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

Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn: named in honor of the first Black Congresswoman, and first Black person to run for President. This 407-acre park leads you into the life of Ms. Chisholm, and also into the world of environmental justice. Shirley Chisholm State Park on Jamaica Bay is the largest state park in New York City and offers hiking, biking, fishing and picnicking. Shirley Chisholm State Park

Marsha P. Johnson State Park in New York City: Renamed for a dynamic pioneer in the LGBTQ+ fight for equal rights and for transwomen of color, this seven-acre state park in Brooklyn offers a riverfront view of Manhattan and an opportunity to relax in a place where everyone is welcome.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park

Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston: New York's newest state park honors the life of this noted abolitionist, suffragist, and orator. Opened in 2022, the 500-acre park is situated on the banks of the Hudson River and includes the Hudson River Brickyard Trail. In addition to bringing the Sojourner Truth story to visitors, this park also will allow for interpretation of the site's industrial and indigenous history and will help protect the ecology of the Hudson River. Additional features are in the design phase.
Sojourner Truth State Park

Cataract House Hotel Park at Niagara Falls State Park: Mainstream white 19th century society viewed The Cataract House Hotel as the premier luxury accommodation at Niagara Falls. Wealthy tourists dined and slept in this establishment, oblivious to the fact that they were also staying at a major Underground Railroad stop. John Morrison, the Black head waiter at the hotel, was instrumental in many escapes to freedom, often personally ferrying people across the Niagara River. The Cataract House Hotel was destroyed by a 1945 fire. The pocket park on its site at the entrance to Niagara Falls State Park was re-named the Cataract House Hotel Park in the summer of 2022, and a marker was unveiled there.
Read More

Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers: Reopened at the end of 2022 with full accessibility and updated interpretation, new exhibits at this site delve into the stories of the enslaved people whose work and trade allowed the Philipse family to prosper during the pre-Revolutionary era. A virtual wing allows you to visit from wherever you are. Check it out at https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/. Learn more about the site at https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/philipsemanorhall/details.aspx

Sojourner Truth at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Poughkeepsie/Highland: Although many people think she was from the South, Sojourner Truth was born and raised in Ulster County and grew up speaking Dutch. In 2020, a bronze statue of her was unveiled at the main entrance of Walkway Over the Hudson, in Highland, NY. You can visit her statue there and learn more about her life and Vinnie Bagwell, the sculptor who created her. Have You Met Sojourner Truth?

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site in Albany: In 1793, a good portion of the City of Albany burned down. Three enslaved Africans were accused of setting the blaze. What are people thinking? How do they feel? In this drama based on historic evidence, see how the community of enslaved and free, African and European manage this tense time. The Accused: Slavery and the Albany Fire of 1793.

Crailo State Historic Site in the Capital Region: Pinkster, the oldest and first documented celebration enjoyed by enslaved and free Africans and their decedents well into the 19th century, was popular not just in Albany but throughout the region. Learn more about this exciting event and start planning now to celebrate this May. Blogpost: Reviving a Dutch Holiday with African Flavor.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in the Hudson Valley: The mission of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor is to collect, preserve, and share the stories of all Purple Heart recipients. Learn about our brave service men and women, including Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first Black naval aviator. You can also learn about registering a Purple Heart recipient for the Roll of Honor. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

New Windsor Cantonment in the Hudson Valley: Did you know that Black soldiers comprised an estimated 10 to 20 percent of the Continental Army? The New Windsor Cantonment shares some of their stories. This site was the winter and spring encampment of the Continental Army during the final year of the Revolutionary War, and is also home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Discover the story of Private Oliver Cromwell, who spent that last winter at New Windsor before going on to witness the last man killed in the final battle of the war.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site

Fort Ontario State Historic Site in Central New York explores centuries of Black military history. Notably, the fort was the training ground for the Harlem Hellfighters. Officially known as the 369th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, it consisted of 1800 Black soldiers. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt improved opportunities in the military for Black Americans, as well as appointing Benjamin O. Davis as the first Black Brigadier-General. Davis fought Army efforts that limited Blacks to support roles and succeeded in converting the 369th from an infantry to anti-aircraft artillery regiment, an assignment Blacks were considered too unintelligent to perform.
Fort Ontario State Historic Site

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