A Survivor on Richmond Terrace!
The extraordinary Captain Stephen Barnes house was built in 1853—before the Civil War! Located on Richmond Terrace in Mariner’s Harbor, it was part of “Captain’s Row,” a series of mansions owned by oyster boat captains that called Staten Island home. Here, the captains looked out over the Kill Van Kull and planned their next voyages… Captain Stephen Barnes Mansion, Mariners Harbor, early 20th Century. Most of these historic homes are long gone, but this gem survives in no small part due to its designation. It is a New York City Landmark and has been since 1976. The Captain Barnes mansion has both Gothic and Italianate elements unlike many of the other Captain’s Row houses which were generally in the Greek Revival style. In addition, unlike those buildings,...
Read MoreBrady’s Pond…
Brady’s Pond is a large artificial pond that sits on what was the Haunted Swamp. Perhaps the noise of the abutting Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad scared the ghosts off…? Now the 15-acre pond is an oasis amidst abundant houses. It is supposedly the only pond in the five-boroughs where swimming is allowed, but you have to be a member of the Cameron Club to get yourself wet. Membership is only permitted if you live within a certain radius. In 2008, ninety-five families were paying $500 a year for their membership. In the 1880s Philip Brady bought the pond, and it was there that he cut the ice that provided his income, and the pond’s name. Bromley’s Atlas, 1917.
Read MoreQuest for Knowledge…
I am not a collector. I believe it has to do with running the archives of the Staten Island Museum. There were enough artifacts, documents, books, and photographs to last a lifetime, plus they were held in primitive conditions that probably took years off my life. (I am happy to report that we did move the collection to a new location in 2009.) But I do have one prized artifact. I have a rectangular piece of slate. It is not much to look at—if you do not know what it is. If you examine the accompanying image, you will see that four sides are beveled. One-hundred, two-hundred, and perhaps even three-hundred years ago that piece of slate had a frame. My mother, who gave me this piece of slate, informed me that the frame was for its protection. She believed the...
Read MoreThe Print, Map & Photograph Collections of the Staten Island Museum…
In 1969, the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the Staten Island Museum) published the pamphlet Print, Map & Photograph Collections. Librarian Gail Schneider was responsible for the publication. It is a wonderful missive that describes the above collections and it is a handy reference to these formats. This publication coincided with cataloguing the History Collection of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences. Another important person involved with these efforts was historian Hugh Powell. Print, Map & Photograph Collections, cover, 1969. The oldest photos of Staten Island were taken by H. Hoyer. He had a studio in Tompkinsville in 1859. According to the pamphlet “Hoyer began compiling a series of stereo views of the typical...
Read MoreCensus Occupations of Afro-American Families on Staten Island, 1840-1875
Census Occupations of Afro-American Families on Staten Island, 1840-1875 was compiled by the late Staten Island Brough Historian Richard B. Dickenson. Published by the Staten Island Museum in 1981, it was an offshoot of the “Black Man on Staten Island Collection” that was started by Clarence “Cleve” Overton, Gail Schneider and others. Development of the collection was continued by Evelyn Morris King and Dr. Minna Wilkins. Much of the community history documented came from the memories of older African-Americans. Several other publications also resulted from the efforts that were undertaken. The late Borough Historian Richard Dickenson, circa 2002. Courtesy of the Staten Island Advance. Census Occupations of Afro-American Families on Staten Island, 1840-1875 gives...
Read MoreThe Grecian Bend
The “Grecian Bend” ran along Richmond Terrace between Bement and Pelton Avenues. It was depicted in an 1889 publication about Staten Island. The image is posted below. The area around Richmond Terrace and Bement Avenue is significant for another reason… The Cruser-Pelton House, Richmond Terrace., 1907. It is the tri-colored building under the name Daniel Pelton. The Cruser Homestead Graveyard was near Bement Avenue and Richmond Terrace. By 1889, most of the homestead graveyards on the north shore of Staten Island had been obliterated by the houses, business, and industries that were being established between Mariner’s Harbor and Clifton. For this reason, residents of the north shore were opting for interment in the public “Burial Ground” at what is...
Read MoreJob Prospects Continue to Look Very Good…
Let’s talk about the age-old business of undertaking! The first funeral home on Staten Island appears to have been started by a carpenter who specialized in making cabinets. A smart man, he soon realized that permanent cabinets for humans was a lucrative business. With his expansion into coffin-making, he took the next step and opened a funeral home in 1841. He called it the Isaac Bedell Funeral Home. It is still in business today, but after Paul Pizzo purchased the enterprise it was renamed the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home. Isaac still had top billing. But wait, there is another nineteenth century funeral home in business today. It is the Martin Hughes Funeral Home on Narrows Road South in Concord. It opened in 1885. Martin Hughes was a Staten Island coroner who...
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