Philipse Manor Hall Blog

If you’ve ever heard anything about the American Revolution, you’ve likely heard of the Boston Tea Party. But did you know New York had its own tea party?

New York’s colonial history is written in part by its churches, and Yonkers is no exception. St. John’s Episcopal Church, located at the corner of Hudson Street and Broadway (Route 9) has a rich legacy. The original congregation formed in what would become Yonkers in 1684.

While researching the Philipse family in the Library of Congress collections, I ran into a curious watercolor sketch of Mary Philipse in a brown cloak over a pink dress and black slippers. It turns out that Mary Philipse Morris was a character in a 1930s Broadway production called...

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is seeking vendors for our 2024 Pinkster Festival! Celebrate spring and Dutch and African heritage with us in downtown Yonkers.

In looking for images to illustrate our last blog, “Christmas and New York,” we kept running across images of Twelfth Night by Dutch master Jan Steen. As we explained in “Christmas and New York,” prior to the 19th century Christmas itself was not a major social celebration. But in many ways, Twelfth

From quaint Hudson Valley winter wonderlands to the tree in Rockefeller Plaza, there is no place like New York in December. But have you ever considered the origin of Christmas and the traditions that surround it here in America? Why is "Miracle on 34th Street" set in New York and not Boston or...

Why was mahogany furniture so popular in the 18th and 19th centuries? Where does mahogany come from? And how is it connected to Yonkers? PMH museum interpreter David Lucas tackles these questions and more...

Issued on June 30, 1779, by General Sir Henry Clinton, the Philipsburg Proclamation, as it came to be known, offered freedom to any enslaved person who deserted rebel service and who made it to British lines. No military or service requirements were included. Although the Philipsburg Proclamation is

On June 30, 1779, General Sir Henry Clinton issued what is now known as the Philipsburg Proclamation. Designed to hamper the Patriot cause, the Proclamation promised freedom for any enslaved person who deserted a rebel enslaver and made it to British Lines.

For a site that dates back to the 1680s, it may be surprising to find a monument to the Civil War on the front lawn of Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, but from 1868 until 1911, the manor hall was first Yonkers Village and later City Hall. The Civil War, which lasted from 1860 to 1865, had