Summer Update

June 2026

It’s Summer in the Gardens…

New Season, New Updates

There’s nothing like summer in Forest Hills Gardens—and this year, the season feels especially meaningful as the nation prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. In that spirit, the Forest Hills Gardens Foundation has been reflecting on the many ways our neighborhood has marked important moments in our shared history.


In this summer issue, we’re highlighting a few of those stories, along with new articles, photos, and updates on the projects currently underway through the work of Foundation volunteers. We hope you enjoy it.

Theodore Roosevelt in the Gardens

July 4, 1917

You’ve probably seen the historic photo of Theodore Roosevelt addressing the crowd from the Station Square balcony in Forest Hills Gardens on July 4, 1917, the year America entered WWI. But do you know why he accepted this invitation out of the more than 500 he received that year? Or how a savvy local lobbying effort—not a simple invitation—brought him to the Gardens? Or which close friendships and community ties made Station Square the perfect venue for what became his famous “100% American” speech? Find the answers to these questions and more in a fascinating new article by FHG Foundation board member, Ann Chamberlain.

The Foundations’ Stained-Glass Window Project is nearing completion of its first phase. Since we started the project, we’ve collected photographs from over 50 Gardens homes. Check out the collection, and stay tuned for more details on our Stained Glass lecture coming in November to further showcase these beautiful works of art. And, please know there’s still time to contribute. If you are fortunate to own a home with leaded or stained-glass windows, please contact us and we’ll arrange a time to come to by and take photos.

Our preservation project, in partnership with the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation and highlighted in previous newsletters, is on track for end of the year completion. This painstaking labor of love by FHG Foundation board member, Annemarie von Roessel, will ensure that many of the original blueprints for Garden homes are logged and digitized to protect them for generations to come. 


Attention Tennis Lovers — The U.S. Open Raffle is Back! 

Tennis has always held a special place here in the Gardens. In fact, back in 1921 an annual 4th of July tennis competition was held between “The Inns and The Outs,” a lively competition between men living at the FHG Inn vs. others living in the Gardens.

So it’s only fitting that once again this year, the Foundation will be holding a raffle for U.S. Open tickets, with 100 percent of all proceeds going to our organization’s preservation work, thanks to the generous donation of FHG Foundation 1st Vice President, Mae Wu. Purchase Raffle Tickets