Two of Tottenville's working histories, the shipyard and the terra cotta works, each have a free exhibit of their own this fall inside the old houses of Conference House Park. NYC Parks and the Tottenville Historical Society are running both through December 31, and together with the park's America 250 show and its Saturday house tours, they make the southern tip of Staten Island a full afternoon out.

Still Waters: the South Shore on the water

The Rutan-Becket House at 6 Shore Road holds Still Waters: Reflections of a Maritime Community, an exhibit on the maritime history of Staten Island's South Shore. It features the A.C. Brown & Sons Shipyard of Tottenville and also covers the neighborhood's recreational waterfront.

The house sits down the hill on Shore Road, below the side of the H.H. Biddle House. The exhibit is scheduled Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but NYC Parks lists it as open by chance or by appointment, so it is worth contacting Parks before making a trip just for it. Admission is free.

Brick and terra cotta at the Biddle House

Up the hill, the H.H. Biddle House at 70 Satterlee Street holds New York's Brick & Terra Cotta Industries. The collection gathers terra cotta artifacts and masonry bricks that show the architectural styles common in New York City and across the country around the turn of the twentieth century, and it tells the story of the area's brick and terra cotta making, including the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company that once operated in Tottenville. It is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and admission is free.

Outside, on the Biddle House's west lawn, Alice's Terracotta Garden sets antique architectural ornaments from the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company out in the open as a sculpture garden. Parks lists it daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the end of the year.

Voices of 1776 and the Saturday tours

In the park's Visitor Center at 298 Satterlee Street, the Lenape Gallery holds Voices of 1776: The People and Events Surrounding the Historic Staten Island Peace Conference of the American Revolution, an America 250 exhibit from the Conference House Association and NYC Parks. It is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it is free.

On Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., docents lead tours of the Conference House itself, also known as the Billopp House, through December 12. The two-story fieldstone house was built around 1680 by Christopher Billopp, a landowner and Royal Navy captain. On September 11, 1776, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge met there with British Admiral Lord Howe in the only peace conference of the American Revolution. No agreement came of it, and the war went on for seven more years. Tours are offered for a $10 donation per person.

A Sunday run at the end of the island

For anyone who would rather move than browse, NYRR Open Run holds a free, community-led 5K in Conference House Park every Sunday from 8:45 to 11 a.m., starting off Hylan Boulevard beside the parking lot on the path toward the water. Runners and walkers of every age and ability are welcome, and registration is through NYRR.

How to go

Conference House Park is at the southern end of Tottenville, with the Visitor Center at 298 Satterlee Street off Hylan Boulevard. NYC Parks notes that the S59 and S78 buses reach the park. Questions about the Visitor Center and the house tours go to the Conference House Association at 718-984-6046 or admin@conferencehouse.org.

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