Seguine Mansion

Location: 440 Seguine Avenue
Description: Along the southern shore of Staten Island, the Seguine Mansion, a stately Greek Revival structure, faces Prince's Bay. Built in 1838 by Joseph H. Seguine, the house is a physical reminder of the classical architecture and thriving commerce of Staten Island during the mid-19th century. Sometime between 1780 and 1786, James Seguine bought a large parcel of land near Lemon Creek from Abraham Manee, whose French Huguenot family had held the land since about 1700. Joseph, James Seguine's grandson, and the fifth generation of the family on Staten Island, built the elegant two-and-a-half-story house, typical of high-style homes in the region at that time. Following Joseph's death in 1856, the house remained in the family until 1868. When it was sold, the amount of land had decreased to 10 acres. During the late 19th century, the building served as an inn or hotel, at a time when Prince's Bay had become a popular resort area. The house returned to Seguine descendants from 1916 through 1977 and was then sold at auction in 1981 to George Burke. Burke stabilized the deteriorated house in 1989 and donated it to the City of New York, while retaining a life interest.