The lands known today as Sylvester Manor were home to the indigenous Manhansett People for thousands of years, on the island they called Manhansack-aha-quash-awamock, the “Island Sheltered by Islands.” In the early 1650s Dutch-English colonists, Nathaniel Sylvester and three partners, established Shelter Island as a provisioning plantation for sugarcane operations in Barbados. Consisting today of 236 acres, Sylvester Manor is the most intact plantation remnant and former place of enslavement north of Virginia.
Sylvester Manor was owned continuously by one family, Sylvesters and their descendants, from 1652 until 2010 when Eben Fiske Ostby, and his nephew Bennett Konesni, gifted the historic site to the nonprofit organization they established. Over the past 370 years, Sylvester Manor has been a provisioning plantation, an Enlightenment-era farm, a pioneering food industrialist’s summer estate, and home to generations of Sylvester descendants and Enslaved, Indentured, and free laborers who stewarded the historic structures, collections and cultural landscape.
TODAY, SYLVESTER MANOR IS
• Shelter Island’s only site listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance, consisting of 236 acres of farm fields, woodlands and wetlands, a 1737 Manor House, a restored 19th-century windmill, an Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground and family cemetery, a formal garden and layered cultural landscape
• A place that acknowledges and interprets inclusive history with a particular focus on those who built and sustained Sylvester Manor
• An educational resource for learners of all ages, from the youngest children to adults and eminent scholars
• A working farm that sustainably grows food for the whole community
• Open to the public with 5 miles of walking trails, offering extensive educational and cultural arts programming
• Committed to working closely with diverse partners — conservationists, educators, neighbors, public agencies, descendant community members — to interpret the past and build a resilient future
• Working to preserve and protect the landscape and ecosystems, and to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse historic structures
OUR MISSION IS TO
Preserve, Cultivate and Share Historic Sylvester Manor.
Dear Sylvester Manor Community,
I continue to be inspired by the deep commitment of our staff and donors and the consistent joy this historic place brings to our community. As you read through this Annual Report, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you — our donors, volunteers, partners, and friends. Your unwavering support, both in terms of time and financial resources, has been instrumental in shaping Sylvester Manor into the community resource it is today.
This report shares the past year’s highlights and acknowledges the generosity of so many who support Sylvester Manor’s vision and mission. Your contributions and support have enabled us to create 77 jobs, providing local employment opportunities for our community. Through programs and collaborations with local businesses, we generated nearly $520,000 in revenue, furthering our impact on the local economy.
The numbers speak for themselves: over 18,000 visitors, including 400 school-age children, came to Sylvester Manor, immersing themselves in our rich history, educational programs, farm, and grounds. We were proud to host an outdoor sculpture exhibition featuring local artists, something that will be repeated in 2025. We are proud to have donated nearly $40,000 worth of food to local families, helping to address food insecurity. Additionally, we composted 17,000 pounds of food waste, demonstrating our commitment to environmental sustainability. We maintain 5 miles of public walking trails for the enjoyment of our community and actively manage the deer population, striving for ecosystem balance.
We continue to make progress on our Capital Campaign and have raised over $6 million towards our ambitious $13 million goal. We are immensely proud to be moving forward with preserving and rehabilitating the 1737 Manor House, a project that symbolizes our commitment to honoring the past while building a brighter future. We eagerly look forward to starting work on the Manor House later this year and going public with the campaign in late 2025.
We extend our sincere thanks to all our supporters for your generosity, enthusiasm, and energy this past year. Your contributions have ignited our progress, allowing us to Preserve, Cultivate and Share historic Sylvester Manor with ever greater impact.
As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission and vision. Together, we will continue to build upon the strong foundation laid by all who came before us at the Manor. Our collective efforts will ensure that Sylvester Manor thrives for generations to come
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Sylvester Manor community, thank you again for your ongoing support. Your belief in our mission and our people is what propels us forward.
