Philipsburg Manor House facts for kids
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Philipsburg Manor
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The manor
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| Location | Sleepy Hollow, New York |
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| Nearest city | White Plains |
| Built | 1693 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000584 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 5, 1961 |
Philipsburg Manor House is a very old house in Sleepy Hollow, New York. It was once part of a huge estate called Philipsburg Manor. Today, it is a museum where you can learn about life long ago.
The museum includes the house, a water mill, and an old trading spot. It is run by a group called Historic Hudson Valley. You can find it on US 9 in Sleepy Hollow. Some people also link it to the old Dutch patroonship system, which was a way of owning large areas of land.
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What is Philipsburg Manor?
Philipsburg Manor started in 1693. A rich merchant named Frederick Philipse received a special paper from the British King. This paper gave him control over a huge area of land. It was about 52,000 acres along the Hudson River in what was then the Province of New York.
Frederick Philipse built a main center where the Pocantico meets the Hudson River. This spot was important for his family's business. They used it as a place to store supplies and as a hub for their ships. Their ships traveled all over the world.
How the Manor Operated
For over 30 years, Frederick Philipse and his wife, Margaret, ran a large shipping business. Later, their son Adolph continued the work. Sadly, their business involved bringing many African men, women, and children to America as enslaved people.
By the mid-1700s, the Philipse family owned more enslaved people than almost anyone else in the northern colonies. The main home for the Philipse family was actually Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers.
The land at Philipsburg Manor was worked by farmers from Europe. But the daily tasks at the manor house itself were done by enslaved Africans. For example, in 1750, 23 enslaved people lived and worked at the manor.
The Manor During the American Revolution
When the American Revolutionary War began, the Philipse family supported the British side. Because of this, their lands were taken away and sold. The manor house was used during the war.
In 1779, a British general named Sir Henry Clinton used the house. While there, he wrote an important document. It was called the Philipsburg Proclamation. This paper said that all enslaved people owned by American Patriots would be free. It also said that Black people captured while fighting for the Patriots would be sold into slavery.
Philipsburg Manor Today
Today, Philipsburg Manor is a special place where history comes alive. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
What Can You See at the Manor?
- A stone manor house with furniture from the 1600s and 1700s.
- A working water-powered grist mill and its pond. A grist mill grinds grain into flour.
- An old barn from the 1700s.
- A garden that shows what enslaved people might have grown.
- A rebuilt tenant farm house.
People who work at the museum dress in old-fashioned clothes. They act out what life was like before the American Revolution. You can see them doing chores, milking cows, and grinding grain. In 2016, the grist mill was fixed up. Its wooden waterwheel and water channel were completely rebuilt.
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