King Manor

About this property

King Manor, also known as the Rufus King House, is a historic house at 150th Street and Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. The two-story house is the main structure in Rufus King Park, an 11.5-acre (4.7 ha) public park that preserves part of the former estate of Rufus King, a U.S. Founding Father. Built c. 1730 and expanded in 1755 and the 1800s, the house is designed with elements of the Federal, Georgian, and Greek Revival styles. The house is designated as a National Historic Landmark, and the house, its interior spaces, and the park are all New York City designated landmarks. The house was occupied by the Colgan and Smith families in the late 18th century. King acquired the house and surrounding land in 1805 and expanded it into a 17-room mansion, which he occupied until his death in 1827. King's family lived in the house until 1896 when Rufus's granddaughter Cornelia King died. The house and the remnants of King's land were sold in 1897 to the then-independent village of Jamaica and converted into a public park; when Jamaica became part of New York City the next year, the New York City Parks Department (NYC Parks) took over the property. The King Manor Association renovated the mansion in 1900 and reopened it as a clubhouse for various local civic groups. King Park underwent several alterations in the early and mid-20th century, and there were numerous unexecuted plans to demolish the mansion or convert it to other uses. The house itself was renovated after a major fire in 1964, and the house and park were again restored in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Additional, smaller renovations of the house and park took place in the early 21st century. What is now King Manor is composed of several sections, arranged roughly in an "L" shape. The facade is slightly asymmetrical, with frame shingles and a Dutch portico, and is topped by a gambrel roof. The rooms largely date to when Rufus King renovated and expanded the house in the early 19th century. The first floor includes an ornate parlor, library, and dining room, while the second and third floors include bedrooms. King Manor is owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and its interior furnishings are supervised by the King Manor Association. The house's collection includes objects from the 18th and 19th centuries, and it has hosted various programs, events, and exhibits over the years. There has been commentary about both the museum's exhibits and the house's plain architecture.

Location

Categories

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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