With much appreciation,
Marc Robert Board President,
Sylvester Manor
BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Marc Robert, President
Elly Karp Wong, Vice President
Kathleen DeRose, Secretary
James Preston, Treasurer
Eben Fiske Ostby, Founding Trustee
Ingrid Bateman
Steven Eisenstadt
Sarah Fairbairn
Cynthia Flynt
Kathleen Gerard
Rhonda Greene
Steven Houston
Kareen Mozes Laton
Tom Misson
Karolann (Kaz) Rubin
STAFF:
Jennifer Ames, Farmstand Manager
Donnamarie Barnes, Director of History and Heritage
Julia Brennan, Capital Projects Manager
Alice Clark, History and Heritage Associate and Events Planner
Alyse Clark, Development Associate and Database Manager
Tom Cugliani, Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor Curator
Arielle Gardner, Farm Manager
Virginia Gerardi, Office and Facilities Support
Sara Gordon, Senior Planner
Hannah Gray, Summer Youth Program Director
Doug Kadlec, Carpenter
Deborah Lajda, Bookkeeper
Stewart Mackie, Assistant Groundskeeper
Tracy McCarthy, Director of Operations
Stephen A.W. Searl, Executive Director
Eden Sherrod, History and Heritage Assistant
Courtney Wingate, Director of Development
Gunnar Wissemann, House and Grounds Manager
Julia Amiri
Eloise Avery
Olivia Benton
Caitlin Binder
Jessica Buxbaum
Sebastian Contreras
Louise Jenness
FARMSTAND:
Daphne Allen
Phoebe Allen
Indigo Austin
Kat Austin
Leslie Fleming
Hannah Kleiman
Romy Neuman
Grace Petraglia
Raquel Saenz
Bella Springer
Vincent Tait
Lisa Kaasik
Morgan McCarthy
Grace Olinkiewicz
Anna Wong
SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM:
Elsie Armstrong
Tess Azmak
Eliza Barrett
Lucy Beran
Sarah Beran
Rosalinda Borletti
Henry Burrell
Harper Congdon
Alastair Corrie
Celia Corrie
Caleb Cuti
George Deely
Maeve Egan
India Eisenstadt
Kaitlyn Gulluscio
Charlotte Hardwick
Adele Himmelberg
Lucy Himmelberg
Naya Hromic
Harryo Hugh-Jones
Lettice Hugh-Jones
Lila Laton
Lucia Levine
Alastair Liddle
Eliza McCarthy
George McDonald
Samantha McDonald
Sally Michael
Rosalie Ozcan
Ellie Pedone
Hannah Pettibone
Isabel Quimbrot
Robert Relyea
Christopher Rodier
Alexander
Schoenwaelder
Ella Watts-Gorman
Hannah Wermuth
Beckett Williamsen
Mia Wong
The Sylvester Manor Capital Campaign
Sylvester Manor has been working towards the preservation and renewal of the 1737 Manor House for nearly seven years. The process began in 2018 with a sitewide Comprehensive Landscape Plan in collaboration with renowned landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz. The Plan prioritized the preservation of the House, the single most important artifact in our collection, and developed a vision for transforming this once private estate into a publicly accessible site. By 2022 we had completed a Maintenance and Preservation Plan for the Manor House with the help of historic preservation architects Architectural Preservation Studio and in early 2023 we embarked on the organization’s first capital campaign.
Together we’re preserving Shelter Island’s only nationally significant historic
site.
To date, we have raised $6M for the Manor House preservation project out of an overall total goal of $13M. We anticipate the House project alone to cost at least $11M. The remaining capital campaign funds will be designated for improved circulation and a maintenance endowment for the Manor House. Major contributors to the capital campaign include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Gerry Charitable Trust, New York State Department of Parks and Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures Program. Another $3M in grant proposals are in process or slated for submission in 2025.
As fundraising continues, both with private donors and major grantors, permitting for the rehabilitation of the Manor House progresses with the Town, County and State. All approvals are expected by late 2025. Once permits are in hand we will start working with contractors on the bidding process, and then construction can commence.
We are profoundly grateful to all of our supporters for helping us successfully launch Sylvester Manor’s first capital campaign, ensuring the preservation of the past and inspiring a sustainable future.
