The Warner Family
History of the Warner Family
The lovely old house on Constitution Island was the home of the Warner family from 1836 to 1915. Susan and Anna Warner were well-known writers in the nineteenth century. Susan wrote The Wide, Wide World in 1850 which became a best seller of its day. Anna is best known for writing the words to the hymn Jesus Loves Me. The sisters taught Bible classes to West Point cadets for forty years.
The oldest part of the Warner House includes a thick stone wall existing from Revolutionary War days. The Victorian wing of eight rooms was built by Henry Warner in 1836 when he moved his family from New York City to the island. The house is furnished with original Warner family possessions. The Warner House is a living museum and is kept as nearly as possible as it was when Miss Anna Warner lived there until her death in 1915.
The Constitution Island Association is an historical society organized in 1916 to preserve the Warner House and its furnishings. A visit is a unique nineteenth century Hudson Valley experience.
