Slavery in New York and Scarsdale

We have published a new article about the history of slavery in Scarsdale, Westchester County and New York City from the 1600s to 1865.

The article is related to our documentary, Scarsdale in the 18th and 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates, which premiered at the Scarsdale Public Library on November 29, 2017. Both the film and article were researched and written by documentary filmmaker Lesley Topping and Barbara Shay MacDonald, the Historian and Vice President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. 

Mrs. MacDonald’s interest in the subject began while she was researching the history of her historic home in Scarsdale, the Underhill House (c. 1687), where she lived until 1998. She recently discovered that in the 18th century a slave family probably lived in the house. The father was the family’s slave master, Thomas Hadden, who lived in Wayside Cottage across the street. His will, which frees the mother, “Wench Rose,” and her seven children can be read on our website.

Drawing on town records, regional censuses, and other sources, the article examines the historical pervasiveness of slavery in Scarsdale and throughout Westchester County and New York City and includes an extensive list of links and resources on the subject.

A plaque, wreathed for Christmas in St. James the Less Cemetery in Scarsdale, commemorates the unmarked graves of fugitive slaves.

Scarsdale Treasures Underground

As we noted in our previous post you can find digital copies of historical treasures relating to Scarsdale at the Digital Public Library of America.

You can also find the real thing—163 year-old hand-drawn maps, Scarsdale's original 1845 New York State census records, and much more—stored away in the basement of the Scarsdale Public Library.

Yesterday we were treated to a tour of the local history room—appropriately named in honor of long-time Scarsdale historian Richard M. Lederer, Jr. We met with library director Elizabeth Bermel, reference librarian Daniel Glauber, and department manager Jennifer Friedman, to explore ways the Scarsdale Historical Society can work with the library to make their treasure-trove available to online.

Detail of an 1851 map showing the mill dam, saw mill and bridge on the Bronx River.

The 1851 map includes a numbered index listing the property owners, acreage and how the land was being used.

Appointment Letter from Daniel D. Tompkins, April 30, 1814

The library has a set of of the four volume 1930 atlas of Westchester County published by G.M. Hopkins Co. The office of the Westchester County Clerk has already scanned their set and you can see it online here.

The 1845 census book contains a wealth of information, listing the names of all property owners and their answers to 48 questions—including where they came from, how much land they owned and even the specific crops they were growing.