John Jay had one of the longest and most varied careers in American politics. Over the course of twenty-seven years, Jay served as president of the Second Continental Congress, Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation, minister to Spain, one of the architects of the Treaty of Paris, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court, and a two-term governor of New York. During his time in public office, Jay spoke often of returning to his farm in New York, part of which he acquired through inheritance and part of it through purchase. Jay retired from politics in 1801 to return to the farm with his wife, Sarah. Shortly after moving back to the farm, Sarah died suddenly, leaving Jay to raise the youngest three of their five children alone. He never remarried, and the three youngest children were often away from home at school. In 1812, Jay’s son, William, married. He and his wife, Augusta, moved into the home and had five children of their own. During Jay’s years in the home, he spent much of his time focused on his family, reading his Bible, and agriculture. In his lifetime, the primary foods produced on the farm were wheat, butter, apples, and pears. John Jay died in 1829, and subsequent generations of the family continued to live on the estate, but came to use it more as a county retreat than as a commercial farm. During the Great Depression, Jay’s heirs found it difficult to maintain the property and began to sell parcels. Eleanor Jay Iselin, who owned the home at that time, feared that the home and its history would be lost if it were sold to a developer. In 1946, she offered to let the property be the location for the newly-formed United Nations, but the offer was refused. The site became a New York State Historic property in 1959 and was opened to the public. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

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Following his long career in politics, John Jay retired to a 750 acre estate in Katonah. He moved to the estate in 1801 and lived the remainder of his life there, focusing on children and grandchildren, farming, and his faith. Jay’s descendants continued to live on the property for 150 years, raising fruits, vegetables, herbs, and livestock. The estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to the public as a New York State Historic Site.

John Jay Homestead

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Westchester County has a long history as a home to African American culture. Learn about and explore historical sites, arts, and culture along this driving trail through the county.

In 1664, ten families from Connecticut were granted the right to settle in on a portion of land given to Thomas Pell, near present-day Eastchester Creek. The following year the small community agreed there should be a place of worship erected in their town.  The residents were Dissenters, Puritans who did not agree with the teachings of the Church of England. A small meeting house was completed by 1696, located about 200 feet east of the present church. A minister, Mr. Nathaniel Brewster, was hired to preach every other week. The British legally established the Anglican Church in 1702 in Westchester County, and the congregation was forced to affiliated with the Church of England. Construction on a new house of worship began in 1763, and lasted through 1788. The design of the church was inspired by London churches of the period. The building was constructed from local stone and brick. The project was funded by regular tax revenues, but resources were scarce and construction was halted during the American Revolution.During the war the church was used as a hospital by the Hessian allies of the British. In an effort to keep the church from being completely destroyed in the war, the bronze bell, given to the parish by the Reverend Thomas Stanton in 1758, was buried at the order of George Washington. The Election of 1733 took place on the Village Green adjacent to the meeting house, (where the current church would later be sited) on October 29, 1733, for an open seat in the New York Assembly. During this election, Quakers, whose religion forbade them from swearing a sacred oath, were prevented from voting; the government refused them the ability to simply affirm that they were landowners. This election played an intricate part in the trial of John Peter Zenger. Zenger was responsible for printing the New York Weekly Journal, a newspaper that was critical of colonial Governor William Cosby. His trial served as the basis of the Bill of Rights' concepts of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Additionally, the New York provincial legislature granted Quaker voters the right to affirm, rather than swear a sacred oath. As a result of this association, the church became a symbol of the precepts of the Bill of Rights.<blockquote>“St Paul’s remained a key community institution through the 1800’s, but then the area became increasingly urban and industrial. Mount Vernon, which had grown up around  the church, formally separated from the town of Eastchester when it became a city in 1892. By the 1930’s the church had become more and more isolated and was in danger of being demolished.” 1﻿</blockquote>A restoration campaign to return St. Paul’s to the original 18th century appearance began in 1941 due to the efforts of its rector, William Henry Wiegle. Funds for the restoration were raised by Sara Delano Roosevelt, mother of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose ancestor was an early vestryman.  The church’s congregation diminished during the mid 19th century, and it closed in 1977. Three years later it was transferred to the National Park Service, and in 1984 it opened to the public as a National Historic Site.

