Grounds of the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

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William Floyd Estate Home Page

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The grounds of the William Floyd Estate at Fire Island National Seashore are open for exploration and can be seen in a half hour by taking a short and easy walk along a gravel road that passes twelve points of interest. If you take a tour of Old Mastic House, it ends outside near the green-painted Caretaker’s Workshop, which now functions as an office for the National Park Service. Just follow the dirt road to see the rest of the outbuildings on the property. A full-color brochure is available that tells what all of the building were once used for.

While the estate dates back to the early 1700s, most of the outbuildings are from the mid- to late-1800s. A few are open and have old equipment inside, all of which belonged to the Floyd Family at some point in time. The last owner, Cornelia Floyd Nichols (great, great granddaughter of William Floyd), tagged some of the equipment in an attempt to identify it, and some of the tags are still attached.

Despite the grass at the estate being wonderfully manicured, I ventured off the gravel path to check out one of the barns and got two ticks on me.

The following photographs are of the buildings on the grounds of the William Floyd Estate:

CARETAKER’S WORKSHOP

The Caretaker’s Workshop was built in 1898 and was originally closer to the house and used as a store for the kitchen. It was moved to its current location in the 1920s and used to house guests and people doing work at the farm. It was last used as the shop building for the property caretaker.

Caretaker’s Workshop at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

GAZEBO

Built in 1910, this gazebo originally was screened to keep out the mosquitoes.

Gazebo at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

ICE HOUSE

The Ice House was built in the mid-1800s. It could preserve ice cut from the local ponds from one winter to the next. Visitors can go inside and see the fifteen-foot-deep brick-lined pit where the ice was stored and covered with hay to keep it cold.

Ice House at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Inside the Ice House at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

CARRIAGE HOUSE

The carriage house was built in 1884 and could hold two carriages. In fact, there are two old carriages inside, both of which look like they’ve been sitting for a long time. Since most of the furnishings at Old Mastic House belonged to the Floyd Family, I suspect these carriages did as well.

Carriage House at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Floyd Family carriage on display at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Floyd Family carriage on display at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

WOOD SHED

The wood shed was built sometime in the early to mid-1800s.

Wood Shed at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

CORN CRIB

The original corn crib was one of the oldest buildings on the estate, dating back to the 1700s. It finally fell down in 1972 and was rebuilt by the Floyd Family prior to the estate being turned over to the National Park Service.

Corn Crib replacement at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

To continue the tour of the outbuildings, take a left at the road intersection. You’ll see the next two buildings standing in an open field.

NEW BARN

The original barn on this location had a windmill and water tank on top that supplied water to the house. It was torn down in 1950 and replaced by the one standing today. There is a piece of antique farm equipment inside.

New Barn at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Antique farm equipment inside the New Barn at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

BARN

The construction date of this barn is unknown. More antique farm equipment is inside.

Barn at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Antique farm equipment inside the barn at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

STORAGE CRIB

This building was originally a corn crib, but it was converted into a general storage building in the early 1900s.

Storage Crib at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

SHOP

The shop was originally a grain house. It was converted into a workshop for the caretaker in the 1890s. There is a collection of old equipment inside, with one item being an H. B. Griffing’s Sons corn sheller. H. B. Griffing’s Sons was a company based out of New York City that manufactured farm equipment in the late 1800s.

Shop at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Old shop equipment of the Floyd Family on display at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

Old shop equipment of the Floyd Family on display at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

INCINERATOR

No date is given for this Thermaster incinerator. It was used to burn garbage.

Thermaster incinerator at the William Floyd Estate, part of Fire Island National Seashore

PUMP HOUSE

The pump house was built to cover a well. For whatever reason, I did not get a photo.

If you are finished with your visit to the William Floyd Estate after seeing the last of the outbuildings, you can continue down the road to reach the parking lot.

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