During this time recreational facilities were redistributed, and in 1997, a steel picket fence was installed around the house. From 1991 to 1993 the bandstand was relocated to the west side of the park, and new paths, fencing, and benches were introduced. In 1915 a bandstand was constructed at the center of the park, and the three-acre hockey field was graded and sodded to enable tennis to be played in the spring and summer and field hockey in the fall. Immediate improvements included repairing the mansion, laying sidewalks, planting trees and shrubs, and installing fencing. The mansion and its remaining eleven acres were purchased by the Village of Jamaica in 1896, and then transferred to the New York City Department of Parks when Jamaica was absorbed by the City in 1898. The estate was a working farm, transitioning from the use of enslaved labor to free labor during King’s tenure and serving as a laboratory for agricultural experimentation and a source of commercial profit. His work included constructing a semicircular front drive, surrounding the property with a belt of trees, and planting oaks around the mansion, some of which remain. This entry was posted in Uncategorized on Decemby JasmeetS.This 11.5-acre park once formed part of the estate of lawyer, statesman, and gentleman farmer Rufus King, who purchased the farmhouse and 90-acre farm in 1805. Influenced by his time in England, King was among the first to bring Picturesque design principles to an estate landscape in the northeastern United States. Based on my research, he seemed like a noble man, fought in the revolutionary war, delegate on the constitutional convention, introduced a plan to help prevent the spread of slavery, and signed the constitution.Īs per New York City government parks website, the parks Commissioner just announced on a $2.2M in improvements to Rufus King Park. It’s amazing how much history we walk past everyday unknowingly. The 11.5 acre land was given to the town of Jamaica for $50,000. King Manor Museum is open on a regular basis for tours, educational programs, and community events.īeen meaning to look up who Rufus King was for awhile since I walk past the park every morning and glad I finally did, mainly because of this assignment. The shelves hold books and senate records. The manor contains a library which includes three build-in floor to ceiling bookcases. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the house and park are designated New York City landmarks. King Manor has operated as a museum since 1900. The house and ground were bought by the Village of Jamaica to be used as a park, and later a city park. When Jamaica, along with the western half of Queens County was annexed by New York City in 1898, the house and the property were turned over to the New York City Parks Department which re-designated the land as “Rufus King Park.” King was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and made his most famous contribution to American history as a framer and signer of the Constitution.” “Descendants of King’s family lived in the house until 1896 when Rufus’ granddaughter Cornelia King died and sold the house to the Village of Jamaica. He served as a member of the Confederation Congress from 1784 to 1787, where he introduced a plan that prevented the spread of slavery into the Northwest Territories. Two years later, King was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts. King suspended his law studies to serve in the Revolutionary War in 1778. He was “the son of a wealthy lumber merchant from Maine, he graduated from Harvard in 1777. Rufus King (1755-1827) was a lawyer, statesman and farmer and the park was once his home. The entire park is just over 11 acres wide. Here is a link to more photos of the premises: . The photos were taken in front of the Rufus King Park, inside the park you will find the Rufus King Manor Museum & Park located Jamaica Ave and 153rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11432. Also, the steel picket fence surrounding the property entrance displays the words from the Preamble of the Constitution Since then I’ve taken a great interest in researching landmarks and monuments I pass by daily. If it wasn’t for Professor Donsky’s “How decedents are honored…” assignment I would not have thought of looking up who this park was named after. I work close-by Queens County – NYC Civil Court and every morning on my way to work I pass Rufus King Park.
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