Philipsburg Manor
150 White Plains Road (mailing)
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-3993 • 631-8200 Historic Hudson Valley
www.hudsonvalley.org/content/view/14/44/

One of the most popular attractions in Westchester is Philipsburg Manor. It was known as Upper Mills in the early 1700's, when Frederick Philipse established a commercial center here and staffed it with African slaves.

Now a National Historic Landmark, this working 18th-century farm includes a number of buildings on beautiful grounds with a pond and small waterfall. Costumed interpreters re-enact life in pre-Revolutionary times, doing chores, milking the cows, and grinding grain in the water-powered grist mill. The stone manor house boasts a rich collection of early New York and European furniture, as well as Dutch Delft ceramics and continental brass.

Crossing the millpond bridge really does evoke the atmosphere of an earlier, simpler time -- a physically demanding time, to be sure, but lacking the pressures of the hectic environment we have created for ourselves today. Philipsburg Manor is a great place for the family. Adults and children alike will learn something of history, and have fun doing it. Special events and programs focus on various aspects of history or the arts. Obtain a calendar by writing or calling.

School Programs for grades 3 through 12 include Exploring Colonial America: a tour offering a glimpse into rural living and trade while our nation was being settled by early European immigrants and African slaves; and Millers and Merchants: a hands-on tour exploring the lives of tenant farmers, enslaved Africans, and the Anglo-Dutch landowners and merchants who lived and worked in the area. Students will be involved in processing grain in the mill, textile production, and inspecting ledgers, bills of laden and other documents. These programs take 90 minutes and 2 hours, respectively.

Three more extensive programs for grades 4 through 12 include tours and activities at Van Cortlandt Manor or Sunnyside as well as at Philipsburg Manor and take 2 hours at each site. Maximum group size from 35 to 60, depending on program.

Outreach Programs are also available, and a teachers' conference is held annually in the fall.

Philipsburg Manor is part of Historic Hudson Valley, which manages a number of important historic sites in Westchester.