via Curbed – For an enterprising real estate investor—or someone who likes really freaking creepy homes—this newly listed Staten Island house might be a gem. It’s no ordinary home, you see; it’s the Kreischer Mansion, one of the island’s most notorious properties.
The house was originally built in the late 19th century by Balthasar Kreischer, a German-born immigrant and brick-maker who went on to create one of New York City’s first company towns, known as—of course—Kreischerville. He was responsible for building a small spattering of workers’ houses that were built in the 1870s complement the family’s manufacturing facilities, along with other services—shops, churches—to serve the growing community. (One of those, the the Free Magyar Reformed Church, is a NYC landmark that stands today.)