 to remind us, but that can not and should not erase their memory.
For the past few years, Yonkers artist Vinny Bagwell, has been engaged in a passionate project to tell the story of the enslaved Africans of the Lower Mills of Philipsburg Manor. Combining sculpture and spoken word she is bringing to life a public artwork that will interpret their legacy in an installation along the Hudson River called the Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden. Two completed life-sized bronze sculptures, (five are planned), are currently on exhibition at the Yonkers Riverfront Library which sits in close proximity to the original Manor house of Frederick and Margaret Philipse, built in 1683.
When I think of Ms Bagwell’s work in Yonkers, combined with the educational programming of Historic Hudson Valley at the Philpsburg Manor historic site and our own role as stewards of the Old Dutch Church, I am made aware of the power of witness combined with story-telling. In between the lines of historic research we have to use our imagination, artistry and the art of story-telling to flesh out the lives of people who played an important role in the history of our nation. If we are to tell the story of the Philipse’s, we have to tell the story of Cuffy and Old Susan; of Mingo, Sampson, Billy, Charles, Peter, Mary and all the others whose only monument in our burying ground may be the very walls that surround us in worship at the Old Dutch Church.
So much thanks to our church historian Janie Couch-Allen who first told me the story of Cuffy.
Dennis J. Maikai’s essay “Slavery and the Philipse Family, 1680-1751” provided much of the historical context regarding the Kongolese cohort at the Upper Mills.
Vinnie Bagwell has been a source of inspiration since I was first made aware of the “Enslaved Africans’ Rain Garden” project during a talk she gave at Sarah Lawrence College. In her own words, she describes her work: “Anchored in realism, my style is defined by portraiture which provides insight into human character and shows a precise articulation of the human spirit. My subjects are meant to be engaged to invite memories of experiences and feelings. Each character is designed to remind viewers that artistry is a powerful, useful tool of social transformation; one capable of condensing our thoughts, distilling our minds, and renewing our hopes and aspirations.”
Historic Hudson Valley continues to provide innovative educational experiences around the topic of the enslaved community at Philipsburg Manor. Their interactive project “People Not Property” is a perfect starting place to learn more about this topic.
Consistory of the First Reformed Church, “200th Anniversary at the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow October 10 and October 11, 1897. 1898
Robert Bolton, “A History of the Country of Westchester, From Its First Settlement to the Present Time”, Vol 1, 1848
Roger Panetta, ed. “Dutch New York, The Roots of Hudson Valley Culture”, 2009