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The Grove: Abolitionist Congregations in Rye, NY

March 3, 2026 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

Spring sun warmed the air early Saturday morning, May 12, 1855, when the famous abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass and his associates started their ten-minute walk from the New Haven Railroad Station in Mamaroneck to their destination in Rye Neck, an inconspicuous corner of Rye, in Westchester County, New York.

Leading the group was the Reverend Levin Tilmon, president of the First Colored American Congregational Grove Company of Rye Neck, the formal dedication of the “Meeting Grove” being the reason for Douglass’ visit. [Read more…] about The Grove: Abolitionist Congregations in Rye, NY

Early Saratoga County Religious Communities: Some History

June 6, 2025 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Throughout Saratoga County’s long history, many religious and spiritual communities have called our home their home, with the land even being sacred to some. This article will highlight the founding of several of Saratoga County’s religious communities through the 19th century, with a focus on Saratoga Springs.

Today, diverse people of faith have joined those long-established denominations to call Saratoga home, including Jewish communities, several Indigenous Cultural Revival Movements, and a Mosque, Masjid Al-Arqam in Halfmoon. All of them play important roles in the Saratoga Community. [Read more…] about Early Saratoga County Religious Communities: Some History

Hercules Schureman: A Black Patriot Denied His Due

November 19, 2024 by Guest Contributor 6 Comments

A longitudinal study of early census data tracking Black families in the towns and villages that would eventually make up Putnam County, New York, has led me to many questions and curiosities. But none bigger than Hercules.

In the 1800 Federal Census, Hercules Schureman was listed as the head of a household of three in Philipstown, which was then made up of today’s Philipstown and Putnam Valley in Putnam County. [Read more…] about Hercules Schureman: A Black Patriot Denied His Due

Leonard Andrew Grimes Inducted to Abolition Hall of Fame

September 12, 2024 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Born between 1812 and 1815 Leonard Andrew Grimes undertook a life of direct action as an operative on the Underground Railroad. He assisted at least four hundred freedom seekers in escaping bondage. In 1840, Grimes was imprisoned in Virginia for two years for helping an enslaved mother and her six children escape to freedom in the North. In prison he began preaching to guards and prisoners, and after his release became a licensed Baptist minister. [Read more…] about Leonard Andrew Grimes Inducted to Abolition Hall of Fame

The Black Church in New York: Excerpts from Carter G. Woodson

August 2, 2024 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

What follows are excerpts from Carter G. Woodson’s The History of The Negro Church (1921) which illuminate the early development of the organized Black churches in what is now New York State before about 1800. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) was a prominent black leader and intellectual of the first half of the twentieth century. Born in Virginia in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents, he was educated at Berea College in Kentucky, the University of Chicago, and finally, Harvard, where he earned his Ph.D. in History. Woodson championed awareness of black historical experience by teaching and initiating the first Black History Week, which became the basis for the later Black History Month. He was a tireless writer also who published many volumes during his life, including his classic The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). [Read more…] about The Black Church in New York: Excerpts from Carter G. Woodson

Black Librarians & America’s Battles Over Books

July 11, 2024 by Jaap Harskamp 1 Comment

In 1727, Benjamin Franklin and friends formed the Junto Club (from the Spanish junta or assembly) in Philadelphia, a debating society that probed questions of morality, politics and philosophy. The group was composed of twelve members drawn from diverse backgrounds, but they all shared a spirit of inquiry and a desire to improve society.

Access to books was limited at the time. Most of them were imported and expensive. There were no public libraries. [Read more…] about Black Librarians & America’s Battles Over Books

Waterown’s Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church Being Preserved

July 7, 2024 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Although Waterown‘s Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church was organized in 1821, the congregation wasn’t officially formed until 1878 and incorporated in 1880. The construction of their church building was completed in 1909 in the Late Gothic Revival style. It represented the only African American congregation in Jefferson County, NY for several years. [Read more…] about Waterown’s Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church Being Preserved

Under Threat: Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church, Watertown

June 6, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church is a testament to the struggles and achievements of Watertown‘s African American community. Its original congregation was formed in 1878, consisting of many railroad workers, some of whom were formerly enslaved and many who were active abolitionists. Under the leadership of Frank Thomas, for whom the church is named, members of the congregation built the church themselves in 1909.

Descendants of Frank Thomas continue to live in the community, linking the past to the present. From its early days and connections to the Underground Railroad to its consistent use for worship service through 2012, the church long served as an anchor for the African American community of Jefferson County. [Read more…] about Under Threat: Thomas Memorial AME Zion Church, Watertown

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