Page 14 - Westchester Travel and Meeting - 2016-17

Living HISTORY
Westchester is where General George Washington planned battles against the British and where Founding Fathers John Jay and Thomas Paine once lived. Look for sites across the County that tell our nation’s story and bring the past to life.
The John Jay Homestead
as the demonstration I have witnessed indicate I shall be, I shall not fail.” The 3,000-square-foot Greek and Gothic Revival station has been beautifully restored as a museum. You’ll find a life- size bronze of “Honest Abe” and over 200 rare documents, maps, uniforms and ephemera.
African American Heritage
Both the Jay Homestead and Lincoln Depot have links to African American history — as New York governor,
Jay signed legislation leading to the abolition of slavery, while Lincoln is recalled as “The Great Emancipator.” Another stop on the County’s African American Heritage route is Philipsburg Manor, which recounts the lives of Susan, Betty and other slaves listed in a 1750 inventory of estate “property” — how they came to the manor, how their labors supported its activities, and the tragedy that befell slaves when the estate was sold. In Tarrytown, tour Foster Memorial AME Zion Church, where the congregation helped escaping slaves during the Civil War.
For more TRAVEL IDEAS, visit www.VisitWestchesterNY.com.
Your Personal Past
Have a family link to Westchester history? You can research your genealogy and trace connections
across the generations in the extensive collection of the Westchester County Historical Society — over 150,000 books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, maps and pictures.
Access is free and trained staff is on hand to assist you. www.westchesterhistory.com
John Jay Homestead
President of the Second Continental Congress, co-author with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison of the Federalist Papers, first Supreme Court Chief Justice, and three-term New
York Governor, John Jay was one of our nation’s greatest early leaders. When his busy career ended in 1801, he retired to his Katonah farm. Take a docent-guided tour of the main house, which features many original Jay family furnishings, and then visit six historic homestead buildings — the Carriage Barn, Red Barn, Schoolhouse, Playhouse, Summer Kitchen and Potting Shed. You’ll get
a new perspective on the past with hands-on activities that include period dress-up, old-time games and the chance to milk a mechanical cow. Stroll the Homestead’s extensive gardens, plan a picnic and watch for the June to October Farm Market.
Lincoln Depot
On February 19, 1861, Abraham Lincoln stepped from the train bound for his inauguration to address a welcoming crowd at the Peekskill Train Depot. With rumors of secession swirling,
he told the throng, “If I can only be as generously and unanimously sustained
12 WESTCHESTER Official Meeting & Travel Guide 2016-17
HISTORY & HERITAGE
COURTESY OF NY STATE PARKS