Become a member of the Conference House DISCOVER Conference House Park ! Nature • Recreation • History • Culture Association to help keep history alive! Conference House Park The Conference House Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historic houses within Conference Located at the southernmost point in House Park, and educating the public about their histories. New York State on the shore of Raritan Bay, Membership in the Conference House Association provides Conference House Park provides a wealth the support necessary to keep this distinctive historic site open to the public and the ability to serve the community through of recreational facilities and historical sites. education programs and special events. It is named for the historic house on its grounds where a Revolutionary War peace ______________________________________________________ Biddle House NAME conference took place in 1776. Viewing Area Rutan-Beckett House P Shore Rd ______________________________________________________ ADDRESS Long before Europeans settled on Ward House S ______________________________________________________ a t t e r l Staten Island, the Lenape used this area e e S t e ______________________________________________________ as a seasonal settlement and trading post, v A g i A Conference House a r CITY H y l a n B l taking advantage of an ideal location for C v d The Pavilion Hylan Blvd e ______________________________________________________ v hunting and oystering. Today, the Lenape r P A e d v g l STATE / ZIP Visitor’s Center a B P r e t l grounds are designated a National Historic t t S u ______________________________________________________ B t t s S t S t t t S t e Fl n o u s w h S e l r c Landmark, preserving and protecting this o TEL / EMAIL u A t l i v t e t t S h r a c e c e r w e a y n e n n s i t a n s l n r i p a n a o s important Native American archaeological w i u e C S A F C M v A d Staten r ___ Individual $25 site. Clermont Ave a South Island h r c i Dunes ___ Family $40 Pole Forested R e v A ___ Senior Citizen / College Student $20 Upland l l e d ___ Supporting Friends $100 e t e With more than 267 acres, the park B t S e v S v Forest t ___ Corporate Friends $250 A t Wetland t S A n t S S y S a e t t a n e t n a S i n o w u o a l features many public education and e t t K a s a g h o t l h n J Lenape k a e n i m e g r c r t i a a EMBERSHIP ENEFITS h M B : r p o e Playground o Y R M C B M recreational opportunities. Recent facility L S i Brackish P P Free Quarterly Newsletter announcing programs and activities; Billop Ave 10% discount on workshop fees; 10% discount on purchases improvements include a renovated visitor e l f Av Sur from The Conference House Gift Collection; Guided tours of Wetland center with public restrooms and exhibit l Conference House free with membership card; Discounts on Sitting Area events throughout the year. space, a new bay-side pavilion for events, Coastal Dunes Meadow expanded paths, hiking and biking trails, Beach Bird Blind Please make checks payable to The Conference House Association. and a new playground. Another popular Mail to: The Conference House Association park destination is the “South Pole,” Conference House Park P. O. Box 171 Staten Island, NY 10307 marking the southernmost point of Raritan Bay New York State. All contributions are tax-deductible For more information, call (718) 984-6046 The Conference House The Ward House This grand stone The only Ward family home DIRECTIONS manor house was remaining on Ward’s Point By Bus: built c. 1680 by today was built about 1830. S59 (Richmond Ave.) or S78 Tottenville (Hylan Blvd.) bus Conference This house belonged to Christopher Billopp, to Hylan Blvd. and Craig Ave. Walk one block south to Caleb Ward’s granddaughter Conference House Park. a Royal Navy captain, Hannah, who was the wife of House Park as the center of his boatman Samuel Wood. In By Ferry & Subway: 1,600-acre estate. It is 1850, Wood sold the waterfront portion of his property to R/W Train to Whitehall St./South Ferry station, 4/5 to named the Conference House for the Revolutionary William H. Rutan and later sold the house to Theodore Bowling Green, 1 to South Ferry, or the J/M/Z to Broad St. STATEN ISLAND War peace conference that was held here on Leven, a Swedish immigrant. The Leven family occupied the Take the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal, September 11, 1776 with John Adams, Edward house for nearly sixty years. This house is temporarily closed Manhattan, to St. George Terminal, Staten Island. for renovation; visitors are welcome to explore the grounds. Rutledge and Benjamin Franklin representing the Follow bus directions. Continental Congress, and Admiral Lord Richard Howe representing King George III of England. The Biddle House By Car: Captain Henry Hogg Biddle, who Route 440 (Outberbridge Crossing) to Exit 1 (Arthur Despite their negotiations to end the fighting, no Kill/Page Ave). Right onto Veterans’ Rd. (1 traffic light). agreement was reached and the war continued for owned the ferryboat between Tottenville and Perth Amboy as well Right onto Tyrellan Ave. (1 light). Right onto Boscome another seven years. as Biddle’s Grove, a summer resort for Ave. (1 light). Boscome will turn into Page Ave. Proceed temperance groups, constructed this straight on Page Ave. (7 lights). Right onto Hylan Blvd. After the war, the Conference House was purchased Follow Hylan Blvd. to end. Left into Conference House by Samuel Ward for his son Caleb Ward Sr., who house about 1845. It is a rare example in New York of the Greek Revival Park parking lot. divided the estate into smaller parcels for his five architectural style, with identical children and many grandchildren. The area became sweeping, sloped rooflines on both For additional information, contact: known as Ward’s Point. facades. This house is temporarily closed for renovation; Bonnie Williams, Conference House Park Director visitors are welcome to explore the grounds. [email protected] Over the next century, the house changed hands several times and deteriorated extensively. In 1927 Dial 311 for all Parks & Recreation information, the Conference House Association was established to The Rutan-Beckett House outside of NYC call 212-NEW-YORK preserve the house, and it has been open as a museum The Rutan-Beckett House, or visit: www.nycparks.org built about 1850, was the ever since. Today the house survives as the oldest home of ship builder and stone manor in Staten Island. Special events and New York State Assemblyman MAP: George Colbert educational programs focus on the Billopp family William Henry Rutan. It PHOTOS: Daniel Avila and the Revolutionary War conference. remained in his family until DESIGN: Dana L. Wilner 1910, but after a period of The house is open for guided tours from April abandonment, the Beckett family purchased the house and through mid-December and school class tours are remodeled and modernized it in the 1950s, which is how available by appointment. Special events are held the house remains today. From its stainless steel Tappan throughout the year. For information, call (718) wall oven, orange boomerang design Formica countertops, 984-6046, or visitwww.theconferencehouse.org. and authentic furnishings – down to the box of the Beckett Discover all there is to do and see Family vacation slides – the Rutan-Beckett house is The Conference House is a National Historic Landmark, New York preserved today as a wonderful example of the popular in Conference House Park City Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic American décor style of the 1950s. This house is temporarily City of New York Places. It is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & closed for renovation; visitors are welcome to explore the Parks & Recreation on Staten Island’s South Shore! Recreation, operated by the Conference House Association, and is grounds. a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City..