Saving a church

(5/1/06) The last remaining piece of old Maspeth, the natural open full block containing St. Saviour's Church, will be lost forever if the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA) and preservationists do not succeed in convincing the city to acquire the land for community use.

The Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance will hold a press conference on Saturday, May 6th at 12 Noon at 57th Drive and Rust Street in Maspeth, Queens, to call attention to the effort to preserve the church and land.

This 1847 church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Richard Upjohn, perhaps New York's greatest architect, who is best known for Manhattan's Trinity Church.

Maspeth Properties LLC obtained a demolition permit from the Buildings Department which was suspended by a stop work order because of improper asbestos removal. The company plans to build seventy-one residential units on the site but requires a zoning change from manufacturing to residential use. The property contains documented references to Native American, African-American, Dutch and English colonial and Newtown Creek history. Dewitt Clinton and James Maurice, important historical figures, are tied to the land. Since this is the place where the colonization of Queens started, and is an archeologically rich area, it needs to be preserved and the story told. The JPCA has proposed that the City of New York step in to either purchase or condemn the historic site and convert it into a cultural center and park.

Council Member Tony Avella (D-Bayside) will be the featured Speaker. Mr. Avella is the principal sponsor of Intro. 14 which allows civic groups to register deeds containing restrictions with the Buildings Department for enforcement. If this law were now on the books, the City would have the authority to enforce a restrictive covenant present in the original deed to this property.

Other speakers will include Robert Holden, President, Juniper Park Civic Association; Christina Wilkinson, Chair of the Civic's Committee to Save St. Saviour's; Robert Furman, Chair of Four Borough; James Trent, Queens Vice Chair of Four Borough; and Mitchell Grubler, who chairs the Queens Preservation Council.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Robert Holden, President, Juniper Park Civic Association, 718-651-5865, Rholden@Junipercivic.com
Christina Wilkinson, Chair of the Civic's Committee to Save St. Saviour's, 718-909-3831, nutrichris@rcn.com
James Trent, Four Borough's Vice-Chair for Queens, 718-343-8830, JTrent8830@aol.com
Robert Furman, Chair of Four Borough, 212-751-0038, bobfurman1@juno.com.