The Hendrick I. Lott House is one of fourteen remaining Dutch Colonial farmhouses in Kings County. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a New York City Landmark. The house remains structurally sound and virtually unchanged from the time Hendrick Lott constructed it in 1800, incorporating a section of the 1720 homestead built by his grandfather, Johannes Lott.
When the Lott family emigrated from Holland in 1652, they began to acquire land in the Town of Flatlands. By 1720 Johannes Lott, a prosperous farmer and member of the New York Colonial Assembly, expanded the family holdings from Kings Highway south to Jamaica Bay and “Lott’s Landing.” On this property, Johannes built his homestead just east of the present house. Johannes died in 1775, leaving the farm to Johannes Jr., who occupied the property until 1792.
The farm then passed to Hendrick I. Lott, who constructed a new house near the old homestead in 1800, using the old building to form the present east wing. He balanced this 1720 wing with a west wing, creating a symmetrical composition. Although Hendrick added Federal-style dormer windows, the gambrel roof with graceful spring eaves is typical of the Dutch Colonial architectural style. The interior features eighteen rooms organized by a center hall plan.
By 1825 the farm on which the Lotts raised potatoes, cabbage, wheat, and vegetables had grown to 200 acres and included barns, outbuildings, and a separate stone kitchen. The foundation of the stone kitchen, located between the homestead and the present East 36th Street, was among the areas excavated in 1998 by the Brooklyn College Archaeological Research Center.
For two centuries Lott descendants lived in the homestead and farmed the land. The last farmer, John Bennett Lott, died in 1923. The majority of the land was sold, leaving only three quarters of an acre surrounding the house. The last Lott descendant to reside here, Ella Suydam, a great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Johannes Lott, lived in the house until she died in 1989. On June 18, 2002, the City of New York purchased the Lott House and property.
The restoration of the Lott House is a joint effort of the City of New York/Parks & Recreation, Historic House Trust of New York City, Hendrick I. Lott House Preservation Association (HILHPA), and Marine Park Civic Association. The Historic House Trust works with HILHPA to secure private support, manage the site, and develop public programs.
The home is currently closed for restorations, and the Tree Lighting ceremony is one of the few annual occasions where the property hosts the public.
Celebrate the holidays with the annual tree lighting at the historic Dutch farmhouse, the Hendrick L. Lott House on Friday, December 8, 2017, in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
Hosted by Senator Marty Golden and Friends of the Lott House, the festivities will feature holiday music, cookies and cocoa and in true Dutch fashion, a visit from Sinterklaas.
Activities start a 6 pm. The Lott House is located at 1940 East 36th Street between Fillmore Ave. & Ave S. in Brooklyn.
After the lighting of the tree attendants can gather for cookies and cocoa while they enjoy holiday music and a visit from Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, modeled after the legendary figure of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
Visit The Hendrick I. Lott House Facebook Page to keep updated on events and restoration process
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