The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island

Landscape historian Mac Griswold had no idea what she was getting herself into when she rowed up a Long Island Creek in 1984. Approaching Sylvester Manor was like stepping back in time. This was a manor that has seen much history: Indians’ civilizations, early American settlements, the American Revolution, slavery, modern development, etc. It all lays buried here, just beneath the surface. The manor’s owner’s family has owned the property since 1652. Documents, books, pictures, and oral history abound in the last living survivor of this American line. Yet few outside these walls knew the stories haunting them. With the permission of the homeowners and the help of a team of archeologists, Griswold began an epic journey of discovery.

The Manor—Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation in Long Island is Griswold’s account of the excavations, her discoveries, and the lives and times of the various plantation owners and inhabitants. Captivating would be too mild a word to describe her account. Fascinating doesn’t do it justice. If you love history, you won’t be able to put this volume down. Griswold does a poetic job of marrying research with storytelling and has crafted something spectacular. I literally could not put this book down, which is odd for a historical account. I truly recommend this selection!