Marking History A Site At A Time

The Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society's officers gathered for a photo with documentary filmmaker Jonathan Fein, who appeared as a guest speaker at the group's meeting on Wednesday, Apr. 29 at the Emanuel United Church of Christ. Shown from left: Dorothea McCowan, assistant treasurer; June McCowan, second vice-president; Rose Kavanaugh, secretary; Leonora Lavan, president; Jonathan Fein; Susan Meyer, treasurer; and Joann Cataldo, volunteer. Not pictured: Allan Smith, first vice-president. (photo: Bill Mitchell) Brought together by a common desire to share their appreciation for the history of their neighborhood, members of the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society have developed a way to make the past enjoyable in the present.

Certainly, it suits them well as they continue to make strides in highlighting Woodhaven's historic sites, to be noticed during organized walking tours or by someone passing by for the first time.

Since being established in 1992, the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society has been responsible for the placement of historic markers at a number of sites, such as where the ballpark known as Dexter Park existed on Jamaica Avenue or where St Matthew's Episcopal Church still stands on 96th Street at 85th Road.

This marker is among the ones that have been placed at historic sites by the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society. Standing in the supermarket parking lot on Jamaica Avenue at Dexter Court, it identifies the former site of Dexter Park, home of the Bushwicks, a semi-pro baseball team. (photo: Bill Mitchell) History buffs organized

As recounted by Leonora Lavan, the non-profit organization's president, the founding of the WCHS grew out of a suggestion by the late Kitty Dennerlein, who saw the need for a Woodhaven-based historical society.

Lavan credited the early participation of such history buffs as Dorothea Schmidt, Emily Hilton, Felix Cuervo, Bob Mangieri and Dr. Allan Greene in making the idea a reality.

"Originally, we met in my house," Lavan said.

Saving a program or score card provides a way to hold onto the memory of a good time. Among the many who enjoyed going to Woodhaven's Dexter Park, some may have kept a souvenir such as this score card, which is from the collection of local collector Ray Gazer. Besides meetings, they held Saturday cemetery walks and pursued funding for projects—especially one in particular.

Laven recalled the group's desire to reprint The Story of Woodhaven and Ozone Park, an out-of-print effort by the highly regarded Queens historian Vincent F. Seyfried.

The request for permission was granted by the author and funding for the project was obtained from Brooklyn Union and Citibank, with a matching grant from then-Borough President Claire Shulman.

In addition, Linda Monte from the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society assisted as the fledgling group in Woodhaven required a conduit to accept donations.

The various contributions of those involved paid off, as Seyfried's 1985 book became available once again to all who wanted a copy.

"We sold it at the street fairs," Lavan said.

One can only guess how many might have picked up a copy from the WCHS at a Woodhaven street fair and quickly learned about the namesake of a road they traveled every day.

As noted in the opening sentence of Seyfried's preface, 1985 marked the 150th anniversary of Woodhaven's founding by John R. Pitkin.

The reprinted book was only the start by the WCHS in trying to preserve historical knowledge in a way that made it accessible.

Kurt T. Kraska, who conducted a tour of Cypress Hills Cemtery for the WCHS, authored The History of Cypress Hills Cemetery and its Permanent Residents.

Before long, the society was getting a boost from Serphin Maltese, the area's state senator at the time, who secured funding through a legislative grant.

"That's how we started," Lavan said.

The WCHS has also published: the books Southside Burial Ground by Dorothea Elizabeth McCowan and June Ann McCowan; A Peek at Richmond Hill through the Keyhole of Time by William Krooss; Dexter Park by Jane and Douglas Jacobs; A Woodhaven Boyhood by John Schlight; Wyckoff-Snedicker Family Cemetery by Dorothea Elizabeth Mc- Cowan and June Ann McCowan; and Whatever Happened to Dexter Park by Henry W. Schramm.

All of the above titles are currently available from the Woodaven Cultural and Historical Society. For more information, call 1-718-846- 1907.

Why her?

Asked why she had been approached to organize and lead the historical society, Lavan wasn't really sure. But the fact that she had already demonstrated a willingness to be active in the community may have had something to do with it.

Prior to the founding of the WCHS, she was a member of Community Board 9; served as an executive member of the Woodhaven Residents' Block Association; and was a class mother while her son was a student at St. Thomas the Apostle School.

She also acknowledged that she has always had a keen interest in history— an appreciation and curiosity that was heightened thanks to a father "who was always taking us to interesting places."

Vito Martinelli was a stonecutter from Italy, his daughter said, additing that he had started an organization, the Granite Craftsmen's Guild.