Sylvester Manor’s Historic ‘Eldorado’ Wallpaper
For nearly 120 years, the Ladies Parlor in the 1737 Manor House at Sylvester Manor has captivated visitors with its panoramic “Eldorado” landscape wallpaper, a masterpiece crafted by the French manufacturer Zuber. First introduced in 1848, this intricate design blends real-world locations with an imagined City of Gold, reflecting timeless elegance and craftsmanship. Cornelia Horsford and her sister Katharine purchased the set during a 1905 trip to Paris for inclusion in a 1908 renovation. But, the panels experienced fading, tearing, and discoloration over the ensuing decades.
After reviewing the design development plans submitted for the exterior rehabilitation, we realized that repairs to doors and windows would impact the wallpaper. We sought support for a special project to protect the panels. The Versailles Foundation, which promotes French culture, was particularly interested in supporting this project. Other donors stepped up, as well.
We enlisted Scenic Wallpaper, owned by specialists Jim Francis and John Nalewaja, to conserve and renew the “Eldorado” masterpiece. They began the process by carefully removing the original panels — deemed too frail to rehang — to preserve them for exhibition and study. Doing so revealed remnants of historical wallpapers beneath. These earlier designs chronicle the room’s evolution, from Arts &
Crafts motifs linked to inventor Eben Horsford’s era to delicate floral patterns, offering glimpses into changing aesthetics over centuries.
The plaster walls behind the wallpaper, made from local materials like sand and animal hair, have also suffered extensive damage. We will repair these walls before installing new “Eldorado” panels printed by Zuber using traditional techniques and materials, ensuring faithfulness to the original. The French Ministry of Culture has designated the 1,554 hand-carved wooden blocks used to create the design as Historical Monuments, further affirming their authenticity. Scenic Wallpaper will install the new panels over a layer of canvas, allowing for easier removal if needed.
This project demonstrates that once the exterior rehabilitation is complete, we can renew interior finishes in the other historic front rooms, targeting each room’s specific needs and matching them with donor interests.
The Critical Role of Cataloging and Packing at Sylvester Manor
If you’ve ever moved, you appreciate how daunting the task can be. Now imagine packing and moving objects throughout a 46-room house with items handed down by generation upon generation of family occupancy! That’s been one of 2024’s significant challenges at Sylvester Manor, and we’re grateful to the Leon Levy Foundation for supporting our work to secure the Manor House collections during our upcoming rehabilitation and beyond.
In early 2023, Sylvester Manor launched the quiet phase of a $13M capital campaign to transform the private 236-acre historic site into a fully accessible campus open to the public. The campaign’s primary goal is the $11M rehabilitation and preservation of the 1737 Manor House, ensuring it remains a living reflection of America’s complex history. By 2028, the project will preserve the exterior and oldest sections of the Manor House while adaptively reusing the 1908 addition to create the Sylvester Manor Center for History & Heritage. This center will include artist and scholar-in-residence spaces, offices, exhibition and program areas, and support facilities.
The Manor’s entire collection must be inventoried, packed, and relocated to temporary storage before rehabilitation begins. The Leon Levy Foundation provided funding to support the inventorying, archival packing, relocation, and temporary storage of the Manor’s collection during construction. These funds have supported staff as we catalog, pack, and store various items gathered since the family first occupied the site in 1652. The expansive collections were spread from the Manor House basement to the attics. They include thousands of pieces — artwork, books, china, clothing, documents, furniture, games, glassware, letters, household textiles, paintings, photographs, silverware, sporting goods, and one enormous whale rib.
We enter pertinent data for each object into a preservation industry-standard digital database, taking photographs from multiple angles in special booths we’ve set up around the house. Then, we wrap and pack the item using materials according to accepted standards. As we pack the boxes, we move them to appropriate storage
facilities, with hundreds of boxes already trucked off site. These practically indestructible shelves will eventually return to Sylvester Manor to improve our collection storage.
Once building permits are in place, we expect construction to take up to three years, after which we’ll return select objects to the Manor House. A longer-term objective is establishing an archival and special collections research facility to house Sylvester Manor’s expansive archival materials, archaeological artifacts, and objects. This facility will enhance access to research and interpretation. A project feasibility study is currently underway.
