Situated deep in a NYC park, the Rufus King Manor is an 18th and 19th century historic house. Built between 1730 and 1750, the original Dutch farmhouse with small addition was purchased in 1805 by Rufus King. King was a signer of the Constitution, minister to Great Britain, Senator from New York, abolitionist, and Federalist candidate for Vice President (1804 and 1808) and President (1816).

Under the King family ownership, the Manor went from an unremarkable house to a grand complex, with the construction of a large kitchen in 1806 and in 1810, a Georgian style addition. The addition included a large dining room and a few bedrooms. More than the expansion of the house itself, King also made major landscape renovations to the surrounding area, influenced by the English Picturesque style he had encountered in Britain as minister.The semi-circular driveway and cluster of trees reflect this influence.

King died in 1827 and his son John altered some exterior features of the home, adding the Greek Revival style portico and columns, while honoring his father's wish that the manor remain a working farm complete with a diversity of crops and livestock.