Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House --the Oldest Structure in New York City



The Pieter Claesen Wyckoff Farmhouse, located at 5816 Clarendon Road in Brooklyn, NY, was built in 1652, and is the oldest structure in New York City and was the first structure to be named a New York City landmark in 1965. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1968.

The Wyckoff Farmhouse typifies the farmhouse architecture of Dutch - American farms in Brooklyn and Queens during that era.




More views of the farmhouse --please click on an image to enlarge.


The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum from Historic House Trust on Vimeo.

Information from the house website:

"Pieter Claesen Wyckoff emigrated from the Netherlands in 1637 as an indentured farmworker and through connections to Peter Stuyvesant, Director-General of New Netherlands, settled in what was then known as New Amersfoort in 1652 ( which is now East Flatbush - Flatlands neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York) Successive generations of Wyckoffs farmed the land until 1901. His descendants donated the house to the City in 1969 and after an exhaustive restoration it opened as a museum in 1982."

Please click to enlarge


During the Revolutionary War in 1776, a great-great-grandson, Peiter A. Wyckoff and his wife Heyltie Remsen lived there with their three small children and several slaves. Many of the farmhouses and homes in Brooklyn were occupied by British and Hessian soldiers during the historic "Battle of Brooklyn" which occurred on August 27, 1776.

I will be showing many of the historic sites of that battle on my blog during the next two weeks. I hope you will join me as I tell the story of the largest and bloodiest battle of the American Revolution --the first battle under the command of the newly appointed General George Washington--The Battle of Brooklyn--where tens of thousands of soldiers fought to decide the fate of America!


Bookmark and Share

30 comments:

Ebie said...

This is an interesting piece of NY history. Lovely mosaic!

Carol said...

Love the NY history! and looking forward to more!

Queenie's Vintage Finds said...

I always find history so interesting...thanks for sharing this pretty old farm house. Happy Mosaic Monday!

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

I loved this post...Have a beautiful day!!!

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Kentucky with Wychoffs. The mother lives in Bardstown now. I will see if she knows about the Wychoffs and where they are from in the new country.
QMM

steviewren said...

What a wonderful way for school children to learn about the history of the area and the people who were the first European settlers. I enjoyed the video and seeing the inside of the house.

Unknown said...

Great photographs and those flower beds are so nice!
Pretty Mosaic! Have a great week!
~Really Rainey~

~JarieLyn~ said...

this is a really great post. I love reading about the history of different towns. Your mosaic is very nice. I love old buildings.

Claudia said...

very charming!

Thanks for the history and your mosaic is darling.

TTFN~~ Claudia ♥ ♥

Linda K. said...

Interesting piece of history and cute little cottage! Thanks.
Linda

Anonymous said...

Thank you for taking the time to post such an interesting history of Brookly!!
I really enjoyed it!
Love,
Marilyn
xxoo

My name is Riet said...

This is a beautiful piece of history. LOvely mosaic. Have a nice day

Jenny said...

Wow! I love history and this just took me right back into the past! I am often saddened by the ability we have in our culture to disregard and disrespect our beginnings and bulldoze them over in the name of progress. How lucky this structure is to have survived and how lucky we are that you shared it with us. Thank you.

Sea Witch said...

You offer a lovely tour of this magnificent city on your blog. It is like having a personal tour guide. I so adore your blog. Sea Witch

Regina said...

Beautiful post!

Elizabeth said...

I always long for the simplicity and charm of those old homes.
I adore the Old Bethpage restoration on LI.
But I bet after about 24 hours I would be weeping for my dishwasher..........

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I learned something new and it's only 8 a.m.! Just amazing to think of Brooklyn as former farmland.

Tracy said...

This was amazing to see, Pat...great history lesson, and what a beautiful place! History preserved...a wonderful thing. Happy Day, my friend :o) ((HUGS))

magicpolaroid said...

interesting story! thanx for sharing! how are u in NYC? come stai?
ciao, Luis

Judy said...

Most interesting! How nice that the house has been preserved and so well-maintained in the middle of a 'teeming' neighbourhood. Great story.

Cass @ That Old House said...

Lovely post, lovely old house. Mr. Wyckoff might be challenged in his claim that his family's home may be the oldest in NY state -- The Old House in Cutchogue on Long Island's North Fork dates to 1649. It, too, is a museum, right on the Main Road. :-)

The Wyckoff home is a jewel -- and thank goodness for neighbors who kept the vandals at bay long enough for it to be protected.

Thanks -- this was fun! Makes my house seem like a young'un.
Cass

Pat said...

This is a wonderful post, Pat!!

The Creative Bohemian said...

I'm glad I found your site. I am a Long Islander, but my husband is from Queens and we love being New Yorkers. Thank you for sharing all this NY history.

Jenn @ youknow... that blog? said...

Wow, interesting piece! I love hearing about historic places.

Great post!

Brenda Pruitt said...

I was terrible in history! I shall come along on your journey and maybe I'll learn a thing or two. Lovely mosaic!
Brenda

Beverly said...

Pat, I had read about this house, but I can't remember where. I've learned so much more from your post.

How's that sweet Leo?

Tracy Watier said...

Having lived my whole life in So California, it still blows me away to see a house of European origin... not a mission or a pueblo... that is over 300 years old! Everything here is so "new" by comparison. It's my favorite thing about travelling to the east coast... looking at the doors and thresholds and imagining the generations of people who passed through before me. Makes my head spin!

Willow said...

I can see the Dutch influence in the shape of the roof. Even in Indonesia, the Dutch roofs had that line and shape.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

This is very interesting. I'll be coming back for more.

One of my ancestors died at Valley Forge during that horrible winter of 1777, serving under George Washington. He was from Virginia.

kathy said...

Thank you so much for this beautiful site. My 7th. g-grandfather is Pieter Claesen Wyckoff. I don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to go there, so this was a wonderful gift.
Kathy