Entry No. 11 — the New York City file — filed under: haunted
Conference House (Billopp Manor)
A stone manor built around 1680 by Captain Christopher Billopp at the southern tip of Staten Island, overlooking the Arthur Kill. It hosted the failed 1776 Staten Island Peace Conference where Lord Howe met Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to try to end the Revolution. Long-told legends claim Billopp threw a servant girl down the stairs, and visitors and neighbors report apparitions, a singing or shouting man, and a woman's scream.
The story
You have to travel as far south as New York City physically allows to reach the Conference House, tucked away at the edge of Tottenville overlooking the Arthur Kill. Built around 1680 out of local fieldstone by Captain Christopher Billopp, the two-story manor sits high on a bluff. Local legend even credits Billopp with securing Staten Island for New York instead of New Jersey by winning a high-stakes boat race around the island.
The manor earned its place in American history on September 11, 1776, when Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge rowed across the bay to meet British Admiral Lord Howe. Howe offered royal pardons if the colonies agreed to retract the Declaration of Independence. Franklin and Adams refused, the three-hour diplomatic summit collapsed, and the Revolutionary War dragged on for another seven years.
The diplomatic failure isn't the only ghost lingering inside the stone walls. Darker local lore claims Captain Billopp murdered a young servant girl by throwing her down the main staircase after suspecting her of signaling rebel forces across the water. Over the centuries, visitors, staff, and neighbors have reported seeing apparitions, hearing a man shouting or singing into empty rooms, and catching the sound of a woman's scream echoing through the house.
What it's like
Reaching Tottenville requires a real trek to the very bottom of the borough, but the payoff is a quiet, windswept waterfront far removed from city noise. While the surrounding 260-acre park is open daily year-round, the stone manor itself operates on strict, seasonal, and limited weekend tour hours—so confirm access before making the drive or train ride down. After touring the grounds, follow the shoreline path south to stand at the absolute southernmost point of New York State.
The move: Tour the 17th-century manor and its waterfront park, then walk the shoreline to the southernmost point of New York State as the sun sets.
📍 Before you go House tours are seasonal and limited-hours (the surrounding park is open year-round); it's far out in Tottenville, so check tour availability before the long trek.
- 📍 Tottenville, Staten Island
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 298 Satterlee Street, Staten Island, NY 10307
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Staten Island Boat Graveyard (Witte Marine Scrapyard) — Pair this colonial site with a short drive north to view decaying tugboats and ferries rusting in the mud along the same waterway.
- Heyerdahl Ruins — Head further north into the Staten Island Greenbelt to explore another set of forgotten 19th-century stone ruins tucked into the forest.
- Ruined Military Structures of Fort Hancock — Look out across the bay to Sandy Hook, where another century of decaying coastal defense structures guards the mouth of New York Harbor.
Good to know
Where is the Conference House located?
It sits at 298 Satterlee Street in Tottenville, Staten Island, at the southernmost tip of New York State overlooking the Arthur Kill.
What happened at the 1776 Peace Conference?
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge met British Admiral Lord Howe on September 11, 1776. The summit failed in under three hours after the Americans refused to rescind the Declaration of Independence.
Why is the house considered haunted?
Legend claims Captain Billopp killed a servant girl on the central stairs for spying. Visitors and neighbors have reported hearing phantom screams, a man shouting or singing, and seeing apparitions.
Are tours available year-round?
The surrounding waterfront park is open year-round, but interior house tours are seasonal and run on limited hours. Check current availability before traveling.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · Atlas Obscura · nycgovparks.org · Untapped Cities
last checked: 2026-06-23