Prince's Bay Tutors

About Prince's Bay

Prince’s Bay is a neighborhood in Staten Island, New York. One interesting spot in Prince’s Bay, is the Seguine Mansion. The Seguine Mansion is a historical Greek Revival style house with surrounding gardens, that has been saved from disrepair, and restored back to its historical prime.

The land where the Seguine Mansion resides, was bought by James Seguine between 1780 and 1786. The Seguine family ran a very successful oyster-harvesting business, and owned a large amount of farmland throughout the neighborhood. They were a very prominent family of the time; so much so, that Seguin Avenue and Seguine Point were both named after them. Joseph Seguine the grandson of James Seguine, helped establish the Staten Island Railroad Company, and founded the Staten Island Oil and Candle-making Company. All of this success lead Joseph to be able to build a very impressive home.

The mansion was designed with six large columns looking out over Prince’s Bay. The Greek Revival style was very impressive, and great detail went into the overall architecture of the house. The house remained in the family until 1868, when they fell on hard times. Many think that the mansion was used as a hotel during the late 1800’s. At that time, Prince’s Bay had become a very popular resort area. By 1916, the family was able to buy back the house, and the ten acres that still belonged to the property. Over the years, the family slowly moved, and the property was left to be maintained by a single caretaker. The house began to fall into disrepair, and with major leaks, portions of the roof collapsed, which caused further damage to the rest of the house. Even the walls began to split and separate.

Eventually the house was sold to George Burke, who was known for restoring historic buildings. Burke was able to save the building from complete disrepair, and worked hard to restore it and establish the equestrian center next door. Burke donated the Seguine Mansion to the City of New York in 1989. The house and grounds are opened up for private tours and special events. George Burke has been known to host an annual plantation barbecue, white parties, tea parties, and private holiday gatherings. He could tutor others in bringing historical buildings back to life.

The Seguine Equestrian Center offers riding lessons for children and adults, and also boards horses. The classes are provided after school and on weekends, and there is even a two-week summer camp. The, “Summer Riding Experience at Seguine,” is for kids between the ages of five and sixteen; where they attend two English riding lessons a day, learn basic horsemanship skills, and participate in daily arts and crafts, and games. This sounds like a great place to spend a part of summer vacation.

Prince’s Bay tutors want every student to reach their academic goals. If your student is struggling in school, a Prince’s Bay tutor could be just what you need. Every student deserves the chance to succeed.