Old Stone House Historic Ctr

Doesn't Recommend

tjdny

Joined 5 years ago

Not really worth a separate trip - it's barely historic. I've been visiting all the NYC area Historic House Trust lisitings, and made a special (70 min each way) trip for the Old Stone House in Park Slope/Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

This was a waste of 2+ hours.

The house is basically a community center, sitting at the edge of a busy, noisy, neighborhood park. There's a teeny tiny side 'garden', and the exterior is faithfully reconstructed, but that's the end of the historic aspect.

The interior has all the historic value of a 1960s cafeteria...cement floor, plain walls & school lighting...no historic furniture or fittings. Also, the main plain room is often rented out to Park Slope parents who overrun it with buggies, hyper kids, and kool aid. As it's only open on the weekends, you can bet at least 1 of those days will be dominated by primary school music recitals, bday parties, etc.

The staff doesn't know anything of the history, cannot control the kids tearing through, and cannot accurately say if the place is rented for the day if you call in advance.

There are old, worn laminate text boards outlining a lot of Early American war facts where the house played a part. Don't expect to be able to read them...it would mean some of the twittering parents to move their folding tables and themselves out of the way for paying visitors.

There is no info available on the house's probable interior decor, floorplans, contruction or architecture.

All in all, it's false advertising. This is nearly a Disney shell on NYC history.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Site of a dramatic clash during the battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War.. In Short
A replica of a Dutch stone farmhouse built by the Vechte family, the house's sturdy structure and strategic position made it a focal point of the battle of Brooklyn on Aug. 22, 1776. The house was rebuilt in the 1930s with stones from the original site, and later served as the clubhouse for the baseball team that became the Brooklyn Dodgers.