Information
Landmark: Bowne HouseCity: Queens
Country: USA New York
Continent: North America
Bowne House, Queens, USA New York, North America
Overview
The Bowne House stands as one of New York City’s most important historic landmarks, its weathered wood and creaking floors echoing more than three centuries of stories.At 37-01 Bowne Street in Flushing, Queens, the building-raised around 1661-has weathered more than 360 years, standing as a steadfast emblem of religious freedom, abolitionism, and America’s colonial roots, its old wooden beams still holding the scent of history.John Bowne, an English Quaker, built it after arriving in Flushing in the mid-17th century, his footsteps crunching on the frost-hardened soil of a new home.At the time, the area belonged to New Netherland, a Dutch colony where traders hauled barrels of salted herring along the docks.Back then, the Dutch West India Company banned every faith except the Dutch Reformed Church, even a small prayer in another tradition.John Bowne, refusing to back down, opened his door to Quaker meetings, the smell of wood smoke lingering in the room.He was arrested in 1662 for the deed and sent into exile in Holland, where damp canals lined the streets.There, he took his fight to the Dutch West India Company-walking into their oak-paneled hall-and came out victorious.His win pushed Dutch officials to declare religious tolerance in their American colony, a decision as firm as ink on parchment-and one that became a cornerstone of future freedom in the United States.The Bowne House showcases the Anglo-Dutch Colonial style, a rare sight in New York City, with its steep rooflines and weathered wooden beams.Built from hand-hewn timbers and local stone, it features a steep roof, clapboard siding, and small windows with panes that catch the afternoon light.The Bowne family enlarged the house several times during the 17th and 18th centuries, adding rooms and details that mirrored their growing household and changing tastes in design.Although the rest of Flushing has modernized, the house still stands much as it did, its weathered wood and familiar porch unchanged.The Bowne family called this house home for nine generations, starting in the 1660s and staying until 1945, when the old oak out front was already two centuries old.The family threw themselves into civic life, faith, social justice, and the fight to end slavery, often speaking at town meetings or lending a hand at church events.Inside the house, thousands of papers and everyday objects-some yellowed and brittle with age-trace more than three centuries of life, forming a rare, unbroken record.During the Abolitionist Movement, the Bowne House served as a safe stop along the Underground Railroad, where weary travelers might pause for a cup of water before moving on.Samuel, Robert, and William Bowne Parsons, along with other relatives, helped guide enslaved people to freedom, sometimes slipping them through dark, quiet back roads at night.They traded letters with leading abolitionists such as Simeon Jocelyn and Lewis Tappan, a clear sign of the family’s steadfast fight against slavery.In 2021, the National Park Service officially recognized the house and added it to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, marking it as the first site in Queens to earn that honor.Since 1947, the Bowne House has welcomed visitors as a historic museum, its creaking floors carrying stories from centuries past.Inside, you’ll find more than 5,000 artifacts-18th- and 19th-century furniture polished smooth by age, handwoven textiles, well-used tools, and intricate decorative arts, along with letters, books, and personal papers from the Bowne and Parsons families.There are pieces tied to everyday life, religion, and social activism, offering a window into domestic life from the 1600s through the 1900s, the changing religious and social values of America, and local and national reform movements led by Quakers.The Bowne House sits at 37-01 Bowne Street in Flushing, NY, a short walk from the Flushing–Main Street subway and several bus lines.Public tours run Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with admission at $10 for adults, $8 for students, and $5 for children under 14.Community and Educational Programs host school visits, lively lectures, and seasonal events that explore colonial life and craftsmanship, religious tolerance in early America, and the story of the Underground Railroad and Civil Rights-working closely with local schools, historical societies, and preservation groups to keep history alive.The Bowne House isn’t just a rare colonial-era landmark-it stands as a living reminder of the ideals that shaped America: religious freedom, civil disobedience, community spirit, and justice, its weathered wood still carrying the scent of history.Its influence reaches well past Queens, leaving a lasting mark on America’s story of democracy and human rights-like a voice that still echoes in the halls of history.
