Alice Austen House facts for kids
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Elizabeth Alice Austen House –
Clear Comfort |
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island New York City, New York |
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| Built | 1690 |
| Architectural style | Dutch Colonial, later Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000925 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 28, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 19, 1993 |
The Alice Austen House, also known as Clear Comfort, is a historic home in Staten Island, New York City. It is located at 2 Hylan Boulevard in the Rosebank area. This house was the home of Alice Austen, a famous photographer, for most of her life. Today, it is a museum and part of the Historic House Trust. A group of volunteers called "Friends of Alice Austen" helps manage the house.
In 2021, Clear Comfort was recognized by the LGBT Historic Sites project. It was the first site in New York City dedicated to a woman to receive this special recognition.
History of Clear Comfort
The Alice Austen House was first built a long time ago, around the late 1600s or early 1700s. It started as a small, one-room Dutch Colonial house. It was built right on the shore of New York Harbor, close to a narrow waterway called the Narrows. Brothers Jacob, Lambert, and John Woulter/Johnson were likely the first people to live there. They bought 120 acres of land in 1698.
The house was changed and made bigger many times in the 1800s. A big change happened in 1844 when John Haggerty Austen, Alice's grandfather, bought it. He renamed it "Clear Comfort" and updated its style.
In the 1950s and 1960s, some photographers like Berenice Abbott and Philip Johnson worked hard to save the house. They wanted to stop it from being torn down. Because of their efforts, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It also became a New York City Landmark in 1971. The city of New York bought the house in 1975, and it opened to the public as a museum in 1985. In 1993, it was named a National Historic Landmark. Later, in 2002, it became a Historic Artist Home and Studio.
Museum Exhibitions and Activities
The Alice Austen House is a museum that takes part in special events. For example, it joins the Smithsonian Museum Day. In 2016, the museum held its first big art show called Staten Island Unlimited. This show featured 35 photographers from different parts of New York. During the opening of the show, people celebrated Alice Austen's 150th birthday. There were also talks where artists discussed their photos of Staten Island.
In March 2016, the Whitney Museum hosted a discussion called New Eyes on Alice Austen. This event honored Women's History Month and Alice Austen's 150th birthday. Experts talked about Alice Austen's amazing photography and her unique life. The museum has also worked to tell a more complete story of Alice Austen's life, including her long-time companion, Gertrude Tate. A new podcast called My Dear Alice shares more about this.
Because of this new understanding of Alice Austen's life, the museum was recognized as an LGBT historic site.
Stories of the House
There are some old stories about the Alice Austen House. One neighborhood tradition says that after midnight, you might hear chains clanking from the cellar. Another story tells of a British soldier who supposedly hung himself in the parlor because he was heartbroken. People say you might hear the sound of his military boots and spurs in that room after midnight. These are just old tales passed down through the years.
See also
In Spanish: Alice Austen House para niños
- List of museums devoted to one photographer
- List of the oldest buildings in New York
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island
