Dutch Colonial farmhouse considered

Landmarks first considered the recently restored, 300-year-old farmhouse in 1966. On August 10, 2010, Landmarks held a hearing on the possible designation of the Lakeman House, at 2286 Richmond Road in Staten Island. The Dutch Colonial farmhouse, built between 1683 and 1714, is one of the borough’s oldest homes. Landmarks first considered the building in 1966.

The farmhouse is situated on land granted to Lewis Lakeman by colonial Governor Edmund Andros in 1675. One of Lakeman’s sons, believed to be Abraham Lakeman, built the farmhouse’s original two-story section using irregular fieldstone. This section features a gambrel roof. A one-story wing featuring a gable roof was added at a later date. The Cortelyou family briefly owned the farmhouse and it is now part of the Moravian Florist complex. Spearheaded by the owner and preservation architect David Carnivale, the building recently underwent extensive restoration that included removing some modern additions and replacing roof material.

The Preservation League of Staten Island’s John Kilcullen testified that the borough was rapidly losing its 17th century buildings and urged Landmarks to designate the structure. The Society for the Architecture of the City’s Christabel Gough also supported designation, noting that the use of local fieldstone distinguished the Lakeman House from other Hudson Valley Dutch homes.

Landmarks did not set a date for a vote.

LPC: Lakeman House, 2286 Richmond Rd., Staten Island (LP-2447) (Aug. 10, 2010).