Forest Hills' Rowhouses need an angel
From the Daily News
Forest Hills’ oldest homes need a savior
BY NICHOLAS HIRSHON
Tuesday, July 31st 2007, 4:00 AM
Rejected in its bid to landmark the oldest houses in Forest Hills, a group of Queens preservationists has offered to find a buyer who will save the for-sale structures from demolition.
The Rego-Forest Preservation Council is searching for developers to purchase and protect the century-old rowhouses lining 72nd Ave. between Austin St. and Queens Blvd. Two of the five addresses are up for sale.
“We’re looking for investors who respect the site’s historical integrity,” said council founder Michael Perlman, 24, who noted he’d pay the $4 million price tag if he could afford it. “We would even help them restore the two properties up for sale.”
Forest Hills was just farmland in 1906 when the houses were erected on Roman Ave. – now known as 72nd – for the area’s first carpenter, electrician and plumber. They feature gargoyles, low-rise stoops and stained-glass windows.