Staten Island’s Historic Places, Museums & Homes

Discover centuries old histories and mysteries in our very own island !

Staten Island is a home to many more historically significant places than you can imagine. To name just a few,  Staten Island has the oldest known surviving schoolhouse in America,  the first model of Himalayan architecture in the United States, and it is the home of the first American female photographer, New York City’s only private Country Club, the founder of American landscape architect, Fredrick Olmsted responsible for designing Central Park and Niagara Falls, among others. So go beyond the well known tourist attractions and explore the tales of New York’s past through the history of one of the oldest cities in America.

We are devoted to constantly learning and sharing the history of Staten Island and its communities from the colonial period to the present day providing a glimpse into NYC’s past.

 

1. Historic Richmond Town: Staten Island’s largest and oldest cultural institutions with more than 130,000 artifacts dating back to the 17th century. It is also known as the largest and most comprehensive historic village in the New York City. On the site of the Historic Richmond Town you can also find the oldest known surviving schoolhouse in America; owned by the Staten Island historical society, known as The Voorlezer’s House. “Voorlezer” is a Dutch word that can be translated as “fore-reader” or as “one who reads (to others)”.

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2. Conference House: A museum originally build around 1680 as a wheat farm belonging to Christopher Billop. In 1776, it was the site of the peace conference that was an unsuccessful attempt to end the Revolutionary War. The Conference house is located at the Conference House Park. Only surviving pre-Revolutionary War manor house in New York City.

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3. Alice Austen House: Former home of the first American female photographer Alice Austen, the Alice Austen House is now a museum featuring her inspiring work.

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4. National Lighthouse Museum: Located on the site of the United States Lighthouse Service General Depot, the National Lighthouse Museum is devoted to educating about lighthouses and maritime history. The museum hosts many fun special events such as festivals, boat tours, and more, all year long.

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5. The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art: A museum established in 1945 featuring collector Jacques Marchais vast collection of Tibetan art. The museum’s building is the first example of Himalayan architecture in the United States and even includes its own meditation gardens.

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6. Casa Belvedere: An Italian cultural center hosting many events such as language classes, car shows, cooking classes, art exhibits, and more! Casa Belvedere was originally built in 1908 as the country home of Louis A. and Laura Stirn and was known as the “Stirn Mansion”. In 2001, it became a New York City landmark.

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7. Staten Island Children’s Museum: Focused on STEAM learning, the Staten Island Children’s Museum is full of fun interactive exhibits that allow visitors to build, examine, and explore in order to learn a variety of new and exciting things. In addition, the museum also hosts a variety of fun programs throughout the year. It’s an exciting and engaging place to visit with your family.

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8. Fort Wadsworth: Fort Wadsworth was once the longest active military site in the United States, playing important roles during many wars in American history by guarding the Narrows. Now, Fort Wadsworth is a Gateway National Recreation Area, located near the Gateway National Recreation Area Headquarters, open for visitors to explore. It is also the perfect picture taking location with its beautiful views of the Verrazano Bridge and Brooklyn.

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9. Richmond County Country Club: A country club with many amenities including a golf course, tennis courses, and a swimming pool. It was officially incorporated in 1891 and originally included fox hunting grounds. It has maintained a status of being New York City’s only private Country Club for over a century.

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10. The Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House: One of Staten Island’s oldest buildings in Historic Richmond Town. This Dutch Colonial is more than 350 years old dated to as far back as 1663. Located at its original site at 1476 Richmond Road in Dogan Hills, this home was constructed by PierreBilliou, a native of French Flanders.

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11. The Cubberly-Britton Cottage: Dating back to 1671, this cottage is an example of civil and domestic architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally located at the intersection of New Dorp Lane and Cedar Grove Avenue in the New Dorp area of Staten Island, in 1967 it moved to its current location in Richmond Town.

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12. Manee-Seguine Homestead: This Dutch Colonial located on the south shore of Staten Island in Prince’s Bay was built in 1670. Named for its early 18th century owner, Abraham Manee, and the Seguine Family that bought the property in the 1780s, was designated a New York City landmark in 1984.

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13. The Treasure House: Standing on its original site on Arthur Kill Road, this home is an example of early American architecture that arose from European traditions. Built roughly around 1700, the two story structure features a first story built of stone and a second story built of wood.

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14. Olmsted-Beil House: The ancient farmhouse with a victorian porch was built in 1680. Located in Eltingville, Staten Island, the home was owned by many individuals, but most famously by the founder of American landscape architect, Fredrick Olmsted. Olmsted designed Manhattan’s Central Park, Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the park system in Buffalo, New York, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and Niagra Falls.

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15. Kreuzer-Pelton House: The dutch influenced fieldstone house built in 1722 by Joseph Ralph was formerly a one bed room home. Now the home includes a kitchen, dining room, living room, parlor, den, office, three bathrooms, five bedrooms and six original fireplaces.

 

16. The Scott-Edwards House: Originally a Dutch Colonial built in the 1730s, this West Brighton home was remodeled in the 1840s as a Greek Revival. It was previously the home to Judge Ogden Edwards, who was a cousin of Aaron Burr. Edwards later served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court, the first Staten Islander to hold the position.

 

17. The Peter Houseman House: Built in 1730, this home was originally owned by Thomas Dongan, but was then bought by Peter Houseman, a millwright. Located at 308 Saint John Ave, in the Westerleigh area of Staten Island, the home consists of two sections the first built in 1730 and the second in the 1760s.

 

18. Lake-Tysen House: This spacious farm house located in Oakwood, on Tysen’s Lane between Mill Road and Hylan Boulevard, features Dutch and Flemish architectural details. Built by Joseph Guyon, most of the homes original interior woodwork, including both Georgian and Federal styles of paneling remains intact.

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19. Sailor’s Snug Harbor. First and only home for retired merchant seamen in U.S.

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