Comments on: Our Project’s History

By: Bob Singleton

Bob Singleton — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:27:11 +0000

You forgot to mention Marjorie that the Presbyterian Church in Elmhurst (on Queens Blvd) is located at a former 18th century orchard where the apple trees almost certainly grew.

By: naturecalendar

naturecalendar — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:52:54 +0000

Hi! I told the Daily News reporter to include the church’s trees, and I’ve been to visit them. We’re also happy to donate a pollinator heirloom apple tree as two of the same kind won’t be fertile. Of course the creek, like the apple, was named for the town. The creek used to extend much further north and east, but has been truncated by landfill. Marshes extended even further. No one supposes the apple trees grew out of the muddy slopes of the creek banks themselves, but it certainly in the watershed and close to the creek proper. The Moore holdings were vast, so I haven’t pinpointed exactly where the orchard was. The NYC Parks playground property on Broadway was also part of the parcel. As for the tree, I read that but take comfort from the fact that it would be dead by now anyway! We owe the Virginians a debt for keeping our heritage alive, even if they did scrub the name from our apple! Thanks for writing and planting!

By: Marjorie Melikian

Marjorie Melikian — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:34:09 +0000

The 357 year old First Presbyterian Church of Newtown, in present day Elmhurst, planted two Newtown Pippins in 2002 on our 350th anniversary. This was mentioned in articles in the April 7, 2002 NY Daily News, April 10 Times Newsweekly, and May-June publication of the Newtown Civic Association. I am delighted the idea has caught on!
I am the historian of the church, and suggested bringing Newtown Pippins back to Newtown for the anniversary. In fact the original tree grew only a few blocks away, on the property of Gershom Moore, son or grandson of our first pastor Rev. John Moore. The original tree died about 1805 as a result of excessive cutting of saplings.
With the success of the Newtown Pippin other orchards sprang up. But sorry, the first tree wasn’t on the banks of Newtown Creek, nor was it named for the creek. It was named for Newtown village where it grew, one of the first 3 villages in Queens, originally consisting of all of NW Queens, with its town center until 1898 near present Broadway and Queens Blvd, Elmhurst. The Creek was named for the village, called (the) New Town after additional land was added when the English took over from the Dutch, who had called the area Middleburg .
See James Riker’s 1852 classic book
“Annals of Newtown” for more information on early Newtown’s fascinating history.
Good luck in your project!!