Community Corner
Group Hopes to Preserve Douglaston's Rich History
Society Wants Sections of Neighborhood Near LIRR Tracks, Manor Houses to Be Added to Historic District
Preserving an historic district in the five boroughs is difficult enough.But the Douglaston-Little Neck Historical Society's aim is not only keeping the community intact, but including more sections of the neighborhood in its history.
Douglas Manor is home to many of the community's landmarks: The Douglaston Manor Golf Course, its country club and a 600-year-old white oak tree are part of its history. But, how old is the neighborhood?
In 1835, Scotsman George Douglas purchased 240 acres of land in the area. His son, William Douglas, later inherited the land and, in 1906, the Douglas Manor was founded.
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A mansion on Douglas's land that was originally built in the early 1800s now houses the Douglaston Yacht Club, which by all accounts helped to launch New York City's yachting history.
Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society researcher and trustee Mike Gannon said yachting became a popular sport in the late 1800s. But Douglaston’s waters at that time were too shallow, which led some yacht clubs to relocate to Long Island, specifically Manhasset.
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“As the Gulf coast moved further East, Manhasset Bay developed a number of yacht clubs up there in Manhasset, but one of them, the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, got its origins from the Douglaston [club],” he said.
As one walks the streets of Douglas Manor, one cannot help to notice the trees that surround the area.
The Historical Society continues its attempts expand the preservation of Douglaston, a neighborhood that is so rich in history.
Some of the areas of focus are near the Manor houses along Cherry Street and along Douglaston's Long Island Rail Road tracks, which the society hopes to add as part of the neighborhood's historic district.
While paperwork was filed to include this extension in 2007, the city has yet to approve this additional part of the Manor.
“We always wanted this to happen as quickly as possible, but it has been a couple of years,” said William Sievers, who is an historical society board member.