History & Heritage Extended Tours

80 North Ferry Road,Shelter Island NY 11964

23 July, 2022

Description

Walk through history with Sylvester Manor's curator, Donnamarie Barnes, as you learn about the early history of Sylvester Manor and stories of the individuals from the three cultures that came together at the time of the establishment of Shelter Island in 1651: the Indigenous Manhansett Tribe who made the island their home for a millennium, the European businessmen who bought Shelter Island to provision their Caribbean sugar operation, the Enslaved Africans brought as the island’s labor force and the Free People of Color who continued to live and work at the Manor after Emancipation and who are anonymously buried here. The tour begins at the North Peninsula Land Bridge and proceeds to the Manor House, down the forest trail to the Quaker Cemetery Monument and across to the Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground, and the Sylvester Manor Gardens. The 90-minute walk is approximately 1.5 miles on unpaved, dirt paths throughout the Manor grounds and woodlands. Please wear appropriate footwear for walking. Insect and tick repellent are suggested. This tour is not ADA accessible and is recommended for ages 12+.