Photo:Courtesy Vincent P. Seyfried

1855: Union Course Tavern,
Oldest Bar in Queens, Opens

In 1855, the Blue Pump Room opened at 87-48 78th Street in Woodhaven, Queens. In 1891, it became Niers Social Hall. Shortly before Prohibition, a new owner changed the name to the Union Course Tavern after the nearby Union Course racetrack. The establishment still has the same name and remains the oldest bar in Queens. According to the Woodhaven Cultural & Historical Society’s president, Leonora Lavan, the tavern originally offered beer, rather than a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. It once included a banquet hall, which became a film processing business. A bowling alley located behind the bar closed in 1982. However, director Martin Scorsese used it in his 1990 film "Goodfellas," converting it into a replica of the bar. There is a painting of Mae West, who lived in Woodhaven and performed at the tavern, on the door. The tavern is shown here in an undated photo.

–Cynthia Blair