Mark W. Allen House | A Staten Island Historical Home

This craftsmen style bungalow home was constructed in West Brighton around 1920. The house received its name as the Mark W. Allen house after Mark Allen, who came to Staten Island as a carpenter and became an owner of a large building supply and construction company. He also served in the New York State senate in 1923-24 and was part of the Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing's development. He continued to be an active part of his community organizations, and lived in this house until his death in 1958.

This home is one and a half stories on the corner of Clove Road and West Raleigh. Although many craftsmen style bungalows emerged throughout the United States during the time the Mark Allen house was built, not many were constructed on Staten…

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Seaview Hospital | Historic Landmarks

Seaview Hospital was opened on November 12th,1913.  Located at 460 Brielle Avenue, this hospital was built to care for patients with Tuberculosis, which at the time had been a huge epidemic. Tuberculosis was known as the “white plague”. The architect Raymond F. Almirall built this hospital Colonial Revival style. This was considered to be the largest and finest hospital in the state, the total cost of it was about 4 million dollars! 

This hospital was built on a 94-acre property and had several buildings built, a nearby farm colony soon became a part of Seaview hospital.The finished construction included a staff house, surgical pavilion, nurses’ residence, kitchen and dining hall, power and laundry complex, and a garage and morgue building. Underground…

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Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House | A Staten Island Historical Home

This house is located at 1476 Richmond Road in Dongan Hills. It was built around the 1660's, it consists of one and a half stories,7 rooms on the ground floor, and 9 rooms on the second.  This is a Dutch style home but was later rebuilt with more English features. Billiou lived in this house until the year 1702, his daughter Martha Stillwell's husband served as a sheriff, magistrate, and military captain in Staten Island. The Stillwells owned the property from 1677 to 1704. Stillwells son-in-law, Colonel Nicolas Britton, resided in the house from 1704-1748 and became the owner in the year 1709. After Britton died the house was sold to Dongan, in 1749 Joseph Holmes bought the property and the house was used as a pub as well as the residential living…

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Basket Maker's House | A Staten Island Historical Home

This simple one and a half story home was built in 1810, and was originally located on Richmond Avenue in New Springville. Its earliest known owner was James S. Decker, followed by John DuPuy  and his wife Susan Ann, who lived there with their three children and nephew. In the early 1950s the City of New York took possession of the property, and after the last resident it was boarded up until being brought to Historic Richmond Town in 1965.

How this house received its name

This house reflects many of the residents who lived in New Springville at the time. They partook in not only water relative activities such as oystering, but also part- time farming and basket making. Basket making was one of the many traditional crafts practiced by rural Staten…

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Dorothy Valentine Smith House| A Staten Island Historical Home

Dorothy Valentine Smith was a historian that resided in Staten Island, New York. Smith was a published author as well as a founding member of Richmond Town Restoration, Board of the Staten Island Historical Society, Richmond County Chapter, and Daughter of the American Revolution. Ms.Smith was also the president of the Visiting Nurses Association. She was very passionate about preserving the history of our one and only Staten Island. 

The Dorothy Valentine Smith House is located on the North Shore of the island at 1213 Clove Road. It was built in between the years of 1893 and 1895 by Dorothys father, John Frederick Smith. When John passed, Dorothy resided in the house and like her father was interested in cultural life, Staten Island civic groups,…

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Bennett House| A Staten Island Historical Home

The Bennett house is located on Court Place at the corner of Richmond Road, Staten Island, New York. This historical house was built in 1839 and in addition, the rear of the house was added in 1854. The house has a beautiful four columned porch as well as an above ground basement. The first owner was a man named Austin Burke. Burke purchased the lot in the 1830's, and according to the commercial sized oven in the basement, we assumed he was a baker. Though Burke only occupied the property for a few years.  In 1894 John Bennett, a shipping merchant, and his family purchased the property.  The Bennett family consisted of him, his wife, and their three children. The Bennetts son, Billop S. Bennett, a retired clerk, owned the property from 1895-1917. The…

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Edgewater Village Hall|Historic Site|

Edgewater Village Hall was built in 1889, designed by local architect Paul Kuhne. Edgewater Village Hall is located at 111 Canal Street, in Tappen Park, Stapleton.  This hall is occupied by offices such as District Attorney, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. When it was first built it was considered one of Staten Islands finest buildings! This hall is all red brick with stone trimmings and was built Romanesque Revival Style. There is a square tower at the main entrance and the building itself is T-shaped with beautiful arched windows. Edgewater Village Hall became an official landmark in New York City in the year 1968! Feel free to take a relaxing stroll in Tappen Park for a closer look! 

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The Elsworth House | A Staten Island Historic Home

The Elsworth House, located in the South Shore of Staten Island, at 90 Bayview Ave in Prince's Bay, received its name from the original owners,  John and Elizabeth Elsworth. The house was built around 1880, during which Prince's Bay became a major focal point of the oyster industry. John Elsworth was an oyster planter, and his home demonstrates the prosperity of the industry at the time.

History Behind The Elsworth House

As aforementioned, John Elsworth was an oyster planter. From early in his life he became involved in the oyster planting business alongside his uncles. He moved to Staten Island in 1977, after marrying to his wife, Elizabeth Waters Jones. Together, they bought what is now the historic Elsworth House on April 7, 1879, and resided…

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Schoverling House | Staten Island | Historic Homes

This house was built in between the years of 1880 and 1882 in Second Empire style for August and Augusta Schoverling. This house is located in St George, Staten Island. House owner August Schoverling had immigrated from Germany to New York in the year 1859. Schoverling was an importer and distributor of firearms. The August and Agusta Schoverling house is located at Westervelt Avenue and Benzinger Avenue. After August and Augusta passed away the second owner of the house was Judge Morgan L. Ryan. Ryan was born Upstate New York in the year 1867.In 1907, he was appointed a judge of the Court of Special Sessions of the City of New York. Judge Ryan retired in January 1924. Judge Ryan became President of Richmond County Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to…

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Stephen D. Barnes Mansion | A Staten Island Historical Home

This mansion was built in 1850s for Stephen D. Barnes, a prominent oysterman, his wife, Judith Van Pelt, as well as their children. During this time, it was typical of people to have homes built in the Greek Revival style, however, the Barnes' home broke standards, reminiscing the style of the Italian Renaissance. The home, which is located at 2876 Richmond Terrace, architecturally includes a dramatic rooftop cupola, wide eaves, small iron balconies, brownstone rope moldings, and Gothic finials. There was said to be an old well in the backyard, that contained many relics such as an old moonshine jug, a statue of an unpleasant looking woman, pieces of a china doll, a broken hearth tile, dish sets, and more.

In 1889, Stephen D. Barnes died in the house…

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