8. Stafford “Osborn” House
Stafford “Osborn” House
The nearby Stafford House was built in 1930 for Captain John H. Stafford, who was a well-known member of City Island’s maritime community. The house has remained unchanged since its original construction. The house exemplifies the Sears “mail order” house, more than 70,000 of which were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. The Stafford House was an “Osborne” model, which featured timberwood columns, open porches, and shingle siding.
The Stafford House was de-designated along with the Booth House on City Island in 2017. Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council Preservation expressed frustration at this decision by asking in an article for New York History Blog, “Why would the Landmarks Commission waste its limited resources on this community with the foreknowledge that the Councilmember will most likely veto their decision if the owner doesn’t actively desire it?”