The house in which Gov. Clinton resided while living at Maspeth stands
on a asight elevation on the north side, and but a short distance from the
track of the Montauk Railroad, at the head of Newtown Creek, where for many
years itood the town dock, still remembered by the old residents. It Is
a long two-story wooden building, with broad verandas running Its entire
length both front and rear, on the first aud second stories. It is surrounded
by stately trees and is still in good repair. It Is now
used as a hotel and the spacious grounds surrounding It as a summer park.
A t the head of Newtown Creek, on the south side of Montauk Railroad and
nearly directly op- posite the Clinton House, standing on high ground surrounded
by a grssy lawn sloping down to the roadside, is the residence of William
H. Furman.
Alinost directly opposite on the east side of Maspeth avenue and running
through to Grand street are the trout ponds and stone dwelling, or clubhouse
owned by William H. Furman. The ponds, nearly half mile in length, are in
the shape of the letter S, and are fed by boiling springs from the bottom.
Owing to the heavy losses from poachers by reason of their nearness to the
city, the ponds, as a trout preserve as well as for trout breeding were
abandoned several years' ago. They still afford fair fishing. In 1868 Mr,
Furman marketed over one ton of trout from his Maspeth ponds.
Maspeth has a fine public school building and three church edifices. The
Episcopalian, organized in May, 1871; Methodist, Organized in 1845; and
the Catholic, built in 1871.
The Grand street and the Queens County baseball and picnic grounds are situated
at Maspeth. The prohibiting of baseball playing and the sale of liquor or
beer at the Newtown parks ou Sundays will prove a heavy loss to the proprietors
of the several parks and a great gain to those residing in their vicinity,
who heretofore have been annoyed by the noisy crowds of men and boys who,
visiting the parks on Sundays, would sometimes invade their premises and
steal flowers and fruit, regardless of their protestations.
Mount Olivet Cemetery, with its main entrance on Grand street, covers sixty
acres of Maspeth, all of which has been laid out and beautified.
The residence of Mr. Cord Meyer, with its well-kept grounds, on Grand
street, north of the Montauk Railroad, is one of the most costly in Maspeth
The principal industry of Maspeth is the oil cloth manufactory of Alden
Sampson's Sons. The factory is the largest of its kind in the world. There
are several factories for the manufacture of fertiizer and animal carbon,
the largest being that of Mr.Cord Meyer, on Newtown Creek. The carbon is
used chiefly in the filtration of sugar.
The residence of the late Hon. James Maurice, who represented Queens County
in the Assembly in 1852 and the First District in Congress from 1852 to
1855, is on a portion of the Furman farm fronting on Maspeth avenue, a short
distance west of the trout ponds. It Is now occupied by the deceased's brother
and sisters. Prominent among the residents of Maspeth. who are well knowa
socially and politically, may be mentioned Mr. Cord Meyer, Chairman of the
State Democratic Committee; State Senator Edward F. Fagan, ex-Sheriff Garret
Furman, John Van Coli, James W. Smith, Thomas Pettit aiid Police Justice
Francis Mc Kenna.