Decades after slavery was abolished in New York, the Elmendorfs, Historic Cherry Hill’s 3rd-generation Van Rensselaer descendants in Albany, used orphaned African American children as servants.
Jimmy (1843-1885), Jane (1845-?), Richard (unknown), and Minnie (1852-1903) Knapp became wards and servants of several Van Rensselaer households after the death of their mother, Jane Jackson Knapp, in 1854.
Conjectured to have descended from prior generations enslaved at Cherry Hill — two of the children are named after Van Rensselaers — the children had quasi-family status, but were servants.
[Read more…] about Albany’s Historic Cherry Hill To Highlight Slaves, Servants
The Van Rensselaer library collection at 
On the evenings of October 16, 17, 18, 19 and October 23, 24, 25, and 26, Historic Cherry Hill will present a dramatic tour reliving the infamous 1827 murder that occurred at the Cherry Hill mansion, one-time home of the Van Rensselaer family.
The Board of Trustees of Historic Cherry Hill has announced the appointment of Deborah Emmons-Andarawis as Director of Historic Cherry Hill (HCH). She has been serving as Acting Director since December 2017. 
Historic Cherry Hill and the Children’s Museum of Science & Technology are set to present “Paws, Claws & Slippery Tails: The Pets of Cherry Hill” on September 29th from Noon to 4 pm.