2286 Richmond Road
ca. 1683
This Dutch Colonial style farmhouse is divided into two distinctive wings, believed to have been built at different periods. The oldest section is a two-story wing with a gambrel roof, attached to a newer one-story wing with a gable roof. Both are constructed with irregular fieldstone and wood above the first story, and feature the characteristic footprint, height, rooflines, and small window openings of the style.
The house was originally built by Abraham Lakeman in the late-17th century, on property he inherited from his father. It remained as his family home until 1714, when it was sold. In 1751, the house and farm were purchased by Aaron Cortilieu (Cortelyou), one of the original members of the Moravian Church at New Dorp and a descendant of the Huguenots who emigrated in 1652. He left the property to his daughter Elizabeth, who was married to Richard Seamons. They sold the house in 1794 to Joseph Taylor, remaining in their family for many years. It was sold a few more times during the 19th and 20th century, maintaining its use as a private residence. It underwent extensive restoration work in 2001, which also removed modern additions. In 2015, the house was part of LPC’s Backlog initiative, a plan to address the properties that had been calendared prior to 2010 but had not been acted upon. After series of hearings and reviews, 30 properties were prioritized. The Lakeman-Courtelyou- Taylor House was included on this list and became a NYC Landmark in 2016. The following year, however, this designation was overturned by the City Council.
2205 Richmond Road
1844 Church
1878 Parsonage
1914 Parish House
Established in 1748, the New Dorp Moravian Church is the second oldest church in Staten Island. Moravians are among the earliest Protestant denominations, arriving in New York during the 1730s and 1740s. In 1763, they purchased a plot of land for the construction of a small church, which was consecrated at the end of the year. A parsonage was built sometime later, with records showing that it was expanded around 1820, with a Sunday School established in 1829. The congregation’s sustained
growth prompted the construction of a new church in 1844, funded by members from different parts of the world, including a $1,000 contribution from Cornelius Vanderbilt (equivalent to $40K today). The Greek Revival structure features a porch with columns typical of the style, and a bell tower. It underwent extensive repairs in 1892, and again in 1955. At this time, the tower was replaced by a steeple, the auditorium was enlarged, the basement was modernized, and new offices and a chapel were also constructed. A new parsonage was built in 1878 by William H. Vanderbilt, son of Cornelius. A new parish house was built in 1914, again with a substantial donation from the Vanderbilt family. Adjacent to the church is the 113-acre cemetery, which holds the remains of early settlers and noted community members. Among them is the Vanderbilt family, whose Mausoleum was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. The land was originally used as a free public burial ground until 1819, after which the Church began charging fees to non- members. It would later undergo several expansions and improvements, becoming an architectural and landscape staple.
1929 Richmond Road
1924, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
In 1923, McCall’s Magazine announced the development of a series where a group of noted architects would design small houses based on functionality, affordability as well as beauty. The plans for each would be made available to readers for a fee. Eight proposals were published between 1924-25. House sizes ranged from four to seven rooms, and construction costs from $4,000 to $13,500. Flagg’s design was at the low end of the scale in both categories. The house was built on a main road, as he wanted it to be easy to find if people wanted to observe the building process, or when it was completed. His goal was to prove his theory that good design could be achieved in smaller buildings at a fraction of the cost. Flagg chronicled the entire process in succeeding articles, including adjustments to the original plans and new construction methods. Although isolated from other buildings from the Estate, the design maintained many of his signature elements, like a retaining wall which forms part of several structures. The McCall Demonstration House brought national attention to Flagg’s work, which had already found an audience through his 1922 book Small Houses. It was designated as a NYC Landmark in 1987. Photo by Frank J. Johns, 1967.
285 Flagg Place
1918-21, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmarks
Known also as House-on-the-Wall, this roadside stone cottage is complementary to Flagg’s Bowcott, located on a similar location at the northeastern edge of the estate. Its main façade is comprised of a retaining wall built along the embankment, which incorporates setbacks from the building line on the lower sections to create a wider view of it from the road. Unlike Bowcott, Wallcot’s walls don’t replicate the road’s curvature, maintaining a straight line. The structure does follow the terrain’s slope upward, with a garage built on higher ground, which was later connected to the main section of the house. This gives the cottage the same appearance of being nestled into the terrain and its landscape. The lower section houses the living room, dining room, two large bedrooms and, originally, two smaller bedrooms for servants. The chauffeur’s apartment was located at its northwestern end, with a projecting gabled portico highlighting the garage portion of the building. The main entrance is marked by a gabled hood-roof, supported by large ornamental brackets. Underneath, a flight of steps leads up through an open stone-walled round-arched vestibule. It was designated as a NYC Landmark in 1987.
