Welcome to The Bowne House Historical Society

Manumission and New York Mayor Walter Bowne.

The Bowne House Historical Society has received this inquiry from a descendant of the Johnson and Foster families regarding Mayor Bowne's role in a Virginia manumission case decided in the Supreme Court of Appeals in Virginia. The case was heard in 1931, during Bowne's term as mayor.

The Society would welcome any information about this case or about any manumission transactions witnessed or signed by Mayor Walter Bowne.
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Bowne House Preservation Project is Underway
(May 2, 2013)

We are pleased to announce that our long awaited preservation project is now underway. This phase, the exterior restoration of the 1661 house, is under the supervision of architects Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, and Steven Foxworth, Project Manager at NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Read more >>

Bowne House is closed for an extensive restoration. Group visits to our grounds and gardens may be arranged with advance notice. If you would like to discuss a tour of the gardens, please email office@bownehouse.org or call 718-359-0528.

January 2012: The Bowne House Parlor Reopens For Group Tours >>

Article: Feeding the “Sweet Tooth” of Flushing’s Early Quakers >>

A microcosm of 300 years of social, cultural and political history, Bowne House (ca. 1661) is the oldest house in Queens and among the oldest in New York City.

It was built by John Bowne, who emigrated from England to Boston in 1649 and settled in Flushing, Queens, when New York was under Dutch Rule. His family prospered in America: the nine generations born and raised in the house produced businessmen, horticulturists, educators and politicians. Over the course of 300 years, the family left its mark on American culture, participating in events of both regional and national significance -starting with John Bowne's courageous defense of religious freedom in 1662, an act which established the principles later codified in the Bill of Rights.

Bowne House has been a museum since 1947. Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, the Bowne House Historical Society's mission includes the preservation of the house, its contents and grounds for its historical and educational interest, for its significance to the history of New York and for its importance in the establishment in this country of the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and religious liberty.