Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

A friend and I visited Old Bethpage Village Restoration, a collection of 19th Century buildings from Long Island that has been assembled to form a representation of a village. The site was originally Powell’s Farm, and became county property in 1963. Today, the site has 209 acres and is home to 51 historic buildings and seven reconstructions.

Upon entering the grounds, we saw a group playing an old-style baseball game. Pitching was under-handed (overhanded pitching wasn’t allowed until 1884).

Old style baseball game, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Old style baseball game

While most of the buildings were restored and open for touring, a few were closed and in various stages of restoration. One was the Bedell House, which dates from c. 1835. Hiram K. Bedell was a farmer in West Hempstead, from where the house had been relocated.

Bedell House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Bedell House

Another building under renovation was Dr. Searing’s Office. This tiny building dates from c. 1815. It has originally stood on the west side of Henry Street in Hempstead, though it was relocated in 1920 to Washington Street, and then in 1956 to Bellerose, Queens, and then finally in 1993 to Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Dr. Searing Office, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Dr. Searing Office

John M. Layton kept this store in East Norwich. It dates from c. 1866.

Layton Store & House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Layton Store & House

An interior view:

Interior, Layton Store & House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Layton Store & House

The back yard and outbuildings:

Backyard & Outbuildings, Layton Store & House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Back yard and outbuildings, Layton Store & House

Behind the Noon Inn, a six-man band played period music on historic instruments:

Band, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Band

Adjacent to Noon Inn were two barns used for storing wagons and carriages.

Carriage House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau, NY

Carriage House

I did not get any good photos of the exterior of Noon Inn, but I was able to photograph the interior. John H. Noon was the innkeeper of this establishment, which dates from c. 1850. It was originally in East Meadow, NY.

Interior, Noon Inn, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau, NY

Interior, Noon Inn

 

Interior, Noon Inn, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Noon Inn

 

Interior, Noon Inn, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Noon Inn

 

Interior, Noon Inn, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Noon Inn

Another photograph of the band, this time from the second floor of Noon Inn:

Band from Interior of Noon Inn, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Band from Interior of Noon Inn

Storm clouds gather over the Kirby House. This home, originally from Hempstead, dates from c. 1845. It had been owned by Richard D. Kirby, a tailor.

Kirby House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Kirby House

This home, built in 1829 in Northville, had been owned by William Benjamin, a Congregational minister and farmer. He had been pastor to the Shinnecock and Poosepatuck Native American tribes. His brother Simeon was a prominent merchant and a founder of Elmira College, the first institution of higher learning for women. The Benjamin House was constructed in the late Federal country style; its furnishings reflect the lifestyle of this relatively affluent farmer and respected minister.

Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Benjamin House

Interior views:

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

 

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

 

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

 

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

 

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

 

Interior, Benjamin House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Benjamin House

Not far from the minister’s home was the Manetto Hill Church, a Methodist congregation from Plainview, which dates from 1857.

Manetto Hill Church, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Manetto Hill Church

A cemetery, most likely not anyone’s actual resting place, is not far from the church.

Cemetery, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Cemetery

The Williams House and Carpentry Shop was brought from New Hyde Park, and dates from c. 1860.  Henry R. Williams was a farmer and carpenter.

Williams House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Williams House

Interior views:

Williams House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Williams House

 

Williams House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Williams House

Williams House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Williams House

Walking toward Powell Farm:

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Fields

 

Bull, Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Bull

 

Hog, Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Hog

The Powell Farmhouse, c. 1855, is on its original site. Richard S. Powell had been the farmer.

Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Powell Farmhouse

 

Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Powell Farmhouse

 

Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, New York

Powell Farm

 

The farm included a barn, though this was not original, but rather than been brought from the Samuel S. Underhill Farm, Jericho.

Powell Farm, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Powell Farm

 

Lamb, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Lamb

This is the Cooper house. While “cooper” as a profession means a maker of barrels, this particular owner, Peter Cooper, was an inventor. The home, relocated from Hempstead, dates from c. 1815.

Cooper House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Cooper House

Interior view:

Cooper House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Cooper House

The Lawrence House, c. 1820, had been relocated from College Point, where Gilbert Lawrence had been a farmer. The home was under restoration and therefore not open.

Lawrence House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Lawrence House

The Hewlett House, c. 1840, came from Woodbury, where Lewis Hewlett had been a farmer.

Hewlett House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Hewlett House

Interior view:

Hewlett House, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

Interior, Hewlett House

There were a few buildings that I visited but failed to document, including a schoolhouse c. 1845 from Manhasset and the Ritch House and Hat Shop, c. 1830, from Middle Island. I don’t remember the Ritch House, but the Hat Shop was open and I enjoyed stopping in there and watching a craftsman fashion fine men’s hats.

I failed to visit a few other buildings. One was beside the baseball field, and we walked by it while following the band to their performance. That was the Schenck House, from Manhasset. A map we were given with our admission tickets shows the house dates to c. 1765, while the website shows it as c. 1730 and says it is one of the oldest surviving Dutch farmhouses remaining in the U.S. In any case, I’m sorry that I missed it.

I also missed the Conklin House, c. 1853, from Village of the Branch, and the Luyster Store, c. 1840, from East Norwich.

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2 Responses to Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County, NY

  1. Nicole Snow says:

    Great pictures & annotations – thank you! Were you able to see any information about the cemetery headstones – if they are fictions names, or duplicates, or real, and if the headstones are real, where they came from, and anything about the decedents they represent, if they are real names?

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