At 108-01 Queens Boulevard stands Sterling National Bank, formerly Boulevard Bank, and originally a Masonic Temple. The metamorphosis of this corner lot is a telling example of the Forest Hills narrative, as the connotations of both institutions reflect the changing face of the neighborhood. The Masonic Temple was established on October 9, 1920, hosted a concert in 1922 to raise funds to construct St.Luke’s church, and was home to political meetings (for example, the City Fusion Party) starting in 1933. The Georgian Colonial style temple represented the homogenous face of the neighborhood, as well as the wiping away of the area’s Whitepot (the former title of Forest Hills) roots, in an era of increasing landmark erection. Freemasonry has strong associations with white, Christian men (however the organization only requires that members worship one supreme being) and has a notoriously exclusive, secretive reputation– qualities that often lend themselves to so-called WASPs. As a neighborhoods institutions change in accordance with the identity of its residents, the transformation of the Queens Boulevard building from a Masonic temple into Boulevard Bank & Trust Co. in 1929 and finally Sterling National Bank & Trust Co. in 1948, reflects an accommodation for a growing neighborhood, as well as a shift from an arguably Eurocentric, exclusive model, to one that is more diverse and accessible (take, for example, the association between Jewish-Americans and the financial sector).
Sources:
Perlman, Michael. “Sterling National Bank, Formerly Boulevard Bank & Masonic Temple of Forest Hills, 108-01 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY.” Flickr. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
Hirshon, Nicholas. Forest Hills. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2013. Print.
“Statement on Freemasonry and Religion.” Freemasonry and Religion. Masonic Information Center, Sept. 1998. Web. 14 May 2014.
HAIL THE LIGHT
On this conquest of developing a think tank of ideas, concepts and ideologies on the symbology of building a pyramid top to bottom in conquest of national and world peace international movement. Moving the world out of darkness into recognizing they(individuals) was born with a light of various magnitude in perspective – length, height and width and most important angle.
Furthermore; creativity, using the blueprint of the architect of the universe. Starting from the focal point of spectrum of light with a past of wisdom.
I illuminate on a red spectrum of cooperation for in totality good & bad. It’s in a age of darkness that I decree that angle should be put in the morning light at the peak of dawn.
Masonic brothers will you join me on the conquest of this complex system? Please email me for further building and construction of RED DAWN!!!