Rock Hall Museum, Lawrence

About Rock Hall Museum

Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence, New York is a Georgian-style house built in 1767 for Josiah Martin, a wealthy West Indian plantation owner. Visitors tour this pre-Revolutionary War home, one of the finest examples on Long Island, which later belonged to the Martin and Hewlett families before the Hewlett family deeded it to the Town of Hempstead in 1948. After restoration, the museum opened in 1953. Guided tours are typically given on the hour, with the last tour at 3:00pm. The museum offers lectures and children's programs alongside its house tours. Rock Hall is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a New York State Revolutionary War Trail Site. Current exhibits explore how the Martin family navigated the divided loyalties of the Revolutionary era, with Long Island's complex political position during the war. Tours are available Wednesday through Saturday mornings into afternoon, and Sunday afternoons.