Our mission is to preserve, cultivate and share the unique legacy of historic Sylvester Manor. Once a Native American hunting and fishing ground, from 1652 the manor was home to 11 generations of Shelter Island’s original European settler family. Over time it transformed from a provisioning plantation worked by enslaved people to a pioneering food industrialist’s estate. Today, restoration is underway and you can visit the 240-acre waterfront site with its 1735 Manor House, historic Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground, monument to Quakers who sheltered here, archaeological digs, wind-powered gristmill, gardens where North America’s oldest boxwoods grow, and a livestock and produce farm. We also host weddings, concerts, exhibitions, summer Shakespeare, and other arts events, as well as children’s farm programs. Plan your visit today.