"They got together and put up a stone in Calvary Cemetery for a sea captain," Lavan said.

Whatever had inspired her father's group to provide that marker, hearing about it called to mind the work of the Woodhaven volunteers in wanting to mark historic sites.

Other sites marked

Besides the markers for Dexter Park and St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, the WCHS has placed others at such sites as the Betty Smith House, 85-34 88th St.; the Woodhaven Post Office, 1940 Forest Parkway; the Woodhaven Carnegie Library, 1923 Forest Parkway; Southside Cemetery and Burial Site, at Redding Street and 149th Avenue, Ozone Park; the Forest Park Carousel; Wyckoff-Snedicker Cemetery, 96th Street north of Jamaica Avenue; Mae West House, 89-05 88th St.; the supermarket built by Fred Trump, 77-20 Jamaica Ave.; the home of Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, 80-26 88th St.; Clock Tower of the Lalance & Grosjean Factory, 90- 10 Atlantic Ave., Ozone Park; St. Anthony Hospital, 89-15 Woodhaven Blvd.; and Neirs (Union Course) Bar, 78th Street at 87th Road.

From home to church The attendance at WCHS membership meetings soon outgrew the original quarters of the Lavan home. Today, the meetings are held on the last Wednesday afternoon of the month (except July and August) at 1 p.m. at the Emanuel United Church of Christ, located at 91st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard.

Typically, the meetings draw about 40 members who turn out for a program that features a guest speaker. Among some of the more memorable presentations over the years was one about Dexter Park and the Bushwicks, which had been organized by historian Robert Eisen. He was accompanied by some former members of the Bushwicks, long removed from their ballplaying days, who came to reminisce.

Joining Lavan in working to ensure the society's continuing success are Allan Smith, first vice-president; June McCowan, second vice-president; Rose Kavanaugh, secretary; Susan Meyer, treasurer; Dorothea McCown, assistant treasurer; and Joann Cataldo, volunteer.

Filmmaker featured

The April meeting included an appearance by filmmaker Jonathan Fein, whose discussion of his documentary, Objects and Memory, provided the audience with food for thought to go along with the usual refreshments.

Fein's documentary takes a look at the aftermath of 9/11—the items that were recovered at Ground Zero and the special value that they held, as ordinary items became precious ones.

Posing questions that, like his film, aimed to make an audience think, Fein asked the WCHS members: "How do we recognize that history is happening?"

Mary Csillag responded, "Just like [the assassination of President John F. Kennedy], everybody knew that it was a historical event—we all remember where we were and what we were doing. It's the same for 9/11."

Others expressed similar answers and when one mentioned the element of change, it drew a positive reaction from the afternoon's guest speaker.

Fein shared his view that "we recognize history when a major change occurs—when what we thought was going to be the future is suddenly taken away and we have to chart a new course."

He observed, "It seems to me that when we have a big change, when we change direction, that's history."

Such turning points generate physical things that are used to help remember the events, whether the memory is good or bad.

'Seeds of memory'

"They become mile markers, " Fein said, adding that a friend calls the items, "seeds of memory."

The WCHS members were asked to ponder the way that otherwise worthless items can suddenly be given an extraordinary value when tied to history.

To show what he meant, Fein held aloft two identical metal bolts, both rusted. With one in each hand, he offered, "Think what goes through your mind when I tell you that one is trash and the other is a priceless artifact because it was part of the World Trade Center."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Now think what goes through your mind when I tell you that neither of them is from the World Trade Center."

In truth, both were trash. But for a moment, because of a possible link to a significant event, one seemed to be valuable.

Fein asked the members to consider some other examples, such as a sword in a museum case that has great worth because it has been identified as one carried by George Washington.

To cite a recent—and, Fein thought, bizarre—instance, he recalled a baseball that had been hit by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants. It broke a home run record "and sold for three-quarters of a million dollars."

But, Fein wondered, "What about the one he had hit the week before— was it worth twenty dollarrs, maybe?"

The filmmaker indicated that the answer becomes more complicated when one considers that authenticity can be tainted by today's technology.

At that point, it's a matter of faith and trust.

But to determine what personal possession holds a value of genuine importance, Fein suggested, the process is quite simple: a person need only decide what they would take with them in the event of a fire.

"If your house was on fire, you wouldn't grab a TV set, because you could buy another one," Fein said. "You'd grab something your child had made or perhaps belonged to your grandparents."

He paused, before giving the description that fit best: "Something that's irreplaceable."

Editor's note: The second part of this two-part story will present a look at Jonathan Fein's documentary film, Objects and Memory.