Credit: Adriano Chinellato
Restoring the Historic Wraparound Porch at the
Olmsted-Beil House – Staten Island, NY
Thanks to The Staten Island Foundation’s “Diamond Matching Grant,” Friends of Olmsted-Beil House was able to match donations directed toward the restoration of the wraparound porch, while also supporting the growth of programs, infrastructure, and capacity needed to advance our mission.
The Diamond Matching Grant tripled new donations up to $50,000 — for a total of $150,000.
We’re thrilled to share that the $50,000 goal has been reached! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed and made this happen.
Upcoming Events
Olmsted’s Howitzer: Frederick Law Olmsted’s Transformation from Gradualist to Abolitionist
Thursday November 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
This is a Virtual Event – All who register will receive a link to join on Zoom.
SPEAKER
Prof. James A. Kaser, Archivist, College of Staten Island
DESCRIPTION
From his youth, Olmsted held views about slavery that were common among Northerners. He considered slavery wrong but was convinced that the institution would gradually come to an end in the South, as it had in the North. He thought that the stances of both Southerners and abolitionists, and the fervor with which they were maintained, were equally wrong-headed. His friend, abolitionist Charles Loring Brace, debated with him and brought persuasive abolitionist leaders, like William Lloyd Garrison, to Olmsted’s farm. Olmsted was unswayed.
This presentation will focus on the ways in which Olmsted’s perspective was transformed by his travels through the South as a correspondent for the newspaper we know today as The New York Times. His journalism and resulting book, Journey in the Seaboard Slave States, reshaped the national slavery debate and converted other gradualists from their positions. Olmsted’s transformation was so complete that, in 1855, he was the agent for purchasing a howitzer to arm Kansas Free-Soilers.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Kaser is a bibliographer and cultural historian with a doctorate in American culture studies. He has written six books, including Staten Island’s Elliottville: Abolitionist Enclave, Gilded Age Retreat, Ferry Suburb (SUNY Press, 2025) and a photographic history of the College of Staten Island (Arcadia Publishing, 2026).
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
Donations to the Friends of Olmsted-Beil House are appreciated.
Support FOBH »
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Ornament Workshop: Stars in Nature
Sunday November 15, 2026
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Celebrate natural materials with star shapes! This workshop will feature three hand-crafted ornaments. Each ornament will include natural materials from some of the “great trees” that Frederick Law Olmsted planted, which still stand in Olmsted-Beil House Park. These natural materials, along with wire, gold cardstock, glue guns, and other materials, will be supplied.
Light refreshments will be served.
THE BIDDLE HOUSE
70 Satterlee St, Staten Island, NY 10307
DONATION/MATERIALS FEE: $10.00
The workshop is intended for adults.
Registration is required.
In the News
Portrait of Olmsted at Tosomock Farm Debuts
August 2026–A fanciful portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted commissioned by Friends of Olmsted-Beil House (FOBH) has been revealed. Gaby D’Alessandro, a Dominican illustrator living between Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, and NYC, created Furrow and Folio: Frederick Law Olmsted at Tosomock Farm, which highlights significant aspects of Olmsted’s life at his farm.
FOBH Goes to School
Photo Credit: Paula Tramontano
July 2025—Friends of Olmsted-Beil House (FOBH) has been introducing Staten Island students in grades 3 to 5 to the field of landscape architecture with its innovative Discover Landscape Architecture classroom program. Developed by FOBH Treasurer and retired educator Paula Tramontano, the program has reached approximately 1,400 students since its inception in the 2022-2023 school year.
New Land Acquired for Olmsted-Beil House Park
Photo credit: Google Maps/Giuseppe Settinieri
October 2024—Friends of Olmsted-Beil House (FOBH) is delighted to announce that the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (“NYC Parks”) has acquired a 1.2-acre parcel of privately owned land, at 4485 Hylan Boulevard, in Eltingville on the South Shore of Staten Island, as an addition to the 1.58-acre Olmsted-Beil House Park.
New York State capital funds for NYC Parks’ purchase of the property were appropriated through an arrangement organized by New York State Senator Andrew Lanza, in whose district the park is situated.
This property, which abuts Olmsted-Beil House Park, was formerly part of the original parcel of 130 acres owned by Frederick Law Olmsted immediately prior to his commission, with Calvert Vaux, as designer of Central Park. The addition of this property to the boundaries of the park restores a significant part of Olmsted’s Tosomock Farm.
FOBH awarded grant from The Staten Island Foundation
Friends of Olmsted-Beil House (FOBH) has received a grant from The Staten Island Foundation to contract with an historical architecture firm to prepare an historic preservation plan and schematic design for the Olmsted-Beil House. Frederick Law Olmsted lived at the Eltingville farmhouse and its 130-acre property from 1847 to 1855.
The farmhouse is a New York City landmark and is listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. It is currently closed to the public while it awaits restoration. The site, currently 1.35 acres, is now a New York City park, Olmsted-Beil House Park.
Press Coverage
Calls for New York State to Release Funds for Purchase of Property Abutting the Olmsted Farmhouse
The National Association for Olmsted Parks, with The Garden Club of America, National Recreation and Parks Association, City Parks Alliance, American Society of Landscape Architects, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, and Landscape Architecture Foundation, sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo to release the funds that New York State allocated to purchase 1.2 acres immediately adjoining the Olmsted farmhouse.
Olmsted: The Scientific Farmer on Staten Island
(January 15, 2021) National Association for Olmsted Parks–Olmsted 200 Read more »
Get to Know Friends
Friends of Olmsted-Beil House is the nonprofit organization protecting, preserving, and presenting the Olmsted-Beil House historic site.
Videos
Video Collection
View our extensive collection of videos about the Olmsted-Beil House Historic Site.
Location
About the Historic Site
The Olmsted-Beil House historic site is where landscaping genius Frederick Law Olmsted pioneered many of the techniques he later incorporated in Central Park and other acclaimed, transformational projects. The site is located in Eltingville on the south shore of Staten Island, at 4515 Hylan Blvd. The 1.7-acre site and two-story farmhouse are all that remain intact of the 130-acre farm dating back to the 17th century. Frederick Law Olmsted and naturalist and educator Carlton Beil and their families are among the many owners who made their homes and located their businesses there.
In 1967, the house was designated a New York City Landmark, and in 2006, the site became part of the NYC Parks system. For safety considerations, the house is closed to the public while it undergoes restoration.
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