10
Historic Houses
Queens has historical houses from the 17th, 18th, and
19th centuries that reflect the borough’s Dutch, German,
and English heritages. Some venues offer insights into the
borough’s past as a center for religious liberty, a final stop
on the Underground Railroad, and a magnet for immigrants.
Others inform on architecture, education, farming,
incarceration, and science.
THE BOWNE HOUSE
John Bowne (1657–1695) was an English immigrant who came
to New York when it was under Dutch control and called “New
Netherlands.” He became a pioneer in the fight for religious
liberty, and his descendants (members of the Bowne and Parsons
families) were extremely involved in the abolition movement.
In 1661, he moved to a small, English-speaking community
in Flushing. His house was a meeting spot for Quakers, who
practiced their faith despite threats from the government, which
only allowed the Dutch Reformed Church at the time. The
residence was also a stop on the Underground Railroad, as many
escaped slaves hid from bounty hunters there.
Nine generations of Bownes lived in the wooden-frame English
Colonial saltbox until 1945, when they donated the property to
the Bowne House Historical Society. It’s the oldest domicile
in Queens. With a pitched roof and three dormers, the museum
combines common architectural features from English and Dutch
styles. It displays roughly 5,000 objects (furniture, clothes,
textiles) that the family acquired over more than three centuries.
There’s also a collection of rare books and correspondence that
offers insight into the civil and political activities that surrounded
the family.
Inside scoop: Though he didn’t sign it, John Bowne was a
leading force behind the Flushing Remonstrance, a 1657 petition
to New Netherlands requesting freedom for Quaker worship. The
document is a precursor of the freedom-of-religion provision in
the Bill of Rights.
Address: 37-01 Bowne St., Flushing, and www.bownehouse.org.
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/www.bownehouse.org
/www.bownehouse.org
