1926

Queens: Colonial Avenue - 62nd Drive

Colonial Ave., (right side of house not shown) west side, north of 62nd Drive. If locating in 1922, it would be on Mill Creek and Old Mill Road. At the street line of the S.W. corner of Harding Boulevard and Colonial Avenue is the site of this house which was razed in Sept. 1930 to make way for the Horace Harding Boulevard. Judge Robert Coe erected the house in 1655. The following year he moved to Jamaica and Captain John Coe became the owner of the farmhouse and the Mill property which was on the west side of the Creek. In 1698 Judge John Coe, 2nd son of Captain John Coe was the owner. This family retained possession for almost a century when about 1810 David Titus became the owner. This in turn sold to Daniel Rapelye son of Major Rapelye who was till the owner in 1852. Mrs. Kenny was an occupant in 1922. Eugene L. Armbruster states that the Lott family also owned this property. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1875. L. J. Wood, Felton, or R. W. W. Hitchcock was the owner in 1873. The present structure was erected about 1750 on the site of the old house. The Van Rieper however states it to be the original Coe house. The Earl was the owner of this property in 1860. Thomas G. Smith from the Shady Lake farm was the owner in 1910. According to figures inscribed on a stone in the building, the house was said to be 1925 to be 216 years old. View No. 3 shows the house at the right background. Mill Creek is in the foreground. Jan. 1926 Views 1, 2 and 3. Eugene L. Armbruster Collection

Photo from the New York Public Library - Milstein Collection