Rosedale Queens

Rosedale, initially part of what is now Springfield Gardens, Queens, emerged during the consolidation of the borough of Queens. The Laurelton Land Company oversaw development in the new borough, which consisted mainly of isolated farmland. To facilitate transportation, the Southern Railroad of Long Island (now Long Island Rail Road) was constructed, with the Laurelton station serving the entire area, including what is now Rosedale. Additionally, the area was linked to the Brooklyn waterworks, although its significance declined over time, leaving behind remnants of the aqueduct system visible today. Until the mid-1930s, Rosedale remained predominantly farmland.

In the mid-20th century, spurred by the construction of the Long Island Rail Road and new roads like Francis Lewis and Sunrise Boulevard (now Sunrise Highway), Rosedale experienced rapid suburban development. Originally known as Foster’s Meadow, it transformed into a suburban community.

However, in the mid-1970s, a demographic shift occurred as African American and Caribbean families began relocating to Rosedale, which had previously been predominantly Irish, Italian, and Jewish. This transition was marked by racial tensions, with instances of firebombing targeting black families in an attempt to coerce them to leave. The U.S. government filed a civil-rights lawsuit in 1975 against a group called Return Our American Rights (ROAR), accusing them of harassing white homeowners who attempted to sell to black buyers and implicating them in some of the firebombings. Bill Moyers produced a documentary in 1976 titled “Rosedale: The Way It Is,” which addressed the racial strife in the community. Although racial tensions diminished over time, sporadic incidents of conflict persisted, such as an altercation during the July 4 weekend in 1989 when white youths pursued black youths through Rosedale following a dispute over firecrackers.