Saturday, July 19, 2014

King Manor






A little trip to Jamaica, Queens today to look for some history. It was about an hour ride on the subway and only a short walk from the stop.

The original farmhouse at what is now called the Rufus King Manor was built in 1750. Rufus King bought it in 1805 and made some additions to it. His farm grew to 150 acres.

Rufus King graduated from Harvard in 1777 and served in the Revolutionary War. He helped write - and he signed the Constitution. He was ambassador to Great Britain from 1796 to 1803 and was a senator of New York.

After his death, his son, John Alsop King lived in the house. He served in the New York Assembly and the US Congress and a term as governor of New York.

Only a few rooms are open for viewing. The dining room had 2 interesting curved corners that were closets...a feature I haven't seen before in a home this old. The guides mentioned that the dining table would be moved to the side so that the room could be used as a ballroom. What's a farmhouse without a ballroom???

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