5. Lost Battalion Hall on Queens Blvd. houses artifacts from the World War II era
The Lost Battalion Hall on Queens Boulevard has been a community center in Rego Park for over 80 years, offering everything from culinary arts programs to community events. Located at 93-29 Queens Boulevard, the hall was built from 1938 to 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration. The building pays homage to the 77th Division of the U.S. Army, which fought in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I and lost over half of its 550 American soldiers. The building was constructed in the Art Moderne style and was placed under Parks Department jurisdiction in 1960.
According to Rego Forest Preservation, the façade contains two bronze tablets of the Statue of Liberty, while the gymnasium houses two WPA murals called “Sailor, Soldier, Marine” depicting the Lost Battalion. The hall featured a firing range for the Queens Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, as well as held welcome ceremonies for new enrollees to fight in World War II. Other events in the 1940s and 1950s included square dance festivals, boxing matches, presidential testimonials, and an appearance by professional basketball player Bobby McDermott. In 1996, a professional wrestling event called the Massacre on Queens Boulevard took place here, seeing faceoffs between Taz and Chris Jericho.