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A Pioneering Project on Staten Island: The History of the Todt Hill Houses

The Todt Hill Houses, a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) development on Staten Island, hold a unique place in the city’s public housing history. Completed in 1950, it was the very first public housing project built in the borough, predating the suburban sprawl that would later define much of the surrounding area.1

Located in the Todt Hill neighborhood, the development sits on a 13-acre portion of a larger 35-acre tract of wilderness that the city acquired in the 1940s. The land was originally purchased in the early 20th century by a Czech immigrant named Moritz Clauber.1 The powerful and controversial “master builder” Robert Moses personally oversaw the design and plans for the project, which was funded in part by the landmark Federal Housing Act of 1949.1

Designed by architect H.I. Feldman—who also planned the Tilden Houses in Brooklyn and the La Guardia Houses in Lower Manhattan—the Todt Hill Houses represented a different approach from the towering superblocks seen in other boroughs.1 The development consists of seven six-story buildings, a more modest scale that predated the construction of most of the single-family homes in the neighborhood.1 Its creation was part of a broader post-war effort to clear slums, provide housing for veterans, and stimulate the economy.1 The complex was designed to house over a thousand people in its 502 apartments and was planned to include amenities like a library branch, social rooms, and demonstration kitchens.1

For decades, the Todt Hill Houses have been regarded by many as one of the city’s quietest, safest, and “nicest” public housing projects, a reputation that sets it apart from many other NYCHA developments.1 Its location on Staten Island, away from the dense urban core, contributed to this perception.

However, after more than 70 years, the aging infrastructure of the Todt Hill Houses has led to significant challenges.2 Residents have faced deteriorating living conditions, including persistent maintenance issues, outdated building systems, mold, lead-based paint, and poor ventilation.2

In response to these issues, the development is currently undergoing a major transformation. The Todt Hill Houses, along with the St. Nicholas Houses in Harlem, are the first two developments to be renovated through NYCHA’s “Comprehensive Modernization” program. This $150 million project, which began in 2024, involves top-to-bottom renovations of all apartments and building systems.2 The initiative has placed a strong emphasis on resident involvement in the design process to ensure the upgrades meet the community’s needs.23 The project is scheduled for completion by mid-2027 and aims to provide residents with safer, healthier, and more dignified homes for decades to come.

Name Origin: “Todt Hill”

21 The name Todt comes from the German word “Tod” for “death” and may refer to the cemetery (the present Moravian Cemetery, opened in 1740 and now the island’s largest cemetery) on the southwestern foot of the ridge near the town of New Dorp that has been in use since colonial days. 21 An alternate explanation is that the name was given by early Dutch settlers because of treeless rocky exposures on the hilltop, caused by the soil of the Staten Island Serpentinite locality. 18 From the 1600s to the end of the American Revolution, Todt Hill was known by the Dutch name Yserberg (Iron Mount) for its exceptional iron resources. Evidence of iron mining on Todt Hill dates to 1644, but it is known that intensive mining took place between 1832 and 1881. 21 Todt Hill is a 401-foot-tall (122 m) hill formed of serpentine rock on Staten Island, New York. It is the highest natural point in the five boroughs of New York City and the highest elevation on the entire Atlantic coastal plain from Florida to Cape Cod.

Land History Before NYCHA

16 In 1907 the sites that are now Sports Park, Toad Hall Playground, and Todt Hill Houses were part of a 35-acre estate owned by Moritz and Elsa Glauber. The Glaubers incorporated and sold portions of their property to their company, Glauber Land Estates, and then to the City. 4 The plot was purchased in the early 20th century by a Czech immigrant named Moritz Glauber. Left afloat after running a Colorado general store during the Gold Rush, Glauber first drifted to Memphis, then took over the Wormser Hat Store’s offices in Manhattan. 4 The Glauber estate, newly acquired and undeveloped City property along the right of way of the impending Staten Island Expressway, was naturally suited to Moses’ purposes. It was the first public housing project in the borough, and like all NYCHA sites selected at that time, Moses signed off on it personally.

