Staten Island · NYC landmark
Voorlezer's House
59 Arthur Kill Road · Staten Island, New York City
A Historic Richmond Town house that reveals how new scientific research can change a familiar local history.
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NYFE Summary
Tree-ring dating changed how this house is understood. Researchers concluded that the standing building was a later farmhouse, replacing an earlier Dutch religious and school building. The Rezeau family lived in the farmhouse for more than a century.
The classroom display represents the earlier building’s use. A voorlezer was a lay reader who read the Bible, kept church records and taught children. Hendrick Kroesen held that role here in the 1690s. Reproduction classroom furniture helps explain his work. The house is part of Historic Richmond Town, where the buildings open for tours can vary by day.
NYFE summary from the official history and visitor sources linked below.
Plan a visit
Check the operator’s current opening, admission and access information before travelling. Historic status does not guarantee public access to every interior.
Official visitor information ↗