Thousands of artifacts from family letters and documents through multiple generations to artwork, photographs, and books are being carefully catalogued and stored. Once completed, the digital catalogue will be fully accessible to future scholars and the public to study the lives of Sylvester descendants, as well as the Enslaved, Indentured, and free laborers who lived and worked here. These items provide a unique opportunity to uncover the histories of those who lived through the founding of the United States and pivotal moments in American history.
Mellon Foundation Funding and the Expansion of History & Heritage
In April 2023, Sylvester Manor received a threeyear $3.75M grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place (HIP) Program of which $2.5M is earmarked for rehabilitating the rear of the Manor House into a Center for History & Heritage. The Center will include exhibition and program spaces, staff offices, and artist and scholar-in-residence facilities. This initiative is part of the larger capital campaign to preserve and rehabilitate the 1737 Manor House. The remaining $1.25M supports an expanded Department of History & Heritage, its staff, and research
efforts with the goal to better represent a more complete history of Sylvester Manor through programs and partnerships that are more accessible to the public.
Since receiving the HIP grant, the History & Heritage Department has deepened partnerships with historic house museums, collectives, and projects focused on Sylvester Manor’s role in the history of the Atlantic World, the Dutch Colonial World, Colonial New York/New England and the United States.
In 2024, Donnamarie Barnes, Director of History & Heritage, participated in extensive outreach through meetings, conferences, site visits, and travel. For Black History Month 2024, Sylvester Manor co-sponsored the Northern Slavery Conference in NYC where Donnamarie and Plain Sight Project partner David Rattray presented the documentary film Forgotten Founders: The Story of David Hempstead. The film was also screened at Sylvester Manor in August and at the Slave Dwelling Conference in Philadelphia in October.
With expanded research into the lives of the enslaved and free people of color of the Manor, we again hosted a Juneteenth celebration at the Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground with a calling of the names of those we know to be buried there. This year, the number of identified individuals has risen to 80 of the 200 believed to be interred there.
Donnamarie and Research Associate Alice Clark traveled to New York City for research at the New York Historical Society, the Hispanic Society Museum & Library which holds early Barbados port logs, and to Troy, N.Y. to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which holds the Horsford Family Papers, dating from 1681 to 1954. The collection was donated to RPI by descendants of Eben N. Horsford, Sylvester Manor’s proprietor from 1859-1893.
RESEARCH & OUTREACH LOCATIONS
• New York City: Northern Slavery Conference, New York Historical Society, Hispanic Society Museum & Library
• Troy, N.Y.: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Amsterdam: Amsterdam City Archives
• England: Oxford University, National Archives (UK), Cambridge University
During the summer of 2024, Dutch documentary filmmaker Ida Does and Dutch author Raoul De Jong came to Sylvester Manor to plan a fulllength documentary film about the history of the Sylvester family and their connections to the Dutch Colonial Age and the Atlantic World. We are now exploring funding prospects for this exciting project.
As part of our Mellon grant, the team also traveled to Amsterdam in November to continue pre-production conversations with the filmmakers and to conduct research at the Amsterdam City Archives along with Dr. Stephen Mrowozski, our lead archaeologist from the University of Massachusetts Boston. During our trip to Europe this year, we conducted exciting research at Oxford University, the National Archives (UK) and at Cambridge University finding evidence of the extent of the Sylvester family’s business ranging from Amsterdam to London, Barbados and Shelter Island.
Thanks to separate, additional funding from Mellon’s Higher Learning Program, we are expanding partnerships with institutions of higher learning, establishing Sylvester Manor
Credit: Ida Does
as a place where long range courses, research and academic projects are being developed. Partnerships with New York University, the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Bard Graduate Center have launched graduate level courses and research projects. These projects include place-based learning in the study of Northern Slavery focusing on the history and archaeology of Sylvester Manor. Working with faculty, we have begun to create curricula using the land, stories, collections and archives of Sylvester Manor providing scholars and students with opportunities for scholarship, research and graduate/postgraduate projects in the fields of archaeology, public history and museum studies.
