The Valentine–Varian House is a historic house located in the Norwood neighborhood of

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Built in 1758 by Isaac Valentine, it is the Bronx's second oldest house and oldest remaining farmhouse. The house remained in the Varian family, which included Isaac Varian, the 63rd

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

until 1905, when it was sold. It is currently a part of the

Historic House Trust The Historic House Trust of New York City was formed in 1989 as a public-private partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to preserve the historic houses located within New York City parks, although most of the houses ...

and houses the Museum of Bronx History and the offices of

the Bronx County Historical Society The Bronx County Historical Society is a private non-profit organization that collects and disseminates historical material and information about the New York City borough of the Bronx, as well as southern Westchester County, New York. The Socie ...

. It is a two-story, five bay

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

residence with a gable roof. It was moved to its present site in 1965 and restored between July 1965 and May 1968. ''See also:''

History

This structure, the second oldest house in the Bronx, was built by Isaac Valentine, a prosperous blacksmith and farmer from Yonkers in 1758. It was built out of nearby natural resources such as pine trees for interior flooring and stone for the exterior walls. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, the House was occupied by

Hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and American troops and survived the war despite a series of battles fought nearby. The British captured this house in 1776 and held British troops as George Washington was stationed in the nearby

Van Cortlandt House The Van Cortlandt House Museum, also known as the Frederick Van Cortlandt House or simply the Van Cortlandt House, is the oldest building in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is located in the southwestern portion of Van Cortlandt P ...

. This house then became the scene of frequent conflict between British and American troops. Isaac Valentine often encountered unwelcomed visitors since the 3rd amendment (no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner) was not established. Nevertheless, George Washington used the Valentine–Varian House as a strategic location to defeat the British. The house is situated on Bainbridge Avenue The colonists used this highest point of the east end in the Bronx overlooking the Boston Post Road and gathered at the top of the hill to fire a cannon against the British who were at the bottom of the hill, hence its name. The gouse's role in the Revolutionary War was documented in a book published in 1983. After the Revolutionary War, Isaac Valentine faced bankruptcy due to the rising inflation as the nation attempted to establish an economy with their newfound independence. The Hessian fly was also a contributor to Isaac Valentine's financial ruin where wheat crops were blighted in southeastern New York. As urbanization outpaced his farming techniques, Isaac Valentine sold his house to the wealthy Isaac Varian and his family in 1792.

Preservation

It was moved to its present site in 1965 and restored between July 1965 and May 1968. The house withstood significant vandalism in the 1960s when it was being converted for use into a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

. Since its conversion to a museum it has held a number of exhibits about the Bronx and the borough's history. The Bronx's decline in the late 20th century garnered the attention of president

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

, leading to increased state funding for preservation of the borough. Additionally, Isaac Varian handed down the house to his son, Isaac L. Varian, who was a Democratic New York state legislature and held office as the 63rd mayor of New York City (1839–1841).

Past to present changes

The house is located on 3266 Bainbridge Avenue, often sticking out as a suburban house that does not fit into the urban landscape. This is due to the house maintaining its Georgian style architecture while the Bronx underwent urbanization. The Valentine–Varian House is preserved by the

New York City Department of Parks and Recreation The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, also called the Parks Department or NYC Parks, is the department of the government of New York City responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecolog ...

and facilitated through the Bronx County Historical Society. The house was originally across the street from its current address, but apartment buildings now occupy its initial location. Within the house, it serves as a museum to illustrate Bronx history through the Revolutionary War to present day. It contains an exhibit highlighting the history of the house, a room of American presidents who contributed to the Bronx, and a display of collective items from actual American wars. There is currently no residence and although the site is a two–story house, the top floor is not for public access. It is well preserved since the original floor planning and structure is kept to maintain and respect the architecture. A statue of a Civil War soldier, sometimes called the

Bronx River The Bronx River (), approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States and drains an area of . It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. Besides the Hutchinson River, the Bronx River is the only fresh water river i ...

Soldier or the Bronx River Sentry statue, is located on the grounds of the House. It sculpted by John Grignoloa, but it shares no history with the Valentine–Varian House. It was commissioned by a Morrisania veterans' group in the 1890s, to serve as a memorial marker in Woodlawn Cemetery, but was damaged before it was delivered. It was then bought by John B. Lazzari, who owned a nearby quarry and stonecutter's yard, who erected it on a footbridge over the Bronx River on his property. In 1964, the statue fell and was later found near the site. The Bronx County Historical Society restored it to its original standing and claimed ownership of the statue to display near the house. The house is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

References

External links

*
The Historic House Trust of New York City :: Valentine–Varian House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine-Varian House Historic American Buildings Survey in New York City Historic house museums in New York City History museums in New York City Houses completed in 1758 Houses in the Bronx Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in the Bronx Museums in the Bronx New York City Designated Landmarks in the Bronx Norwood, Bronx Relocated buildings and structures in New York City