Misplaced Pages

#560439

129-559: King Manor , also known as the Rufus King House , is a historic house at 150th Street and Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens , New York City. The two-story house is the main structure in Rufus King Park , an 11.5-acre (4.7 ha) public park that preserves part of the former estate of Rufus King , a U.S. Founding Father . Built c. 1730 and expanded in 1755 and the 1800s, the house

258-503: A 1666 map. According to researcher Jo Ann Cotz, the presence of a chimney and large foundation indicate that this structure may have been used by the British military, but researcher Joel Grossman writes that the nearby huts used by British soldiers were different in design from the quartering house. A leathermaker named John Owlffield bought the land in 1664; the grounds may contain remnants of trenches that he used to soak animal hides. Though it

387-535: A 53-acre (21 ha) farm from his father-in-law, Joseph Oldfield, in 1726. Poyer remained there until his death in 1732; he was recorded as having owned 50 acres (20 ha) or 53 acres (21 ha) of land in what was then the town of Jamaica. Poyer sold off some of the land in 1730. Thomas Colgan, the next person to live on the land, bought Poyer's farm and acquired a 16-acre (6.5 ha) site in Jamaica, bringing his total holdings to 66 acres (27 ha). Colgan lived on

516-673: A German royal official, the Quartiermeister . This term meant "master of quarters" (where "quarters" refers to lodging or accommodation). Alternatively, it could have been derived from "master of the quarterdeck " where the helmsman and captain controlled the ship. The term's first use in English was as a naval term, which entered English in the 15th century via the equivalent French and Dutch naval titles quartier-maître and kwartier-meester , respectively. The term began to refer to army officers in English around 1600. For land armies,

645-426: A balustrade with square spindles , a handrail, and newel posts with volutes . The stair also includes a window on one landing and a molding on the adjacent wall. The western half of the first floor contains a parlor and a library (the latter also known as the family room). Both rooms are 24 feet (7.3 m) wide; the parlor is 16 feet (4.9 m) deep, while the library is 22 feet (6.7 m) deep. The parlor, at

774-529: A black-and-white floor covering. Behind the dining room and stairway are the kitchens, which, in the 1800s, were relocated from where the dining room is now. A serving pantry links the kitchens and the dining room. In general, the second floor was designed with a similar plan to the first floor. A Brooklyn Daily Eagle article from 1898 characterized the second floor as having four large rooms, measuring 16–24 feet (5–7 m) deep and 24 feet wide, as well as three smaller rooms. The main house's second floor has

903-595: A children's shelter was proposed inside the house in May 1921, civic groups objected even more strongly, calling the plan a "menace". Pratt Institute artisans also took wood from an old oak tree on the grounds and turned it into three gavels, which were presented to the DAR, KMA, and American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society in 1921. Free concerts were given in King Park through the 1920s and proved popular. An unidentified building

1032-417: A clubhouse for various local civic groups. King Park underwent several alterations in the early and mid-20th century, and there were numerous unexecuted plans to demolish the mansion or convert it to other uses. The house itself was renovated after a major fire in 1964, and the house and park were again restored in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Additional, smaller renovations of the house and park took place in

1161-490: A courthouse and that the northern part of the park, which had no playground, was a suitable location. Officials quickly dismissed the plan, citing a lack of parkland in the neighborhood. At the time, the park was cited as having a cannon, flagpole, bandstand, and the new comfort station, in addition to the mansion. The Jamaica Women's Society decided to move into the house in 1936 and renovate a room for itself. The New York City government planted tulips at King Park in 1939, part of

1290-863: A deadline of October 2020, the Jamaica Avenue busway was not in place at that time. Furthermore, transportation advocates did support a bus lane in downtown Jamaica, but they preferred a bus lane on the busier Archer Avenue corridor, which parallels Jamaica Avenue to the south. Jamaica Avenue intersects with other former country roads in Queens which have become important urban streets, including Woodhaven Boulevard , Myrtle Avenue , Lefferts Boulevard, Metropolitan Avenue , Sutphin Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard , and Springfield Boulevard . Jamaica Avenue, from Alabama Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn to

1419-457: A functional farm through the mid-19th century. By 1842, several outbuildings had been developed east and north of the main house. According to Grossman, a map from that time shows 11 structures surrounding the house. Except for a group of buildings to the north of what is now 90th Avenue (formerly Grove Street), the estate saw few other modifications from 1842 to 1868. John King died at the mansion on July 8, 1867, and John's widow continued to live in

SECTION 10

#1732851934561

1548-451: A gazebo, a soccer field, and basketball courts. There is a play area on the eastern end of the park near 153rd Street and 90th Avenue. The south end of Rufus King Park includes the mansion itself and public restrooms. Also within the park, about 100 feet (30 m) north of the mansion, is the gravesite of a 19th-century slave known as Duke. Prior to the European colonization of Long Island in

1677-507: A gift of one million tulips from the Dutch government, but King Park's tulips died within a year due to poisoning. The mansion underwent further renovations in the early 1940s as part of a program to restore historical sites across the city. The Long Island Daily Press reported in 1943 that the house had 1,000 visitors every month. When the house was open to the public, two members of the KMA (one each on

1806-470: A junior ordnance officer (the battalion's ordnance platoon commander) under his direct command. He is in charge of all logistics issues in the battalion and also in charge of the battalion's headquarter's day-to-day life. He is commissioned as an officer by the ramatkal (the army's general chief of staff), and as a logistic officer by kalar (the army's general logistic officer). In large camps and higher headquarters (brigade, division and corps HQ), apart from

1935-524: A lack of funds as well as archeological digs. Museum officials developed a plan for the house's programming in 1991 after the Andy Warhol Foundation and J. M. Kaplan Fund provided a $ 50,000 grant. The museum and three other local arts groups collectively received $ 75,000 from the New York City government in mid-1993. City officials officially rededicated the house on June 21, 1994. Ultimately,

