Sandy Ground, Staten Island
Encyclopedia
Sandy Ground is a community within the neighborhood of Rossville
in the New York City
borough Staten Island, New York, located to the west of Prince's Bay
, on the island's South Shore
.
state on July 4, 1827, a massive celebration was staged on Staten Island at the Swan Hotel on Richmond Terrace. Accounts of the time note rooms had been reserved for months in advance by abolitionists and prominent free blacks. The two-day event in West New Brighton featured speeches, picnics, pageants and fireworks to mark this milestone in the life of New York state. Eight months later, on Feb. 23, 1828, another milestone would be recorded here when Capt. John Jackson purchased land in Westfield—now Rossville. His was the first recorded purchase of land by a black man in Richmond County, and the first purchase of land in the area we know today as Sandy Ground, the oldest community established by free slaves
in North America. By the 1830s, freed men and women from all over New York state, as well as from areas as far away as Maryland and Virginia, would follow Jackson's lead, settling on Staten Island as an oasis from persecution.
After abolition in 1827, freedmen from all over the state and as far away as Maryland
and Virginia
settled in the area known since colonial times as Sandy Ground, in the area around what is now the intersection of Bloomingdale and Woodrow Roads in Rossville. These early settlers were already skilled in the oystering trade. Oyster harvesting was a major business on Staten Island during the 19th century and was mainly conducted on the island's south shore
. The area of Prince's Bay was the main hub and was within walking distance from Sandy Ground. Sandy Ground also served as an important stop on the Underground Railroad
, and is the oldest continuously settled free black community in the United States. Sandy Ground was one of several similar neighborhoods in urban centers in the Northeast where free blacks gathered to further themselves socially and economically. Other African American communities created in cities with growing job markets in the same time period include the northern slope
of Boston
’s Beacon Hill, Little Liberia in Bridgeport, Connecticut
and Hard Scrabble
in Providence, Rhode Island
.
Although remnants of the original settlement still exist, most of the original houses were destroyed in the Rossville Fire of 1963. The Sandy Ground Historical Society, which preserves the history and physical surroundings of the Sandy Ground community and maintains a museum and library, was organized on February 28, 1980, and is located at 1538 Woodrow Road. In 1982, the Sandy Ground Historic Archeological District
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
and Delaware
migrated to the area, the economy shifted to oyster harvesting. The oyster harvesting industry was a major business here in the 19th century, and the oysters the men of Sandy Ground planted and raked in were sold in the finest restaurant
s in Manhattan
and elsewhere.
Annual camp meetings were held at the site in those early years, with people coming from as far away as Connecticut and Virginia to celebrate living a "free life."
The first church was built of frame construction in 1854 off Bloomingdale Road in Bogardus Corners. It was destroyed by fire and replaced by the current building, which was occupied on Dec. 19, 1897, although, some sources state 1870 as the date of this structure's completion.
for slaves escaping from the South. It has been speculated that the aforementioned Capt. Jackson might have ferried slaves across the Kill van Kull
between Staten Island and New Jersey
aboard the ferry boat he owned and operated.
A group of abolitionists also called Staten Island home, many in the Livingston
section, and other houses in addition to those in Sandy Ground have been identified as possible stops along the railroad.
Among these might have been the large home built for George W. Curtis at the corner of Henderson and Bard Avenues. Curtis, who wrote for and was associate editor of Putnam's Magazine
, as well as Harper's Weekly, was an orator of national renown on many subjects, including the ending of slavery in the United States of America.
The Isaac Harris house was designed by renowned architect Stanford White
of the firm of McKim, Meade and White. Harris was a respected member of White's household staff, and it is said the architect drew up plans for Harris' house as a gift in tribute for his service. The house boasts a gambrel roof and front bay. Unfortunately, Harris' is one of only about 12 of the original old homes still standing in the community.
Older native Islanders will remember the devastating brush fires that raged across the Island on a dry, spring day in 1963. Quite a number of buildings were destroyed in that one-day inferno, many of them in Sandy Ground. But the spirit of the community lived on.
The Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church still plays a prominent role in the life of this part of Staten Island. The lovely wood-frame structure is reminiscent of the days when Staten Island was a bucolic place to live and raise a family.
The rich history of Sandy Ground has been documented and preserved through the efforts of the Sandy Ground Historical Society. Many families still live in the community that was founded by their courageous ancestors.
Rossville, Staten Island
Rossville is the name of a neighborhood of Staten Island, New York, located to the west of Prince's Bay, on the island's South Shore.-Early History of the Area:...
in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough Staten Island, New York, located to the west of Prince's Bay
Prince's Bay, Staten Island
Prince's Bay is the name of a neighborhood located on the South Shore of New York City's borough of Staten Island and of an arm of Raritan Bay , on which the eastern shoreline of the community is situated...
, on the island's South Shore
South Shore, Staten Island
The South Shore is a geographical term applied to the area in the New York City borough of Staten Island, south and east of the island's ridge of hills along the waterfront and adjacent areas from the Narrows to the mouth of the Arthur Kill, although many observers prefer to restrict its scope to...
.
History
When slavery was abolished in New YorkHistory of slavery in New York
Slavery in New York was instituted when the New Amsterdam fur trading-post developed into a farming colony in the 17th century; the first African slaves were imported by the Dutch West Indies Company to New Amsterdam in 1626...
state on July 4, 1827, a massive celebration was staged on Staten Island at the Swan Hotel on Richmond Terrace. Accounts of the time note rooms had been reserved for months in advance by abolitionists and prominent free blacks. The two-day event in West New Brighton featured speeches, picnics, pageants and fireworks to mark this milestone in the life of New York state. Eight months later, on Feb. 23, 1828, another milestone would be recorded here when Capt. John Jackson purchased land in Westfield—now Rossville. His was the first recorded purchase of land by a black man in Richmond County, and the first purchase of land in the area we know today as Sandy Ground, the oldest community established by free slaves
Free Negro
A free Negro or free black is the term used prior to the abolition of slavery in the United States to describe African Americans who were not slaves. Almost all African Americans came to the United States as slaves, but from the earliest days of American slavery, slaveholders set men and women free...
in North America. By the 1830s, freed men and women from all over New York state, as well as from areas as far away as Maryland and Virginia, would follow Jackson's lead, settling on Staten Island as an oasis from persecution.
After abolition in 1827, freedmen from all over the state and as far away as Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
settled in the area known since colonial times as Sandy Ground, in the area around what is now the intersection of Bloomingdale and Woodrow Roads in Rossville. These early settlers were already skilled in the oystering trade. Oyster harvesting was a major business on Staten Island during the 19th century and was mainly conducted on the island's south shore
South Shore, Staten Island
The South Shore is a geographical term applied to the area in the New York City borough of Staten Island, south and east of the island's ridge of hills along the waterfront and adjacent areas from the Narrows to the mouth of the Arthur Kill, although many observers prefer to restrict its scope to...
. The area of Prince's Bay was the main hub and was within walking distance from Sandy Ground. Sandy Ground also served as an important stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, and is the oldest continuously settled free black community in the United States. Sandy Ground was one of several similar neighborhoods in urban centers in the Northeast where free blacks gathered to further themselves socially and economically. Other African American communities created in cities with growing job markets in the same time period include the northern slope
Boston African American National Historic Site
The Boston African American National Historic Site, in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts's Beacon Hill neighborhood, interprets 15 pre-Civil War structures relating to the history of Boston's 19th century African-American community, including the Museum of Afro-American History's African Meeting...
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
’s Beacon Hill, Little Liberia in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
and Hard Scrabble
Hard Scrabble (Providence)
Hard Scrabble and Snow Town were two African American neighborhoods located in Providence, Rhode Island in the nineteenth century...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
.
