The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning in Jamaica, Queens, New York is a performing and

visual The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (th ...

arts center that was founded in 1972 in an effort to revitalize the surrounding business district. As of 2012, it serves more than 28,000 people annually via a 1,650

square foot The square foot (plural square feet; abbreviated sq. ft, sf, or ft2; also denoted by '2) is an imperial unit and U.S. customary unit (non- SI, non-metric) of area, used mainly in the United States and partially in Canada, the United Kingdom, Bang ...

gallery Gallery or The Gallery may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Art gallery ** Contemporary art gallery Music * Gallery (band), an American soft rock band of the 1970s Albums * ''Gallery'' (Elaiza album), 2014 album * ''Gallery'' (Gr ...

, a 99-seat proscenium theater, and art & music studios. The building that houses the center is the former Queens Register of Titles and Deeds Building, a New York City landmark that is also listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Outside the building is one of only two remaining cast-iron sidewalk clocks in New York City, as well as a late-Victorian era headquarters of the

Jamaica Savings Bank The Jamaica Savings Bank was a bank incorporated in 1866 in the Jamaica section of the borough of Queens in New York City. It had four branches across Queens before it was acquired by North Fork Bank in 1999, which itself was acquired by Capit ...

next door.

Queens Register of Titles and Deeds Building

Office of the Register, also known as Queens Register of Titles and Deeds Building, is a historic government building located in the

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

section of the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. It was built between 1895 and 1913 and is an imposing, three story building with a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

facade in the Neo-Italian Renaissance style. A rear five story addition was built in 1938. The facade features deep rustication on the first floor and a smooth ashlar surface above. The building housed the Office of the Register until 1974, after which it became the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL). ''See also:'' It was listed on the

in 1980.

References

External links

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) websiteJamaica Performing Arts (JPAC) website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Arts organizations established in 1972 Performing arts centers in New York City Museums in Queens, New York Art galleries established in 1972 Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City Jamaica, Queens New York City Designated Landmarks in Queens, New York Government buildings completed in 1913 Entertainment venues in Queens, New York Cast-iron architecture in New York City 1972 establishments in New York City National Register of Historic Places in Queens, New York