The second restoration of the Voorlezer’s House was completed in 1985, giving it the current appearance. The most notable of the changes are the casement windows that were installed.
been designated a Registered National Landmark (1962), and a New York City Landmark (1969), as well as being placed on the National Registry of Historic Places (1966). The building began once again to show its age in the 1970s. In 1980 it was thought best to close off the second floor from visitors. By 1981 the entire building was closed off to the public for restoration. Work started soon after, and focused on stabilizing the floors (which had sunk in some), rebuilding the chimneys from the inside, and re-waterproofing the cellar kitchen. Casement windows were also installed. Prior to this installation, the house had used doublehung sash windows, but close examination of the timbers constructing the house indicated that these were not of the same nature as the original windows in the house. By June of 1985, the building was reopened, having its current appearance. In 1991, new reproduction furniture was brought into the old school house to give it the appearance of the 1695 schoolhouse that Hendrick would have known. The major pieces of this new furnishing plan included the kast, side chair, and bed in the chamber room, as well as the armchair and benches in the meeting room. Since then, 63 Arthur Kill Road has led a simple, peaceful life teaching thousands of visitors each year, not reading or arithmetic as it did for its original pupils, but instead teaching history.
ing used the old materials. These are easily identified through old nail, tool, or other marks. These factors: strengthening of the meeting room floor beams, floor plans, three details of construction not used after 1700, all details in use before 1700, and no signs of a former structure occupying the site, invariably bring one to the conclusion that 63 Arthur Kill road is the Voorlezer’s House of 1700. Unfortunately, no record has come to light as to when the house was built. Its earliest mention is in 1696, and it is probable that it was built shortly before that time, as that was the period of general settlement throughout the Island. Its seems evident that the house is the first building erected for a church on the Island, since the first French Church was built in 1698, the English, St. Andrew’s in 1709-1712, and the Dutch Reformed at Port Richmond, about 1716. The erection of an earlier church at Stony Brook, now Oakwood, has been disproved by the very absence of any supporting evidence. A Presbyterian Church was built there, however, in 1724. The earliest record concerning a building constructed for school purposes, other than the Voorlezer’s House, appears in the County Clerk’s records just preceding the Revolution, thus establishing the House as the first school.
It would be an interesting point if one knew who the Voorlezer or Voorlezers were who lived in the old House and eked out a simple living in service to the pioneer 17th century community about them. They cannot be positively identified. The Ecclesiastical Records state that William Bertholf, Voorlezer of Bergen, officiated but whether he lived here, one cannot say. There is a supposition also that Thomas Coone was the Voorlezer. This is based on the fact he was county clerk prior to 1700, owned the one acre lot opposite the House and sold his holding in Richmond when the House ceased to be used for religious purposes. On March 17, 1700, the Voorlezer’s House was sold by the Dutch Congregation to Louis DuBois for his own private use, thus bringing to an end its use as a church. It is probable, however, that it continued to be used as a school for some time, as there does not appear to have been any other in the neighborhood. This seems more probable as Louis DuBois is known to have lived on the opposite side of the Arthur Kill Road. Eventually, however, possibly by an unrecorded sale, and by the terms of the original 50 year lease of the property on which it stands, the House became the property of the Rezeau family, owners by purchase of the original 79 acres and as such, holders of the lease. The House remained in the possession
Between the mid-1800s and early 1900s, various businesses resided in the Voorlezer’s House, including the Richmond Roadhouse, Arlington Hotel and Acorn Inn.
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