Konig Mansion

In 1852, Conrad Poppenhusen (1813-1883) - whose main legacy is the Poppenhusen Institute - obtained a license from Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) to produce vulcanized rubber, establishing a factory for that purpose at College Point. That year, Konig and Poppenhusen went into partnership together and to be close to his business interest Konig built a home for his family there: a large, two-and-a-half story, white timber-framed mansion, marked by a spacious gallery wrapped about the ground floor.

By 1898, the firm of Poppenhusen & Konig was known as the American Hard Rubber Company of New York, the reins of which had been taken up by Konig's son-in-law, Fritz Achelis (1843-1924), of Riverfields, New Jersey. Having by then succeeded in making his fortune, Konig left New York and retired with his wife to Dresden, Germany.

The Konig Brothers of London

The Konigs eldest son, Frederick Adolphus Konig (1867-1940), remained in New York for several more years until he and his brother, Hans Henry Konig (1870-1949), re-established themselves in England, creating the banking firm known as Konig Brothers of London. F.A. Konig's home from 1907 until his death - Tyringham Hall in England - was recently described by Country Life as "the ultimate country house" and his grandson, Andrew Konig, married Nina Campbell, the celebrated interior designer. Frederick's brother, Hans, built Ardenrun Place which is noted for its later connection with "the Bentley Boys".

Keeping it in the Family - the Bokers and Hammachers

Back to New York, in about 1900, Konig sold his mansion in College Point to one of his wife's relations, Frank Boker, another German who likely took over the management of the rubber factory. It was for Boker that the short driveway off 120th Street (today a cul-de-sac) that had originally led to the house was later renamed "Boker Court". After his death, the mansion again remained within their extended family when it passed to the Hammachers - the last private owners to make it their home.

Steady Decline to Demolition

The Hammacher family did not live there for long and afterwards the mansion successively became an hotel operated by John Jocker; Gerlach's Academy for Boys; the College Point Club; and, a boarding house favored by actors connected to a nearby studio in Flushing during the 1920s. Over time, the old house was subdivided into apartments and gradually fell into disrepair. It was purchased in 1992 by Charlie Free and his partner Thomas Cooney who never lived there but rented out the apartments - their intention being to pull it down once land prices increased. Both the owners and the Queens Historical Society stated that they could not afford to restore it and in 2004 it was finally demolished to make way for modern, multi-family apartments.