Historic Richmond Town

Historic Richmond Town is a special place in the neighborhood of Richmondtown on Staten Island, which is part of New York City. It is managed by the Staten Island Historical Society and has more than 30 old buildings and sites from the late 1600s to the early 1900s. Visitors can explore farms, homes, and old shops that show what life was like a long time ago.

One part of the town is called Decker Farm, where families can enjoy activities like picking pumpkins during the fall. The main area of Historic Richmond Town includes many important buildings, some of which were moved from other places on Staten Island.

Long ago, in the early 1700s, this place was called Richmond Town because it was an important center for the area. Many of the people living there had Dutch, English, or French backgrounds, and they worked as craftsmen like blacksmiths and shoemakers. During the American Revolution, British soldiers stayed in Richmond Town, and many people there supported the British king, known as being Loyalist.

History

The museum at Historic Richmond Town was created thanks to the hard work of many people from Staten Island, including local historians and a banker named David L. Decker. They wanted to save pieces of Staten Island's history during a time of big changes and growth, just like how other places such as Colonial Williamsburg were preserved.

Historic Richmond Town started in 1958. It is a project supported by the Staten Island Historical Society and the City of New York, which helps take care of the buildings and provides some money to keep the museum running.

Current setting

The main campus of Historic Richmond Town covers 25 acres and has 15 restored buildings. Visitors can see what life was like in a community that is over 300 years old. There are two churches nearby: St. Andrew's Episcopal and St. Patrick's Church. Another church, the Reformed Dutch Church of Richmond, was torn down. Next to the site is Mount Richmond Cemetery, run by the Hebrew Free Burial Association.

Exhibits

Visitors to Historic Richmond Town can experience what life was like in the 19th century. They can take guided tours of homes and shops that are filled with furniture and items from specific times in history. Some buildings are still being restored and are not yet open to the public.

The museum offers special events throughout the year, such as Old Home Day, the Richmond County Fair, Oktoberfest, and festivals with music and dancing. School groups can also join special programs to learn old trades like tinsmithing and blacksmithing. Notable buildings include the Voorlezer's House, the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House, and The Christopher House, which has a special old-style fireplace.

In popular culture

Historic Richmond Town appeared in a documentary called A Walk Around Staten Island with David Hartman and Barry Lewis. The documentary showed the history and culture of Staten Island and first aired on December 3, 2007, on PBS at WNET.

The town was also part of the third season of the TV series Boardwalk Empire. For this show, a 1920s-style diner and gas station were built and used as a filming location. This season aired in the fall of 2012 on HBO.

Historic Richmond Town was shown in an episode of the PBS series History Detectives. The episode looked into a special flag in the museum that might have been from the 1860s. The show included scenes acted out in the Stephens-Black House with museum staff dressed in old clothes.

The town was also a location in an episode of the paranormal TV show Most Terrifying Places, which aired on the Travel Channel in 2019.

Access

Historic Richmond Town can be reached by taking the S74 or S54 buses. These buses make it easy for visitors to get to the town and explore its history.