Historic Richmond Town, Staten Island’s Living History Village
Historic Richmond Town is an open-air village museum near the center of Staten Island, in the neighborhood of Richmondtown. It brings together more than 30 historic buildings dating from the late 17th to the early 20th centuries, from Dutch Colonial farmhouses to shops and civic buildings. It is a quiet and unusual day trip for travelers who want to see a side of New York far from Manhattan.
A county seat from the 1700s, a Loyalist stronghold in the Revolution and the set of a Boardwalk Empire diner: this is a village of Dutch farmhouses and old trades hidden in the middle of Staten Island.
The history of Historic Richmond Town
The village now preserved as Historic Richmond Town began as a small settlement known as Coccles Town, and sometimes as Cuckolds Town, a name linked to the abundance of oyster and clam shells in the waters of nearby Fresh Kills. It received its present name in 1728. It became the county seat of Richmond County, which has the same boundaries as Staten Island, and it kept that role until the town of St. George grew around the ferries to Manhattan and Brooklyn near the end of the 19th century.
As a commercial center, Richmond Town was home mostly to people of Dutch, English and French descent. Many were blacksmiths, shoemakers and other craftsmen, and the village had a county courthouse. During the American Revolution British troops were stationed here, and the area was a major stronghold of Loyalist support, meaning people who stayed loyal to the Crown.
The museum came out of the Great Depression-era preservation movement that also produced Colonial Williamsburg. A group of local people, led by the historians and preservationists Loring McMillen and William T. Davis and by the banker David L. Decker, wanted to protect Staten Island’s past at a time of rapid development and suburban sprawl. Historic Richmond Town was established in 1958 as a joint project of the Staten Island Historical Society, an independent nonprofit organization, and the City of New York, which owns the land and buildings.
Today the main site occupies about 25 acres of a 100-acre property and has 15 restored buildings, with others awaiting restoration. Some of the buildings stood here from the start, while others were moved from elsewhere on Staten Island. In 1987 the Jacob Crocheron farmhouse, built around 1819–1820, was carried more than 3 miles from the Annadale area; the city’s transportation department issued the house seven traffic tickets during the move, which were later forgiven.
The village is no longer a year-round living history museum, as it briefly was in the 1980s. Instead, guided tours explore furnished houses and shops, and costumed interpreters demonstrate historic trades and household tasks during special events and for school groups. The site is also part of Staten Island’s screen history: in 2012 a 1920s diner and gas station were built here for the television series Boardwalk Empire.
Little-known facts about Historic Richmond Town
- Before 1728 the settlement was known as Coccles Town, a name tied to the oyster and clam shells of the nearby Fresh Kills.
- The Voorlezer’s House, dating from around 1780, was long believed to be the oldest standing elementary school in the United States, a claim shown to be untrue by research in 2018.
- The Christopher House, a restoration in progress dating from around 1720, has the only working jambless fireplace in New York City.
- The Guyon-Lake-Tysen House is a Dutch Colonial farmhouse from around 1740.
- When the Crocheron farmhouse was moved in 1987, it received seven traffic tickets for the trip, all later forgiven.
- The museum’s oldest annual event is Old Home Day, the oldest continuous event in the museum’s history, which features the most demonstrations of traditional crafts and trades.
Historic Richmond Town on screen
Historic Richmond Town has served as a film and television location, and its buildings have appeared in documentaries and historical series.
- Boardwalk Empire (2012) – For the third season, a 1920s diner and gas station were built and filmed on location at the museum.
- History Detectives – The eighth episode of the first season includes dramatizations set in the Stephens-Black House with costumed museum staff as actors.
Tours near Historic Richmond Town
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Historic Richmond Town
- The village is open to visitors as a museum. Guided tours cover several furnished and restored houses and shops, while other buildings are still being restored and are not open to the public. Check the current opening hours and access rules before you go.
- Demonstrations by costumed interpreters take place on special event days and by reservation for school groups, not every day. Events listed in the sources include Old Home Day, the Richmond County Fair, Oktoberfest, candlelight tours and tavern concerts.
- Decker Farm, about one mile from the village center, has a farm stand and seasonal activities such as pumpkin picking in October.
- St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and St. Patrick’s Church stand outside the museum site, and the Mount Richmond Cemetery runs alongside it.
- Richmondtown is served by the S54 and S74 buses; check the current routes and timetables.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Historic Richmond Town is
Photos of Historic Richmond Town
Where to stay near Historic Richmond Town
Hotels close by, with ratings and current availability.
Hampton Inn & Suites Staten Island
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Hilton Garden Inn New York / Staten Island
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Hotel Le Bleu
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Questions
What is Historic Richmond Town?
It is a village museum on Staten Island with more than 30 historic buildings from the late 17th to the early 20th centuries. It is managed by the Staten Island Historical Society on land owned by New York City.
How do I get to Historic Richmond Town?
The S54 and S74 buses serve Richmondtown. Check the current routes and timetables before you go.
Is it a living history museum with actors every day?
No. It was briefly a year-round living history museum in the 1980s, but costumed demonstrations now take place during special events and by reservation for school groups.
What can you see at Historic Richmond Town?
Dutch Colonial and Greek Revival buildings such as the Guyon-Lake-Tysen House, the Stephens-Black House and the Voorlezer’s House, plus shops, farm buildings and a jambless fireplace in the Christopher House.
Has Historic Richmond Town appeared on screen?
Yes. A 1920s diner and gas station were built here for the third season of Boardwalk Empire, and a History Detectives episode used the Stephens-Black House.
Why was it called Richmond Town?
The village received the name in 1728, when it became the center of Richmond County, which shares the same borders as Staten Island.
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