What historical trends shaped the landscape of Staten Island, including the home you live in right now? From colonial to ranch-style to art deco, we go into our own architecture here in Staten Island in this interview broadcast live via Facebook!
Every day, the buildings you take for granted actually conceal an interesting history. We start when the island was first settled in the 1600's by the Dutch, and the abundance of Dutch colonials we still see today inspired by our Dutch history. We also see our Dutch history in our names, like Arthur Kill and Great Kills- "Kill" meaning river in Dutch!
The major driving factor of change in Staten Island has been The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This shaped the borough in a major way by urbanizing it. During this time in the 50's and 60's, we began to see semi-attached houses pop up for the first time, as well as compact square ranch-style homes. Farmland also largely disappeared as a result- but did you know we still have at least 3 farms remaining??
We also hand-picked some of the most interesting buildings in Staten Island. Learn more about The Tibetan Museum, the Frank Lloyd Wright House, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto.
Check out our full interview, which includes a lot of giggles as well (end of a long week).
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on
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