Kew Gardens Hills’ “Independence Hall” on its 70th Anniversary

by BQE Admin · September 26, 2024

The Bicentennial booklet with original Kew Gardens Hills Independence Hall rendering.

A Tale of Three Independence Halls

The Long-Lost 1939 World’s Fair Rendition

By Michael Perlman

To become acquainted with Independence Hall, you may not have to take a trip to Philadelphia afterall. Nothing beats the Real McCoy, but a replica was erected for Queens County Savings Bank (now Flagstar Bank) from 1953 to 1954 at 75-44 Main Street, and is celebrated as a historic representation. It was also the first time for a replica as a banking structure.

It is a rare opportunity to encounter a replica of Independence Hall in Kew Gardens Hills. The Georgian Colonial style bank was designed by architect Harold O. Carlson, based at 394 Old Country Road in Garden City, and erected by Marshall Construction Co, Inc. of 250 West 57^th Street. A New York Times “Building Plans Filed” listing from February 29, 1952 read, “Main St. n w cor 76^th Ave; bank and library, 72×77, 1-story; Queens County Savings Bank, Flushing, owner; H. Carlson, architect; cost $250,000.”

Between the 1939 – 1940 World’s Fair and 1964 – 1965 World’s Fair, nearby communities experienced a population boom, and distinctive architectural achievements made residents feel welcomed and offered civic pride.

“I’ve always enjoyed looking at Queens County Savings Bank’s clock tower, symbolizing America during its younger years, and reminding us of the American spirit of our Founding Fathers,” said Stuart Morrison. “Being a resident of Briarwood followed by Forest Hills for most of my life, I’ve walked or passed by on the Main Street bus many times. Its second-story Palladian window with an octagonal belfry topped by a smaller cupola and a spire, are among the features that always make this building revitalizing. With such overdevelopment these days, removing so much of Queens’ history, this historic site is especially a gem to preserve.”

Queens County Savings Bank, Photo by Michael Perlman

Queens County Savings Bank, Photo by Michael Perlman

Linda Fisher, a Guides Association of NYC licensed tour guide explained, “Banks were designed to evoke feelings of confidence and stability, and this would account for Classical elements such as columns. It would have roots in Ancient Rome, where the Maison Carrée served as the model for government buildings, and although bank buildings are owned by private institutions, the architecture imbues the principles of solidity.”

“Banks tell the story of Queens as a rapidly growing borough in the mid-20^th century, and the architects of these branches who were among the most prominent designers of bank institutions in New York City at the time,” said Frampton Tolbert, an architectural historian who serves as executive director of Historic Districts Council and is the Queens Modern project founder. “Bank companies including Ridgewood Savings Bank, Queens County Savings Bank, and Long Island City Savings Bank were among the first companies opening in the neighborhood, looking to provide much-needed services to the influx of new residents.” Many were also situated along Queens Boulevard a short distance away from recently expanded subway lines. “These were especially an opportunity for a show-stopping design, such as Metropolitan Industrial Bank,” said Tolbert.

The Queens rendition of Independence Hall was placed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places in 2005. On October 18, 2006, an on-site ceremony was led by President Jeff Gottlieb of the Central Queens Historical Association in partnership with honoree Joseph R. Ficalora as President of New York Community Bancorp, host and Community Relations Director Georgiana Reese, and elected officials. The Boy Scouts of America Honor Guard led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The bank opened to a growing garden community in 1954, and in December of that year, it was the recipient of a first prize bronze plaque, an annual award for “excellence in design and construction” by the Queens Chamber of Commerce at the 42^nd annual dinner at Hotel Commodore. Astoria-based architect Raymond Irrera served as Chairman of the Building Awards Committee. Their publication, “Queensborough,” referenced a faithful reproduction of Independence Hall and stated, “Bank officials feel that Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are symbolic of the freedom and character of the American people.”

Queens County Savings Bank interior with patriotic murals, 1954, Courtesy of Queens Chamber of Commerce

Rising from its Georgian Colonial gabled wings is a 100-foot tower featuring clocks, a cupola, and a weathervane that continues to mark the community’s highest point. As a result of the bank’s elevated location, it would offer visibility for miles. The foyer includes the Liberty Bell replica, and the banking hall is graced with photo-murals of historical paintings, including the “Signers of the Declaration of Independence” and “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” The American strife for independence was a dominant theme.

The bank was an architecturally harmonious addition to Kew Gardens Hills. Over 1,200 homes, largely designed in the Colonial Revival style, were present at the time of the nearby 1939 World’s Fair.

Walking in the footsteps of our ancestors, on January 15, 1954, Queens Borough President James A. Lundy had the honor of cutting the tape across the (former) Georgian doors, which resulted in a round of applause from bank president Joseph Upton, bank officers, and hundreds of local residents in attendance. At the time, other Queens County Savings Bank branches operated in Flushing, Corona, and Little Neck. Opening day’s patriotic agenda spanned 9 AM to 9 PM.

A highly stylized invitation was published in The New York Times, complete with a regal rendering of the bank and depictions of generous complimentary gifts that placed attendees in a patriotic spirit. A quill pen, a replica of what was used by the signers of America’s Declaration of Independence, was distributed to everyone. Each adult guest received what was described as a gleaming golden-metal key holder with an engraved reproduction of Independence Hall on its circular face. An attendee also had an option of receiving an engraved Volupte compact, finished in golden metal with a loose powder compartment, or an Eversharp pen and pencil set upon opening a savings account with a deposit of at least $5 or rents a safe deposit box for $5 annually.

