Staten Island -- Clear Comfort

Caption on verso. Postcard published by Pub by A.E. Zwiazek, Clifton, N.J. // A.E. Zwiazek, Member, Friends of Alice Austen House, Inc.

Also known as the Alice Austen House.

This property was the home of photographer Alice Austen (1866-1952), who was also the founder (in 1912) of the Staten Island Garden Club. Alice Austen grew up in her home where she later lived with Gertrude Tate (187201962), her partner of 55 years. Originally a 17th-century Dutch farmhouse, it was transformed into a Victorian cottage in the 19th century by Austen's grandfather. Documented in Austen's photographs, now in the collections of the Staten Island Historical Society, the house and its four acres of grounds were restored in the 1980s. Austen's photographs were used as a guide for both preservation of mature specimens and restoration to the site's 19th century appearance. Mature trees dating back to Austen's residency include gingko, horse chestnut, Kentucky coffee tree, hackberry, and sycamore maple. This site's 1970 nomination to the National Register of Historic Places was amended in 2017 to include its significance to LGBT history. Persons associated with the garden include: Alice Austen (former owner, until 1944); John Austen (former owner, 19th century); and Bradford M. Greene (landscape architect, 1980s).