The National Park Service has awarded the Historic House Trust of New York City with a $74,120 grant to complete a feasibility study of techniques to address climate-related challenges at the Conference House on Staten Island. The project will also involve updating the site’s National Register of Historic Places listing to include underrepresented perspectives. 

The Historic House Trust is one of 19 cultural organizations awarded funding this year through the National Park Service Semiquincentennial Grant Program. Created by Congress in 2020, this program supports the preservation of cultural resources associated with the founding of America as a nation in commemoration of the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026. 

“Since its founding, our nation has been shaped by an exceptionally diverse collection of cultures, events, and places” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “The Semiquincentennial Grant Program supports our efforts to present a more complete telling of our country’s history as we approach its 250th anniversary in 2026, and beyond.”

This grant award will allow the Historic House Trust to address current climate-related issues and prepare for the future. This project is the first step in creating a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the long-term preservation of the Conference House, and will help to avert further preventable damage to the house. The Historic House Trust hopes to share the model with its network of 23 partner historic house museums in New York City - and beyond - in order to begin critical conversations about climate change and museum preparedness. 

“Our goal is to be as proactive as possible about restoration of the 23 historic sites under our care,” said Historic House Trust Executive Director Meredith Horsford. “This grant will allow us to better understand how our climate is evolving, how these changes are impacting historic structures, and how we can address persistent problems across our network.”

Built in 1680, the Conference House is named today in recognition of the 1776 Peace Conference that took place there on September 11, 1776 in a failed attempt to end the Revolutionary War. The diverse history of the site is interpreted by the Conference House through a wide range of educational programming for visitors of all ages. “We’re really appreciative of our partnership with the Historic House Trust and NYC Parks” says Conference House Association Board President Michael Acquilano. “This investment by the National Park Service and our partners will mean a lot for our ability as a small organization to ensure that this important place is preserved for future generations.”

About the Conference House
Built by Captain Christopher Billopp around 1680, the Conference House (formerly known as the Billopp House) is named today in recognition of the 1776 Peace Conference that took place there on September 11, 1776. 250 years ago, representatives of the Second Continental Congress including Founding Fathers John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge, met with representatives of the British Crown in an attempt to end the Revolutionary War. However, after the British refused to recognize the recently published Declaration of Independence, negotiations halted and the “Peace Conference” came to an end. This historical event underscores the tenacity of a fledgling America, and is an important chapter in the story of our country’s founding. 

The Conference House has also been witness to other important chapters in history. When its namesake event occurred in 1776, the house had already been standing as a wheat farm for 100 years at the center of Captain Billopp’s 1,600-acre Manor of Bentley. The house was markedly different in both style and scale from the scattered Dutch farmhouses of Staten Island and signals the family’s loyalist ties with England during a period of revolution.

Today, the house is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and is operated by the Conference House Association in partnership with the Historic House Trust of New York City. The house opened as a museum in 1927 and has been restored to its mid-18th-century appearance. There are exhibit spaces located on the cellar, first, and second floors of the home in which the Conference House Association mounts rotating exhibits. 

About the Historic House Trust
The Historic House Trust of New York City (HHT) partners with NYC Parks to advocate for, promote, and provide expertise to preserve 23 publicly-owned historic house museums located across all five boroughs of New York City. HHT partners with independent non-profit organizations that operate the historic sites as museums, as well as NYC Parks and other City agencies, to assist in preservation and advocacy efforts. The team manages restoration projects at its partner sites, coordinates daily maintenance needs, advises on best practices in historic preservation, and works to address the evolving needs of its partners and stakeholders. Learn more at www.historichousetrust.org and follow on Instagram @hhtnyc.

Press Contact:
Giulietta Fiore
giulietta.fiore@historichousetrust.org
718-760-6598