Archives
NEW: BOWNE HOUSE PRESENTS THE PAPERS OF HANNAH FEAKE BOWNE
As part of our recent digitization project funded by the New York Preservation Archives Project and the Levy Foundation, we are pleased to present for the first time the papers of Hannah Feake Bowne. Hannah was the first wife of John Bowne and a remarkable figure in her own right. While raising eight children, the Bowne matriarch also traveled abroad on religious visits and preaching tours in the Colonies, throughout the British Isles, and on the European Continent. Visit the following page to learn more about Hannah and her life through primary documents: the letters that she saved and the moving testimonial offered by John Bowne himself at her memorial: https://www.bownehouse.org/hannah-bowne-papers
THE BOWNE HOUSE ARCHIVES
““In this house still remain letters written by some of them [Bowne ancestors], and by George Fox and other ancient Friends… They being long dead yet speak.””
The Bowne House Archives offers a window onto the history of the house, family, and community over the span of 350 years. Holdings range from Colonial-era documents and letters to the twentieth-century records of the Museum and Historical Society. Our collection also encompasses photographs, maps, architectural drawings, and ephemera. Many of these documents are original to the property, having been passed down through generations of the Bowne and Parsons families. Far more than a mere storehouse for old papers, the Archives embody the historical memory of the Bowne House and its people.
Major Collections
BOWNE FAMILY PAPERS OF FLUSHING, LI (1652-ca.1842)
PAPERS OF THE BOWNE & PARSONS FAMILIES (1776-1981)
RECORDS OF THE BOWNE HOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (1945-2007):
Finding Aid in Progress
THE BOWNE HOUSE MAP COLLECTION (1896–1935):
Finding Aid in Progress
THE JOHN BOWNE & EARLY FLUSHING RESEARCH COLLECTION (Copies of 17th–19th century documents):
Finding Aid in Progress
For information on collections for which finding aids are not yet available online, please send a query to bownehousearchives@gmail.com.
Doing Archival Research at Bowne House
The Bowne House Archives are usually open on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by special appointment subject to staff availability. Advance notice of your visit is required. To schedule an appointment, contact bownehousearchives@gmail.com with a description of your research project and the materials that you wish to consult.
Please note that copying or reproduction of our archival materials in any form is prohibited without written permission from the Board of Trustees. Visitors must review and sign our Reading Room Policies before their appointment.