Conference House Museum

 museum, house, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, 17th century construction

Bentley Manor, also known as the Captain Christopher Billopp House, Dutch Colonial stone home built c.1675, tenth oldest surviving structure in New York State. Captain Christopher Billopp, after years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, came to America in 1674 and settled on the best part of Staten Island, where he was granted a patent for 932 acres. Archaeological evidence suggests there was an Indian village on the site. His descendants lived in the house until the American Revolution.

The Staten Island Peace Conference was held here on September 11, 1776. Lord Admiral Richard Howe, commander in chief of British forces in America, and his brother General Sir William Howe, commander of the land forces, met with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge to offer amnesty and terms of peace in return for ending the American Revolution. The Americans politely declined, leading to another seven years of conflict. Home renamed The Conference House in honor of this meeting, and was made a museum in 1926.

theconferencehouse.org/