Maspeth sure knows how to celebrate.
The little neighborhood in northwest Queens is celebrating its 375th anniversary this year, and a mainstay of the community for 70 of those years, Maspeth Federal Savings Bank, threw a birthday party for Maspeth on Tuesday, March 28, at their main branch on the corner of 69th Street and Grand Avenue.
Community members, civic and organization leaders, Maspeth Federal Savings brass, officers from the 104th Precinct, and local elected officials all showed up to celebrate their home’s historic birthday with music by Joe Fuoco and, of course, a big cake.
Kenneth Rudzewick, former president of Maspeth Federal Savings, gave a brief history of Maspeth, from the Native Americans who first settled the land centuries before the Dutch purchased the land in 1635; to 1642, when Governor William Kieft handed Reverend Francis Doughty the patent to the land and Maspeth became the first English settlement in Queens.
“Like most Americans, we in Maspeth are resilient and proud of our heritage,” Rudzewick said. “Because here in Maspeth, we survive. We survived the Indian Wars, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, both World Wars, and the division of our own town with the Long Island Expressway.”
Before the cutting of the cake, Rudzewick led everyone in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for Maspeth.
“This is an amazing event and I’m a resident of Maspeth for most of my life, and to help bring this community to another milestone like this is a great honor and we’re happy to be a part of it here at Maspeth Federal,” said Tom Rudzewick, current president of Maspeth Federal Savings.
The celebration of Maspeth’s milestone will continue on June 9, when Maspeth Federal will host a concert in the parking lot of the main branch located at 56-18 69th St. The Queens Symphonic Orchestra will be playing at the concert to celebrate the neighborhood.
