Poppenhusen Institute
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Poppenhusen Institute
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| Location | 114--04 14th Rd., College Point, Queens, New York |
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| Coordinates | 40°47′4″N 73°51′12″W / 40.78444°N 73.85333°WCoordinates: 40°47′4″N 73°51′12″W / 40.78444°N 73.85333°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1868 |
| Architect | Mundell & Teckritz |
| Architectural style |
Who lived in Poppenhusen?: From 1968 to 1985: The Ponce Family lived within Poppenhusen Institute from January 1968 to December 1985. Mr. Dominick Ponce updated the electrical wiring, and plumbing in the building plus was entrusted provide care for the property and over-sea the function there of. Dominick Ponce passed away February 14th 2011. His family who also lived in Poppenhusen Institute includes his wife Olga Ponce, and his three children. His son Peter Ponce and daughters Denise Ponce, and Sheila Moriarty currently reside in Long Island. |
| NRHP Reference # | 77000973 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 18, 1977 |
| Designated NYCL | 1970 |
Who lived in Poppenhusen?:
Poppenhusen Institute is a historic building at 114—04 14th Road in College Point, Queens that housed the first free kindergarten in America. In addition, this institute provided the first free evening classes for adults (in America). Currently, the Institute operates as a community cultural center. The institute stands at five-stories and was constructed in a stern Victorian style.
The Poppenhusen Institute is similar to the Cooper Union Institute in Manhattan: the reason for this is because the so-called "home arts" and the study of machinery were principally taught free to ambitious residents of the North Shore.
It was constructed in 1868 with private funds donated by Conrad Poppenhusen, the benefactor of College Point, New York. He began work on the institute on his 50th birthday in 1868, when he provided $100,000 to set up this project as a private educational venture: this venture remains one of the principal features of College Point. Conrad Poppenhusen's zeal, ability, and civic pride brought unprecedented prosperity to College Point.
The original charter specified that it be open to all, irrespective of race, creed or religion, giving people the opportunity to improve their lives either by preparing them for better jobs or improving their leisure time. The institute was established for vocational training and is also served in the interests of Poppenhusen to provide educational opportunities for industrial workers. This institute was also built with the purpose of teaching English and factory crafts: even though it was still teaching these classes, the English courses have been supplemented or replaced by those in French and Spanish. The reason for this was because certain individuals felt their English was good enough. In addition, there were more sophisticated classes which taught draftsmanship and machine shop techniques for local workers in electronic plants. Along with these classes, the Poppenhusen Institute contained and provided scientific and historical collections, chemical and philosophical apparatus, books, drawings, pictures, statues, and other such means of education and instruction.
The institute housed the Justice of the Peace, the first home of the College Point Savings Bank, German Singing Societies, the first library in the area, a court room, the Sheriff's Office (2 jail cells remain today), as well as the first free kindergarten in the United States which began here on July 1, 1870."
Furthermore, this institute was also established for the protection, care, and custody of infants under the age of five years. The institute, to this day, has survived and is well known as a recognized trade school, enrolling about 400 men and women a year for evening classes.
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Wikipedia