Vander Ende–Onderdonk House facts for kids
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Vander Ende–Onderdonk House Site
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1820 Flushing Avenue, Ridgewood, New York |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1661 |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000975 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 31, 1977 |
The Vander Ende–Onderdonk House is a very old and special house located at 1820 Flushing Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens, New York City. It is also known as the Van Nanda House. This house is the oldest stone house in New York City built in the Dutch Colonial style. This means it looks like homes built by early Dutch settlers.
Today, the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society owns the house. A large part of the house is now a museum. Visitors can explore and learn about what life was like in New York a long time ago.
Contents
History of the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House
Who Built the House?
The first part of the house was built in 1661. A man named Hendrick Barents Smidt built it on land given to him by Peter Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant was a very important leader in the early Dutch colony of New Netherland.
How the House Grew Over Time
Later, in 1709, another part was added to the original house. This addition was built by Paulus Vander Ende. His son, Frederik, inherited the house next. Frederik changed his last name to Van Nanda.
In 1769, Frederik's daughter Jane and her husband, Moses Beadel, became the owners. The house was mentioned in a survey that year. This survey helped mark the boundary between Kings and Queens counties. The house is very close to this old border.
The Onderdonk Family and Changes
The Onderdonk family bought the property in 1821. The house used to have a different address, 1416 Flushing Avenue. At one point, the property included a huge 100-acre farm. Over many years, parts of the land were sold off. Eventually, the property became much smaller, less than two acres.
Saving the Historic House
In 1975, the house had a big fire. Many of its wooden parts were destroyed. Because of its historical importance, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history.
The building was repaired in the early 1980s. It received a lot of money from the government to help with the repairs. Since it was a historic site, workers rebuilt it using the same tools and building styles from the colonial era. In 1995, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission officially named it a landmark.
Rediscovering Arbitration Rock
In 2001, something interesting was found. It was believed to be the Arbitration Rock. This ancient rock was used in the late 1700s and early 1800s. People used it to measure land claims and property lines. In August 2001, the Arbitration Rock was moved to the backyard of the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House.
Gallery
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A marker from 1977 that celebrates the house being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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The outside of the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House in 2022.
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The attic of the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House in 2022.
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A room on the first floor of the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House, now used as a museum space.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in New York
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Queens
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Queens County, New York
