There are a few significant figures in African American history who resided in Putnam County.

1) Prince Cornwall (Historical Marker and Burial Site):
Prince Cornwall (born around 1750) a long-time resident of Kent, NY who lived to the age of 104, was once enslaved and gained his freedom following his service to General George Washington in the Revolutionary War.

Location of Historical Marker: 1118 North Horsepound Road Kent, NY
Location of Burial Site: Graveyard Beside Second Kent Baptist Church (1118 North Horsepound Road Kent, NY)

2) Private Francis O. Myers (Memorial and Burial Site)
Born in Patterson, NY, and reside in the Town of Southeast, Private Francis O. Myers served alongside Col. Robert Gould Shaw with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the assault on Fort Wagner during the Civil War.

Location of Memorial: Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park (the Lower Park)  
Location of Burial Site: Milltown Rural Cemetery in Brewster, NY

3) Lawson Cemetery, also referred to as Larksburg Cemetery (Historical Marker)
The Historic Marker honors and commemorates two great men, Sumner H. Lark Esq. & Bishop Robert C. Lawson, who dedicated their lives to uplifting their community and their advocacy in civil rights. Larksburg Cemetery is the first all-black cemetery in Putnam Valley, NY.

Location of Historical Marker: Lawson Cemetery aka Larksburg Cemetery (51 Barger Street, Putnam Valley, NY)

4) Sergeant Clinton J. Peterson (Memorial)
Born in Kent Cliffs, NY. Peterson served in 369^th U.S. Infantry Regiment, better known as the “Harlem Hell Fighters”, alongside the French during World War I.


Location of Memorial: Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park (the Lower Park)  

5) Tone’s Pond (Historical Marker)
Tonetta Lake, formerly named Tone’s Pond after a freed Black Man. Tone who was enslaved was freed after serving in the Continental Army. After the war, Tone and his wife Etta settled on the lake, renting boats and operated a tavern for fisherman.

Location of Historical Marker: 140 Pumphouse Road Brewster, NY

6) Snowdale Farm (Historical Marker)
Snowdale Farm, a farm-to-table bed-and-breakfast for African Americans, was run by the Moran family in the 1920-30s. Augustus and Mary Moran, a Black couple, purchased the land in 1919. This farm and resort was an exclusive destination for African Americans that drew visitors with a swimming pool, tennis courts, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, and countless other activities.

Location of Historical Marker: near the intersection of Farm to Market Road and Big Elm Road in Patterson, NY.

To learn more about Black History in Putnam County check out this excellent guide created by the Putnam History Museum: C:\Users\PHMEDU~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msoACC4.tmp

Or reach out to our County Historian’s Office County Historian - Putnam County, New York