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Fire Island National SeashoreWilliam Floyd Estate manor house and outbuildings among trees in full summer foliage.
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Fire Island National Seashore
William Floyd Estate
 
Group on tour inside historic home.
During guided house tours, you may glimpse into the lives of eight generations of Floyd family members.

A Sense of Place

Two hundred and fifty years of history are preserved at the William Floyd Estate, which contains architectural features and artifacts from three centuries of American life. 

The Estate, which was donated to Fire Island National Seashore in 1965, is located on the mainland of Long Island in Mastic Beach, New York. The estate contains the ancestral house, grounds, and cemetery of the William Floyd family. William Floyd, a Revolutionary War general and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in the house in 1734.  

Between 1718 and 1976, eight generations of Floyds managed the property and adapted it to their changing needs. The family used the house and property in different ways over the years.

In colonial times, the Floyds ran a huge plantation; later, the family turned to business and politics, and the lands were used for outdoor recreational pursuits like hunting and fishing.

The 25-room "Old Mastic House," the twelve outbuildings, the family cemetery and the 613 acres of forest, fields, marsh and trails all graphically illuminate the layers of history.

The most difficult question we face when dealing with the past—the relationship between change and continuity—becomes a little easier to grasp during a tour of the Old Mastic House, a walk through the outbuilding area and a visit to the Floyd Family cemetery.

Interpretive programs include guided tours of the house and cemetery. Restrooms are available by the parking area.

 
Antique typewriter on desk with open books.

Things To Do
 
Interpretive Programs/Guided Tours
  Education Programs
  Exhibits
Wildlife Viewing

Exhibits are available throughout the house, including historical photographs of the William Floyd Estate and the Floyd family. House is filled with furnishings accumulated by 8 generations of Floyd family members. The 2006-07 temporary exhibit is "Scribblers and Scriveners: Floyd Family Authors."

The William Floyd Estate is a newly-recognized South Shore Estuary Reserve Bayway Destination.

 
Map of portion of Fire Island National Seashore at Mastic Beach.
The William Floyd Estate is a short drive away from Fire Island National Seashore's Wilderness Visitor Center.

How To Get There
The William Floyd Estate is located at 245 Park Drive in Mastic Beach, New York 11951.

 

 

From Long Island Expressway:

Exit 68 South
(via William Floyd Parkway, Route 46)
Continue approximately 6 miles south to Havenwood Drive traffic light.
There will be a William Floyd Estate sign on your right and a Mastic Beach Business District sign on your left.
Make a left onto Havenwood Drive, which turns into Neighborhood Road.
Continue approximately 2 miles east to end of Neighborhood Road.
Turn left onto Park Drive.
The park entrance is located approximately ¼ mile on your right.

From Sunrise Highway:

Exit 58 South
(via William Floyd Parkway, Route 46)
Continue approximately 3 miles south to Havenwood Drive traffic light.
There will be a William Floyd Estate sign on your right and a Mastic Beach Business District sign on your left.
Make a left onto Havenwood Drive, which turns into Neighborhood Road.
Continue approximately 2 miles east to end of Neighborhood Road.
Turn left onto Park Drive.
The park entrance is located approximately ¼ mile on your right.


Important Phone Numbers:

William Floyd Estate Office
631-399-2030

Small group gazes across large lawn to white manor house.
William Floyd Estate Hours
Grounds and historic house are open seasonally.
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Portrait image of General William Floyd standing on lawn in front of his manor house.
William Floyd
Revolutionary War General William Floyd signed the Declaration of Independence
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Notebook with handwritten diary entries lies open in front of the portrait of a well-dressed woman from the late 1800s.
Artifacts on display at the William Floyd Estate
Rotating exhibits of items in the park's collection help you learn more about Floyd family life.
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Three hard-bound books and portraits from the late 1800s are lined up on a dark table.  

Did You Know?
The Floyd family left to the National Park Service more than 3,000 books from their family's personal library. A number of books were written by descendants of William Floyd, who lived in the house at "Old Mastic."
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Last Updated: April 17, 2007 at 14:50 EST