Upgrading Douglaston's 'Forgotten' War Monument

Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, is calling on the city to restore a monument near the neighborhood’s Long Island Railroad tracks that honors Douglaston residents who died in World War I.

But the councilman said it has been difficult to establish which city agency is responsible for the upkeep of the monument, which is located in the traffic circle at Douglaston’s LIRR on 235th Street.

“This community lost about 61 members in the war to end all wars,” Halloran said during a press conference Friday afternoon. “We stand here a century later and no one wants to take responsibility for this monument.”

Halloran’s office has contacted the city’s Parks and Transportation departments as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The councilman said he was told that the monument did not sit on Parks property and was notified in a letter that the DOT would take 90 days to determine whether it owns the structure.

Marie Marsina, a member of the Douglaston Civic Association and president of the community’s National Art League, said she hoped one of the city’s agencies would take on the task of upgrading the monument.

“We want to honor the memory of the people who died for our freedom,” she said. “We’re nearing the anniversary of World War I and I think it would be great to get the plaque refurbished.”

The issue was brought to Halloran’s attention by Eliott Socci, president of the Douglaston civic.

The councilman said it could cost in the tens of thousands to fix up the structure and that the monument had not been refurbished in at least 20 years. The plaque is currently in a state of “weathering,” he said.

“This monument is an icon of the neighborhood of Douglaston, greeting residents and visitors alike as they leave the Long Island Rail Road,” Halloran said.

The monument is located within Douglaston’s historic district, which includes a weeping beech that Halloran said could be anywhere from 400 to 600 years old.

Shop owners in Douglaston Village have long been planning to upgrade storefront signs along 235th Street to preserve the historic district’s character.