Rudolph Oyster House
National Historic Landmark

Rudolph Oyster House

West Sayville, Suffolk County, New York
Listed
August 6, 2001
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
01001052

About this property

The William Rudolph Oyster House is a historic seafood processing building on the grounds of the Long Island Maritime Museum in West Sayville, New York. Built in 1908, it is a rare well-preserved example of a typical oyster culling house of the early 20th century, of which many once lined the local waterfront. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001. The Rudolph Oyster House stands on the waterfront grounds of the Long Island Maritime Museum. It is a single-story wood-frame structure, mounted on wooden pilings and measuring 44.5 by 16.5 feet (13.6 m × 5.0 m). Its exterior is finished with wooden clapboards, and it has a gabled roof. The western roof face has a lower roof section that is set at an offset below the upper section, which is finished with glass skylighting to provide natural light to the shucking area. The interior retains original fixtures and features to facilitate the sorting, shucking, and packing of oysters. The Rudolph Oyster House is a typical cullhouse, built in 1908 by William Rudolph, the son of Dutch immigrants. It was originally located on the waterfront off Shore Road, and was moved to its present site (about 600 feet (180 m) from that site) when the museum acquired the building. Rudolph started his company in 1895, having grown up working in the oyster beds of Great South Bay. Rudolph and then his sons operated the business until 1947. The building was acquired by the museum in 1974. J. C. Lore Oyster House: A National Historic Landmark oyster house in Maryland National Register of Historic Places listings in Suffolk County, New York

Location

84 West Ave, Long Island Maritime Museum
West Sayville, Suffolk County, New York
40.72240, -73.09572
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Priscilla (Long Island Sound Oyster Sloop)
Industrial
0 mi
MODESTY (Sloop)
Industrial
0 mi
Edwards House, The
Industrial
1.2 mi
Sayville Congregational Church
Industrial
1.3 mi
Saint Ann's Episcopal Church
Industrial
1.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Fort St. George (1780)
1780Revolutionary War
9.7 mi
Tallmadge's Raid on Fort St. George
1780Revolutionary War
13.1 mi
Battle of Fort Salonga
1781Revolutionary War
13.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rudolph Oyster House listed on the National Register?

Rudolph Oyster House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Rudolph Oyster House?

Rudolph Oyster House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Rudolph Oyster House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Rudolph Oyster House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Rudolph Oyster House?

The period of significance for Rudolph Oyster House is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1908.

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