Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Historic District
historic place
The Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Historic District in Queens, New York, preserves a collection of early 20th-century summer homes. These bungalows were constructed around 1920, primarily between 1919 and 1921, by developer John J. Eagan and builder Isaac Zaret. They served as affordable vacation housing for Jewish immigrant and first-generation families from New York City. Architect Henry Hohauser, later known for his Art Deco designs in Miami Beach, created many of these smaller-than-average bungalows. They feature uniform facades, compact interiors, integrated porches, and exposed rafters. Some also display inset diamond-shaped terra cotta tiles. The district, located along Beach 24th, 25th, and 26th Streets, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 2013. This designation recognized its significance as a rare and intact enclave of seasonal beach bungalows. The Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association, formed in 1984, worked to achieve this recognition. Today, approximately 100 bungalows remain in the district, a small portion of the thousands that once lined the Rockaway Peninsula. This historic district offers a tangible link to Rockaway's past as a popular resort community.