Although remnants of the original settlement still exist, most of the original houses were destroyed in the Rossville Fire of 1963. The Sandy Ground Historical Society, which preserves the history and physical surroundings of the Sandy Ground community and maintains a museum and library, was organized on February 28, 1980, and is located at 1538 Woodrow Road. In 1982, the Sandy Ground Historic Archeological District
Sandy Ground Historic Archeological District
Sandy Ground Historic Archeological is a historic archaeological site and national historic district located at Sandy Ground, Staten Island, New York. The district encompasses one contributing building and one contributing site....
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Sandy Ground as Little Africa
The Sandy Ground settlement was known at times as Harrisville and "Little Africa." The community began as a farming region, but as men and women from MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
migrated to the area, the economy shifted to oyster harvesting. The oyster harvesting industry was a major business here in the 19th century, and the oysters the men of Sandy Ground planted and raked in were sold in the finest restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and elsewhere.
Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church Zion
In the midst of this thriving community, which became the center of economic and social life for free blacks living on the Eastern Seaboard, the Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church was formed on Dec. 5, 1850, in the Rossville home of William H. Pitts, who also served as the first minister. The Founding members of the Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church were Caesar Jackson, Francis Williams, William Webb, William H. Stevens, John J. Henry, Moses K. Harris, Israel Pitts, Isaac Purnell, Ishmael Robins, Henry Jackson, Elizabeth Titus, Sarah J. Landin, Esther V. S. Purnell, Ann M. Bishop, Grace Williams and Louisa Harris.Annual camp meetings were held at the site in those early years, with people coming from as far away as Connecticut and Virginia to celebrate living a "free life."
The first church was built of frame construction in 1854 off Bloomingdale Road in Bogardus Corners. It was destroyed by fire and replaced by the current building, which was occupied on Dec. 19, 1897, although, some sources state 1870 as the date of this structure's completion.
Sandy Ground as an Underground Railroad Stop
Sandy Ground also was a major stop along the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
for slaves escaping from the South. It has been speculated that the aforementioned Capt. Jackson might have ferried slaves across the Kill van Kull
Kill Van Kull
The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. Approximately long and wide, it connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks the eastern end of the Kill, Bergen Point its western end...
between Staten Island and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
aboard the ferry boat he owned and operated.
A group of abolitionists also called Staten Island home, many in the Livingston
Livingston, Staten Island
Livingston is a name sometimes applied to the northeastern portion of West Brighton, a neighborhood located on the North Shore of New York City's borough of Staten Island.-Geography:...
section, and other houses in addition to those in Sandy Ground have been identified as possible stops along the railroad.
Among these might have been the large home built for George W. Curtis at the corner of Henderson and Bard Avenues. Curtis, who wrote for and was associate editor of Putnam's Magazine
Putnam's Magazine
Putnam’s Monthly Magazine of American Literature, Science and Art was a monthly periodical published by G. P. Putnam's Sons featuring American literature and articles on science, art, and politics...
, as well as Harper's Weekly, was an orator of national renown on many subjects, including the ending of slavery in the United States of America.
Harris Home
One of the more interesting families to live there was the Harris family. The circa 1906 home of Isaac Harris still stands on Bloomingdale Road. He was the son of Silas Harris, one of two brothers who settled in Sandy Ground with their families early in its history.The Isaac Harris house was designed by renowned architect Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
of the firm of McKim, Meade and White. Harris was a respected member of White's household staff, and it is said the architect drew up plans for Harris' house as a gift in tribute for his service. The house boasts a gambrel roof and front bay. Unfortunately, Harris' is one of only about 12 of the original old homes still standing in the community.
Older native Islanders will remember the devastating brush fires that raged across the Island on a dry, spring day in 1963. Quite a number of buildings were destroyed in that one-day inferno, many of them in Sandy Ground. But the spirit of the community lived on.
The Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church still plays a prominent role in the life of this part of Staten Island. The lovely wood-frame structure is reminiscent of the days when Staten Island was a bucolic place to live and raise a family.
The rich history of Sandy Ground has been documented and preserved through the efforts of the Sandy Ground Historical Society. Many families still live in the community that was founded by their courageous ancestors.