St. Paul’s Church is one of New York's oldest parishes. The present masonry church replaced the wooden structure built by 1696. Started in 1763, the church's construction was stalled by the congregation’s lack of resources and the turmoil caused by the Revolutionary War. During that conflict the unfinished church was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers by the British Army’s Hessian allies following Battle of Pell’s Point. The church was finally completed in 1788. The church grounds are occupied by an historical cemetery, where as many as 8,000 burials occurred with the first dating from 1704 and continuing through the 21st century. The burials include Hessian soldiers and people of African descent.

St. Paul's Church

Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. Her father, William, and her mother, Temperance, separated shortly after her birth. Temperance took her young child to live in Yonkers, New York, where she began a relationship with Joseph Da Silva. After moving in together, Temperance gave birth to Ella’s half-sister Frances. In her early teens, Ella was faced with the sudden deaths of her mother and stepfather which threw her into a spiral of negative behavior, leading to her being sent to a reform school from which she escaped at the age of 15.She fought against the obstacles of making a living during the Great Depression and managed to find her calling when she won a chance to perform at an Amateur Night in 1934. Although she recounts being heckled at first, by the end of the song the crowd urged her to do an encore. This event put her in contact with Benny Carter, who helped her establish connections to successful producers and bandleaders. Shortly after, she received her first paying gig as a singer in Chick Webb’s band. With this group, she was able to make her first recording in 1936. When Webb passed a few years later, “Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Band” took over the jazz world.As an African-American woman, Ella had to overcome racial discrimination throughout her career, including an instance where police arrested the band members and later asked them for autographs. Despite these struggles, Ella went on to receive the National Medal of Arts in 1987 as well as several honorary doctorates from various Ivy League schools. As she entered her 70s, her physical health declined rapidly. In 1986, Fitzgerald underwent an extensive quintuple bypass surgery and was diagnosed with diabetes. Just after her last concert in 1991, she had to have both legs amputated below the knees. She spent the last few years of her life with her son and sister’s family before passing on June 15th, 1996 in Beverly Hills.In 1996, a sculpture of Ella Fitzgerald was unveiled in Yonkers to honor her legacy and connection to where she grew up. Fitzgerald's life-size sculpture was designed by Vinnie Bagwell, an African American sculptor who is also from Yonkers. She started sculpting in the early 1990s and her first commission was the tribute to Fitzgerald. At the same time, Bagwell became the first African-American woman sculptor to be commissioned by a municipality. She has continued to encourage community involvement with the arts in Yonkers with her latest project entitled “The Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden.” She is also a published author and currently writes for The Harlem Times. The sculpture of Ella Fitzgerald is situated near the Metro-North station in Yonkers. She is posed with her hands extended, singing, forever entertaining passersby with her timeless talents. The Ella Fitzgerald Foundation, which she founded in 1993, continues her philanthropic endeavors, focusing on children's education and support, disadvantaged and at-risk individuals, music and music education, and medical research.

This sculpture commemorates “the First Lady of Jazz,” Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996). Fitzgerald, raised in Yonkers, overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most recognizable jazz singers. Her impressive vocal range and ability to master the "scat" technique, along with her creativity and perseverance fueled her success in the music industry. She grew up near Harlem, known as the heart of jazz, allowing her to make connections with producers who helped launch her career. She performed from the mid-1930s until the early 90s, recording 200 albums and winning thirteen Grammy awards along the way. She is known for her voice in more than one respect, as she overcame many obstacles from a turbulent childhood and persistent racial discrimination to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

Ella Fitzgerald Sculpture, "The First Lady of Jazz" 

