Slavery at the Homestead

It was actually fairly common for New Yorkers to own slaves after the Revolutionary War. In 1790, the year of the first US census, there were 123 slaves in Rye out of a total population of nearly 1000. The fact that Abraham Bush, Sr. owned two slaves in 1790 was typical for someone of his status. “The role of slaves in the colonial and post-colonial economy cannot be underestimated. These people were very valuable members of the household, though they were considered to be property. The work that the slaves were required to do was probably not different in scope from that of the white members of the household ad would have required skilled labor. It would also have included the more distasteful household tasks and those involving heavy labor” (Bush-Holley Historic Site Guide: 17-18).

Slaves in Rye typically lived in close proximity to their masters, most likely either in attics or in separate small kitchen buildings. In these one-room structures, which have been described as “containers for human chattel,” slaves lived and prepared meals for their masters. The small number of slaves in each household and the geographic distance between Westchester’s farms resulted in a greater connection between slaves and owners. It would appear the nearest slaves to those living at the Bush Homestead would have been the four slaves owned by the Brown family, whose house is a private home on Browndale Place.

Below are three photos of what is believed to be the slave quarters at the Bush Lyon Homestead. The small building is in need of repair. As the pictures show, some attempts have been made to maintain the building, but a lot of work needs to be done as soon as possible.