The Oldest Building In NYC Dates Back To 1652
As one of the original 13 American colonies, New York is pretty much ancient. The Little Italy staple Alleva Dairy, established in 1892, is the oldest cheese shop in the nation (though it’s sadly relocating to New Jersey) and Fraunces Taverns, the city’s oldest bar, has been serving customers since 1762 and continues to do so to this day!
But NYC’s oldest building dates back even further than that–like, 100+ years further!
Standing strong for over three centuries, The Wyckoff House is the oldest surviving building in NYC.
Built in 1652, The Wyckoff House was one of the very first structures Europeans built on Long Island–originally built by Dutch immigrant Pieter Claesen and his wife Grietje.
The Wyckoff House & Association, Inc., formed in 1937 when descendants of Pieter Claesen and Grietje gathered together to purchase and preserve their home in the face of potential demolition. The Wyckoff House Foundation gained ownership of the property in the 1960s and donated it to the NYC Parks Department.
In 1965 the house became the first structure in New York to be designated a historic landmark, and, after surviving a fire in the late 1970s, was finally restored in the early 1980s–though, regardless of the renovations, it’s the oldest surviving example of a Dutch saltbox frame house in America.
However, considering the house has been around for nearly 400 years, there really isn’t much to its history.
For most of its existence the house merely served as a farm and family home. It’s been operating as a museum since 2001, where it hosts a slew of events including:
- School programs
- Public events
- Celebrations
- Community farmers markets
Those who visit are treated to a glimpse at how agriculture worked in the old days, along with its continued importance today.
Today, The Wyckoff House Museum’s primary mission is to preserve, interpret, and operate NYC’s oldest building along with the surrounding one-and-a-half acres of park.
Though their website states that the museum is currently closed for public tours due to ongoing repairs, you can stay up to date on when they reopen on their website.
The Wyckoff House is located at 5816 Claredon Road, Canarsie, Brooklyn in what is now Milton Fidler Park.
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