Dyckman House Museum

Manhattan’s Last Dutch Colonial Farmhouse Is Restored

Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today joined Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, former City Council Member Stan Michels, and fifth graders from P.S. 152 Dyckman Valley School to cut the ribbon on the five-year restoration of Dyckman Farmhouse Museum, Manhattan’s last Dutch colonial-style farmhouse.

"The Dyckman Farmhouse is reopening on Broadway as a time machine to transport school kids and other visitors back to the days of the American Revolution, when most of northern Manhattan was farmland that provided food and income for local residents," said Commissioner Benepe. "This restoration project has preserved the historical integrity of the house so that the Historic House Trust can welcome generations of New Yorkers to visit the Dyckman Farmhouse and experience colonial New York life."

The $1 million restoration project included restoring the exterior and interior of the house, repainting to its historic colors, as well as replacing outdated utility systems, installing a fire detection system and new lighting for the collections. While the house re-opened in the fall of 2005, the restoration is almost entirely complete including, most recently, the re-installation of the furnishings and the restoration of a replica of one of the Continental Army’s Hessian Huts. City Council and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg funded the Capital restoration and Heritage New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the 1772 Foundation funded additional projects through the Historic House Trust.

The Dyckman Farmhouse was built circa 1784 and was once the center of a thriving farm. The small house built by William Dyckman housed three generations of the Dyckman family before being sold in the 1870s. In 1915, Mary Alice Dyckman Dean and Fannie Fredericka Dyckman, daughters of the last Dyckman child to grow up in the house, purchased and restored the farmhouse to ensure its preservation. In 1916, the house was donated to the City.

The Dyckman Farmhouse Museum is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City. Historic House Trust is a not-for-profit organization operating in tandem with Parks & Recreation. Their mission is to provide essential support for houses of architectural and cultural significance, spanning 350 years of New York City life. These treasures reside within City parks and are open to the public.