Town Of Cortlandt: Black History Month- Stony Hill Cemetery

Press release from the Town of Cortlandt:

February 15, 2022

Every Tuesday in the month of February, we will be highlighting different locations in Westchester that honor Black History Month.

Today, we highlight the Stony Hill Cemetery. "Post–Revolutionary War people emancipated from slavery settled in the rough and stony hills where Harrison, North Castle and White Plains meet near Silver Lake. Their community, also known as “The Hills,” was evidence of an emerging free African American class in early Westchester County.

Stony Hill Cemetery is the last remaining identifiable element of “The Hills.” The property on which the 6.5-acre cemetery sits was part of a land grant given by the Purchase Friends (Quakers) to enslaved people they voluntarily freed in the 18th century. Approximately 200 of “The Hills” residents, including 12 African American Civil War veterans, are buried in the cemetery.

Today, the area is surrounded by residential development. Mt. Hope AME Zion Church in White Plains and the Stony Hill Cemetery Committee serve as the stewards of this historic site and represent the voice for one of the first free black communities in this country. The committee honors fallen heroes through beautification efforts and ongoing research of the site’s history."

Please visit www.visitwestchesterny.com/things-to-do/history/african-american-history/ for more information.

This press release was produced by the Town of Cortlandt. The views expressed here are the author’s own.