The Akerly Homestead was a large farm on Staten Island given to Frederick Law Olmsted in 1848 by his father to grow crops, plant trees and clear for pasture for livestock. The farm was originally named the Ackerly farm, and had a modest Dutch farmhouse on one of the higher hills overlooking Raritan Bay, and Sandy Hook in the distance. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is in the process of restoring the farmhouse back to the way Olmsted had it when he resided there.
Olmsted had greatly improved the structure by adding a 1 1⁄2-story addition to the top of the house, with small windows on the top floor under the roof attic eaves. He also added porches on all three sides of the farmhouse, which have since been demolished. Olmsted used the property as a tree nursery and planted many unusual specimens of trees on his farm. In the photo you see one of the tremendous Cedar of Lebanon conifers. There are some Osage Orange trees not far from the property as well. The farm originally encompassed land across the main thoroughfare of Hylan Boulevard, between that road and the beach. After Olmsted sold the farm, it was from then on referred to as the Woods of Arden. The address is 4515 Hylan Boulevard, near Woods of Arden Road.