NYC Historic Homes Turned into Museums

Van Cortlandt House Museum 

This 1758 Georgian style home was once the center of a 1,000 acre estate, built and owned by Dutch settlers, the Van Cortlandt family, in a town then knowns as Jonckers (Yonkers).

In addition to being the oldest building in the Bronx, the house is important for its Revolutionary War history, when it was used by George Washington, Rochambeau and the Marquis de Lafayette.

It was converted into a museum in 1896 by the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York, and has been opened to the public ever since.

According to the museum website, the “museum’s research focuses on the Van Cortlandt family, the social history of those who lived and worked on the property and the study of decorative arts.”

• It is owned by the NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation, operated by the Colonial Dames group, and a member of the NYC Historic House Trust.
• It is within Van Cortlandt Park.

Valentine-Varian House

Built by Isaac Valentine in 1758, this Georgian style farmhouse is the Bronx’s oldest farmhouse and second oldest house.

It was purchased n 1792 by Isaac Varian from Valentine’s creditors, hence its hyphenated name.

The house was donated to the Bronx County Historical Society in 1965 to ensure its preservation, and moved to its present site from further down the street.

Exhibitions focus on changes to the Bronx over time.

When visiting, make sure to keep an eye out for the Bronx River Soldier sculpture in front of the house, which was made for Woodlawn Cemetery but ended up at the bottom of the Bronx River.

• It is one of the Historic House Trust sites and also home to the Bronx County Historical Society.

Wave Hill

Built as a country house in 1843 by attorney William Lewis Morris, grandnephew of Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, it was later rented to famous residents including Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and Arturo Toscanini.

The house was purchased in 1903 by J. P. Morgan’s partner, George W. Perkins, whose family donated it to New York City in 1960.

The views across the Hudson River to the Palisades are picture postcard perfect in any season, as are the visits to the well-maintained gardens and green house.

There are regular guided tours of the house and garden year-round, and outdoor concerts in warm weather months.

• Wave Hill is 675 West 252nd St., Riverdale, Bronx
• There are FREE shuttles to Wave Hill from the 242nd St. stop of the 1 subway, and from the Riverdale stop of MetroNorth

What’s your favorite NYC museum? Especially a small, off the beaten track NYC museum.

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