5. Old Stone House
The Old Stone House is a 1933 replica of the Vechte-Cortelyou House, which was destroyed in 1897. The solid stone house was originally constructed in 1699 by Hendrick Claessen Vechte, who harvested oysters in Gowanus Creek and ferried the family’s produce to lower Manhattan. The home served as a significant location during the Battle of Long Island, the largest battle of the American Revolution.
On August 27th, 1776, American General William Alexander led a regiment of 400 Maryland soldiers against 2,000 British troops, who were fighting from their stronghold at the Old Stone House. Most of the Maryland 400 lost their lives that day, and some men who tried to cross the marsh were bogged down and eventually captured. The soldiers were buried in a mass grave on what is today 3rd Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. The Old Stone House, located in Washington Park, was reconstructed using stones from the original site and remains one of NYC’s most important Revolutionary War sites.