how a former producer and director is transforming Historic Richmond Town while preserving its heritage
by JENNIFER VIKSE • Photos By Alex Barreto
Spending most of his adult life on the sets of TV shows and documentaries in editing rooms and production offices, Ed Wiseman said that when he took on the role of Executive Director of Historic Richmond Town (HRT), he felt right at home.
HRT, an authentic and original town and farm museum complex, is nestled on the Island’s Mid-Island/South Shore line. Its web site proclaims it as a celebration of centuries of American life.
The facility is comprised of over 30 moriginal historic structures. Its museum and archives contain more than 130,000 historic artifacts, and the grounds have become host to some of Staten Island’s most lauded events, including the NYC Chili Cook-off, the NYC BBQ Cook- Off, the Richmond County Fair, Rome
Through Richmond Town, and others. The site, (actually a combination of four sites) is now humming with activity most weekends, but had a lull in the ‘90s.
That’s where Wiseman came in.
A graduate of Monsignor Farrell High School, Wiseman graduated from New York University with a BFA in Film & Television with honors in 1982. During school, he interned at a Manhattan-based production company and started working full time before
graduation.
“There’s a good work ethic on Staten Island, and I put it to good use,” he explained, noting that the job took him to Los Angeles and back again. His first gig was producing the educational series Reading Rainbow—directing and producing at age 27, “which was young back then.” “Working on Reading Rainbow was great; it was a big thing for me. [The show] was loved. It’s cool to be part of that legacy and feel like you’ve done
something,” he said.
Throughout his career, he worked with many networks, and with stars like Richard Gere, Angelina Jolie, Naomi Judd, and Martha Stewart.
“All of [the projects] were substantive and meaningful,” noted Wiseman, who has won eight Emmy Awards for his work.
Reading Rainbow wasn’t just a first job, it was where Wiseman met his wife, Orly. “We worked there together for years before we started dating and we eventually married and had kids,” he said.
In 1995, he built his own production company with partners—which took him all over the country and to PBS, working on projects “with a mission.”
“I got a lot of experience in small business and the arts, and I think that is what teed me up to run a cultural organization,” Wiseman said. “I worked with a lot of non-profit institutions, traveling around the country, meeting great people, being able to understand the whole country, not just New York.”
The experience also taught him how to make a profit…with values.
“My PBS projects had a mission; they gave me a good grounding, and I was able to think like an entrepreneur.”
While things were going well and his young family of three children were growing on Staten Island, Wiseman was approached to join the Board of Directors of Historic Richmond Town in 2006, just down the street from his home. After just two years on the board, he was asked to serve as an interim director for the site when his predecessor retired.
“The board asked me to do that. I said yes because I simply felt it was my duty to say yes,” Wiseman recalled.
The Board approached him repeatedly about taking the job permanently. “They asked three times, I said no. Then my wife said I should think about it. So I interviewed and they hired me. I was honored to be hired because there were a number of candidates from around the country. I was an out-of-the-box pick…had never directed a museum before.”
At the time (October of 2008), there were some eyebrows raised at the selection, but the director soldiered on, putting into effect a number of initiatives for the historic museum complex, and ultimately he didn’t find the transition from directing and producing documentaries to running this Island gem too difficult.
“Having a background in the arts, understanding the concept of a mission, it all made me feel comfortable,” he recalled. “Directing Historic Richmond Town is a lot like directing a film. There are a lot of departments: creative people, facilities people, and it’s all going on at the same time. Often, we are working on things out of sequence—projects in different phases. It’s like a gigantic film set.”
That observation is ironic in that HRT serves as a film location for many TV shows, films, and commercials, bringing additional revenue to the site. Most notably, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire used the site regularly in the latter part of its run.
Along with the everyday operations, Wiseman and his team have increased visitor numbers significantly, thanks in large part to special events.
“A museum of our type shouldn’t be a niche museum for a select few,” he explained. “I’ve heard [Deputy Borough President] Ed Burke’s voice in my head since I started. He said, ‘Keep your dignity but give the people what they want.’”
He enlisted the guidance of Borough President Jim Oddo and Mid-Island Council Member Steve Matteo to create a model where the public is served more broadly. To do that, he took traditional events and put them on steroids…metaphorically. In most cases, this meant incorporating a larger food component.
The wildly popular NYC Chili Cook-Off, the NYC BBQ Cook-Off, and the wine event, Uncorked! have put the site on the map for not only Staten Island but throughout the city, New Jersey, and beyond. “We’ve thrown open the doors and welcomed people from all over. Thousands of people enjoy coming here,” Wiseman boasted. These days, HRT welcomes 120,000 people annually.
Additional seasonal events include the All American Drive In in summer, the Richmond County Fair on Labor Day Weekend, and Rome Through Richmond Town on Columbus Day weekend, while Deck Farm, a short distance from the main campus, hosts pumpkin picking, hay rides, and other seasonal events.
A Thanksgiving Kitchen Tour through the main site was added to the calendar this year, and thousands enjoy Tavern Concerts, Candlelight Tours, and a Christmas Tree Lighting.
Being successful “means that you have events and programs that everyone appreciates,” noted Wiseman.
The director, his team, and the board of directors look forward to an even brighter future, with wide-ranging plans for enhancements. An improved Richmond Town means concessions and additional services, which means infrastructure improvements, like upgrading the streetscape lighting and other utilities. Wiseman believes that preparing today for growth over the next five to 10 years will help double visitation.
An additional component in HRT’s success is local commerce.
“We believe that local businesses shouldn’t just be asked to contribute, but be partners,” he explained. “They get access to thousands of people who come on site. [This growth] is really going to make a big difference for them.”
Wiseman’s family volunteers alongside him, too. “My wife, Orly, is by my side, and my kids are too,” he said. The children—Danielle, a freshman in college; Juliette, a sophomore in high school; and fourth-grader Ben work at the Snack Wagon at Decker Farm and are never far away during big events.
“Now that’s cool,” Wiseman smiled.
Historic Richmond Town
441 Clarke Avenue / 718.351.1611
historicrichmondtown.org