Sylvester Manor: NYS Grant / Preservation Update / Summer Programs Registration / Farm Update

We are pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Shelter Island History Museum to safeguard historical artifacts during the extensive rehabilitation of the 1737 Manor House. Our most prized historical artifacts will be stored in the Museum’s climate-controlled, fire-proof vault during the anticipated three-year Manor House construction and renovation period. This will safeguard the objects and archival materials, keep them on the Island, and ensure they remain accessible to our staff for further research while the Manor House undergoes rehabilitation. Future exhibits and programs that highlight the role of Sylvester Manor in Shelter Island’s history will draw inspiration from the Manor’s collections in temporary storage and the Museum’s own archives.

We’re thrilled to announce that we received a $675,000 grant from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Environmental Protection Fund at the end of 2025 for the interior renovation of the Manor House. This funding is designated specifically for improving the building’s ADA accessibility, replacing antiquated mechanical/HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems and adding a minimally invasive fire suppression system throughout the historic front rooms, as well as in the fully conditioned spaces in the 1908 additions that will serve as the new Sylvester Manor Center for History and Heritage.

With the addition of this latest grant we have now raised nearly $8.5M towards our capital campaign goal of $13M for the Manor House preservation project. Thank you all for your ongoing support of this seminal project! Please let us know if you would like to get involved, learn more or donate today.

Sylvester Manor has submitted documents for Site Plan Review and is awaiting Town Board direction on requirements for a public hearing, which is expected to begin in February. The review was prompted by our February 2024 request for a building permit for our long-planned Manor House Rehabilitation, but was expanded after the Zoning Board of Appeals granted us a Special Use Permit in October to operate as a nonprofit within the AA Residential Zone. As a result, the Town Board decided to extend Site Plan Review to areas beyond the immediate rehabilitation work planned for the 1737 Manor House, including parking for programs and events. Once approved, we hope to obtain a Building Permit and begin interviewing potential contractors. In the meantime, fundraising for the $13M project continues.

We have a variety of exciting programs available for children aged 2-14 years old this summer. These include the Traditional Youth Program, Fig & Forest Culinary, Forest Theatre, STEM, and O.W.L.S. (Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills). We also have a new program this year, Endeavors in the Afternoon, where children ages 6–10 explore the world around them through animals, imaginative stories, music, movement, forest structures, filmmaking, artifacts and more. In a world where many kids are experiencing “nature-deficit disorder,” Endeavors help them rediscover wonder—one afternoon at a time.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give your child the best summer ever at Sylvester Manor! Registration opens on February 2 at 9am.

It’s been an unusually busy time on the Farm this winter. Back in November, during our Giving Tuesday campaign, we raised $20K to support our Food Access Program (thank you everyone who donated!). Since November 1, we have been donating Sylvester Manor-grown produce and eggs to local food pantries, ensuring that local, healthy foods continue to reach community members in need all winter long. Today we’re growing greens, carrots, radishes and beets in the greenhouse and providing all the eggs we have to our food pantry partners. In 2025 we donated over $50K in Sylvester Manor produce and products, and plan to grow this program even more in 2026.

Stay tuned for some special Farm announcements, including the opening of our 2026 CSA subscription and a warm welcome to our new Farm Manager, Matthew Celona.

From November through February the walking trails will be closed for hunting. We are working in partnership with the Town of Shelter Island’s Hunting Program to control the deer population. Please adhere to the posted TRAILS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC signs at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation.