Historic Richmond Town

What Historic Richmond Town does

Historic Richmond Town (HRT), legally the Staten Island Historical Society, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit living history village, historical museum, and arboretum founded in 1856 and operating on Staten Island, New York. The organization operates a 35-acre main campus at 441 Clarke Avenue containing 40+ restored historic structures interpreted through costumed historical interpreters depicting life in the 1770s, 1820s, and 1860s, plus three satellite properties: Decker Farm (NYC's oldest continuously working family farm, ca. 1810), the Judge Jacob Tysen House, and the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House (1663, the 4th oldest home in New York State). Total land under management is approximately 100 acres abutting LaTourette Park, held under a Cultural Institution Groups (CIG) contract with the City of New York signed in 1958. The core technology is interpretive — historical trades demonstrations (broom-making, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, candle-making, basket-making, hearth cooking), the Native Encampment (2022), and a Collections Database with 100,000+ artifacts, photographs, and archival materials. The Research Library serves genealogists and historians with paid research sessions ($30 first hour, $10/hour additional; free for members).

Revenue mechanics span earned and contributed income: one-time admissions and event tickets (Old Home Day, Tavern Concerts, Hearth & Harvest Festival, Candlelight Tours, Hearth & Harvest Festival, Open Village May–August); recurring memberships with free Research Library access and event discounts; group/school reservations at discounted per-person rates; daily photography permits ($95/day exterior); venue rentals of the Third County Courthouse, Guyon Tavern, and grounds for weddings, corporate events, and filming; merchandise sales at the Village Store; professional research services; and donations including a recurring membership base. The Richmond County Fair is the most important annual fundraiser. Contributed income includes NYC CIG operational support, NYSCA grants, Historic House Trust grants, and discretionary funding from the Borough President (Vito Fossella) and NYC Council members (Frank Morano, David Carr, Kamillah Hanks), plus corporate sponsors (Con Edison, Benjamin Moore via Historic House Trust, Mark's Bake Shoppe, Lowe's Heroes). Customers span families, K-12 schools (25,000+ students annually), genealogists/researchers, professional photographers, and corporate/private event clients across the New York City region. The organization is led by CEO Jessica B. Phillips with a Board of Directors chaired by President Michael Molinaro.

Name

Historic Richmond Town

Legal name

Staten Island Historical Society

Website

https://historicrichmondtown.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1856

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Historic Richmond Town is a 501(c)(3) living history village and historical museum on Staten Island, NYC, operating a 35-acre campus with 40+ restored structures, 100,000+ artifacts, and NYC's oldest working family farm, serving families, K-12 schools, genealogists, photographers, and event clients via admissions, memberships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Living History Museum and Heritage Cultural Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

Keywords

• Living history museum
• Historical preservation
• Heritage education programs
• Museum collections research
• Historic venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Staten Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission & Tours: Ticket sales for museum visits, guided tours, and living history experiences at the 35-acre campus. General admission hours are Wednesday through Sunday 1:00-5:00 PM.
2. Special Event Tickets: Revenue from ticketed events including Richmond County Fair, Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm, Candlelight Tours, Tavern Concerts, Hearth & Harvest Festival, and Old Home Day.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership providing free access to research library, discounted event tickets, and exclusive perks. Members receive free access to research library.
4. Group Reservations: Discounted rates for groups of adults and children for school programs, group tours, and educational visits.
5. Photography Permits: Daily photo permits for professional photography sessions at the site. Exterior photography is $95/day with indoor permits available case-by-case.
6. Venue Rentals & Private Events: Rental of historic venues including the Third County Courthouse, Guyon Tavern, and various historic structures for private events, corporate events, and filming.
7. Donations & Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting preservation, restoration, and educational programming. The Richmond County Fair is described as the most important annual fundraiser.
8. Village Store & Merchandise: Sales of merchandise, historic items, and locally-made goods at the on-site village store.
9. Research Services: Research sessions for genealogy and historical inquiries. $30 for first hour, $10/hour additional, free for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Historic Richmond Town operates a 35-acre living history museum and village on Staten Island featuring costumed interpreters demonstrating 18th and 19th century trades and domestic life across 40+ restored historic structures. The organization runs a Historical Museum with 100,000+ artifacts, school and group education programs, signature seasonal events (Richmond County Fair, Old Home Day, Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking, Tavern Concerts, Candlelight Tours), venue rentals for private events, photography permits, a Research Library, and an online Collections Database.

Product overview

Historic Richmond Town operates as a unified living history museum experience consisting of multiple integrated offerings. The core products include a 35-acre living history village with costumed interpreters, a Historical Museum with 100,000+ artifacts, and extensive school programs. Supporting offerings include the Research Library and Collections Database for public research, Historic Trades Programs featuring demonstrations and apprenticeships, and the Native Encampment for authentic Native cultural representation. The site also hosts signature events including the annual Richmond County Fair, Old Home Day Festival, Pumpkin Picking at Decker Farm, and seasonal programming like Candlelight Tours and Tavern Concerts. Service offerings include venue rentals for private events and photography permits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Living History Village Experience An open-air living history museum featuring costumed historical interpreters demonstrating life in the 1770s, 1820s, and 1860s across the 35-acre campus, with historic trades displayed in shops and domestic life shown in historic homes. Targeted at general public visitors during Open Village season.
• Historical Museum Exhibitions A historical museum operated by the Staten Island Historical Society featuring permanent and changing gallery exhibitions with over 100,000 artifacts, photographs, and archival collections on display. Open during general admission hours Wednesday-Sunday 1-5 PM.
• School Programs Educational programs for school groups including guided tours, hands-on activities, and curriculum-aligned experiences for K-12 students. Discounted group rates and dedicated booking via the education department.
• Richmond County Fair Staten Island's annual community celebration and Historic Richmond Town's biggest annual fundraiser, held over multiple days each September featuring food, entertainment, and local vendors.
• Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking Autumn event at New York City's oldest continuously working family farm (established ca. 1810), featuring pumpkin picking, hayrides, and fall activities across 11 acres at Decker Farm.
• Collections Database Online searchable database of the museum's 100,000+ artifacts, photographs, and archival collections available for public research and exploration.
• Research Library On-site research facility offering research sessions and access to historical records for genealogy and local history research, with free access for members and paid hourly sessions ($30 first hour, $10/hour additional) for non-members.
• Photography Permits Daily and seasonal photo permits for professional photography and videography at the historic site, with rates for exterior-only ($95/day) and indoor photography available case-by-case.
• Private Event Venue Rentals Venue rental services for private events including weddings, corporate events, and filming at the historic village's nearly 100 acres of manicured parkland, including the Third County Courthouse, Guyon Tavern, and other historic structures.
• Old Home Day Festival Annual festival of historic trades and Staten Island cultural heritage featuring demonstrations of tinsmithing, blacksmithing, carpentry, candle making, basket making, and Native encampment programs.
• Historic Trades Programs Demonstrations and apprenticeships in historic trades including broom-making, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, candle-making, and basket-weaving by trained historical interpreters.
• Native Encampment Authentic representation of Lenape people life post-European contact, featuring a wigwam and structures built from natural materials, with interpretive programs on Native culture and history.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership providing free access to research library, discounted event tickets, and exclusive perks. Members receive free first hour of research access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 annual school children served at the site
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYC Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1958Formal Cultural Institution Group (CIG) contract with the City of New York operating on City property. The CIG contract includes 100 acres of land abutting LaTourette Park. Department of Parks & Recreation provides operational support and oversight.
• NYC Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides operational support and funding as part of the Cultural Institution Groups (CIG) framework. Commissioner Diya Vij serves as ex-officio board member.
• Historic House TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Giulietta Fiore serves as ex-officio board member. Historic House Trust provides grants for preservation and restoration work, including paint supplies through Benjamin Moore partnership for historic house maintenance.
• Historic House Trust / Benjamin MooreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaint grant partnership through Historic House Trust securing Benjamin Moore paint for Edwards-Barton-Aquilino House restoration.
• Visit Staten IslandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal tourism partnership to promote Historic Richmond Town as a destination attraction on Staten Island.
• Richmondtown Branch NYPLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for virtual programming including bookbinding workshops with materials distributed through the library branch.
• Student Conservation AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteers contributed materials harvested from Freshkills Park and the campus for Native Encampment construction.
• Lowe's Home ImprovementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLowe's Heroes volunteer initiative completed outdoor maintenance, landscaping, and infrastructure projects at the main village site.
• Mark's Bake ShoppeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor providing Decker Farm Snack Wagon with fall-flavored donuts, pumpkin pie, cider and pumpkin spice coffee during Pumpkin Picking season.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Historic Deerfield: A historic New England village with 12 preserved houses open as a museum, presenting early American decorative arts and daily life. Comparable in preserved historic structures and educational programming, though smaller scale and more decorative-arts focused.
• Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library: A former du Pont estate in Delaware presenting American decorative arts with a research library and 60-acre naturalistic garden. Comparable as a historic house museum with research library services and educational programming.

Direct peers

• Conner Prairie: An Indiana living history museum with costumed interpreters, historic structures, and interactive programs spanning multiple centuries. Comparable as a multi-era living history destination with strong school program engagement and event-driven revenue.
• Old World Wisconsin: An outdoor living history museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society, featuring restored immigrant-era buildings and costumed interpreters across a large campus. Comparable as a state-affiliated open-air living history village with school programming.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: A maritime living history museum in Connecticut featuring a recreated 19th-century seafaring village with preserved structures, ship restoration, and traditional craft demonstrations. Comparable in living history interpretation and historic trades programming.
• Old Sturbridge Village: A living history museum in Massachusetts recreating a 1830s rural New England village with costumed interpreters, historic trades demonstrations, and educational programming. Directly comparable operating model, visitor scale, and interpretive scope.
• Colonial Williamsburg: The largest living history museum in the United States, presenting 18th-century colonial life through restored structures and costumed interpreters. Comparable as a living history destination with ticketed admission, seasonal programming, and educational offerings.
• Plimoth Patuxet Museums: A complex of living history museums in Massachusetts interpreting 17th-century Plymouth Colony and Native American life, including historic houses, crafts, and educational programs. Comparable in living history interpretation, Native cultural programming, and school group engagement.
• Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford: An outdoor living history museum at The Henry Ford complex in Dearborn, Michigan, featuring historic buildings, costumed presenters, and craft demonstrations. Comparable as a multi-structure living history village with extensive event programming and educational offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: The world's largest museum and research complex with 21 museums and the National Zoo, including historical and cultural collections. Comparable as a heritage/cultural institution with research library and educational programming, though vastly broader in scope and federally supported.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-richmond-town

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Historic Richmond Town