Dear Friends,

When I was offered the position of Executive Director at Historic Richmond Town I wondered what I would discover while working at the repository of history on Staten Island. After a few weeks, I was surprised. As I dug deeper I found a treasure not found in any other city in the United States.

That is a pretty bold statement. How did I come to that conclusion? By putting down all the museum’s assets on one piece of paper. This is what I listed:

• Historic Richmond Town is more than a one single place. It’s actually four sites spread throughout Staten Island with a main campus in Richmond and exists on the web, digital catalogues and in print.
• It sits on over 100 acres of diverse park land.
• Historic Richmond Town provides NYC with its only restored historic village.
• The museum runs New York City’s oldest working farm that has continuously produced produce for sale for over 200 years.
• The museum maintains over 30 original historic structures dating back 4 centuries, including the oldest home on Staten Island and the oldest still-standing schoolhouse in the country. These are not reconstructed like at some museum sites. The handmade nails pounded in centuries ago are still in the walls.
• Our collection of over 100,000 artifacts, documents and photos contain many world-class items, including the Alice Austen Photo Collection. These photos, like many other pieces, were rescued from destruction and are now part of a continuous restoration and conservation process.
• We educate tens of thousands of children each year providing experiences that can’t be found in many cities.
• Our staff is known for its knowledge and the ability to share knowledge with children and adults.
• The institution runs over 100 events and programs each year. This includes the Richmond County Fair, the city’s largest fair, visited by thousands.
• The museum attracts and keeps over 200 regular volunteers each year.
• All 4 sites reside within the community, not outside of it, next to caring neighbors.
• We take a smaller percentage of public funding than almost every other cultural institution of similar size.

Certainly, you can’t find another place like us in any U.S. city. Perhaps there is no other institution that can compare in all of America. The sad part is that I never knew this astonishing information until I dug it up myself. That’s why I’m sharing it with you. I want you to know this treasure so you can visit and explore.

I still remember my school trip to Historic Richmond Town back in the 3rd grade. It was like stepping into a different world. Today, when I stroll through the campus I notice the smiling adult faces and the children absorbed in stories of our heritage. That’s what a treasure should be - an endless source of wonder.

See you here soon,

Ed Wiseman
Executive Director