Frederick Philipse began his career as a carpenter on a Dutch East India Company ship in 1662. He quickly rose in status to possess several ships with which he accrued his fortune by transporting slaves. In 1672, Philipse, along with several partners, purchased a mill in present-day Yonkers from Dutch lawyer Adriaen van der Donck. Between 1680 and 1686, Philipse bought out his partners’ shares of the land and acquired large amounts of land from many of the native Wappinger tribes including the Wecquaesgeek of present-day Dobbs Ferry and the Sintsinks of present-day Ossining. By the time of his death, the full extent of Philipse Manor was 52,000 acres between the Hudson and Bronx Rivers, stretching from the Croton River in the north and Spuyten Duyvil Creek in the south, comprising most of southern Westchester County. After the English took over the New Netherland colony in 1664, Philipse swore allegiance to the English crown and was granted a royal commission for his manor in 1693, thus solidifying the position of one of the most wealthy and powerful families in the colony. Construction of the Philipse home in Yonkers began in 1682. It was designed as a small two room home to be used as a midway point between Philipse’s home in New York City and his home in present-day Tarrytown known as the “Upper Mills.” Frederick Philipse I died in 1702 and the manor eventually passed to his nephew, Frederick Philipse II, who would become the second Lord of the Manor. Around 1745, Frederick II would extensively renovate and add to the Yonkers home, changing its purpose from stopover to the principle seat of the family and management of the land. He enlarged it with more rooms and halls, each lavishly decorated. The rooms were adorned with stucco ceilings, a rarity for that time in colonial America, depicting birds, animals, and pastoral scenes. He also moved the front façade of the building to the east side facing the Albany Post Road (now Route 9) with two entrance porches decorated with Doric columns. At the time, the interior represented the best of English and American decorative arts.. Frederick Philipse II died in 1751, and the manor passed to his eldest son Frederick Philipse III. Frederick III would be the third and final Lord of Philipse Manor. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Frederick III again declared the family’s loyalty to the British Crown. In 1776, on orders from General George Washington, he was arrested by colonial authorities. After several trials, he was paroled later that same year. However, he continued to support the British and in the Spring of 1777 he attempted to warn a British garrison of an incoming raid but his warning was intercepted and his family was forced to flee to the safety of British occupied New York City. Finally, in 1779, through the efforts of John Jay, a maternal cousin of Frederick III, the Philipse family was attainted by the Provincial Congress of New York and all their lands were seized. Once the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, the Philipse family fled New York and settled in England where Frederick III died in 1785. While the lands were sold piecemeal, the Philipse Manor Hall changed hands frequently. Between 1868 and 1872, the building was used as the Yonkers Village Hall, but by 1908 the complex nature of city governance made the building virtually obsolete and the city considered tearing it down. The manor hall was saved by wealthy Yonkers resident Eva Smith Cochran who donated $50,000 to the City of Yonkers to allow them to turn ownership over to the State of New York. The building was cared for by the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society until that organization’s dissolution in 1979. Since then it has been maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, and operated as a museum of history, art, and architecture. Exhibits include a comprehensive gallery of Presidential portraits and a community gallery.

Built circa 1682 by Frederick Philipse I, the Philipse Manor Hall was the central seat for Philipsburg Manor. Between 1682 and 1758, additions were added to the home by Philipse and his descendants. It currently stands as one of the most notable examples of Early Georgian Colonial architecture in the United States. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site

Madam C. J. Walker was born in Delta, Louisiana under the name, Sarah Breedlove. Her parents and some of her siblings had been slaves, and in her early life, she worked alongside her family in the cotton fields. As a young woman she started with a washtub and was promoted to the kitchen. Her parents died when she was 7 years old; she married at 14; became a widow at 20. In order to support herself and her daughter she, " promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations....I know how to grow hair as well as i know how to grow cotton.." She created the “Walker System” and later worked to market and sell custom hair care products specifically for African American women. One of the first proponents of, "Black is beautiful." Walker employed numerous women as “beauty culturalists” whom she would train and send out as door-to-door saleswomen. As her clientele grew, so did her notoriety and fortune. Although it is difficult to determine "firsts" in history with precision, it seems likely that Walker became the first Black woman to earn and amass a fortune of over one million dollars in the United States.  In 1918, Madam Walker hired African American architect Vertner Tandy to build her dream house on four acres in Irvington, New York. He designed her a 30-room Roman villa in white stucco, red tiled roof, with a two-story, semi-circular portico visible from Broadway. She decided to name the mansion Villa Lewaro lovingly after her daughter A’Lelia Walker Robinson, using two letters from each of her names. The home caused some local controversy, as whites living in the surrounding area were not favorable to having Walker as a neighbor.  Walker was leading contributor to the NAACP and other Black institutions. She also offered scholarships for African American women and she dedicated much of her latter life to supporting causes that strengthened African American businesses and communities.

Villa Lewaro was the home of Madam C. J. Walker, an African American woman who became a millionaire through her empire of hair care products. Walker was born in 1867 to formerly enslaved parents. She was orphaned at age 7, married at 14, had a daughter and was widowed by 20. By 1915 she was the wealthiest Black woman in the country, and a major benefactor of Black schools, charities and organizations such as the NAACP.  She hired architect, Verner W. Tandy to design her house. He was a 1909 graduate of Cornell University and New York's first licensed Black architect. Built in one of the country's most fashionable suburban neighborhoods, Walker hoped that the estate would be a beacon of hope for other African Americans.Today, the home is a private residence and is not open to the public.

