The Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning in

Jamaica, Queens Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It has a popular large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis, St Albans, and Cambria Heights to the ea ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

is a performing and

visual The visual system is the physiological basis of visual perception (the ability to detect and process light). The system detects, transduces and interprets information concerning light within the visible range to construct an image and buil ...

arts center An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues fo ...

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 (; abbreviated sq ft, sf, or ft2; also denoted by '2 and ⏍) is an imperial unit and U.S. customary unit (non- SI, non-metric) of area, used mainly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pa ...

gallery, a 99-seat

proscenium A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...

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 The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and c ...

that is also listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. 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 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 in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

section of the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

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

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

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 Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

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
Arts organizations established in 1972 Performing arts centers in New York City Museums in Queens, New York Art museums and 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 Music venues in Queens, New York 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 {{QueensNY-stub