Built c. 1737 Added to NRHP 28 April 2015 | NRHP Reference # 15000178 | |
 | ||
Location Shelter Island, New York, USA | ||
Sylvester Manor is a historic manor on Shelter Island in Suffolk County, New York, USA.
Contents
Eben fiske ostby donates sylvester manor to shelter island
History
The land, spanning 8,000 acres on Shelter Island, was acquired by English-born colonist Nathaniel Sylvester in the 17th century. Sylvester and his brother owned two plantations in Barbados and over 200 African slaves. When he died in 1680, the estate and 23 African slaves were inherited by his descendants.
The manor on the estate was built in 1737 for Nathaniel Sylvester's grandson, Brinley Sylvester. African slaves and European indentured servants built it. The last slave was freed in 1820. The grounds include a cemetery of unmarked graves for African slaves.
Later, the manor was inherited by the wife of renowned Harvard University professor Eben Norton Horsford. They entertained often, one of their guests being Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In recent years, it was the home of heiress Alice Fiske. More recently, it was inherited by Bennett Konesni. With his uncle, Eben Fiske Ostby, he co-founded the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm with the help of the Peconic Land Trust.
Architectural significance
The manor has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since April 28, 2015.