QUEENS — A group is raising money for a new large-scale mural that they said would pay tribute to the rich history of the Forest Hills, which celebrates its 110th birthday this year.
The group did not want to reveal where the mural, depicting important figures and historic scenes from the neighborhood, would be painted because they want “the public to be surprised,” said Michael Perlman, a local historian and author of "Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park.”
“The mural will be dedicated to the founding of Forest Hills in 1906,” Perlman said. “It will also commemorate our neighborhood from its "Whitepot" days."
Whitepot was a section of Newtown, a town established in 1652. At the time, it was mostly farmland.
In 1906, Cord Meyer Development Company purchased 600 acres in the area and renamed it Forest Hills.
Although not revealing the location of the mural that is currently being designed, Perlman said it "will rise in the heart of Forest Hills.”
The group, which is holding a fundraising event this Sunday, is hoping to collect $4,000 that they said will cover costs of durable primer and paint, among other supplies.
The new mural would join several other such paintings that have recently been created in the neighborhood, including two dedicated to The Ramones and one depicting tennis legends who once played at the Forest Hills Stadium.
The group will hold a fundraiser this Sunday at Knish Nosh at 98-104 Queens Blvd. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Suggested donation is $50 per person ($500 per organization). Participants will in turn receive a Century 21 gift card and a holiday wreath.
