| Quick Facts for Richmond Hill The formation of Richmond Hill came about as a result of the 1869 purchase of the Lefferts and Welling farms by one Albon Platt Man, a prominent New York attorney. The town name 'Richmond Hill' is either from the town in England or it might be inspired by an architect of the time named Edward Richmond. (Incidentally, Richomond Hill was the name given to the 138 foot hill which stands north of Metropolitan Avenue on 116th Street where a water tank now stands. It was part of the terminal morain, a huge mass of dirt and boulders pushed up by the last glacier, which covered four million square miles of North America and finally terminated on the middle of Long Island about 10,000 years ago). The town's first dwelling, said to have been the Kessler house erected in 1869, was quickly joined by homes on Myrtle Avenue and Central Avenue (now 85th Avenue), Elm Street (now 114th Street) and Oak Street (now 115th Street). A few of these houses can still be seen today; most have been remodeled, but they retain several distinguishing characteristics such as mansard roofs and wraparound porches belonging in that style known as Queen Anne Victorian. |
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| 1872- Richmond Hill's first Post Office 1872- Public School #8 opened until 1888 1873- Church of the Resurrection was built 1875- Richmond Hill Cemetary was built 1887- Richmond Hill's first electric trolley 1894- Forst Park was created 1895- Police force started 1897- Richmond Hill becomes greater New York 1899- Richmond Hill's first free library 1900- R.H.H.S. was built 1900- Population- 4,000 1906- Sewer system started 1907- Richmond Hill's first paid fire department 1910- Richmond Hill's first Nickelodeon 1917- Elevated train line on Jamaica Avenue 1921- Richmond Hill Savings Bank opened 1923- Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor opened 1950- Richmond Hill becomes municipality 1972- Richmond Hill's Centennial celebration 1997- Greater New York Centennial Thanks to The Richmond Hill Historical Society for these great facts. |
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