Salminen, Carl H. | Bronze Plaque for Commercial | Demolished | Queens Village | Commercial Building | 1951 | A large auto showroom and repair garage, Village Chevrolet has since been replaced by a contemporary school building. the original structure was a typical auto facility of steel and brick construction with large window expanses along the street and a circular showroom. While primarily horizontal, there was a vertical chimney with the Chevrolet name on it to attract passerby. The company’s name was also present in large neon lettering across the parapet. This facility seems to have been one of a number in the area, with a vintage Ford sign still visible across the street and a motorcycle repair shop immediately next door.
Carlson, Harold O. | Bronze Plaque for Banks | Extant | Little Neck | Bank | 1951 | This is another fairly traditional bank branches in the Georgian Revival style. The entrance portico is supported by columns and the symmetrical facade uses brick face, a wood cornice, a slate roof, and a cupola to illustrate historical design. The banking hall was originally double height with an arched ceiling. This branch predates Carlson’s masterpiece, the Kew Gardens Hills branch of the Queens County Savings Bank, also done in the Georgia style as a replica of Independence Hall. That commission could possibly be based on the success of the design of the Douglaston branch.
Queens Village | Religious Building | 1951 | This church is still in use and looks much the way it did upon construction, although a bulky addition has been added to its squat corner tower, ostensibly to hide cell phone equipment. The rest of the pale brick building is relatively plain except for some piercework on the tower. The church is now used by the New Covenant of Christ, which relocated to the site in 1973.
Rahman and Astor | Honorable Mention | Extant | Long Island City | Industrial Building | 1951 | The J. A. Brudermann and Sons building is most likely the smallest building to receive a Queens Chamber award. The size of a small garage, the masonry structure was built for a plumbing supply company. The structure still exists today but has most likely never been noted as an award-winning building by passersby.
