Rehab Begins On Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground On Shelter Island

SHELTER ISLAND, NY — Work is beginning on a project that aims to shed new light on an Afro-Indigenous burial ground located at the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm on Shelter Island.

Phase 1 of a rehabilitation project at the burial ground is set to kick off: Through the use of ground-penetrating radar, it has been determined that the remains of as many as 200 people may be buried in the small rise of land between the driveway forks, surrounded by a timber fence and enshrouded by pine trees, a release said.

Some of the graves appear to be marked by small glacial stones without inscriptions or other identifiers. The site is marked by a large boulder inscribed with the words, “Burying Ground of the Colored People of the Manor from 1651,” installed by the Horsford family circa 1884, museum officials said.

In addition, ongoing non-invasive archaeological and archival study has revealed that there may be additional burials outside of the 19th-century fence boundary.

“The Afro-Indigenous burial ground at Sylvester Manor is a sacred place honoring the Native and enslaved people who lived and worked at Sylvester Manor and who are considered the ancestors of this place," Donnamarie Barnes, archivist/curator of Sylvester Manor, said.

The ongoing rehabilitation, museum staff said, will provide improved access and interpretation of the historic burial ground, as well as enhanced opportunities to educate visitors about the history of enslaved labor at Sylvester Manor and the role of slavery and indenture in the northeastern United States.

Sylvester Manor, the release said, has worked with an archaeological team from the University of Massachusetts Boston over the past 24 years to research and understand the people who worked and sustained the Manor. A continuation of that work, including a reexamination of the Afro-Indigenous burial ground was scheduled for this but plans were disrupted due to the pandemic.

While more archaeological study has been put on hold until 2021, Sylvester Manor Educational Farm staff said they are committed to revitalizing the area.

To that end, in September, work is commencing to remove dead and fallen trees, clear out areas of dilapidated fencing and create a "restful and reflective area" that will welcome visitors walking the Manor grounds. The rehabilitation will serve to highlight the cultural significance of the site, protect and improve the ecological integrity and health of the area, and provide a safe space for visitors, the Museum staff said.

"The long-term phased plan will include enhanced way-finding and circulation," the release said.

A new pathway will connect the Afro-Indigenous burial ground to the nearby barn complex; also, a visually porous fence will follow ancient island topography, "harkening to the long era of indigenous habitation before 17th century colonial settlement. The plan for this uniquely significant cultural landscape will allow adaptation to ongoing discoveries and evolving understandings of the site," the release said.

“Since its founding, Sylvester Manor has been dedicated to telling the stories and histories of all the people of Sylvester Manor — the Indigenous Manhansett people, the colonial European Sylvester family and descendants, and the enslaved Africans brought to Shelter Island against their will," said Stephen Searl, executive director of Sylvester Manor. "By rehabilitating this culturally significant site we are improving the interpretation of Sylvester Manor’s history and providing a place for our visitors to experience the history of those who built and sustained this place.”

Once a Native American hunting, fishing and farming ground, Sylvester Manor has since 1652 been home to 11 generations of its original European settler family, the release said.

"Over time, the place has been transformed from a slaveholding provisioning plantation to an Enlightenment-era farm, then to a pioneering food industrialist’s estate and today to an organic educational farm responsive to, and supported by, our neighbors and friends worldwide," the release said.

Support is needed to continue ongoing work. To learn more or to donate, click here or email info@sylvestermanor.org.