The Newtown Historical Society was founded to educate the public about the history of the villages that comprised Newtown Township in Queens County, NY.  Newtown Township stretched from the East River to the Flushing River.  Towns covered include: Maspeth, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Middle Village, Glendale, Ridgewood, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Woodside, Jackson Heights and Corona.

Please visit the new website dedicated to the history of the Queens Plaza millstones and sign the petition to preserve them.

The Newtown Historical Society is proud to present our first exhibit, “A Walk Down Flushing Avenue, 1929” at Maspeth Federal Savings, located at 58-15 69th Street in Maspeth, Queens starting Monday, December 21st, 2009. This photo series is presented to create awareness and foster appreciation of the history of western Queens communities. The exhibit will be displayed in the windows of the recently renovated and upgraded bank building through the end of February and will be viewable from the street.

The photos represent a snapshot of life in Maspeth and Ridgewood on November 1, 1929, just days after the “Black Tuesday” stock market crash that many associate with the beginning of the Great Depression. Several of the buildings featured in the series are still standing, with different uses today. The photos also offer a fascinating glimpse into how people from our communities went about their daily activities 80 years ago.

Please be sure to check out the exhibit in person.  If you wish to have your own copies of these photos, they are available for sale from the society.  Please click here to go to our gallery to order photos.