Sylvester Manor / March: Summer Youth Programs / CSA Registration / Farm to Table / Shakespeare ….

The Summer Youth Program (SYP) registration is open and while a few weeks are full, we still have plenty of space for your child! There are programs for kids ages 2-15, starting June 22 and running through August 28.

We are excited to introduce our new afternoon programs, DIRT (3 ½ – 5 year olds) and Endeavors in the Afternoon (6-11 year olds). These programs run Monday through Friday, 12:30-3:00pm and replace the Extended Day option. You can sign up by the day or by the week; you do not need to be enrolled in a morning program to register for an afternoon program.

We will again offer the following programs: Traditional, Forest Theatre, Fig & Forest Culinary, STEM @ Sylvester Manor, and O.W.L.S. (Outdoor Living Wilderness Skills). This year, there will be two extra weeks’ options: Midsummer Week (June 22-26) and Quintessence Week (August 24-28).

The crop plan is done. The greenhouses are gearing up. The new Farm team is starting to arrive. All that’s left is for you to be part of our CSA community this season!  We invite you to sign up for our 21-week (June 13-October 31) CSA produce share, which includes a rotation of vegetables, berries and herbs. We also offer a farmstand credit, which is a great option for those who don’t want to commit to the CSA, but still want to enjoy farm-fresh produce.

The snow persists, and so do we. This late winter has tested us with three heavy snowfalls. Each time, Gunnar, Stewart and Billy have admirably risen to the task of keeping roadways clear and buildings accessible. April and Elias continue to take excellent care of the chickens, sheep and high tunnels, repeatedly shoveling aside tons of snow. Thanks to their hard work, you can see the chickens out on the field the day after the blizzard. We scatter straw on the snow to provide contrast to the dazzling white. Without it, the chickens will choose to stay cooped up.

Our Farm to Table Benefit has become a cherished summer tradition at Sylvester Manor, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you. Join us for a magical evening of delicious local cuisine, featuring our farm-grown foods, along with celebration and philanthropy.

We’re looking forward to warmer days filled with friendship, laughter, and dancing the night away! Pre-sale tickets are available now, as this beloved event sells out quickly. Your participation helps us continue to Preserve, Cultivate, and Share historic Sylvester Manor.

Saturday, June 27
6:00-10:30pm
Manor Grounds

Sylvester Manor’s proposed 1737 Manor House rehabilitation is the subject of a Site Plan Review public hearing before the Town Board. It takes place during the board’s regular business meeting, on Tuesday, March 16 at 6 PM in Town Hall (or via Zoom).

We’ll present plans for the Manor House, which is the primary resource of our Historic District of national significance listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The result of many years of careful study of the 1737 house and its additions, the plans comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Structures. Updates are slated across 46 rooms from the basement to the attic, with major overhauls of electrical, plumbing, heating and fire protection and suppression systems.

We’ve raised more than $8.5M for this transformative $13M project. To make a donation, please click here.

We also welcome letters of support — please send them to the Town Board via the Town Clerk, PO Box 1549, Shelter Island, NY 11964, or smundy@shelterislandtown.gov.  Questions? Contact jbrennan@sylvestermanor.org.

Site Plan Review Public Hearing
Tuesday, March 16
6:00pm
Shelter Island Town Hall (or via Zoom)

The History & Heritage Department continues to deepen its research into the Sylvester family through ongoing archival research. NYU’s Fales Library & Special Collections houses 10,000 Sylvester Manor documents and staff is frequently uncovering stories that build upon our history.

In the coming weeks, staff members Alice Clark and Donnamarie Barnes will visit Boston to study 17th-century letters between Nathaniel Sylvester and Governor John Winthrop at the Massachusetts Historical Society, followed by research trips to The National Archives in London and the Amsterdam City Archives in Amsterdam.

Alice just returned from a trip to the Cincinnati Museum Center, where she studied Dering family papers including correspondence between Sylvester Dering, Henry Thomas Dering, and relatives in Sag Harbor and New London during and after the American Revolution.

Each discovery deepens our understanding of the people and stories connected to the Manor—stay tuned for more findings.

We’re counting the minutes until spring! For March, the Artifact of the Month is Nicoll Havens Dering’s gold pocket watch, pictured here alongside his miniature portrait. The backside of the watch is engraved “Nicoll Havens Dering, MD born January 1, 1794 died December 19, 1867.” Born at Sylvester Manor to Revolutionary war general Sylvester Dering and Esther Sarah Havens, Nicoll Havens Dering graduated from Yale in 1813, and earned his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1817. He was appointed New York City Health Commissioner in 1819 and served for two years during a time marked by recurring yellow fever outbreaks.

Nicoll Havens Dering then moved upstate to Rome, and later Utica, NY where he married and started a family. To honor his father, Nicoll named his only son Sylvester, and passed down this pocket watch to him. Many years later in 1915, Sylvester Dering visited the Manor, and Cornelia Horsford writes, “Cousin Sylvester also gave me his father’s gold watch, the tears running down his cheeks as he parted with it.”

Sylvester Dering is photographed here outside the front door of the Manor House around the time of that visit.

Shakespeare returns to the Manor this summer! Join us at the end of July as we welcome returning and new actors, led by Allen O’Reilly, to our beautiful outdoor setting as they perform Twelfth Night. Stay tuned for ticket information.

Twelfth Night
Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26
Manor Grounds