Jacob Blackwell built his home on what was at the time Manning’s Island. Manning’s Island was owned by Robert Blackwell since 1686. It was renamed to Blackwell Island, then Welfare Island, and eventually Roosevelt Island. The Blackwell House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
“This unpretentious clapboard farmhouse, built in the vernacular style of the late 18th century, now consists of a two-story main section and a one-story kitchen wing, constructed soon after the completion of the main building.” [Roosevelt Island Historical Society]
“When a penitentiary was erected in 1829, the wooden house became a residential place for institutional administrators. The house was abandoned during the 1900s and restored in the early 1970s.” [Untapped New York] The house now serves as a museum of Roosevelt Islands history and preserved treasures.
Details
- Website: Blackwell House
- Location: 500 Main St, New York, NY 10044
- Subway: F to Roosevelt Island (then 1 block north)
- Tram: Roosevelt Island Tramway (then 2 blocks north)
- Car: Roosevelt Island Bridge from Queens (park in the garage)
- Hours: Wed-Sunday 11am-5pm (except major holidays)
Map
500 Main St, New York, NY 10044 (Google Map or Open Street Map)
Sources
- Wikipedia: Blackwell House
- National Park Service: Blackwell’s Island (Roosevelt Island), New York City
- RIOC: Blackwell House
- Untapped New York: 13 Secrets of NYC’s Roosevelt Island
- RIHS: Blackwell House