2064-508: A neutral state, is not part of NATO) OR-7 in the senior NCO's category ( German : Höhere Unteroffiziere ). For technical questions, the QMS is subordinated to the Qm officer (Qm 2 Lt, Qm 1 lt or Qm captain incorporated in the staff of a battalion/group). The tasks of resupply are assigned at company level to the two SNCO's (CSM and QMS). The QMS is the material executor of the Qm tasks at company level and for

2193-554: A new bathroom in the park. Although a contractor for the bathroom was selected in 1912, the contractor withdrew from the contract, and a second round of bidding was unsuccessful. NYC Parks cleaned up the grounds in 1913, and the KMA began allowing visitors into the house three days a week in late 1914. Also in 1914, the Board of Estimate provided $ 5,000 for the construction of a bandstand and restroom. The bandstand in King Park opened in June 1915, and

2322-411: A rectangular exterior wall, and so there were closets in the spaces between the exterior corners and the dining room's wall. The fireplace itself is flanked by pilasters that support a mantelpiece shelf; it is topped by a frieze with a central ellipse. Above the fireplace is a chimney shaft that blends with the baseboard and chair rail on the wall. The room has gold-painted walls, red window curtains, and

2451-429: A sitting room, bedrooms, and a children's playroom. The staircase from the rear of the first floor opens into a wide central hall on the second floor, which has a cornice with moldings and dentils. At the eastern end of the main house, a short flight of steps lead down to the former children's playroom, which has a closet and walls with paneling. The room, which had pink walls by the 1990s, was also used by servants. Next to

2580-405: A slave named Margaret, whom he freed two years later. The New York Amsterdam News said he bought Margaret to free her from the estate of a friend who had died, while Newsday wrote that King had wanted to reunite Margaret with her husband Moses, a free man who worked as King's servant. There were unfounded rumors that King buried slaves on the grounds and used the mansion as a plantation. Under

2709-611: A town park. The house's preservation, which occurred long before the historic preservation movement in New York gained momentum, was uncommon for the time. Jamaica was annexed to the City of Greater New York at the beginning of 1898, becoming part of the borough of Queens, and the New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks) took over the house and land. The park was renamed King Park. During mid-1898, there were proposals to use

SECTION 20

#1732851934561

2838-428: A veto power by a pirate ship's "Articles of Agreement" , in order to create an officer who could counterbalance the powers of the pirate captain. Pirate quartermasters, like pirate captains, were usually elected by their crews. It was often the quartermaster's responsibility to lead the pirate boarding party when boarding another ship. This was usually done from the quarterdeck (the place where two ships touched during

2967-432: A white picket fence separating the house from the avenue. There were no other flora on the property aside from a grove of apple trees. One of King's grandsons, Charles King , wrote that the house, fences, and land were similar to those in other residences in Jamaica. King purchased Christopher Smith's house and 90 acres (36 ha) in 1805 for $ 12,000, and he also paid off Smith's mortgage. The site extended as far north as

3096-541: Is also a cellar under the entire house. The rafters in the cellar's ceiling were made by hand, as were the wooden flooring. King Manor is owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , and its interior furnishings are supervised by the King Manor Association. The KMA was formed in 1900 to care for the house and collect historical items there. The museum became a member of

3225-494: Is an important shopping street, and is on par with Brooklyn's Fulton Street . Prices are said to be low, in an exciting market place atmosphere. It is also the historic center of the former village with several city landmarks including the King Manor . Jamaica Avenue is also the main shopping street for many other neighborhoods it runs through as well, including Woodhaven , Richmond Hill , and Queens Village . Jamaica Avenue

3354-500: Is decorated with an eared frame, an arched marble panel added in the mid-19th century, and a mantelpiece shelf topped by a frieze. There are built-in closets on either side of the fireplace. The King room was once used as an assembly room by the Queens Borough Musical Society and also had Empire-style furniture. Another bedroom in the northeast corner had small closets and was outfitted with multiple pieces of furniture by

3483-578: Is designed with elements of the Federal , Georgian , and Greek Revival styles. The house is designated as a National Historic Landmark , and the house, its interior spaces, and the park are all New York City designated landmarks . The house was occupied by the Colgan and Smith families in the late 18th century. King acquired the house and surrounding land in 1805 and expanded it into a 17-room mansion, which he occupied until his death in 1827. King's family lived in

3612-488: Is done by a qualified navigation electronics technician (NAV-ET). Along with the job of a Navy surface QM, NAV-ETs are also responsible for electronic systems that deal with navigation, internal communications, atmosphere monitoring, ship's entertainment systems, re-circulatory air systems (ventilation) and remote valve indication or manipulation. After 2004, the U.S. Navy disestablished the signalman rating (SM); signalmen were responsible for visual communications, and many of

3741-477: Is known about older outbuildings from as early as the 17th century. Among the buildings that might have existed were a cistern; a well; an outhouse building or privy vault; and structures related to farming. After the King family moved to the site in the 19th century, several structures are known to have been built near the house. By 1813, these included a pair of parallel 50-by-75-foot (15 by 23 m) buildings north of

3870-495: Is known to have visited a neighboring tavern. Smith bought land from the Sayre family in 1781 and from Ann Banks in 1785. The Colgan and Smith families may have owned up to 10 slaves on the estate, as recorded in the 1790 and 1800 United States censuses . Little else is known about the Smith family's occupancy of the house. When Christopher Smith died in 1805, he was indebted to the estate of

3999-581: Is more a control and supervision function: a staff officer for the respective commander. The Qm has a direct subordinate at company level: it is the company quartermaster sergeant. The company quartermaster sergeant is known since the 18th century as Fourier or Einheits-Fourier and has the rank equivalent of a senior non-commissioned-officer like the company sergeant major (since 2001 company chief sergeant major, CMS) and they are ranked (for better understanding in NATO-ranks even though Switzerland, as

