South Jamaica Queens

Etymology

The Lenape word Yameco, which means “beaver,” is the source of the name Jamaica. South Jamaica gets its name from its location south of the island. The moniker of Beaver Pond, which is located where South Jamaica and Jamaica meet, reflected this. The area was also known as Cedar Manor throughout the 20th century.

17th century to 1930s

Farmland dominated what is now South Jamaica throughout the 19th century. In 1668, the Prospect Cemetery was established in South Jamaica, and in 1857, the Prospect and St. Monica’s Churches were built. Local farmers created Baisley Pond from dammed streams, which the Williamsburg Water Works Company of the City of Brooklyn purchased in 1852 for use as a public water supply.

At the intersection of Baisley Boulevard and New York Avenue (now Guy R. Brewer Boulevard), the Jamaica Race Course first opened its doors in 1894. It later expanded in the early 1900s. According to some reports, 1903 was the official year of opening. At the turn of the century, transportation was introduced into the area. On September 1, 1896, the Far Rockaway Line streetcar began service along New York Avenue between downtown Jamaica and the Jamaica Racetrack. By the summer of 1897, the line had been extended to the Rockaways. On the LIRR Atlantic Branch, the Cedar Manor station opened at Linden Boulevard in 1906. In April 1916, the Queens Boulevard Line streetcar to Midtown Manhattan was extended to 109th Avenue in South Jamaica by way of Sutphin Boulevard. The city established Baisley Pond Park in 1919.