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Tysen-Neville House ยท 806 Richmond Terrace
Tysen-Neville House
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1924

Tysen-Neville House
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IMAGE DATE1924
FromNew York Public Library logoNew York Public Library

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.

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