By Alexander Dworkowitz
Arbitration Rock, the solemn symbol of Ridgewood’s colonial history, was officially dedicated Sunday with a plaque in the backyard of the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House.
“We here, the residents of Queens and Brooklyn, will come here to see this important part of our history,” said Linda B. Monte, president of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society.
The boulder, extending about four feet above ground and six feet below, is said by many historians to have been an important marker in the boundary of what were the towns of Bushwick, now in Brooklyn, and Newtown, now in Queens.
During the 1600s, the towns had an ongoing border dispute. On Jan. 7, 1769, the two sides agreed on a boundary, using a boulder to designate a segment of the divide.
The dispute was not unusual for its day, said Stanley Cogan, Queens’ borough historian.
“Boundaries, usually fairly stable, can and do change for a variety of reasons,” said Cogan. “Communities can grow or shrink in size because of population changes. There are legal changes, or communities can appear or disappear through name changes, industrial growth or shrinkage.”
In 1925, the boundary was shifted, so that the rock no longer marked the border but instead lay strictly in Queens. However, in the 1930s, street repairs to Onderdonk Avenue caused the rock to sink below the surface.
In 1993, William Asadorian, a librarian from the New York Public Library, began researching the rock. His crusade led to the city Department of Environmental Protection’s digging up the present boulder a year and a half ago.
Some historians have questioned whether or not Asadorian’s find is in fact the same rock that divided Bushwick and Newton.
But in Sunday’s ceremony, the contingent of historians were certain in their conclusions.
Asadorian said markings on the rock matched markings shown in a photograph of the boulder taken in the early 20th century.
“The picture that was taken in 1910 is identical to what we know see here 92 years late,” Asadorian said.
George Miller, archivist for the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, agreed with Asadorian’s findings.
“We know that this was the rock,” he said.
State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood) stressed the importance of the rock to the neighborhood.
“It’s very hard to keep local history alive,” she said. “As new immigrants come to Ridgewood, they can learn about the history of Queens County and our sister borough Brooklyn.”
While Arbitration Rock has stirred somewhat of a controversy among historians, Veronique Le Melle, director of culture and tourism for Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, said she though the rock symbolized working together.
“Given that we are the most diverse county in the world, I think Arbitration Rock has a deeper meaning,” she said. “It’s the history of settling disputes cordially.”
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