King Manor - Misplaced Pages Continue

4128-416: Is the starting point of many newer streets in Queens, such as Hempstead Avenue , Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Farmers Boulevard, and Queens Boulevard . Jamaica Avenue is served by the following: In June 2020, mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would test out busways on Jamaica Avenue from Sutphin Boulevard to 168th Street, a distance of about 0.9 miles (1.4 km), in downtown Jamaica. Despite

4257-451: Is through a portico to the south, supported by fluted columns in the Doric order . Within the portico is a Dutch door , a sidelight on either side of the door, and a transom window above the door. The portico itself has a cornice with dentils , and there is a Palladian window directly above the portico. The rear annex, an extension of Poyer's original house, may be the oldest part of

4386-450: Is two stories high with a half-story attic. The eastern part dates from the Kings' 1800s renovation. The facade is composed mostly of white frame shingles. The design of the two sections is similar, but the architectural elements in the eastern section are wider, making the facade slightly asymmetrical. Both sections are topped by a gambrel roof , which has two chimneys above it. The main entrance

4515-486: Is unknown exactly when these structures were erected. The King estate also had a cistern at an unknown location. Rufus King died at the mansion on April 29, 1827, and was buried beside his wife in Grace Churchyard, Jamaica. The manor was inherited by his firstborn son, John Alsop King , who would later serve as a state legislator, U.S. Representative , and then the governor of New York . The land continued to serve as

4644-514: Is unknown whether Owlffield's holdings included the King Manor site itself, his descendants, the Oldfield family, did own property that became part of King Manor. There may have been several outbuildings associated with King Manor, although the locations of the outbuildings are not all known. A structure east of the main house, dating from the early 19th century, may have been used as a bathroom. Nothing

4773-575: The COVID-19 pandemic in New York City ; Roy Fox, who had been the live-in caretaker for three decades, continued to maintain the property. The same year, the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation gave the museum a $ 13,750 grant for an exhibition catalog. A Parks Enforcement Patrol substation in the park was finished in 2021, and the house's HVAC system was fixed that year for $ 718,000. Nonetheless, King Manor officials claimed in 2023 that

4902-458: The IDF , the battalion quartermaster is also the commander of the battalions support company, known as the battalion headquarters company. In the standing army he is usually a captain, but the role is a major's role. In the reserve army he is usually a major. While most of the staff officers are directly under the command of the battalion commander, the quartermaster has a lieutenant, a logistics officer and

5031-583: The Ohio River and the Great Lakes , coming to trade skins and furs for wampum . It was in 1655 that the first settlers paid the Native Americans with two guns, a coat, and some powder and lead, for the land lying between the old trail and "Beaver Pond", later Baisley Pond. Dutch Director-General Peter Stuyvesant dubbed the area "Rustdorp" in granting the 1656 land patent . The English, who took control of

5160-567: The Queens Supreme Courthouse (both of which were nearby). The area was also a frequent hangout for drug addicts, as there was a drug treatment center near King Park. The park's benches were repaired in the late 1970s, and the NYPD cracked down on illicit drug sales in the park during the same time. In 1979, the King Manor Association raised $ 10,000 for a trust fund for King Mansion, which was to be complemented by $ 10,000 in matching funds from

5289-475: The 17th century, the island was occupied by Native Americans, though there exists no evidence of Native American settlement on the house's site. The current park site was located between a group of hills named the Woody Heights to the north and Mechawanienck Trail (which later became Jamaica Avenue) to the south. The first documented structure on or near King Manor's site was a quartering house, which appeared in

King Manor - Misplaced Pages Continue

5418-828: The 18th century source, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates , aboard a pirate ship "the Captain can undertake nothing which the Quarter-Master does not approve. We may say, the Quarter-Master is a humble Imitation of the Roman Tribune of the People ; he speaks for, and looks after the Interest of the Crew". Several quartermasters, notably among them Calico Jack Rackham , became captains after their previous captain

5547-451: The Federal, Georgian, and Greek Revival styles. What is now King Manor is composed of several sections, arranged roughly into an "L" shape. The main house is located in the middle of the estate, while the kitchen is placed in an annex extending north of the easternmost part of the main house. The western part of the main house was constructed when Colgan lived there in the mid-18th century and

5676-559: The French Navy. In the Norwegian navy, kvartermester is a rank equal to an army sergeant . In the Royal Navy and Commonwealth navies (Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Indian Navy, and South African Navy), the quartermaster is the senior member of the gangway staff when the ship is alongside and is responsible for supervising the boatswain 's mate and

5805-582: The Historic House Trust in 1989 and a member of Cultural Collaborative Jamaica in the 1990s. The house has historically been known alternately as King Mansion; the City History Club of New York said in 1909 that the "Manor" name was a misnomer, as no manors have ever existed in Queens County. Jamaica Avenue Jamaica Avenue was part of a pre-Columbian trail for tribes from as far away as

5934-528: The King Manor Museum had cost $ 2 million to renovate, and the park had cost $ 4 million. Although Fox had no official position at the museum, he often gave lectures and performances. King Manor's annual visitor count increased from two thousand to fifteen thousand between 1995 and 1999, in part because of a campaign that sought to attract local residents. In addition, as part of the Jamaica Action Plan,

6063-521: The Kings' belongings were donated to the New-York Historical Society in the early 1900s. Several local newspapers endorsed selling the King estate to the village of Jamaica and converting the grounds to a public park; one newspaper wrote that "the dwelling, although unpretentious, is famous and interesting from its historical associations". By 1897, the residents of Jamaica were in favor of buying