In 2025 we will be embarking on a new partnership with the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, this collaboration will center on the study of 17th-century Sugar Plantations in Barbados, focusing on the Sylvester family’s Constant Plantation. Sylvester Manor will host professors and students from Barbados in June.
HIGHER-LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS
• New York University
• University of Massachusetts Boston
• Bard Graduate Center
• University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados
Educational Programming: Learning through Nature
Sylvester Manor continued to expand educational programming for learners of all ages. In the summer of 2024, we welcomed more than 200 children and their families to the Summer Youth Program, which included the Traditional Youth Program, Fig & Forest Culinary, Forest Theatre, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Outdoor Wilderness Living Skills (OWLS). Thanks to Hannah Gray, a certified Forest School educator and the Director of our Summer Youth Program, the Youth Program saw its highest enrollment numbers since its inception over a decade ago. With an additional week added to our Traditional Program, our Little Sprouts and Young Farmers had even more time this year to explore the puppetry theme weaved throughout each week’s programming. Children spent time building puppet stages, learning puppetry, constructing puppets, writing stories, and making music while also having fun visiting the farm, harvesting vegetables and berries, bouncing around on hayrides, feeding the sheep, and making new friends!
Due to an overwhelming demand, we expanded the OWLS program to two 2-week sessions. Kids ages 8-14 practiced outdoor skills mindfully and safely. Educating children on the skills necessary to not only survive in the wilderness but also to honor and respect it gave children the opportunity to learn to forage in the forest, fish in the creek, build a shelter, use a field knife, craft tools and start and manage a fire. Led by Shelter Island native and outdoor expert Mark Mobius, OWLS has become a much sought-after program for older kids on the island.
In 2024 we introduced a new nighttime drop-off program, Wilderness Wanderings. For four nights throughout July and August, we welcomed kids to explore nature themes that aren’t usually observed during daylight hours — everything from fireflies and spiders to herptiles and nature sounds. Led by educators Julie Fanelli, Mark Mobius, and Robin Streck, the groups wandered to a secret location on the Manor grounds, noticing and discussing the evening’s topic. They enjoyed an activity, cooked hot dogs and s’mores, read a story, and observed the natural environment around them. The children loved being out in nature after dark, and their parents loved having a night to themselves!
A Summer of Arts: Sculpture, Music, and Shakespeare at the Manor
Sculpture: The summer of 2024 marked the debut of Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor, an extraordinary outdoor exhibition showcasing the work of 24 talented East End artists. More than 2,500 visitors explored installations across our historic grounds, reflecting on how the landscape and rich history of Sylvester Manor influenced each artist’s creative expression. An opening reception, several curator-led walking tours, and an in-depth mobile app for self-guided touring added to inspiring viewer engagement.
A special thank you to Shelter Island’s own Tom Cugliani for curating this engaging outdoor exhibition. Visitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we are thrilled to announce the return of Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor in 2025, funded in part by a grant from the NYS Council on the Arts. We hope you’ll join us again to experience the only sculpture exhibition of its kind on Shelter Island, and immerse yourself in the unique beauty of the Manor’s cultural landscape.
Concert:
On the evening of August 24, 2024, Sylvester Manor welcomed nearly 500 attendees for a vibrant outdoor concert featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas. The event was a celebration of diverse musical traditions, contrasting the dynamic energy of New Orleans brass with Zydeco’s infectious rhythms.
Under a perfectly blue sky, concertgoers enjoyed picnics and delicious treats from local food vendors while soaking in lively performances and dancing as the sun went down. The event was made possible partly through funding from Suffolk County, bringing together music lovers of all ages from around the region. The 2024 annual Creekside Concert was a resounding success, leaving attendees with memories of a magical summer evening filled with rhythm, community and celebration.
Shakespeare: Shakespeare at the Manor had a spectacular revival in the summer of 2024 after a five-year hiatus. For two magical July evenings, 400 people enjoyed Shakespeare’s most musical play, As You Like It. From being greeted by love notes in the Forest of Arden to the pastoral setting on the Manor lawn, Sylvester Manor was the perfect backdrop for this wonderful performance’s many assets: famous characters, great speeches, and live music. Local and NYC actors comprised the cast, directed by Bay Street’s Allen O’Reilly, who created a contemporary atmosphere with a bit of a “hippie vibe” in the outdoor theater in the round. Theatergoers of all ages enjoyed an evening of light-hearted comedy as evening settled over Gardiners Creek.
