Historic Richmondtown in Staten Island NY - Essay Example

Historic Richmond Town in n Island NY The format that this paper will utilize is to first provide some background on the town and then provide some insight into the towns significance based on relevant literature. According to Schmitt (2009) Historic Richmond Town is self identified as a living history village as well as a museum complex which occupies over 100 acres, includes thirty original structures (Insofar as the buildings have not bee rebuilt over the years) as well as the oldest continuously operated farm in New York City.

One specific point of interest is that the site includes one of the oldest homes in the county which has occupied the same location for over over three centuries. The site represents a joint venture between both the city of New York and a the Staten Island Historical Society and it is through this joint venture that Richmond Town is able to maintain the townships historic character. One major concern for the site is ultimately preserving the historic character of the town. Without question modern influences encroach on the landscape but maintaining infrastructure that is true to the character of the region does represent a significant logistical concern.

According to OGrady (2000) it is the case that one of the signature bridges of the region (The Richmond Creek Bridge) which was built in 1845 has been so degraded over time that it needs serious infrastructure renewal. The main concern with repairing this bridge is that there are significant costs associated with restoring structures to their original form. The department of infrastructure had to award a $295,000 contract to a engineering firm to simply assess the feasibility of restoring the bridge to its original form.

From this perspective one could discuss the matter of whether or not a structure that had to be extensively renovated is actually a piece of living history. Without question the physical maintaining of the historic properties is a daunting task insofar as according to Larrivee (2008) the historic buildings represent a wide range of conditions and repair. So it could be argued that owing to the wide spectrum or building states adds not only character but also in helps to improve the historical element of the historic site.

Because visitors can witness properties and building sites in complete original form, mid-repair and, post reparation means that visitors can view a better range, rather than a single rebuild site or completely decrepit abandoned site. ReferencesLarrivee, K. (2008) Collections in the Rain: Maintaining and Protecting Building Collections at Open Air Historic Village Museums. Proquest. UMI Microform 1457425. Ann Arbor, MI. OGrady, J. (September 17th 2000) Neighbourhood Report: Richmondtown; The Richmond Creek Bridge: Built, 1845; Future Uncertain.

New York Times.Schmitt, A (2009) Historic Richmond Town: The American Experience from the 17th Century Until Today. Historic Richmond Town website. [online] Available at http://www.historicrichmondtown.org/ Accessed on September 15th 2011.