6192-471: The Nassau County line, is 10.9 miles (17.5 km) long. The Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station ( E ​, ​ J , and ​ Z trains) with its associated bus station is a major transport hub, a rival to the nearby Jamaica–179th Street station ( F and <F> ​ trains) on Hillside Avenue. Quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term,

6321-790: The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps assumed these responsibilities and undertook to train and provide unit quartermasters and staff for all corps of the Canadian Army (Regular) except the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and Royal Canadian Dental Corps. In recent years, the quartermaster has been a specially trained officer of the Royal Canadian Logistics Service , though CFR (commissioned from ranks) officers have been known to accept regimental appointments such as quartermaster. In

6450-482: The boarding attack). The quartermaster ranked higher than any other officer aboard the ship except the captain himself, and could veto the captain's decisions whenever the ship was not chasing a prize or engaged in battle. The quartermaster also was chiefly responsible for discipline, assessing punishments for crewmen who transgressed the articles . According to pirate Captain Charles Johnson , ghost author of

6579-404: The children's playroom, a stair connects with the attic. To the southwest is a sitting room, which retains most of its 18th-century details. The sitting room has a marble fireplace frame (which was later concealed by an arched fireplace) and an ornamental fireplace mantel, above which is an overmantel decorated with paneling and a cornice. There is also a door, baseboard, chair rail, and cornice in

SECTION 50

#1732851934561

6708-530: The city government. The association also had an operating fund of $ 1,800 and wished to conduct a study of the house. A group of architects inspected the house in 1980 and found that, although some parts of the exterior were deteriorating, the mansion was largely in good condition. A consortium of women's organizations advocated for the New York City government to renovate the house after observing deterioration there. The house and surrounding park also experienced periodic vandalism and other crimes during that time, and

6837-480: The city spent $ 127,000 on a fence around the park, which was finished in 1997. Although drug use in the park had declined by the late 1990s, the NYPD was still conducting sting operations to identify drug users there. Hispanic residents of the surrounding neighborhood were also using parts of the park for soccer practice, angering the area's black residents. A $ 300,000 renovation was announced in May 2002. The project included new doors, shutters, and windows; repairs to

6966-635: The colony in 1664, renamed the little settlement "Jameco", for the Jameco (or Yamecah) Native Americans. During the early 19th century, the old road through Jamaica Pass was the Brooklyn Ferry Road; at mid-century this became the Brooklyn and Jamaica Plank Road , with toll booths . Late in the century the portion west of Jamaica Pass became Fulton Street , and the eastern portion Jamaica Avenue. The part of Jamaica Avenue that runs through Jamaica, Queens

7095-564: The command chain together with the CSM, directly subordinated to the company commander (captain) as staff NCOs. The Fourier is also the substitute of the chief sergeant major ( Hauptfeldweibel ), if considering the command platoon by itself. In the British Army and Royal Marines , the quartermaster (QM) is the commissioned officer in a battalion or regiment responsible for supply. By longstanding tradition, they are always commissioned from

7224-400: The control of the ship's navigator or other officer if there was no officer navigator. In the modern navy, a quartermaster is a petty officer who specializes in navigation. The rating abbreviation is QM. The symbol used for the rating and worn on uniforms is a ship's wheel . The colloquial form of address for a quartermaster is "Wheels". On U.S. Navy submarines, the job of a quartermaster

7353-484: The current King Manor. It includes the Colgan and Smith families' kitchen, as well as another kitchen and a lean-to added by the Kings to the north. The rear annex is composed of one- and two-story high sections, topped by gable roofs . Both sections of the annex are topped by brick chimneys. The southern section of the annex, abutting the main house, is two stories high and has a porch with columns. The interior spaces largely date to when Rufus King renovated and expanded

7482-413: The early 20th century. As designed, the third floor had smaller rooms than the floors below. A Brooklyn Daily Eagle article from 1898 described the third floor as having five rooms and a spacious attic. The third floor is occupied by the caretaker's apartment, which consists of two bedrooms under the gambrel roof. Some of the upper-story rooms were generally closed to the public in the 21st century. There

7611-407: The early 21st century. What is now King Manor is composed of several sections, arranged roughly in an "L" shape. The facade is slightly asymmetrical, with frame shingles and a Dutch portico , and is topped by a gambrel roof . The rooms largely date to when Rufus King renovated and expanded the house in the early 19th century. The first floor includes an ornate parlor, library, and dining room, while

7740-407: The estate until his death in 1755. According to Venables, Colgan may have built the western half of what later became King Manor. He also likely expanded Poyer's original structure to the north. A later pastor for Grace Church wrote that the farm was surrounded by a fence and included a fruit orchard that was capable of producing 100 barrels of cider annually. His estate, at the time, faced the shore of

7869-409: The family's estate until she died in 1896 at the age of 73. After Cornelia's death, her brother John A. King was offered $ 700,000 for the house but refused to take the offer. By then, the village was experiencing rapid development, but several of its old estates remained standing. King Manor's old gardens still remained intact, even though the estate itself was a fraction of its original size. Some of

SECTION 60

#1732851934561

7998-408: The first and second floors) showed visitors around. The home remained open three days a week in the 1950s and the 1960s. A playground and basketball court were built just east of King Manor in 1957, on the site of a building that had been demolished more than a century earlier. By the early 1960s, the roof of the house was being reshingled, and floodlights were installed in the adjacent park. The house

8127-399: The hallway. The main hallway measures around 12 by 40 feet (3.7 by 12.2 m) across. The walls of the hallway are made of plaster, with a baseboard and a chair rail on the lower half of the wall; there are four doorways leading off the hallway. Above the walls is a cornice with moldings and dentils. There is a staircase to the second floor at the rear of the eastern wall. The stairway has