Villa Lewaro, home of Madam C. J. Walker

The Foster Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was built in 1865 and is one of the oldest Black churches in the county and may be one of the oldest in New York state. Records show that in 1790 there were 357 “free colored persons” in Westchester County, occupied mostly as farmhands and house servants. This population of free Black people increased in the first half of the 19th century as a result of manumission and children born of free Blacks. A bill signed by Governor John Jay freed all Blacks born in New York State after July 4, 1799, after they followed a period of servitude until they were 28 years of age. Legislation passed in 1809 declared manumitted slaves capable of receiving and holding estates, and all enslaved individuals of New York were freed on July 4, 1827.  An A.M.E group was organized in Tarrytown in 1860. This denomination was established by free Blacks who faced discrimination in seating and receiving the Eucharist in the John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. They decided to separate from John Street, choosing to worship among themselves. When the Tarrytown congregation was established, there were only 178 free Blacks in Greenburgh. This congregation was organized by Henry and Amanda Foster, with members of the White Plains congregation and Reverend Jacob Thomas and Hiram Jimerson. They worshiped through several temporary quarters between 1860 and 1864 until they secured the funds to build a church. Local builder/architect James Bird erected the church at a cost of $9,120.85. In Tarrytown, the church served the growing Black population, assisted newly settled freedmen, and helped escaped slaves fleeing the south. Through its “Committee of Vigilance” the church was involved in the Underground Railway. Members of the church continued to provided food and shelter to fugitive slaves attempting to flee to Canada.

Built in 1865, Foster Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church has served the community for more than one hundred and fifteen years. Organized by Amanda and Henry Foster and built by free Blacks, the church served an African American community that separated from John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in NYC after experiencing discrimination. Foster AME was known as a stop on the Underground Railroad.  Escaped slaves attempting to reach Canada or deciding to settle locally were provided with food, shelter and assistance.

Foster Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

Philipsburg Manor or Upper Mills was the commercial center of the Philipse family's land holdings in New York, which were granted to them by royal charter in 1693. Adolph Philipse inherited the Upper Mills from his father Frederick in 1702 and connected this plantation enterprise to the family's vast trade network in the West Indies and Africa. The Manor relied on enslaved Africans to run the complex and at one point 23 were employed on site. By the mid-eighteenth century, the Philipse family was one of the wealthiest and largest slave owners in the Northern colonies. A variety of goods were grown on the land and processed at the Upper Mills. Tenant farmers also brought their crops to the mill. From an office in New York, Adolph would handle the shipment of the goods, which were primarily dairy products and grains such as wheat and rye. The water-powered gristmill, powered by the Pocantico River, produced 5,000 pounds of flour a day on average. Upon reaching New York City, it would be packaged and shipped overseas, where it would be traded for such goods as tobacco and sugar. When the American Revolution broke out, the Philipse family took the side of the British. This resulted in their land’s confiscation in 1779 and subsequent departure from America in 1783. Following this, the property was auctioned to raise funds for the Colonial cause. The Beekman family would end up purchasing the biggest chunk of this newly forfeited land. The house saw various owners in the 19th century. The last private owner was a Broadway star, Elsie Janis. In 1940. John D. Rockefeller bought what was then called Philipse Castle, restored it to its eighteenth century appearance and opened it to the public as a historic site in 1943. The site became a National Historic Landmark on November 5, 1961. In 2004, it would become of the locations on the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County. Today, Philipsburg Manor includes a gristmill, manor house, barn and wharf. The grounds include traditional farm equipment and a slave garden where "traditional crops and medicinal herbs are grown." Tour guides in period costume give visitors an authentic experience of life at Philipsburg Manor prior to the Revolutionary war.

Located in Sleepy Hollow, New York,  Philipsburg Manor once encompassed over 52,000 acres. Owned by the Philipse family through the grant of a royal charter in 1693, this manor was a commercial venture managed by Adolph Philipse, an international merchant who lived in New York City. The land was divided and rented to European tenant farmers. This location was referred to as the Upper Mills and was the industrial heart of the Manor where the farmers brought their grain to the gristmill. Adolph's nephew, Frederick, owned a similar farm located in what is now Yonkers, which was referred to as the Lower Mills.

