The Abraham Manee House, also known as the Manee-Seguine Homestead, is a three-part
Colonial Dutch dwelling in
Prince's Bay on
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
in New York City, New York, U.S. It was designated a
New York City landmark
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and c ...
in 1984. Located on Purdy Place adjacent to
Lemon Creek, on the
South Shore of Staten Island, the oldest section is a one-room structure built by Paulus Regrenier in 1670, a French Huguenot fleeing religious persecution in Europe. The building is similar to the
Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House in
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
.
An addition made of rubble-stone and
tabby
A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a coat pattern distinguished by an M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, around its legs and tail, and characteris ...
was added by another early French
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
settler, Abraham Manee, in the late 18th century. The Seguine family purchased the homestead in the 1780s and built a wooden addition in the early part of the 19th century.
It was a tavern and inn named Purdy's Hotel in the late 19th century.
Of architectural noteworthiness are the spring eaves that are evident of Flemish design on the north side of the house. It is purported to be one of the oldest Dutch structures on Staten Island and was threatened with demolition..
In January 2017, a judge ordered the owners to repair the structure or pay an $8.5 million fine. The judge supported the city's request for an injunction to stop the owners from "continuing their policy of '
demolition by neglect
Demolition by neglect refers to the practice of allowing a building to deteriorate to the point that demolition becomes necessary or restoration becomes unreasonable. The practice has been used by property owners as a means of sidestepping histori ...
'."
See also
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List of the oldest buildings in New York
This article attempts to list the oldest buildings in the state of New York (state), New York, including the oldest houses and any other surviving structures. Some dates are approximate and based on architectural studies and historical records; o ...
*
List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), formed in 1965, is the Government of New York City, New York City governmental commission that administers the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. Since its founding, it has designated ove ...
*
References
*
Neighborhood Preservation Center509 Seguine Avenue, Sept 11, 1984 landmark designation
*
External links
Abraham Manee Hse/Manee-Seguine Homesteadat Endangered Buildings Online
Neighborhood Preservation Center, New York
Houses completed in 1670
New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island
Houses in Staten Island
Tabby buildings
1670 establishments in the Province of New York
Prince's Bay, Staten Island
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