8256-437: The house in the early 19th century. King Manor had 17 rooms, including a drawing room and family room, after King finished renovating the house; the mansion had the same number of rooms in 1898. By the 1990s, there were 29 rooms. The rooms included imported marble fireplace mantels. Generally, the first floor plan is symmetrical and is bisected by a central hallway, but the main entrance door is itself placed asymmetrically within

8385-454: The house into a headquarters for local clubs. The KMA requested "furniture, pictures, books, and what not" to furnish the house, which was also used to store heirlooms. In addition, the KMA planned to open the house to the public one day a week. Brooklyn Life magazine wrote that the conversion of King Manor into a clubhouse was "doubly gratifying", as many of western Long Island's old structures were being demolished. The first social meeting in

8514-598: The house took place in October 1900. One source described the renovated first floor as having a green-and-white hallway with mahogany finishes; a tan-and-white drawing room; and a dark-red library. The dining room, the largest in the manor, was used as a meeting room. Several civic clubs moved into the mansion, and other groups expressed interest in using the house and renovating other rooms. The KMA received its certificate of incorporation in December 1900; it had over 200 members, while

8643-412: The house until 1896 when Rufus's granddaughter Cornelia King died. The house and the remnants of King's land were sold in 1897 to the then-independent village of Jamaica and converted into a public park; when Jamaica became part of New York City the next year, the New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks) took over the property. The King Manor Association renovated the mansion in 1900 and reopened it as

8772-465: The house was added to the state's Underground Railroad Heritage Trail because of the Kings' roles as abolitionists. The house was one of several attractions in Jamaica that were promoted by the Greater Jamaica cultural district in the mid-2000s. Local residents also began advocating for a turf field in the surrounding park. King Manor and Park were again upgraded as part of a $ 1.7 million project that

8901-504: The house was built. According to research by Robert W. Venables in 1989, there was already a small cottage on the grounds by 1730. The cottage's original location has also not been determined, but that residence was likely moved at some point and is preserved as the current house's original kitchen. Other sources date King Manor to 1750, although the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) cites

9030-478: The house was suffering from neglect: its exterior had not been repainted in two decades, while the dining room was partly closed because of falling plaster. In addition, museum officials alleged that, after the Wi-Fi stopped working at the end of 2020, NYC Parks failed to restore Wi-Fi to the house, causing event organizers to avoid the house. It is not known who designed King Manor. The house's design contains elements of

9159-406: The house's clubs had a combined membership of 1,000. In addition, a caretaker lived in the rear annexes. Although the KMA sought to sign a long-term lease for the house, the park commissioners had no authority to sign a lease that expired after the commissioners left office. Water and sewer pipes were installed starting in 1902, and building K, the former outbuilding, was converted into a restroom by

9288-403: The house, as well as a third structure that was built near Grove Street (now a walkway at 90th Avenue). In addition, there was a stone edifice known as building K to the east of the manor's rear wing, which may have been used as a barracks, dairy house, or smokehouse. In the 1900s, building K was a milk house, connected to the main house with latticework. It is not known when the oldest section of

9417-528: The house, including their apartment. At the beginning of 1990, work commenced on the park itself, and researchers also began archeological studies of the manor site. The work included a relocation of the bandstand and new benches, paths, and fences. Although the New York Daily News reported that July that the house was open one day a week, Newsday said three years later that the house was open only for scheduled events. Continued renovations were hindered by

9546-454: The house, the library was filled with 5,000 books, mainly about the Americas. These included over 400 volumes from the 16th to mid-18th centuries. The fireplace has white-and-blue Dutch tiles on its mantel, as well as paneling on its overmantel. The library's wall also contains a chair rail; the walls are painted to resemble paneling with wood grains , giving the impression that the lower half of

9675-678: The house. By March, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Jamaica Women's Club , and the Brooklyn Public Library Association planned to refurbish the first-floor rooms, although this was delayed because a furnace in the mansion had to be repaired first. The group hosted its first meeting at the house in May 1900. The KMA signed a three-year lease for the house that June and shortly began making plans to convert

9804-439: The house. Restoration of the mansion was completed in 1966, funded by donations from various sources. A group of teenagers set fire to the house's porch in 1973, but passersby noticed the fire before any major damage occurred. The house was open on Thursdays during the late 1970s, and the KMA had further restored the house's interiors by then. By then, the surrounding park was popular among students at York College and visitors to

9933-405: The late 1900s, and paths were built in the park toward the end of that decade. By 1911, Queens park commissioner Walter G. Elliott planned to convert the house into a regional headquarters for NYC Parks, but the parks department's office was relocated after the KMA protested. The KMA began restoring the house that same year; a fence was installed around King Park; and NYC Parks set aside $ 10,000 for

10062-476: The library's Jamaica branch into King Manor, saying there were no other suitable buildings for the library branch. This prompted opposition from several civic groups led by the DAR's King chapter, and the KMA received numerous letters speaking out against the library plan. Leich withdrew his plan to use the house in February 1921 due to widespread opposition; the library had already identified an alternate location. When

10191-442: The main house's western half was built. Colgan's widow placed the house on sale in 1759, and she was living in another house in Jamaica by 1765. Mrs. Colgan died in the house on April 17, 1776. The house passed to Colgan's son-in-law Christopher Smith, who was married to Mary, one of the Colgan daughters. Although there was a common misconception that George Washington once slept in the house, he never visited it; however, Washington

10320-470: The mansion and grounds by 1899. This involved cutting down dead trees, installing new plantings, and adding furniture. There were concerns that the house would be demolished. Local women, led by Mary E. Craigie, were pushing to convert King's mansion into a clubhouse for local groups by early 1900. Brower expressed support for the idea. The King Manor Association (KMA) had been formed by February 1900, and it set up various committees to manage various aspects of