It is important to note that, at one point, the Manor relied on 23 African slaves to run the complex. By the mid-eighteenth century, the Philipse's were one of the wealthiest families in New York and largest slave owners in the Northern colonies.

When the American Revolution broke out, the Philipse family took the side of the British. This resulted in the land’s confiscation in 1779 and subsequent departure for America by the Philipse family in 1783.

Philipsburg Manor was added as a National Historic Landmark on November 5, 1961. In 2004, it was included as a stop on the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County.

Philipsburg Manor

“The Chappaqua Meeting House was originally constructed in 1753 and enlarged to its present size shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War. It has a standard design that goes back to the 17th century.”1 Standing on a slight rise on the West side of Quaker Road, the building has two separate entrances, one for men, one for women. It has no stained-glass windows and does not feature decoration within the interior. Movable benches and panels inside allow for an ease of access between congregants and for meetings, this is a common feature within Quaker buildings of the 18th century. Since its construction “the Meeting House has been enlarged twice: first in 1778-1780 by the side addition of a 20-foot by 18-foot wood-frame wing in the west side, and second in 1961 by the construction of a west wing.”2 The extensions have allowed for more followers to come over the centuries and decades and made it so space is of no issue. Even today, followers of the faith can go to the Meeting House and practice/attend meetings.The house has served as a meeting place for Quakers in Chappaqua and neighboring areas in Westchester County, making it a location where the faith could practice in peace. For the Quakers of the 18th century and still today “they believe in equality, of men and women, and of all races and nationalities.”3 The Quakers additionally believe in refusing to engage in war or any type of confrontation, meaning they are a people of peace. Quakers expect truthfulness and fairness in all interactions with others. This mindset led the members of the society to rethink their stance on slavery, and what it meant to own the life of another human being. “Because the Quakers believed that all people had access to the inner light and were equal before God, they were the first Christian denomination to conclude that ownership of fellow human beings was wrong.”4 The Quakers of Westchester County who attended meetings in houses much like Chappaqua’s began questioning the morality of slavery in the late 18th century. They served as a catalyst for its abolition in New York during the time leading up to the Civil War. In 1767, the Quakers stated that “[it] is not consistent with Christianity to buy or sell our fellow men for slaves”5. They went on to free the slaves that were in their possession, and provided them with land to settle and farm on. Actions carried out by these Quakers regarding the freedom of enslaved people would influence the creation of important landmarks and societies pertaining to African American history within Westchester County. One example is “The Hills,” a vibrant community of free Blacks located in Harrison that coexisted with their Quaker neighbors in nearby towns.

Constructed in 1753, the Friends Meeting House of Chappaqua served as a center for worship and business meetings for both men and women, uncommon during a time where gender inequality was the norm. The building is the oldest standing Quaker house located in Westchester County, and resembles  a simple farmhouse. The significance of the meeting house stems from the members who met within its walls,  and the actions they carried out.  The Quakers of Chappaqua were some of the first people to take a stand against slavery in New York. 

The Friends Meeting House

On September 21, 1780, the HMS Vulture, a British warship, was anchored in the Hudson River off Haverstraw. The commander of the ship sent a landing party across the river toward Croton Point, then known as Teller's Point. Two American soldiers were making cider near Teller's Point: John "Rifle Jack" Peterson, a 35-year-old African American soldier, and Moses Sherwood, a 19-year-old white soldier. The two men took position behind rocks on Teller's Point and fired at the boat, which in turn reversed course and retreated toward the Vulture. The two soldiers then rode on horseback to Fort Lafayette in Verplanck, which was garrisoned by American troops under the command of Colonel James Livingston. Colonel Livingston sent cannon to Croton Point, which proceeded to bombard the Vulture on the morning of September 22. The commander of the Vulture departed Haverstraw and sailed south toward New York City. This small engagement proved to have major consequences for the British and American forces. The Vulture had dropped off Major John Andre, a British officer who was the liaison with Benedict Arnold while the latter was planning to betray the American fortress at West Point, on September 20. The Vulture had planned to take Andre back to New York City after he met with Arnold. However, after the Vulture departed Haverstraw, Andre was forced to take an overland route through Westchester County to return to the British forces stationed in New York City. While traveling through the county on September 23 with the plans to West Point secreted in his boot, Andre was captured by three militiamen in Tarrytown. As a result, the American forces were alerted to Arnold's betrayal. Although Arnold was able to escape to the British lines, Andre was hanged as a spy on October 1, 1780. In 1967 the actions of Peterson and Sherwood were commemorated when the Mohegan, Pierre Van Cortlandt, and Tarrytown chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a plaque where the two outnumbered soldiers fought off the British attempt to land. The memorial is part of the Westchester County African American Heritage Trail. The Jack Peterson Memorial is located in Croton Point Park about 150 west of the northwest corner of the large parking lot. Please see the map that is included with the images.

