Tysen-Neville House, 1932. Constructed circa 1770 by Captain John Neville, a retired naval captain, the two-and-a-half-story sandstone mansion retains many of its original features today. (A Staten Island historian believes that the home was in fact constructed post-Revolutionary War and that Neville was actually a later owner.) The most unusual surviving feature (no matter when or who built it) is the two-story veranda that stretches the entire front of the house. The style of the porch mimics the look of homes in the Caribbean. The possible seafaring builder was perhaps inspired during his travels. In the 1800s, it was home to Judge Jacob Tysen, who used the downstairs as a courtroom. It also served as a tavern and inn during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Referred to as the "Old Stone Jug" the house has suffered in the ensuing centuries. Landmarked in the 1960s, the home last sold in 2012, with the buyer being made aware of the significant work that was required to stabilize and repair the home. (She became intimately familiar with the issues when, while walking through the home, she fell through rotting floorboards down 12 feet into an old cistern.) Further details for planned repair and restoration are murky at best.

Despite several attempts to settle Staten Island (Staaten Eylandt to the Dutch making the efforts) during the 1640s and 1650s, the first permanent settlement on the island was established in 1661. The Dutch, Walloons, and French settlers, joined soon by English newcomers, began to build homes and communities. As Staten Island's population grew so too did its built environment, but for any number of reasons— historical significance, late-coming urbanization, a long-standing agricultural tradition, large plots of land— these structures, which could have easily been razed, remain. Most, if not all, have had additions, many were moved from there original locations, and sadly a few still suffer from serious deterioration and neglect. This list highlights the oldest surviving buildings on Staten Island. Let's explore!

Tysen-Neville House CLIENT: Captain John Neville ARCHITECT: Unknown DATE: 1850 STYLE: Pre-Revolutionary Country House This impressive residence built in the local vernacular is one of the few large pre-Revolutionary country houses still standing in New York City. Built about 1770, the building contains many of its original details. Constructed of red, quarried sandstone, laid up in rectangular blocks, the rough-cut stone surface is now whitewashed. An unusual feature of this early masonry house is the long two-story veranda supported on six square posts, which looks out over the Kill Van Kull. This type of veranda is a characteristic feature of the mansion house found in the West Indies and since the builder was a seafaring captain, he may well have seen and admired its prototype on one of his voyages to the Caribbean.

Between 1954 and 1957, the Municipal Art Society surveyed historic buildings in all five boroughs to create a database of potential landmarks to preserve. Local residents and MAS staff compiled individual sheets devoted to about 200 buildings. Each sheet outlined the building’s date, location, and style and provided a description and a small photograph. This is the list of Staten Island buildings.