The Oldest Building In NYC Was Once A Gas Station Shed — Now It’s A 370-Year-Old Time Machine

Tucked away between tire shops, fast food joints, and busy Brooklyn streets, there’s a squat wooden house that has quietly outlasted wars, fires, and centuries of change. The Wyckoff House Museum , dating back to circa 1652 , is not only the oldest surviving building in New York City —it’s the oldest in the entire state. In fact, it predates the United States itself by more than a century . Built by Pieter Claesen Wyckoff , a 16-year-old illiterate indentured farm laborer who arrived from the Netherlands, the one-room home began with nothing more than a packed earth floor, an open hearth, and doors at either end. Somehow, Pieter and his wife Grietje raised 11 children here—13 people under one small roof. By the mid-20th century, the house had faded into obscurity, even spending part of its life disguised as a gas station storage shed . It was rediscovered and rescued in 1937 by Wyckoff family descendants, who bought it to save it from demolition. In 1965, it became the very first building ever designated a New York City landmark , sparking the city’s historic preservation movement. Despite surviving a fire in the late 1970s, the house was fully restored in the early 1980s and today stands as one of the last and oldest examples of a Dutch saltbox frame house in America. Visitors can still spot the 17th-century carpentry marks carved into its wooden beams. Now operated by the Wyckoff House Museum all these years later, the building sits on 1.5 acres in Milton Fidler Park in East Flatbush. Since 2001, it has welcomed school groups, history buffs, and neighbors for seasonal events—like farmers markets, hands-on workshops, and harvest festivals —that keep its agricultural roots alive. The next time you’re in Brooklyn, stop by the museum and give it a visit—it’s one of the coolest experiences to step through a doorway into the year 1652. ### Plan your visit to Wyckoff House Museum & upcoming events The Wyckoff House now operates as a museum and cultural center with programs that bring its history—and urban farm—to life. Wyckoff House tours are donation-based (“pay what you can”) , so you can visit for free, but a small donation or ticket fee is suggested if you’re able. Special public events are completely free , and kids under 10 always get in for free . Here’s what’s coming up: * Weekly Farm Stand — Saturdays from 11 am until sold out. Pick up produce and herbs grown on-site and from nearby fields, plus snacks and crafts from neighborhood vendors. * Public Tours — Special summer hours on Saturdays from 11 am – 2 pm. Guided tours lead you through the three furnished period rooms while sharing stories of Dutch Colonial daily life. * Farmhouse Family Day: The Power of the Sun — August 16 & 17, 11 am – 3 pm. A weekend of sun-themed activities for all ages. * Community Work Day at the Wyckoff Urban Farm — Third Saturday of the month, 12 – 3 pm. Drop in to volunteer and learn what’s growing in the garden. * Wyckoff Cousin Community Calls — Third Tuesday of the month, 4:30 – 5:30 pm (virtual). Monthly Zoom meetups for Wyckoff descendants and friends to share stories and laughs. 📍 Location: 5816 Clarendon Road, Canarsie/East Flatbush, Brooklyn 🌐 More info: Wyckoff House Museum Source: https://secretnyc.co/oldest-building-in-nyc-wyckoff-house-museum-brooklyn/