10449-550: The mansion as offices for several city agencies. These included a New York City Police Department (NYPD) precinct, offices for borough officials, and the Queens headquarters of the New York City Board of Education . The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported in April 1899 that the house was inhabited by a single janitor and had no offices. New York City park commissioner George V. Brower and a local landscape artist were planning to restore

10578-406: The mansion until her own death. During the late 19th century, the farm gradually declined. Cornelia King , the youngest daughter of John King, was the last King family member to live in King Manor. The surrounding land was parceled off during the 1880s. Atlases from 1895 and 1897 indicate that all except one outbuilding, namely building H, had been demolished. Cornelia continued to live primarily at

10707-408: The mansion's previous owners, slaves may have lived behind building K to the east of the main house; by contrast, King's servants likely worked in the lean-to at the north end of the new kitchen, as well as fields and barns north of the main house. King served again as a U.S. senator from 1813 to 1825 and continued to own the house. Additional structures on the property were built after 1813, though it

10836-400: The mansion. The house was shuttered entirely except for monthly tours, and homeless people occasionally burglarized the house, which was also used for police stakeouts. The renovation of King Manor was one of several major projects underway in downtown Jamaica at the time. In conjunction with these projects, the NYPD focused on making King Park a drug-free zone during the late 1980s. King Manor

10965-408: The meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies , a quartermaster is an officer who supervises logistics and requisitions , manages stores or barracks , and distributes supplies and provisions . In many navies , a quartermaster is a seaman or petty officer with responsibility for navigation and operation of the helm of a ship. The term appears to derive from the title of

11094-526: The museum's exhibits and the house's plain architecture. King Manor is located at 150-03 Jamaica Avenue (originally Fulton Street), within Rufus King Park, in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens in New York City . It is on the north side of the avenue between 150th and 153rd Streets. The house is the main attraction of Rufus King Park , which occupies a city block bounded by Jamaica Avenue to

11223-431: The new kitchen had been finished. The original cottage had been moved to behind the main house by this time, creating the current L-shaped layout. There were two buildings north of the mansion, which may have been barns. There was also a lawn to the west of the main house. King was an abolitionist and paid his workers, in contrast to the slaveowners in the surrounding area. The 1810 United States census shows that he had

11352-399: The next year. The KMA also wanted to restore the mansion's interior, roof, and porches and repaint the facade; this work was completed by 1903. The Brooklyn Citizen said the same year that the park suffered from poor upkeep. In its first decade, King Park was re-landscaped and hosted numerous concerts during the summer. The New York City government considered erecting a Carnegie library on

11481-424: The now-infilled Beaver Pond . The Colgan house was characterized as having "eight rooms on a floor, and two good rooms upstairs" in the mid-18th century, although Venables described the house as having four rooms per floor. The house was described as having sash windows that overlooked Beaver Pond; this indicates that the house has likely always faced south, since Beaver Pond was to the southwest. Around this time,

11610-464: The other enlisted man's "command rating" being the boatswain's mate. While the rank is used in a number of NATO countries , it is ranked differently depending on the country. Pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy elevated the rank of quartermaster to much higher powers and responsibilities than it had aboard non-pirate merchant or naval vessels. On pirate ships, the quartermaster was often granted

11739-586: The others being the Transportation Corps and the Ordnance Corps. In Belgium, the naval ranks of quartermaster, chief quartermaster, and first chief quartermaster are used. In the French Navy , Quartermaster ( Quartier-maître ) is a junior rank, equivalent to a French Army and Air Force Corporal . The French rank has nothing to do with supplies. This rank is also used by many other navies based on

11868-482: The park had degraded to such an extent that one critic wrote that "King Park, for all its beauty, has become Junk Park". City Council member Sheldon S. Leffler requested funding for the house's renovation in 1983, and the city provided $ 500,000 for design in June 1984. The city initially provided $ 1.31 million for the renovation of the mansion in March of that year and added $ 3.6 million for the park that September. Designs for

11997-636: The personnel and their responsibilities were incorporated in the QM rating. The U.S. Navy rating dealing with supply and logistics is logistics specialist (LS) which would be equivalent to the Army quartermaster. The structure of ranks and job specialties of the United States Coast Guard is similar to that of the United States Navy. The Coast Guard used a quartermaster rating until the summer of 2003, when

12126-402: The plan, which was postponed for several years. NYC Parks began installing electric lighting, heating, and plumbing in the house in 1931. The new bathroom, east of building K, was completed in 1935. Queens County clerk Jenkin R. Hockert again recommended constructing the civic center at the northern end of King Park in 1936, saying that the parcel was the only suitable site in the neighborhood for

12255-578: The politician John Alsop , who had given Smith a mortgage for the house. Rufus King , who was Alsop's son-in-law, was the next person to own the Colgans' and Smiths' house. King had been a Continental Congress delegate and a United States Senator before becoming the United States Minister to the United Kingdom from 1796 to 1803. He and his wife Mary had moved in 1788 to New York City (which at

12384-576: The position was replaced by the new appointment of troop sergeant major , with the cavalry adopting commissioned, regimental quartermasters as described above. From Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps standing orders: For many centuries – indeed perhaps as long as there have been organized military units – the appointment of quartermaster has been significant in armies. Until recent times, the British Army almost invariably rewarded an outstanding RSM by appointing him quartermaster of his battalion, thus ensuring

12513-411: The present-day Grand Central Parkway and abutted Grace Church to the east. King moved into the house in early 1806 and shortly afterward began expanding it into a mansion. In front of the house, he built a circular front walkway, some fir and pine trees, and a strip of plantings measuring 20 to 30 feet (6.1 to 9.1 m) wide. King also planted a semicircular row of linden trees behind the house; some of

