Local “School for the Instruction of People of Colour”

[ndembowski]

One of our members, Roberta Todd, sent this to me.  It comes out of the “Notes from  the Episcopal Diocese of New York 1818  Convention Journal:”

St. John’s Chuch, Yonkers, in 2017

I found it pretty fascinating to learn that in 1818 there was a local school for “people of colour,” who I imagine would have all been of African ancestry.  St. John’s Church, located in the heart of downtown Yonkers, was the local Episcopal church for our area at the time.  Remember, Riverdale, Kingsbridge, and Spuyten Duyvil were all part of Yonkers until the end of 1872.  The Van Cortlandts gave money to St. John’s church and the pastor there during the American Revolution was buried in the Van Cortlandt Family Burial Vault in Van Cortlandt Park.  Many Riverdalians were interred at St. John’s Cemetery in Yonkers, including formerly enslaved people like Stephen Simmons.

Since the gradual abolition of slavery in NY was a gradual process, perhaps this school was an attempt to assist the newly free population succeed after abolition?  New York City had an African Free School that served free and enslaved students and I recall that was the purpose.

It would be great to find records from this school (if they exist).  Personally, I would like to know if any of our local residents or their children attended it.

 

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