St. Paul's Avenue-Stapleton Heights Historic District

The well-preserved residential community along the major thoroughfare of St. Paul's Avenue in Stapleton Heights has long been considered one of Staten Island's more prestigious neighborhoods. The first developments followed the plotting of streets and tracts in the late 1820s, after Caleb T. Ward purchased 250 acres of land. In the 1830s, the first wood-frame free-standing houses were built, primarily erected in the Greek Revival style. By the 1860s, many stately residences and churches had been constructed on the west side of St. Paul's Avenue, situated to provide dramatic views of New York harbor.

The three subsequent decades saw further architectural development in the area, largely in the Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles. One of the finest examples of a Queen Anne house lies within the district at 387 St. Paul's Avenue. The house was designed by New York City architect Hugo Kafka for Stapleton brewer George Bechtel, intended as a wedding present for his daughter. In the early 1900s, plots adjacent to St. Paul's Avenue were developed with one- and two-family houses designed by local Staten Island architects, including Charles B. Heweker, Otto Loeffler, Henry J. Otto, and James Whitford, in the neo-Colonial and Craftsman styles. Despite varied architectural styles, the nearly one hundred buildings within the district maintain a sense of architectural coherence due to the original siting and scale, as well as continued high standards of maintenance. ©2014