Local History Presentation: The Carpenters and New Rochelle’s African-American Cemetery

One of the region’s important Underground Railroad stations was located in northern New Rochelle.  Quaker Joseph Carpenter and his daughter, Esther, were instrumental in providing a safe haven for slaves traveling to freedom. Carpenter was also responsible for ensuring that people of color had a proper place in which to be buried.  Today, Carpenter Cemetery, located on the property of 150 Stratton Road, is an overgrown ramble of underbrush covering the graves of more than 450 former slaves and their descendants, as well as Quakers and Huguenots.  Professor Dorothee Greenberg will speak about the secret network of homes ready to help fugitives from slavery, in Westchester, and the Carpenter’s role. Local historians and community members will also discuss the history and future of Carpenter Cemetery. Free.