But a renewed sense of pride began to pervade the area and with it a determination to preserve its legacy. The corporation's president, Edward MacDougall, toured Europe before World War I and was so impressed by urban-planning concepts he saw in Germany, Austria, Holland, and Britain that he replicated them in Jackson Heights. The Jackson Heights apartments that MacDougall originally constructed were different from those rising elsewhere in the city. The structures are set back from the street and built around the perimeter of the block, so that there are gardens front and rear. Between 1917 and 1945 about two dozen such garden-apartment complexes were built.
T'he architecture is vernacular, inspired by English, French, Spanish, and Italian designs.
So-called English Garden Homes for one or two families were added between 1924 and 1928. Although the economics of the Depression era and the post-World War II building boom forever altered this planned community, the original apartments and homes remain, in surprisingly pristine condition. We invite residents of existing historic districts throughout the city to visit us and enjoy not just our architectural heritage but the diverse multicultural mix that Jackson Heights has become. Return to District List Go To Jackson Heights Beautification Group by David Goldfarb Rev.