Richmondtown, Staten Island : NYC Tourist Guide

Richmondtown

Richmondtown, is a neighborhood on Staten Island in the city and state of New York, in the United States.

Originally known as Coccles Town (sometimes misreckoned as Cuckolds Town) because of the abundance of oyster and clam shells found in the waters of the nearby Fresh Kills, Richmondtown gained its present name in 1728 when the village now preserved as Historic Richmond Town was founded. The village became the county seat of Richmond County, as Staten Island is alternatively known, and remained as such until the emergence of St. George soon after the ferries to Manhattan and Brooklyn began to proliferate at the latter site near the end of the 19th Century.

Located at the base of Lighthouse Hill with New Dorp and Oakwood to the east, Richmondtown has seen much new home construction since the mid-1960s, and ranks as one of the most popular destinations for families seeking to relocate to Staten Island from New York City's other boroughs, especially Brooklyn. The town is also home to one of the last Volunteer Fire Departments in New York City, Richmond Engine Company 1, which operates a 2005 American LaFrance Engine purchased through a federal home security grant.