Located on Croton Point, the Jack Peterson Memorial commemorates a small but significant military action that took place during the Revolutionary War.  On September 21, 1780, John Peterson, an African American soldier known as "Rifle Jack," and Moses Sherwood, a white soldier, prevented a landing party from the British warship HMS Vulture from reaching Croton Point.  The following day, American reinforcements bombarded the Vulture, causing it to leave Haverstraw Bay and sail south on the Hudson River toward New York City.  Earlier, the Vulture had dropped off Major John Andre, the liaison to Benedict Arnold as he planned his treason, and was waiting in the Hudson for his return.  Once the warship left, Andre was forced to travel overland through Westchester County to return to the British lines at New York City.  While doing so, he was captured in Tarrytown on September 23.  Arnold's treason was revealed, and Andre was hanged as a spy.

Jack Peterson Memorial

In Yorktown Heights, New York, the Monument to the First Rhode Island Regiment serves as a tribute to the efforts of the historic group of soldiers during the Battle of Pine’s Bridge. Erected in 1982 following support from John H. Harmon, the founder of the Afro-American Cultural Foundation, the monument honors the importance of the regiment on the history of African Americans. The story of the First Rhode Island Regiment dates back to the beginning of the American Revolution. Prompted to use Black soldiers against the British, future-President George Washington rejected the idea. By the winter of 1777, Washington reconsidered his position, after learning that British General Charles Cornwallis had offered slaves their freedom in exchange for fighting, assuming the British won. Washington then forwarded the idea to the Governor of Rhode Island. On February 14, 1778, the Rhode Island Assembly voted to allow “every able-bodied negro, mulatto, or Indian man slave in this state to enlist into either of the Continental Battalions being raised.” In doing so, these slaves would be let free. Fearful of ex-slaves being armed, Rhode Island slave owners opposed the law.  In June of that year, the Rhode Island Assembly repealed its law, though by then 140 men had been freed by enlisting. The First Rhode Island Regiment had the largest percentage of Black soldiers by a significant amount. Under the command of Colonel Christopher Greene, the regiment was charged with protecting the northern Westchester lines. On the morning of May 13, 1781, a group of over 200 soldiers, led by infamous British loyalist, James DeLancey, engaged in a surprise attack on the Davenport House, which served as Col. Greene’s headquarters. Shortly after the attack began, six soldiers were slain, the remaining officers were killed, and Col. Greene was left for dead. DeLancey’s group then made their way to the Griffin House, where they met with the rest of African American soldiers of The First Rhode Island Regiment to announce that Greene was dead and to surrender. The regiment refused, and many of the Black soldiers lost their lives. The monument was added to the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County in 2004. It is one of the 13 sites featured on the trail.

The Monument to the First Rhode Island Regiment serves as a tribute to the efforts of the historic group of soldiers during the Battle of Pine’s Bridge.

Erected in 1982 following support from John H. Harmon, the founder of the Afro-American Cultural Foundation, the monument honors the importance of the regiment to the history of African Americans.

The monument was added to the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County in 2004. It is one of the 13 sites to feature on the trail.