The invitation referenced the reproduction of “history’s noblest structure.” It stated, “Come and visit Queens County Savings Bank’s new office. Bring your family, bring the children, bring your friends. We’ll welcome your visit. We’ll take the greatest pleasure in showing you around. We’ll extend you the same fine service, the courtesy and friendliness that are Queens County traditions – now as always.” It then read, “You’ll enjoy the superb murals that picture the history of our country. You’ll be a little awed and deeply proud of your first sight of the beautiful Liberty Bell that was cast in France – an exact duplicate of the original bell. Whether you’re a customer or not, you’re a thousand times welcome to come in and see ‘Independence Hall’ on Long Island – the new Kew Gardens Hills office of Queens County Savings Bank.”

In its early days, the bank building also accommodated the Vleigh Branch of the Queensborough Public Library and Flushing Historical Society exhibition quarters of early Americana. An adjacent 0.327-acre park was part of the initial plan, and the park, which was designed in 1957, was followed by the bank allocating $25,000 for construction and maintenance in 1958. Freedom Square was named by City Council in March 1960. A sign reads, “The community of Kew Gardens Hills has a proud history of supporting patriotic and local causes. During WWII, neighborhood residents planted a Victory Garden on this site. By cultivating their own vegetables, they aided the war effort and supplemented their rations. Years later, protests by the Queens Valley Homeowners Civic Association and the Queens County Savings Bank halted plans to build a gas station here. The City of New York acquired the site by condemnation in 1954.” Also noted was the dedication of a flagpole commemorating the centennial of Theodor Herzl’s birth. He was modern Zionism’s founder and supported a Jewish national state’s establishment and the initial Zionist World Congress in 1897.

On ebay, this columnist recently acquired a 28-page illustrated booklet titled “Independence Hall… and its Counterpart in Queens,” where Independence Hall and especially the Liberty Bell comes alive. Distributed by the bank in July 1976 in honor of America’s Bicentennial, its salutation was signed by President Dennis J. Doulos.

Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, 1897 Patriographic, American Souvenir Card

An Astoria Tribune ad referenced a Bicentennial tour and a complimentary booklet. “As we salute America’s 200^th birthday, we’re also celebrating our own 117^th. We’ve grown right along with the country – building financial security for our depositors and providing financing that turns the American dream of a ‘home of our own’ into reality.” It also read, “For the schoolchildren in your family, we’re offering free book covers with a colorful Bicentennial design.” The bank certainly knew how to instill patriotism in our youth. An opening salutation

In 1752, the original Liberty Bell was cast by Lester & Chat in London at the White Chapel Bell Foundry. When the bell was tried for the first time in Philadelphia, it cracked, so in April 1753, Pass & Stow recast the bell. The tone did not meet their expectations, which led to recasting it. In May, it was raised into the State House steeple. The Liberty Bell delivered the news that the Declaration of Liberty was signed on July 4, 1776. The next year, marking the Declaration of Independence’s anniversary, it rang in unison with the city’s other bells. Another significant date was July 24, 1826, when the bell marked the passing of Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence author.

An excerpt read, “So high a place does this Hall hold in the heart of the people, that a replica constructed in Queens County as a branch office of the Queens County Savings Bank, has itself attracted thousands of visitors from the whole of the metropolitan area.”

It then explained, “Originally the State House of Pennsylvania, Independence Hall was designed and erected by Edmund Woolley, master carpenter, under the direction of Andrew Hamilton, the renowned lawyer, whose successful defense of John Peter Zenger here in New York against a charge of seditious libel, greatly strengthened the principle of the freedom of the press.”

Ground was broken in 1732, and the original was completed 15 years later. Experiencing construction, reconstruction, alteration and restoration, followed by improvements and enlargements through 1898, it would retain its appearance ever since.

Another replica was a prominent feature at the 1939 – 1940 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, but has been demolished. The Court of Peace at Constitution Mall consisted of the Federal, State, and foreign sections, where 60 nations were represented in the foreign section and 21 had pavilions, and each was represented in the Hall of Nations. Twenty-two states and one territory were represented in the Court of States. The greatest attraction was a replica of Independence Hall, which featured the Pennsylvania exhibit, and it was also the Fair’s largest State building at 22,000 square feet.

On March 7, 1939, The Philadelphia Inquirer referenced patriotic and civic societies, as well as architects being highly critical of the design. A caption read, “Reproduced – but not in spirit. This is Independence Hall, shrine of American liberty, which has been reproduced as Pennsylvania’s exhibit at the New York World’s Fair. The exterior is faithfully copied, but the interior will not be that of the original Independence Hall, but of a modernistic exhibition arena, with symbolism everywhere.”

The May 1, 1939 edition, however, which indicated that 600,000 attended the Fair’s opening, explained that the Pennsylvania Exhibit was most popular a day prior. It read, “They found the Hall of Tradition, the Hall of Democracy, and the Hall of Progress, which are joined by a 180-foot glass and steel suspension ‘bridge and unity.’ The Hall of Tradition contains enormous statues of 12 famous Pennsylvanians. The illuminated bridge through the Hall of Democracy is lined with Pennsylvania coal and silver. In a silver rotunda over the center entrance hangs a golden model of the Liberty Bell, twice the size of the original.” For the 1939 season, the replicated Independence Hall’s attendance was 7,563,000.