Cornelius Van Wyck House
Encyclopedia
The Cornelius Van Wyck House is an 18th century Dutch Colonial
home located on the shore of Little Neck Bay
in the Douglaston
section of Queens
in New York City
. It was designated as a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
in 1966 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
The house was originally constructed in 1735 by Cornelius Van Wyck, a third-generation American. Upon his death, the house passed to his son Stephen Van Wyck, who built additions to the house. In 1819, possession of the home left the Van Wyck family when it was sold to Winant Van Zandt.
By 1770, the house had expanded to add more rooms, and in 1930 the house expanded again to include room for a new kitchen. The notable architectural features of the house include its salt-box roof, oak beams, and wooden shingles. It is one of the last remaining Dutch Colonial houses in New York City.
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house...
home located on the shore of Little Neck Bay
Little Neck Bay
Little Neck Bay is an embayment in western Long Island, New York, off Long Island Sound. Little Neck Bay forms the western boundary of the Great Neck Peninsula, the eastern boundary of which is Manhasset Bay. The political boundary between Nassau County and the borough of Queens runs through the bay...
in the Douglaston
Douglaston, Queens
Douglaston, population 14,168 , is a community in the New York City borough of Queens. Douglaston comprises six distinct neighborhoods: Doug Bay, Douglas Manor, and Douglaston Hill, all located north of Northern Boulevard on the peninsula abutting Little Neck Bay; Douglaston Park, located between...
section of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was designated as a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
in 1966 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.
The house was originally constructed in 1735 by Cornelius Van Wyck, a third-generation American. Upon his death, the house passed to his son Stephen Van Wyck, who built additions to the house. In 1819, possession of the home left the Van Wyck family when it was sold to Winant Van Zandt.
By 1770, the house had expanded to add more rooms, and in 1930 the house expanded again to include room for a new kitchen. The notable architectural features of the house include its salt-box roof, oak beams, and wooden shingles. It is one of the last remaining Dutch Colonial houses in New York City.