Greater Astoria Historical Society facts for kids
Long Island City Coat of Arms
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| Formation | 1985 |
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| Type | Historical society |
| Headquarters | Quinn Memorial Building |
| Location | |
| Website | astorialic.org |
The Greater Astoria Historical Society (GAHS) is a group that helps keep the history of Astoria and nearby areas alive. It's located in Queens, New York, United States. This group works to save old stories, photos, and items from places like Long Island City, Blissville, Hunters Point, and Sunnyside. They want to make sure everyone knows about the past of these neighborhoods.
Contents
Why History Matters: The GAHS Mission
The Greater Astoria Historical Society started in 1985. Its main goal is to find and protect the history of Long Island City. This area became part of New York City way back in 1898. Queens is known for having many different cultures and languages. Over 350,000 people live in the Long Island City and Astoria area. The GAHS wants to help everyone, new residents and old, feel proud of their community. They do this by sharing its rich history.
Programs and Activities
The Greater Astoria Historical Society offers many fun programs. These include the "Long Island City Forum." This program has talks, videos, and walking tours. They also create exhibits and special programs for local schools. These activities help people learn more about the history of Long Island City.
Exploring Local History with Tours
You can join regular tours to places like the East River. They also visit the famous Steinway & Sons piano factory. Every year, the GAHS hosts a "Haunted Waters Walking Tour." This tour happens along the East River as part of the Socrates Sculpture Park's Halloween festival.
The Winged Fist Project
The GAHS also has a special project called the "Winged Fist Project." This project works to remember the Irish American Athletic Club. This was a sports group that was active in Long Island City in the early 1900s.
Saving Important Historical Items
The Greater Astoria Historical Society tries to get and save old items that are important to Queens history. For example, they helped save the cornerstone from Congregation Mishkan Israel. This was the third oldest temple in Queens. They also worked to protect the Dutch Kills Millstones.
GAHS Collections and Research
The Greater Astoria Historical Society has many rare and interesting items. You can look at these items yourself. The GAHS has a Library and Research Center. It holds over 10,000 items. These include books about local history, many photos, and other neighborhood items.
Maps and Old Newspapers
The GAHS has many old maps of Queens and nearby areas. They also have almost all the old copies of the Long Island Star Journal. This was a daily newspaper that shared local and world news until 1968. The newspaper's name came from two older papers: the Long Island Daily Star (from 1876) and the North Shore Daily Journal—The Flushing Journal (from 1841).
Preserving Photos and Stories
The Greater Astoria Historical Society actively asks for old photos related to Queens history. They have thousands of black and white photos, slides, and old glass negatives. These include works from famous Queens historians like Vincent F. Seyfried. The GAHS has put hundreds of these photos in their books. They have also scanned thousands of images. More than 3,000 of these photos are available online through the Astoria History Project. They also have many pictures about the history of the East River.
Historical Plaques and Publications
The GAHS has a program to put up historical plaques. These plaques mark important places in Queens. For example, they put a plaque on an apartment building in Sunnyside, Queens. This is where the famous jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke once lived.
The Greater Astoria Historical Society has also written or helped write four books about Queens history. These books are Long Island City, Postcards of Long Island City, The East River, and The Queensboro Bridge. The GAHS also gives out a free map with walking tours along the East River in Queens. They also write a weekly column for the Queens Gazette. This column shares historical stories from the Long Island Star Journal.
Visiting the GAHS Facilities
The Greater Astoria Historical Society offices are in the old Quinn Memorial Building. You can find it at Broadway and 36th Street in Astoria. The building has a large exhibit space, about 2,000 square feet. This space holds both permanent and changing exhibits about topics important to the community.
The GAHS works with the Queens Tourism Council. They have a tourist information booth outside their office. Here, visitors can get free maps and pamphlets to explore Queens history. Many community groups also use the GAHS offices for their meetings. These groups include the Astoria Music Society and the Queens Council on the Arts.
See also
- List of historical societies in New York (state)
