{"nrhp_refnum":"66000566","name":"Conference House","other_names":["Billopp House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Hylan Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Staten Island","state":"NY","lat":40.50285963350004,"lon":-74.25355940596626,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1966-05-23","areas_of_significance":["Military","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story stone manor house at the foot of Hylan Boulevard in Tottenville, Staten Island, on Raritan Bay, built around 1680 by Christopher Billopp on his estate called Bentley.","why_significant":"On September 11, 1776, the house hosted a peace conference between Lord Richard Howe and American representatives John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Edward Rutledge. The talks failed because the British could not recognize American independence and the Americans held to the Declaration of Independence. The site is significant for its link to the War for Independence.","narrative":"Built around 1680 by Christopher Billopp on a 1,600-acre estate he called Bentley, this two-story stone manor house overlooks Raritan Bay at Tottenville, Staten Island. Its steep gable roof, end chimneys and stone walls suggest Dutch rather than Georgian influence. Inside, a first-floor room with a large fireplace, exposed beams and old floorboards is known as the Conference Room, and a basement holds a cooking fireplace and a brick-vaulted chamber. The house is best known for September 11, 1776, when Lord Richard Howe received Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge here. Howe sought to end the rebellion, but the Americans remained committed to independence, and the talks ended after about three hours. British forces occupied the house for the rest of the war. New York City acquired the dilapidated building in 1926, and a 1932 restoration returned it to its 18th-century look. It now serves as a museum on a 2.75-acre parcel of park grounds.","period_of_significance":"1700-1799","architect_builder":"Christopher Billopp (builder)","architectural_style":"Suggests Dutch rather than Georgian influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Restored in 1932 to its 18th-century appearance; condition listed as excellent; maintained as a museum on city-owned parkland.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.083854-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/66000566_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000566/dccb4838f2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000566/dccb4838f2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Dmadeo","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conference-house-staten-island.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Dmadeo</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conference-house-staten-island.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316047","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3849604"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/staten-island/conference-house-66000566/"}