Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

There is a rich heritage of Black history all around us to explore.

The state offers a variety of gateways into the legacy of African Americans and current happenings. Using the state's parks, historic sites, the State Historic Preservation Office, I LOVE NY's Paths Through History, and partnering organizations, you can open nearly four hundred years of interesting stories effortlessly.

Find Black History Month events at state parks and historic sites

Colored Musicians Club, Buffalo, Erie County The Colored Musicians Club in Buffalo is home to one of the oldest continually operating African American musicians' clubs in the country and serves as the offices of Buffalo Local 533, an early African American union of musicians. The Club is the recipient of a 2019 New York State Historic Preservation Award and is also part of Buffalo's Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. Colored Musicians Club

Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest & Ninevah Subdivisions (SANS), Sag Harbor, Suffolk County The Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Subdivisions (SANS) Historic District, is a mid-twentieth century African American beach community on Long Island that has and continues to serve as a retreat created by and for families of color. Famous individuals who summered at SANS included Langston Hughes and Lena Horne. The district's stewards are the recipients of a 2019 NYS Historic Preservation Award. Sag Harbor Partnership

Mary E. Bell House, Center Moriches, Suffolk County The Mary E. Bell House, currently operated as a museum by the Ketcham Inn Foundation, celebrates 19^th century African American land ownership and the central role of women in Black communities on Long Island. The National Register-listed building and its stewards are the recipients of a 2020 NYS Historic Preservation Award.

Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District, Harlem, New York County The Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District is home of the first New York City park named for a Black serviceman. The square also served as an important site of social and political demonstrations, including a speech by President Harry S. Truman that celebrated the desegregation of the armed services. The neighborhood is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places, the Dorrance Brooks Square Property Owners & Residents Association (DBSPORA) plan to pursue Historic District Designation by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District

James Baldwin Residence, Manhattan (Harlem), New York County Prominent author and activist James Baldwin (1924-1987) lived in this building during his last decades, 1965-1987. Baldwin made profound and enduring contributions to American literature and social history, addressing the major questions America faced in those decades. Recently, portions of Manhattan park were renamed after James Baldwin to further honor his legacy. His former home is featured in the New York City LGBTQ+ sites project. James Baldwin Residence

Lorraine Hansberry Residence, Manhattan, New York County Pioneering Black lesbian playwright, writer, and activist Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965) lived in this building from 1953 to 1960 and produced some of her most important works, including "A Raisin in the Sun." The National Register-listed building is featured in the NYC LGBTQ+ Historic Sites project, a documentary project and partnership between the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service Underrepresented Communities Grant Program. Lorraine Hansberry Residence

Bayard Rustin Residence, Manhattan, New York County Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), a gay African American Quaker, civil rights advocate, proponent of non-violence, and campaigner for social and economic justice, lived in this National Register-listed building between 1962 and his death in 1987. His home is featured in the NYC LGBTQ+ Sites Project. Bayard Rustin Residence

Old Towne of Flushing, Queens, Queens County The Old Town of Flushing Burial Ground, Flushing's first public cemetery and now a public park, is the final resting place for 1,000 individuals, many of whom were Native and African American. The site is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places and serves as a New York City park that can be enjoyed by all. The Old Town of Flushing Burial Ground

Stephen & Harriet Myers Residence, Albany, Albany County The Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence was a headquarters for Underground Railroad activity in the Capital Region in the mid-1850s, as documented by a Vigilance Committee flier that has survived from that period with additional historic records. Today the site is operated by the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region as a historic site where the community can learn about the Underground Railroad, the first integrated Civil Rights movement in the United States, and its relevance to today. This site is the recipient of a 2015 NYS Historic Preservation Award and was also featured in the "We Are NY" series and the Underground Railroad Education Center

John W. Jones Museum, Elmira, Chemung County The Museum commemorates the life and work of John W. Jones, who self-emancipated from Virginia and settled in Elmira in 1844. As an Underground Railroad station master, he safely assisted 800 freedom seekers to flee to Canada. Later, as sexton of Woodlawn Cemetery, he was responsible for the meticulous and caring burial of 2,973 Confederate soldiers who died in the Elmira Prison Camp, one-fourth of its population. Following his work, Woodland Cemetery located across from Jones' home, became a National Cemetery in 1877. Jones' home was saved from razing in 1997 and is listed on the State and National Registers. The museum is open for public tours. John W. Jones Museum

Buckhout-Jones Building, Oswego, Oswego County The Buckhout-Jones Building in Oswego is an important commercial building listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The building was once associated with Charles Smith and Tudor Grant, both formerly enslaved people from Maryland who sought refuge in New York State and operated barbershops in this building and now serves as the Children's Museum of Oswego.

National Headquarters, March on Washington, Manhattan, New York County This Harlem rowhouse at 170 West 130th Street served as the National Headquarters for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, an epic and meticulously planned event held on August 28, 1963. A quarter-million African Americans gathered here peacefully, asking for the basic rights of citizenship, as well as for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, which culminated the assembly. The march inspired citizens and is credited with helping to spur passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The building is featured in the NYC LGBTQ+ Historic Sites project.

NY State Parks Blog Posts

• All Are Welcome Where They Once Were Not
• Juneteenth -- Coming to terms with Freedom
• "Grand Old Fort: But Alas Manned by Colored Troops..." Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Ontario
• Do You Know Sojourner Truth?
• Reviving a Dutch Holiday with African Flavor
• A Legacy of Strength: Civilian Conservation Corps
• John Brown Farm: Growing Freedom in Adirondack Wilderness