A woman dressed in period clothing holding a wooden pole - colonial history sites

Self-guided · metro area, New York

Colonial History Sites in New York, NY

Meetinghouses, garrison houses, and the oldest surviving buildings in the area, from the century before the country had a name.

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Photo: clement proust on Unsplash

The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area has about 20,112,448 residents, ranking 1st in the country. Colonial History Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to New York, NY.

Brown horse with yellow carriage beside red concrete house - colonial history sites — Photo: Patti Black on Unsplash

Authentic Revolutionary War reenactment in Washington Crossing, PA, showcasing historical costumes and drummers - colonial history sites — Photo: Gene Samit on Pexels

Colonial-era military band reenacting history in open field - colonial history sites — Photo: Vivid Voyage on Pexels

On the record near New York, NY

The 7 nearest

7 listed sites on the record match colonial history sites within 30 miles of New York, NY, out of 1,627 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Friends Meetinghouse and School1.8 miles from the center of New York · Building · New York · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Rye Meeting House24 miles from the center of New York · Building · Rye · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse24 miles from the center of New York · Building · Locust Valley · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places
Jericho Friends Meeting House Complex25 miles from the center of New York · Building · Jericho · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
Garrison, Garret, House27 miles from the center of New York · Building · Mahwah · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
Upper Meeting House of the Baptist Church of Middletown27 miles from the center of New York · Building · Holmdel · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
Mount Bethel Baptist Meetinghouse27 miles from the center of New York · Building · Martinsville · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of New York, NY. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Colonial History in New York, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in New York, NY ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in New York, NY?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near New York, NY?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in New York

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In New York, NY the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in New York, NY are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.