6. Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Photo by redit Jordan Rathkopf

The Lefferts Historic House is one of the oldest buildings in Brooklyn. Located within Prospect Park, the 18th-century farmhouse belonged to the Lefferts family, one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Brooklyn. In 1917, the John Leffert’s estate gifted the home to the city of New York under the condition that it be moved onto city property to be protected and preserved.

Today, the home is operated by the Prospect Park Alliance in partnership with the Historic House Trust. The building will be honored with a preservation award for the $2.5 million restoration project that replaced the cedar shingle roof and repaired the façades, windows, and porch. The project was funded by the Speaker and the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council.