12642-567: The rank of 2WO) without regarding his actual rank. Quartermasters are identified (in all IDF branches) by a blue and white aiguillette on the left shoulder. In the Swiss Army , a quartermaster (Qm) is an officer (from 2 Lt. to colonel) in charge with the coordination of the Kommissariatsdienst (accountancy, post-service, fuel resupply, "all sort of food" resupply and others) of a battalion , regiment and brigade / division . His function

12771-446: The ranks and hold the rank of captain or major (although until the 20th century the quartermaster was usually a lieutenant ). Some units also have a technical quartermaster, who is in charge of technical stores. The quartermaster is assisted by the regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) (and the technical quartermaster by the technical quartermaster sergeant (TQMS)) and a staff of storemen . The QM, RQMS and storemen are drawn from

12900-571: The rating was merged into the boatswain's mate rating. The Coast Guard's quartermasters had the same duties as the Navy's, with the exception that—at some point after World War II—the Coast Guard folded the duties of its signalman rating into the quartermaster rating. Also, in recent decades, quartermaster was one of the only two Coast Guard enlisted ratings permitted to hold command of a small boat station (command otherwise being reserved for officers), with

13029-503: The regiment or corps in which they work, not from the Royal Logistic Corps (or its predecessors), which is responsible for issuing and transporting supplies to them. Units which specialize in supply are known as "supply" units, not "quartermaster" units, and their personnel as suppliers or logistics specialists ("log specs"). Traditionally, the quartermaster had previously served as RQMS and then regimental sergeant major (RSM) of

13158-444: The remnants of the King estate. John A. King offered the land to the village of Jamaica for $ 50,000, a discount compared with the market-rate value of the site. The town's trustees held a vote to decide whether bonds should be raised to acquire the site, and residents voted to buy the land on June 29, 1897. The plot was bounded by modern-day 150th Street, 89th Avenue, 153rd Street, and Jamaica Avenue. A group of citizens immediately sued

13287-451: The renovation were completed by the end of the year. The KMA also obtained $ 500,000 in city funds for new furnishings and $ 80,000 in private funds for new exhibits. A group of restorers discovered several artifacts in the house and park during an archeological dig in 1985. By that time, the restoration of King Park and Manor was estimated to cost $ 1.9 million. In March 1987, the New York City government began renovating King Manor. This project

13416-484: The replacement of King Park's bathroom starting in 1927–1928, but this bidding process was prolonged through at least 1930. During the late 1920s, the Jamaica Center of Commerce also proposed constructing tennis courts in the park. A civic center was proposed in King Park in 1930, and local businessman George Jones proposed constructing four 10-story government buildings surrounding King Manor. The KMA vigorously opposed

13545-617: The restroom in building K was renovated and partitioned around the same year. Additional clubs had space at the house during the late 1910s, including the National Surgical Dressings Committee and the DAR's Rufus King Chapter. Two cedar trees from former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt 's estate, Sagamore Hill , were planted in front of the house in 1919. In September 1920, the Queens Borough Public Library 's board of trustees John Leich proposed moving

13674-400: The second and third floors include bedrooms. King Manor is owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , and its interior furnishings are supervised by the King Manor Association. The house's collection includes objects from the 18th and 19th centuries, and it has hosted various programs, events, and exhibits over the years. There has been commentary about both

13803-418: The security of the brow. They are also responsible for steering the ship while at sea. The quartermaster is the enlisted member in charge of the watch-to-watch navigation and the maintenance, correction, and preparation of nautical charts and navigation publications. They are also responsible for navigational instruments and clocks and the training of ship's lookouts and helmsmen. They perform these duties under

13932-686: The site of King Manor in late 1902, though local residents opposed the Carnegie library. The city also considered building an annex to the house for the library, which would not be eligible for Carnegie funds; the library plans were voted down in mid-1903. The same year, the Long Island Society of the Daughters of the Revolution restored the house's parlor. The KMA agreed in 1904 to maintain the house's interior and furnishings, while NYC Parks agreed to maintain

14061-450: The sitting room, similar to those in the first-floor parlor. This room was once used by the Queens Borough Musical Society (which outfitted the room with Empire-style furniture) and has built-in closets on either side of the fireplace. The bedroom at the northwest corner, formerly used by Rufus King, has baseboards, chair rails, and cornices on the walls. There is a fireplace on its south wall, surrounded by wooden panels. The fireplace itself

14190-515: The south, 150th Street to the west, 89th Avenue to the north, and 153rd Street to the east. The park covers 11.5 acres (4.7 ha) and preserves a portion of the former estate of Rufus King , one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . It has been cited as measuring 552 by 892 feet (168 by 272 m) across. The park has numerous recreational facilities. At the north end of the park is

14319-578: The southwest corner of the house, has a gray-and-white marble fireplace mantel , which was added in the late 1820s and was designed in the Greek Revival style. The parlor also has a paneled door; a plaster wall with baseboard and chair rail; six-over-six sash windows; and a cornice with moldings, dentils, and Greek frets . In the rear of the western wing is a library with three built-in floor to ceiling bookcases, which were imported from England and once accommodated over five thousand volumes. When King lived in

14448-493: The staff officer in charge of logistics, there is also a role defined mostly as "camp commander", who is in charge of the HQ logistic issues, ceremonies and parades and discipline. These duties differ slightly in the air force and navy. The ranks of IDF quartermasters vary from sergeant major to CWO, depending on the size of the camp. Most soldiers refer to him as rasar (the Hebrew acronym for

14577-453: The surrounding site as a park. The house was open to the public on Mondays; it recorded thirteen hundred annual visitors in 1904 and two thousand visitors by 1906. Clubs met on the first and second floors, and there was also a display of furniture and antiquities on the second floor. The Brooklyn Times-Union said in 1907 that the house's value had increased sixfold in ten years. There were also plans to move Queens' borough hall to King Park by

