History

Hillcrest was developed on two hundred acres of farmland in 1909 by William F. Wyckoff of the Hillcrest of Jamaica Company. Prior to development, the area was referred to as “The Hills,” a name deriving from its location on the hills between Jamaica and Flushing. Situated in central Queens, Hillcrest lies primarily in Jamaica and partly in Flushing. This small residential area of mainly one-family houses and some 2-family and multi-family dwellings is roughly defined by Union Turnpike to the north, Jamaica Estates to the east, Hillside Avenue to the south, and 164th street to the west. The population of Hillcrest had became more ethnically diverse in the 1980’s when immigrants from Guyana, Haiti, China, India and Colombia began settling into the area.

The 7,500 sq. ft library building situated in the commercial strip of Union Turnpike was completed in 1974, but its opening was delayed because of a fiscal crisis. During this interim, the building was rented out to several community groups. When it opened on April 28, 1980, it became the 54th branch of the Queens Borough Public Library system.