The Ketcham Farmhouse

Back in 1849, David Ketcham, a farmer from an old Long Island family, made the trek from Dix Hills, Long Island to somewhere east of Brooklyn with his very young family.  He had purchased a rather large farm in a beautiful area and he quickly became one of the community's most prominent citizens.  Ketcham wore many hats (from highway commissioner and land assessor to the becoming one of the very first school commissioners of the new borough of Queens).  On a whole, his family's efforts were  a large part of the fabric of the building of the town and the borough.  It seems that David Ketcham's line ended with his passing in 1910, as his only surviving grandson bore no children, but  as the city developed around his longtime Ketcham (farm)House, the property has remained as outstanding, as undivided and as contributory as Ketcham and his family were in their day.

The Ashley-Ketcham House

Just about 150 years later, another family made the trek to New York and bought into the legacy of the Ketcham farmhouse. The Ashley family moved in and made good on opportunities to turn the spotlight back onto this amazing artifact of history, The Ketcham House.  The Ashleys continue the Ketcham tradition  of community involvement and sharing, and as proud caretakers of this special piece of NYC history, they extend a hearty invitation to others to come and partake in the experience.  The Ketcham House is open to guests for lodging, to visitors to USA who wish to participate in their English language immersion programs, and to those seeking a location for filming.  It seems the house has gained a solid reputation -- due to its size and unique position at the crossroad of old and new --  for being a prime location for film-makers to ply their craft.