Historic Richmond Town, the village of restored houses, shops and public buildings at 441 Clarke Avenue on Staten Island, is heading from Halloween into its harvest and holiday season. Here is what is on its calendar over the next several weeks, from the last candlelit ghost tours to a talk on a map of Revolutionary-era Staten Island drawn by the village's own founder.

The last Village Ghost Tours, through Oct. 31

The Village Ghost Tours, which began in September, run through Saturday, Oct. 31. Historical interpreters lead visitors through the village's houses by candlelight at 7 p.m., telling the stories of Staten Islanders who lived, and died, there, including the accused who stood trial at the 3rd County Courthouse. Tickets are sold through the Historic Richmond Town website.

A 1933 map of Revolutionary Staten Island, Nov. 14

On Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m., the village's Talks of the Town series turns to one of its founder's lasting projects. In 1933, Loring McMillen drew his Map of Staten Island During the Revolution, 1775-1783, a portrait of the island during the war years.

The speaker is Janet Necker Medoro, a sixth-generation Staten Islander who worked as a critical care nurse for more than 40 years and has spent the last 25 researching the island's past. She is the author of a book called Our Staten Island. Her talk draws on her research in the McMillen archive at Historic Richmond Town: the sources McMillen consulted, the people he chose to put on the map and how he made it. The talk falls in the 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.

Hearth and Harvest Festival, Nov. 21

On Saturday, Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Hearth and Harvest Festival fills the village. Inside the 3rd County Courthouse and at the Native Encampment, presenters share Native American dance, storytelling and crafts. In the historic kitchens around the village, costumed interpreters cook over open hearths using recipes, tools and techniques from the 18th and 19th centuries. Vendors sell handmade wares and Native American foods. The village says tickets are coming soon, and special event pricing applies on festival days.

On view all season

Three exhibitions are open during regular hours. Greetings from Staten Island: A Postcard Tour uses vintage postcards from the newly acquired William McMillen Collection to compare the island's early 20th-century views with today, when it was both an industrial hub and a summer destination. Shoes: Two Centuries of Style and Function shows more than 25 original pairs, from early 19th-century wedding slippers to 1970s sneakers. Founding Principles: The Declaration of Independence, Civics, and Staten Island, which opened in June for the 250th anniversary, draws on the village's collection of more than 60,000 objects.

Guided walking tours led by historical interpreters continue through Dec. 20, and English Country Dance meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:30, no experience needed.

And then the holidays

The village's community tree lighting is Friday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. Christmas in Historic Richmond Town follows on Dec. 5 and 6, with living history demonstrations, the tinsmith and carpenter, a horse-drawn carriage and a visit from Santa. Candlelight tours of more than three centuries of Staten Island holidays run Dec. 11 and 12.

Plan a visit

Historic Richmond Town is at 441 Clarke Avenue in Richmondtown, in the middle of Staten Island. Event details, tickets, admission prices and directions are on the village's website.

Sources