Construction and Opening

4 This development deep in the forgotten borough, an hour’s commute from downtown, was opened by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in 1950, 14 years before the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. 11 The Todt Hill Houses were completed in 1950, in a period of time when the neighborhood, the borough, and the region saw significant expansion after World War II. The development predated the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. 4 The architect H.I. Feldman — who would later design the Tilden Houses in Brooklyn and La Guardia Houses in Lower Manhattan — drew up a plan for seven buildings scattered across 13 acres, with 502 apartments that could house over a thousand people. The development was to include a photography workshop, a sub-branch of the New York Public Library, demonstration kitchens, social rooms, and two craft rooms.

Early Residents

4 When the Houses officially opened in 1950, apartments were rented for 65 to 85 dollars a month. As with the new projects opened in Brooklyn at the same time, applicants had to make less than $4,900 a year, with preference given to veterans. NYCHA records describe the first inhabitants as predominantly “clerks and kindred workers, salespersons, cashiers, bookkeepers.” There were 20 firemen and 18 policemen. 4 For many who applied, the apartments were a step up. John Maresca, now an IT worker in New Jersey, moved in with his family as a toddler in 1954. The Marescas had already been looking to escape their poorly heated row house. “We came to the Todt Hill Houses.”

Location

11 As part of Typecast, an investigation into five “towers-in-the-park” across New York City, Ben Stechschulte photographs the Todt Hill Houses in Castleton Corners, Staten Island. Todt Hill Houses was never regarded as being in Emerson Hill. If anything Todt Hill Houses was part of the Castleton Corners area. 8 The development is located in the Borough of Staten Island with residential addresses on Manor Road in the 10314 zip code.

Development Statistics

7 The development has 456 current units (502 total units) with 1,986 rental rooms. There are 7 residential buildings at 6 stories each. The total area is 581,056 square feet with building/land coverage of 13.62%. The density is 69 people per acre. The development cost was $6,509,155, with a cost per rental room (as built) of $2,994. The average monthly gross rent is $633. 3 A $150 million investment will renovate Todt Hill’s seven buildings and 502 apartments, which are home to approximately 1,000 residents.

Reputation and Character

4 City-Data chatrooms will tell you: the Todt Hill Houses are quiet and safe; many call it the city’s nicest housing project. 4 Safe, suburban, and well-maintained, Todt Hill defies many of the stereotypes of New York City housing projects. Unlike the Lower East Side’s Smith Houses, which were constructed in the place of demolished tenements, Todt Hill predates most of the single-family homes in its surrounding neighborhood. At six stories tall, its buildings would not be considered towers in much of the rest of the New York City. But its brick construction, superblock layout, and very existence attests to a particular moment in the housing history of New York. 4 More recent arrivals to the development are likely to shrug off nostalgia for dirt roads, seeing their physical well-being as a more pressing concern: the Todt Hill Houses, surrounded now by middle-class suburbia, are among the safest of the city’s projects. Crime waves swept through Stapleton and Mariner’s Harbor in recent decades — Park Hill, down by the ferry, came to be called “Crack Hill” — but there was nothing like that up here.

Notable Residents

21 Mob Wives reality television star Drita D’Avanzo grew up in the Todt Hill Houses.

Recent Renovations ($150 Million Comprehensive Modernization)

9 The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) prioritized urgent modernization of its aging housing stock, with the 70-year-old Todt Hill Houses, an affordable housing development on Staten Island, emerging as a top focus. 1 On January 17, NYCHA announced the execution of a contract with the design-build team, Community Modernization Group, selected to perform more than $150 million of renovation work for the Comprehensive Modernization of Todt Hill Houses on Staten Island to the benefit of more than 1,000 residents living in over 500 apartments across seven buildings. 5 Todt Hill Houses was selected because we knew we had a high number of units that had lead-based paint in them, mold, and children under the age of 6 living in them. 5 The Todt Hill Houses are undergoing a $150 million renovation. It’s part of NYCHA’s comprehensive modernization program. Residents have to temporarily move out of their units while their building is under construction because the project includes such vast renovation. Construction started in 2024 and is expected to be done by mid-2027. 5 Everyone is given the right to return when the renovations finish, and they were told that rent will not rise as a result of the work.

Summary Table