Sylvester Manor

Sylvester Manor

The gateway to Sylvester Manor
Location Shelter Island, New York, USA
Coordinates 41°04′49.4″N 72°20′28″W / 41.080389°N 72.34111°W / 41.080389; -72.34111Coordinates: 41°04′49.4″N 72°20′28″W / 41.080389°N 72.34111°W / 41.080389; -72.34111
Built c. 1737[1]
NRHP Reference # 15000178[2]
Added to NRHP April 28, 2015

Sylvester Manor is a historic manor on Shelter Island in Suffolk County, New York, USA.

History

The land, spanning 8,000 acres on Shelter Island, was acquired by English-born colonist Nathaniel Sylvester in the 17th century.[3] Sylvester and his brother owned two plantations in Barbados and over 200 African slaves.[3] When he died in 1680, the estate and 23 African slaves were inherited by his descendants.[3]

The manor on the estate was built in 1737 for Nathaniel Sylvester's grandson, Brinley Sylvester.[4] African slaves and European indentured servants built it.[3] The last slave was freed in 1820.[4] The grounds include a cemetery of unmarked graves for African slaves.[4]

Later, the manor was inherited by the wife of renowned Harvard University professor Eben Norton Horsford.[3] They entertained often, one of their guests being Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.[3]

In recent years, it was the home of heiress Alice Fiske.[4] More recently, it was inherited by Bennett Konesni.[4] With his uncle, Eben Fiske Ostby, he co-founded the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm with the help of the Peconic Land Trust.[4]

Architectural significance

The manor has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 28, 2015.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ William E. Krattinger (February 2015). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Sylvester Manor" (PDF). New York State Cultural Resource Information System. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
  2. ↑ "Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 4/27/15 through 5/01/15". National Park Service. May 8, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jennifer Schuessler, Confronting Slavery at Long Island’s Oldest Estates, The New York Times, August 12, 2015
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anne Raver, Life on the Plantation: Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island Returns to Its Roots, The New York Times, April 10, 2013
  5. ↑ Sylvester Manor: Sylvester Manor Placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Bibliography

Official website


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