King Manor
From 1805 to 1896, King and his descendants lived in what is
now an 11-acre property called “Rufus King Park.” They raised
livestock and sowed wheat, barley, potatoes, corn, strawberries,
apples, and peaches. Their three-story, three-chimney mansion
with clapboard windows is now a museum, displaying furniture,
glassware, clothes, musical instruments, toys, ceramics,
paintings, and prints.
Inside scoop: Added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974, King Manor hosts numerous seasonal festivals, classical
music concerts, and even swearing-in ceremonies for new
citizens.
Address: Rufus King Park, in the vicinity of Jamaica and 89th
avenues between 150th and 153rd streets, Jamaica, and www.
kingmanor.org.
KINGSLAND HOMESTEAD (QUEENS HISTORICAL
SOCIETY)
The Kingsland Homestead was built in 1785 by original resident
Charles Doughty, the son of a wealthy Quaker. The two-story
estate became “Kingsland” after Doughty’s son-in-law, Joseph
King, a British sea captain, bought the property in 1801.
Kingsland’s first floor includes a 1,350-square-foot space where
the society organizes exhibitions and lectures. The secondfloor
parlor is designed in a Victorian style with lacework and
a plethora of items (i.e. notebooks, eyeglasses) that former
inhabitants used. The house has a gambrel roof, a crescentshaped
window in a side gable, a Federal-period chimney piece
with an iron Franklin stove, and a Dutch-style front door.
92 QUEENS IN YOUR POCKET • www.itsinqueens.com
21