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Illustraion of Doyle's Triangle
Hotel (Triangle Hofbrau)
Back to Top Illustraion of
Office & Residence of Dr. W. C. Fiske (Lefferts Farm Cottage)
from Long Island Railroad's Poster- "Points of Interest" in Richmond Hill circa 1890's
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On
September 29, 1868 Charles Paulson, a wealthy Englishman, purchased from
Eldert Bergen, a farmer, a triangular plot of land for $500. It was located
at the western end of Bergen's farm and was bounded on the west by lands
of John Leffert, on the north by the Myrtle Avenue Plank Road (Myrtle Ave.)
and on the south by the Brooklyn and Jamaica Turnpike. It came to an apex
where Jamaica and Myrtle Avenue met. It measured 162.5 feet on Jamaica
Avenue, 177.5 feet on Myrtle Avenue and 85 feet on the western boundary.
Take note of the electric trolley in lower left corner and the LIRR train
on Myrtle Ave.
Although
the original exterior has been modified over the years, this house was
the original "Lefferts Farm Cottage" which belonged to the Lefferts Family
who owned the Lefferts Farm which was part of the land that Albon Man would
purchase from to develop Richmond Hill. This was perhaps one of the rarest
structures to have been already built before Richmond Hill was developed.
Maybe due to sentimental or practical reasons, Albon Man rather than knocking
down the structure instead relocated the "cottage" from its original location
which was Plank Road and Oak Street (Jamaica Avenue and 115th Street) to
115th Street between Jamaica and 86th Avenues where it still exists today.
The original location on Plank Road would give way to a major thoroughfare
connecting Long Island and Manhattan now known as Jamaica Avenue. The large
barn was in the back on 114th Street but what was later removed to make
way for PS 56. In the illustration you'll notice a semi-circle arch of
bushes that leads to the entrance up to the stairs. This little unique
entrance is still there today.