Monument to First Rhode Island Regiment

While there is no definitive date of establishment for the community known as “The Hills,” it is accepted that shortly after the American Revolution (1765-1783) “members of the Society of Friends and the Methodist Episcopal Church freed their slaves.”1 Before the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, few owners sought to free their slaves in the same manner as the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. In the late 1700’s, the Quakers in Westchester increasingly felt that “slavery was inconsistent with their religious beliefs,”2 and because of that they emancipated all of those that had endured serving the will of others throughout their lives. The Quakers also provided them with land to use as they pleased. “This marked the beginning of the Hills, a thriving 19th-century community of free African-Americans, one of the oldest in the nation.”3 The newly emancipated slaves settled what was known as “rough lands,” mostly rocky uplands. Despite the difficulty in transforming the land into a habitable area, they were able to establish a thriving community, co-existing with their nearby white neighbors. Residents of this community were not rich, yet their close-knit families would go on to form the strong foundations of a support network that helped protect members from hardships. Over the decades, the community continued to grow from these foundations, reaching around two hundred members by 1860. The community featured many houses, a one-room schoolhouse, a church, and a six-acre cemetery.  The cemetery in the community, commonly known as “Stony Hills Cemetery” features two hundred known graves, but many believe there could be as many as four hundred graves. Because fieldstones were often used to mark the graves, it is hard to determine what was intended as a grave marker and what stones were naturally occurring. Most of the people in the community could not afford to have an engraved headstone for their family member. Many stones (with the exception of seven) have no inscriptions, making it difficult to determine the total number of burial sites.  The seven inscribed headstones are mostly associated with men that fought for the Union during the Civil War (1861-1865). It is believed that anywhere from 32-34 men enlisted, mostly with Connecticut's 29th Colored Infantry, but only seven inscribed headstones stand in the cemetery; “and four of these are standard federal markers issued to veterans of the Civil War.”4 The additional three marked stones are assumed to belong to a couple and the last most likely belonging to a labor organization employee by the name of Harvey Seymour. Other factors for the uncertainty of the number of graves include issues over land ownership, vegetation overgrowth and poor upkeep of the cemetery, and possible looting's from the site over the years. Many work to find a resolution for the site today in order to maintain and preserve what is left.

Created sometime around 1800, Stony Hill Cemetery in Harrison was established to be the burial place of emancipated slaves and their descendants. Most of the people buried within this cemetery were members of a community called “The Hills,” also once known as “Negro Hills”. The community itself was the largest African American Community in Westchester during the time of its existence, with around two hundred members by 1860. Today there are at least two hundred residents of the community buried in the six-acre cemetery, several of whom served in the Civil War.

Stony Hill Cemetery 

The Neuberger Museum of Art was founded in 1969 with a promised gift of 300 works by Roy R. Neuberger, one of the most significant private collectors, philanthropists, and arts advocates of the twentieth century. In 1974, the Neuberger Museum of Art opened in Purchase, NY in a building designed by Philip Johnson. Its mission statement defines the museum as "a center of teaching and learning for all stages of life.”1 Visitors to the site encounter a memorable experience of “modern, contemporary, and African art.”2 The Museum’s collection has grown to over 6,000 objects, with representations by many artists, including Milton Avery, Romare Bearden, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock. The museum 's extensive collection of African art is continually rotated on exhibition. The African art collection is principally focused around central Africa and the cultures within it. “The display of ceremonial headdresses, musical instruments, commemorative carved figures, masks and other objects is intended to arouse the viewer’s admiration for the makers of these works, whose forms transcend history and embody layers of meaning that need to be discovered if we are to understand the richness of the cultures from which they came.”3 “Major objects offer artistic insights into more than 30 cultures and span a geographic area from Mali to Mozambique.”4 A large gift of 153 pieces by the late Lawrence Gussman, a Scarsdale resident and collector of African art, expanded the collection in 1999.  While the museum is not listed on the National Register, it offers valuable historical insight into the cultures of central Africa. The museum is open to the public most weekdays, with tickets at affordable prices for all ages and groups. The museum is also available to students, making the collection a valuable history lesson for anyone who wishes to see the works and gain new insights.

Since its opening in 1974, The Neuberger Museum of Art has worked to make African art an integral part of its collections. Over the years many pieces of art have been added to the collection, but the biggest addition came from a generous donation from the late Lawrence Gussman in 1999. Today, the collection is primarily made up of the arts of central Africa, with over 153 pieces of work for visitors to view and learn about various African cultures.

