rd Street, between Woodside Avenue and Queens Boulevard.

According to Richard Hourahan, collections manager at the Queens Historical Society, some documents indicate that the tree may have been planted by the end of the American Revolutionary War, others that it could date back to the Civil War period, meaning that it is roughly between 150 and 200 years old.

...experts are now seeking to determine whether it is a purple beech, which would indicate that it was imported from Europe, or a red beech, which is an American species, Hourahan noted.

The red beech is very hard to chop down, he said, which could help explain the tree’s longevity.

Hourahan is also trying to track down the former landowner, but the parcel may have been part of a farm owned by the Betts family, which settled in the area around 1640, he said.

The tree survived many major changes in the area, including the construction of the Long Island Rail Road and the transformation of farmland into a heavily residential neighborhood.

Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2, said that within the past few years, a developer wanted to cut the beech tree down. “But we talked to them and they actually built the building around the tree,” he said.

It's a sad commentary on the state of affairs when it's easier to get a developer to preserve a tree than it is to get borough hall to do the same.

"Trees die, unfortunately." - Mary Beth Betts

Quest to remember Revolutionary hero

From the NY Daily News:

Exactly 234 years ago this month, a Revolutionary War general died from wounds incurred during a defiant showdown with the British - a gripping tale of patriotism that began in Queens.

But the spot where Nathaniel Woodhull was mortally wounded in 1776 does not bear tribute to the first high-ranking colonial officer to become a prisoner of war and die in enemy captivity.

A few weeks ago, Daily News reader Lavington Charles suggested the spot where Woodhull was fatally injured - at 196th St. and Jamaica Ave. in Hollis - as part of the Queens Heritage Quest series.

Tradition describes a dramatic scene during which Woodhull encountered British forces and soon surrendered his sword. An officer then ordered Woodhull to proclaim, "God save the king."

"God save us all!" Woodhull responded. The officer, sometimes identified as Capt. James Baird, slashed Woodhull with a saber - delivering multiple blows that led to his death in captivity about a month later on Sept. 20.

But a different story emerged in 1951 when The New York Times ran a front-page article in which researcher W.H.W. Sabine doubted the compelling exchange.

Sabine cited a dusty scrapbook with Woodhull's own account of the capture - apparently given to a lieutenant who was with him in a prison camp when he died.

Woodhull supposedly said that he surrendered his sword to - and was then struck by - an American Tory, loyal to the British, named Capt. Oliver DeLancey.

Whether Woodhull was fatally struck while defending himself or after surrendering also became a point of contention. Experts even question his memorable quote.

Regardless of the circumstances, historians insist that Woodhull's death helped define a crucial period around the time of the famous Battle of Long Island.

His agonizing demise - and the apparent refusal by the British to allow medical care - reminded colonists of the brutality of their rivals.

Photo from NYS Military Museum