African-American enclave in suburban Queens was home to celebrated musicians, entertainers, and athletes. On February 1, 2011, Landmarks created the Addisleigh Park Historic District in the suburban neighborhood of St. Albans, Queens. The district includes more than 420 buildings built between 1910 and the 1930s and features Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Arts and Crafts architecture.

The area was originally developed as an all-white community; restrictive covenants were created in an attempt to prohibit the sale of homes to non-whites. Despite these efforts, by the 1940s several African- Americans had moved to Addisleigh Park. Although the Supreme Court of the United States did not prohibit the enforcement of racially-based restrictive covenants until 1948, Addisleigh Park had already attracted prominent African-Americans, including Fats Waller, Lena Horne, and Count Basie. In addition to many middle-class African-Americans, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and W.E.B. Du Bois also called Addisleigh Park home. (read more…)

Addisleigh Park was home to many famous African Americans,including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and W.E.B. DuBois. On March 23, 2010, Landmarks heard extensive testimony on the potential designation of a historic district in the Addisleigh Park section of St. Albans, Queens. Addisleigh Park is characterized by detached homes on large, landscaped lots, giving the neighborhood a suburban feel. Primarily developed between 1910 and the early 1930s, the area features homes in the English Tudor, Colonial, and Mediterranean Revival styles. The proposed district would include approximately 426 buildings, the St. Albans Congregational Church and its campus, and the eleven-acre St. Alban’s Park.

In addition to its architectural significance, Addisleigh Park is also notable for its social and cultural history. It was home to many celebrated African-American jazz musicians, entertainers, and athletes. Ironically, Addisleigh Park was originally created as an all-white neighborhood, and its discriminatory goals were enforced through restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale of property to non-whites. Although many African-American families had already moved into the neighborhood, the restrictive covenants were upheld by State courts in two separate lawsuits in the 1940s. Nonetheless, Our World, a national magazine edited for African-American readers, described Addisleigh Park as being home to the “richest and most gifted” African Americans in 1952. Pianist Thomas “Fats” Waller was possibly the first prominent African American to move into the area, living on Sayres Avenue until his death in 1943. W.E.B. DuBois, Lena Horne, Count Basie, and Jackie Robinson were among some of Addisleigh Park’s most well-known residents, in addition to the many middle-class homeowners. (read more…)