The Neuberger Museum of Art, The African Art Collection

For over 100 years, the African Cemetery in Rye provided a cost-free option for African-Americans to receive a proper burial.     While some claim that the land was used for burials long before it became an official cemetery, the recorded history did not begin for the African Cemetery until 1859, where Benjamin Mead would transfer a piece of his land to Underhill Halstead, a local farmer, “to be held in trust for persons of Color residing in the Town of Rye.” Halstead and his wife, Elizabeth, would then transfer the deed to the Town of Rye and “their successors in office forever” on June 27, 1860, with the intent to give African Americans a proper place to be buried, free of any charge. Prior to this, African Americans would often be buried anonymously in potter's fields.      The first burial occurred in 1864; while some families were buried here, the 160 tombstones are primarily for individuals.     Over the course of the Cemetery’s history, it has developed a legacy as a burial site for veterans. Over the 100 years it was used as a burial space, there were anywhere from 20 to 35 different veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, and both World Wars.     Of these veterans, perhaps none is more notable than Edwin Purdy. Purdy, a member of the United States Navy, served aboard the USS Monadnock during the Civil War. Other notable veterans include Corporal Amos Williams (Civil War) and Michael Paige (Spanish American War.)   Paige's efforts as a member of the 10th US Cavalry Volunteers would be very beneficial to future US President, Theodore Roosevelt, and his Rough Riders during the Battle of San Juan Hill.      Samuel Bell, buried here, was a member of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. This was a Black military unit that served the Union during the Civil War, and was depicted in the 1989 Denzel Washington movie “Glory.”  Following the last burial in 1964, the cemetery went unkept for about twenty years. A ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 28, 1986, where it was rededicated after a two-plus year effort to restore it. The Town of Rye also placed a Westchester County Tricentennial Historic Plaque at the location.     Since 2010, the non-profit group, Friends of the Rye African American Cemetery, has led the restoration and preservation efforts of the cemetery.

For over 100 years, the African Cemetery in Rye provided a cost-free option for African Americans to receive a proper burial.   
 
In 1860, Underhill Halstead, a farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth, transferred the land to the Town of Rye for African American burial plots, free of charge. It would feature 160 different gravestones throughout its time as an active cemetery; many were of veterans who served in the Civil, Spanish American, and both World Wars. Although it mostly comprising single graves, a few families were plotted together.    

After the last burial in 1964, the cemetery was neglected for the next 20 years. On Wednesday, May 28, 1986, it was rededicated after a two-plus year effort to restore it — the Town of Rye also placed a Westchester County Tricentennial Historic Plaque at the location. 

Rye African American Cemetery

The Jay Heritage Center (JHC) in Rye, New York, dedicated to one of America’s Founding Fathers, is managed by an non profit organization that was incorporated in 1990. The JHC serves as the steward of the 23-acre Jay Estate, home to John Jay, the first Chief Justice and second Governor of New York, for the first 15 years of his life. A part of the Boston Road Historical District, the site is considered to be the cornerstone of the historic district.  After purchasing the property in Rye, Peter Jay, the father of John Jay, built the house in 1745. Son John Jay, living in Bedford at the time, inherited the house from his brother Peter Jr., in 1810. Peter Augustus Jay, the eldest son of John, would then inherit the property. He proceeded to tear down the original house and build the current mansion as his summer home at a cost of $14,700 in 1836-38. It was an impressive home that was symbolic of the owners increasing wealth and power. In 1904, the property would leave the Jay family's possession. The land would be bought and sold numerous times. Beginning in 1979, threats of development left the property's future unknown. Among the plans discussed was one that called for razing everything to make way for 32 new houses. Another proposal envisioned keeping the historic buildings intact and erecting 66 condominiums. In 1986, the Jay Coalition, a precursor to the Jay Heritage Center, was born. Aided by government officials, they forged an agreement to buy and save the site. Today, 21.5 acres are held jointly as protected parkland by the state and Westchester County, while 1.5 acres and the historic buildings are owned by the Center, which has stewardship over the full property. The Jay Heritage Center is also responsible for historic preservation, environmental stewardship, archaeology, archives, and research of the area. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, it would later be elevated to the status of a National Historic Landmark in 1993.

The Jay Heritage Center is a non-profit group dedicated to preserving the memory and childhood home of John Jay, a Founding Father, in Rye, New York.

From Jay’s birth in 1745, until he enrolled at King’s College at 15, his home in Rye served as the catalyst for his later success in politics and law, notably serving as the first Chief Justice and second Governor of New York.

The Jay Heritage Center is also responsible for historic preservation, environmental stewardship, archaeology, archives, and research.

Regarded as the centerpiece of the Boston Road Historical District, it joined its other historical locations within the district when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The District would then be elevated to the status of a National Historic Landmark in 1993.

Westchester County African-American History & Heritage Trail

John Jay Homestead

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information