Information on College Point
Information on College Point
Then & Now
College Point is a small town located inQueens,New York. It is a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides. Today, College Point is home to many people and businesses. There are major stores and supermarkets in College Point, and there is even a movie theatre.
There are lots of places to eat in College Point, including pizza shops, delis, and specialty stores that offer food from different countries. We have lots of dollar stores, two Dunkin Donuts, and even a Verizon store.
College Point did not always look this way. In the 1800’s, College Point looked very different. About 160 years ago College Point was mostly made up of farm land. It was owned by the Stratton family. It was called Strattonport. The Stratton family sold the land off in 1851 to store owners fromManhattanand to real estate developers. At the same time, many immigrants were arriving fromGermanyandIreland. One German immigrant, named Flammer, began to sell lots of land in College Point. The town’s name was changed to Flammersburg in 1852. There were only about 100 families living Flammersburg.
The town began to grow and people traveled by ferry or stage coach. The cost of a stage coach ride was 10 cents. Eventually, a train station was built on 18th Avenue. Today, businesses such as Mama Soup and the College Point Butcher Shop reside on that street. There is no more train station and people need to take a bus toFlushing in order to get a train.
Life in College Point really changed after Conrad Poppenhusen came to town. He was a business man fromGermanywho decided to build his rubber and plastic factory in College Point. He began building his factory in 1854. He moved many of his workers here fromBrooklyn.
Conrad Poppenhusen wanted to do something special for the people in College Point. In 1868, he built the Poppenhusen Institute for the people of College Point. The building was a town hall but also had a library, a courtroom, two jail cells in the basement, a bank, and the first kindergarten. Conrad Poppenhusen was a very generous man. The building still stands today and is managed by Susan Brustman. She was one of the people who saved the Poppenhusen Institute from being torn down.
All of these changes were very good for College Point. Today, over 20,000 people live in College Point. There are several businesses in College Point which means lots of jobs. There are also some really nice parks. One really special park isMacNeilPark. This park is on the water and there is a great view ofLaGuardiaAirportand the Manhattan Skyline. There are paths to walk, run, or ride a bike. There is also a large playground with fun things to do like climb, slide, or play basketball or handball. There is also a large field for baseball or football. There are several benches along the paths where you can just sit and enjoy the view.