16 Flagg Court
ca. 1900, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
Located at the northwest edge of the estate, this large fieldstone water tower remains as one of its most distinctive outbuildings. It was originally taller, and had a conical roof with a windmill on top and a water wheel. Some brackets are still visible on the highest section. The roof was originally supported by posts located on the interior of the structure, which also held a narrow walkway. The top section has a series of round-arched windows, and is crowned by an indented brick parapet. This last modification was done during the 1950s. A secondary tower was built also around 1900 and used as a pump house. It was located on the center axis, approximately 160 feet northwest of the entry court gate. It was included in the 1983 boundaries expansion of the 1967 NYC Landmark designation.
79 Flagg Court
ca. 1900, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmarks
Originally a two-story structure, the stable is the largest outbuilding on the Flagg Estate. Located on the northern edge of the property, it faces the swimming pool and aligns with the central axis that shapes the group. It had entrances at both ends, which were framed by one-story buildings that marked driveways for secondary roads that led to north gateways. They have since been removed, as well as the continuation of Coventry Road, which paralleled the rear of Flagg’s property and connected Todt Hill and West Entry Roads. In 1947, an attic story was added by St. Charles Seminary and the three original dormers were removed from the steeply-pitched gable roof. The roof lantern was maintained, and is flanked by two chimneys. It was included in the 1983 boundaries expansion of the 1967 NYC Landmark designation.
63 Flagg Court
ca. 1908, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
Located 100-feet northwest of the Gardener’s Cottage, the Palm House was part of an area occupied by greenhouses which ran along the perimeter wall. Some of them were connected to it through a pipe system, which distributed the heat generated from large chimneys located at each end of the structure. It was originally a low one-story structure of fieldstone covered by a gable roof. The center section of the southwest slope was filled by a large skylight. The property was severely altered in 1987, when a two-story structure was added on the southwest side, thus changing the façade expression. It was included in the 1983 boundaries expansion of the 1967 NYC Landmark designation.
45 Flagg Court
ca. 1908, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
Built around the same time as the addition to the Gatehouse, this double-cottage was originally a long rectangular building of whitewashed fieldstone. Its northeast façade was incorporated into the perimeter wall, which continues south and sets the boundaries of a backyard. It was Flagg’s first exploration of a typology he described as “cloister house”, designed around a central square or courtyard. He would later add another structure to the rear, also attached to the perimeter wall, which created an L-shaped house plan. Over
the years, further alterations to the house have obscured the initial layout. The northwest section has two-stories and gabled windows which break the eaves. The southwest section has one-story and a basement, and also features a pair of gabled windows on the attic. Entrances are marked by pent roofs carried on brackets. It was included in the 1983 boundaries expansion of the 1967 NYC Landmark designation. Photo by Jean Prahbu.
209 Flagg Pl
1898-1908 renovations, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
Located at the highest section of the property, Stone Court was Ernest Flagg’s country residence, which he purchased in 1898. The imposing 32-room mansion was built of fieldstone, like many of the surrounding outbuildings and cottages. It features several variations of the colonial tradition, such as an enlarged scale, massive chimneys, and a circular balustraded observation deck atop a traditional gambrel roof. The façade on Flagg Place is framed by an axially- arranged formal garden on an elevated terrace, and the main entrance is marked by a two-level veranda supported by Doric columns on the first story and by posts on the second. Flank wings to the main building were added later on, and a large swimming pool and fountain on the central court completed the complex, which was completed around 1917. After Flagg’s death in 1947, the estate became the St. Charles Seminary. Ten years later, the southwest pavilion and logia were demolished and replaced by the current two-story administration building. Further modifications have been done over the to accommodate its current use. It was designated as a NYC Landmark in 1967. Plans to develop a portion of the property have been pursued by the owners since 2006, with a proposal presented in 2018 which added 19 single-family homes, a new roadway and offered to restore parts of the mansion. Although those plans did not succeed, the estate continues to be up for sale.
181 Flagg Pl
1898-1908 renovations, Ernest Flagg
New York City Individual Landmark
This two-story single- family house was constructed of fieldstone at the same time as Stone Court. The oldest section is a one-story, L-shaped, gabled-roof structure, which was incorporated as part of the retaining wall. An extension was added around 1908, consisting of a one-and-one-half story structure with gambrel-roof on the northwest side. Through the years, additions and modifications have been made to the house, including glass panels to the attic, but it maintains its cohesiveness and signature elements, such as the chimneys topped by curved ventilator caps. It was designated as a NYC Landmark in 1967.
