Brooklyn Historic House to Open Museum to the Public
The Hendrick I. Lott House – a living time capsule of Gotham history – will begin renovations enabling the home to open to the public as an operational museum
BROOKLYN, NY (February 11, 2025) — Brooklyn's historic Hendrick I. Lott House announces that interior renovations will commence to develop a living neighborhood museum within the storied home. In early 2026, structural renovations will begin to prepare the Lott House for a public opening as a fully operational museum. The museum will focus on the history of the surrounding neighborhood, the Lott family, and those who lived and worked on the farm. As the first public museum in Brooklyn’s serene marshland, this opening hallmarks Marine Park’s entrance into cultural programming.
A centuries-long monument of the Marine Park community, the Lott House is one of the oldest Dutch colonial houses in Brooklyn. However, visitors have only been able to experience the home’s events and festivities on the exterior property. The infrastructure renovations aim to preserve the home’s historic details while modernizing and stabilizing its foundational elements. These changes will include updates to electricity, plumbing, air conditioning, and accessibility, allowing guests to enter and engage with the home and its history.
Built in 1720, a direct Lott family descendant occupied the house until 1989. New York City purchased the house from her estate in 2002 and exterior and landscape renovations were completed in 2013. Following the upcoming interior work, the museum will open with an inaugural program calendar of interpretive programs and exhibitions.
Established before America’s foundation, Lott House is one of the few locations to encapsulate the pre-colonial through modern 20th century history of New York City and Brooklyn.
Click HERE to view archival photos.
About Friends of the Lott House
The Friends of the Lott House was founded by a group of architects and community members who were passionate about preserving the historic Lott House, which was unoccupied and in a state of disrepair in the early 1990s. Today, the Friends of the Lott House continues to be composed of community volunteers who are working in collaboration with NYC Parks and Historic House Trust towards restoring the interior of the house and opening it to the public. Friends of the Lott House’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history and material culture of the 1720 and 1800 Hendrick I. Lott farmhouse located in Marine Park, Brooklyn. It aims to educate and engage the public about this historic structure; the Lott family; the farm; the community of enslaved, immigrant and native-born workers; and the history of southern Brooklyn through interpretive programming.
###
“It’s finally time, it has been over 10 years since the exterior work was completed and we cannot wait for this next phase to start,” said Alyssa Loorya, PhD, President of Friends of the Lott House, and principal of Chrysalis Archeology. “We are eager to open the doors and invite the community in to share in the rich history – not only the history of the Lott family, but of the community and south Brooklyn; it’s a New York City story.”