The Hills refers to the area of Harrison, North Castle and White Plains where the largest concentration of  African-Americans in Westchester County lived through 1870. Many of the early settlers were former enslaved people who had been voluntarily emancipated by religious orders such as the Quakers and the Methodist-Episcopalians beginning in the early 1770's. The Hills was a cohesive community with strong family relationships, its own church, school and cemetery. Thirty-six Hills residents fought in the Civil War, contributing to the effort to end slavery and preserve the Union.

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The Hills refers to the area of Harrison, North Castle and White Plains where the largest concentration of  African-Americans in Westchester County lived through 1870. Many of the early settlers were former enslaved people who had been voluntarily emancipated by religious orders such as the Quakers and the Methodist-Episcopalians beginning in the early 1770's. The Hills was a cohesive community with strong family relationships, its own church, school and cemetery. Thirty-six Hills residents fought in the Civil War, contributing to the effort to end slavery and preserve the Union.

This collection is a representation of the history of the Hills community beginning in 1790 through 1925. The documents include census data, area maps, original school records, a church mortgage, land deeds, letters of a civil war soldier, veterans pension claims, and newspaper articles about Hills residents. They reflect the development, stability, and economic viability of the community.

In recognition of its historical importance, Stony Hill Road was designated as one of sixty Westchester County Tricentennial Historic sites in 1983. Stony Hill Cemetery, the resting place for thirteen black Civil War soldiers, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our appreciation to the following people:

First and foremost we would like to thank Dr. Edythe A. Quinn, Professor of History at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. This project is based on her research and her book Freedom Journey. Without these, this endeavor would not have been possible. We relied on her advice and guidance for historical accuracy, which she provided freely. She readily offered additional documents without hesitation. She took time from her busy teaching schedule to steer us in the right direction every step of the way.

Patrick Raftery, librarian at the Westchester County Historical Society, generously imparted professional advice and helped locate many of the documents in this collection. We thank him for his willingness to always provide requested materials so promptly, for his research help, and for his technical expertise.

Our work at the Charles Dawson History Center was enhanced by the vast knowledge of Town Historian Greg Ricci.

We extend our gratitude to all the others who assisted us, including Karen Staub of the Purchase Friends Meetinghouse, John Martin, Ben Himmelfarb, librarian at the White Plains Public Library, Roxanne Beecher, and the staff of the Westchester County Archives.

March 19, 2015

Carole Meehan, Librarian, Harrison Public Library
Jennie Yang, Librarian, Harrison Public Library