14706-563: The term was first coined in Germany as Quartiermeister and initially denoted a court official with the duty of preparing the monarch's sleeping quarters. In the 17th century, it started to be used in various militaries in the sense of organizing supplies. From at least the English Civil War period until 1813, the quartermaster was the senior NCO in a British cavalry troop, in which context he had nothing to do with supply. In that year,

14835-510: The time excluded Jamaica), but he wanted to move to the countryside by the start of the 19th century, having lived in rural England for several years. After surveying several plots along the Long Island Sound and Hudson River , King decided to move to Jamaica on central Long Island. Just before King occupied the house, there were a narrow gravel path and a carriage driveway leading to Jamaica Avenue, and there were two horse chestnut trees and

14964-427: The trees were transported from Portsmouth, New Hampshire . According to Venables's research, King obtained pine and oak from the nearby forest, as well as shingles from a nearby property owner, and used these materials to build a new kitchen in 1806. King also erected the eastern portion of the main house. The interiors were redesigned in the Federal and Georgian styles; by 1810, the dining room had been expanded, and

15093-502: The trustees to annul the bond issue. Nonetheless, the village trustees acquired the land on July 9 and opened it to the public; they also appointed a policeman to serve as the house's live-in caretaker. A New York Supreme Court justice enjoined the trustees from spending money on the park's upkeep, but the Appellate Division reversed this injunction. The park was officially renamed Jamaica Park in October 1897 and served briefly as

15222-529: The unit an experienced officer who knew the unit thoroughly and would prove difficult to mislead or beguile. [The past tense is in fact incorrect, as the British Army still has this policy.] As the complexities of the Army and its material increased, an officer with greater professional technical knowledge of the problems that surround stores management was required for the Quartermaster's duties. Under authority of Canadian Army Order 201 – 16 dated 8 February 1954,

15351-673: The unit of which he later became quartermaster. In the United States Army , the term is used to describe all supply personnel and units that are part of the United States Army Quartermaster Corps (USQMC) which was formerly the Quartermaster Department. It is a Sustainment, formerly combat service support (CSS), branch of the United States Army. It is also one of three U.S. Army logistics branches,

15480-549: The wall is wainscoted. Other elements of the library include a paneled door. At the southeast corner of the first floor is the dining room, which measures 22 by 34 feet (6.7 by 10.4 m) across, has a Federal-style fireplace and a curved wall at one end. The curved wall was not dissimilar to other American houses built after the Revolutionary War , which often had curved walls, although these houses' exteriors were also typically curved. By contrast, King Manor's dining room had

15609-431: The western half of the house as having been built at that time. In any case, the original section of the house served as a farmhouse, inn, and rectory in the 18th century. One writer, Richard Panchyk, credits Ames Smith as having built the house. Two rectors of Grace Episcopal Church lived on the land in the early and mid-18th century: Thomas Poyer and Thomas Colgan. Thomas Poyer married Sarah Oldfield in 1724 and acquired

15738-409: The wooden porch, which had been restored in the 1990s but was starting to buckle; repainting of the facade; and upgrades to the air conditioning, lighting, and fire detectors. The museum remained open during the renovation and offered free admission to compensate for the closure of several rooms. By 2004, researchers within the park had uncovered 4,000 artifacts during the past decade. The following year,

15867-424: Was announced in 2015, which involved upgrades to the gazebo, paths, and greenery. NYC Parks announced a set of new entrances for the park in 2017 and replaced the mansion's roof in 2018 for $ 1.8 million, though museum officials had to repair the second-story ceiling themselves. A new space for temporary exhibits opened in the second-floor sitting room in December 2019. The mansion was closed temporarily in 2020 due to

15996-540: Was completed in 2008. The project included drainage upgrades, drinking fountains, a turf field, and a concert space in the park, as well as new trees and driveway at the mansion. Queens borough president Helen Marshall gave $ 200,000 for a restoration of the house's chimney in 2009; the Daily News reported that the allocation was a "pet project", as one of the museum's vice presidents was married to City Council member Leroy Comrie . Another $ 2.2 million renovation of King Park

16125-512: Was erected in the park in 1922; records for this structure are incomplete. One of King Manor's rooms was re-furnished for the Jamaica Village Society during 1923 or 1924, and the society used that room to display documents, manuscripts, and other artifacts from 19th-century Jamaica. King Manor was one of the few colonial-era mansions in Jamaica by the 1920s, even as the surrounding neighborhood had changed. NYC Parks again solicited bids for

16254-455: Was killed or deposed. A Scout quartermaster within the Scout movement is responsible for maintaining all the normal camping supplies in a Scout troop or pack. This may include, but is not limited to, camping supplies, tents, "chuck boxes" (containers holding food and cooking supplies), stoves, camp fuel (propane, naphtha , etc.), tarps, camping trailers, dining flys, etc. The Quartermaster Award

16383-465: Was one of the founding members of the Historic House Trust , established in 1989, and the city gave $ 28,000 for programs at the mansion the same year. Roy Fox, a former radio host who was looking for a place to live, became the house's caretaker in 1989 after learning about a rent-free apartment from his wife's supervisor. He and his wife Mary moved into the third floor and gave unofficial tours of

16512-428: Was severely damaged in March 1964 by a fire that began on its first floor, which was likely caused by faulty wiring. Two rooms were destroyed by the fire, and there was smoke and water damage throughout the house. Officials first estimated that it would cost $ 39,000 to restore the exterior and grounds and $ 20,000 to restore the interior, but an expert determined that the interior would cost $ 50,000 to restore after visiting

16641-408: Was to include new mechanical and electrical systems; security and fire-prevention features; repainting; and restoration of decorations and surfaces. The mansion's renovation involved repainting the rooms their original colors, and the park was also to receive a new bandstand and bathroom. Huff Enterprises, Arista Heating, Action Electric, and Calco Plumbing and Heating were hired to carry out the work on

#560439