Growing Community: CSA and Food Access Program
One of the things that makes our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programming so special is that it directly links to our Food Access Program. Our CSA members not only help the farm prepare for the season ahead with an upfront winter investment, but also help those in need in our community by providing them with access to Sylvester Manor grown produce. In 2024 we had 140 CSA members, including 22 fully-funded shares that provided 21 weeks of vegetables, eggs, and meat to families in need. Each week of CSA, we offer 5-8 seasonal vegetables for participating members to pick up at the Sylvester Manor Farmstand. Additionally, we open up our farm fields to members, their families and friends for pick-your-own produce.
The interactive experience members have when they come to the farm, whether meeting a new farmer, learning about how we grow our food, or snapping photos with friends in our sunflower patch, sets our CSA model apart and brings people in our community together. When members can’t pick up their share, we donate that produce to the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation (CAST), our Food Access Program partner. They in turn distribute it to families in need both on and off the island. With generous support from the Concordia Foundation, as well as individual donations from our CSA members and supportive donors, we will continue to increase the number of donated shares in the 2025 growing season and continue to expand our Food Access Program.
The Farmstand
The Farmstand has become a one-stop shop for many Islanders and visitors. Our product offerings expanded this year to include Terry’s Pizza, Milk Pail Ice Cream, NoFo Pot Pies Dessert Pies, Laurel Lane Honey (made from apiaries located on Sylvester Manor), and the ever-popular Sylvester Manor merch. These new products complemented our perennial top sellers of Sylvester Manor tomatoes, our own chicken and duck eggs, pasture raised Sylvester Manor pork, Catapano Chevre Cheese, NoFo Pot Pies, and 1610 Sourdough Bread.
While we saw a nearly 10% growth in revenue (YOY), we are always thinking about ways to provide more value and products to our customers. We have started to explore value-added products using Sylvester Manor produce. We are developing an enhanced retail strategy to include better displays, more events, and a wider range of local vendor products.
Farm Advancements and Community Impact
2024 was a year of significant growth and expansion at the farm, marked by exciting developments in infrastructure, livestock programs, community engagement, and farm education. During the winter months, we constructed two high tunnels — transformative agricultural equipment funded by the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service — enabling us to extend our growing season into the spring and fall. These high tunnels create a controlled environment, protecting crops from harsh weather and allowing us to grow produce that would be challenging to cultivate in the open fields.
Thanks to the generous donations made during Giving Tuesday in 2023, we built a state-of-theart chicken coop, housing over 200 chickens. The coop was constructed by two dedicated farmers during the winter months and uses innovative materials to ensure the chickens enjoy a clean, healthy environment. This helps prevent disease, pests, and weather-related stress, allowing the chickens to thrive and produce high-quality eggs.
In 2024, we also launched a meat bird program, raising 150 day-old chicks that were eventually processed and sold at our farmstand. This program required the construction of new enclosures and utilized a rotational grazing system, ensuring that the birds had access to fresh pasture daily. The demand for our Sylvester Manor-raised chickens was so high that we sold out before the season ended — proof of the community’s trust in our sustainable, local practices!
We expanded our livestock program by adding 40 runner ducks, known for their large, nutrient-dense eggs. The ducks also play a key role in our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, helping to control pests in the fields and providing natural pest control and soil amendments while contributing to our egg production. Their presence enhances the diversity and sustainability — and cuteness! — of our farming operations.
The Farm Apprenticeship Program is incredibly rewarding for the young individuals learning firsthand the realities of farming — both joyous and challenging. It is an amazing opportunity for our organization to train aspiring farmers on life skills that no other career path does, but are so very needed with the way the world consumes its food and the changing climate. Training the next generation of farmers on the skills they need to start or continue their agriculture careers is a special part of how the farm at Sylvester Manor operates.
The farm’s growth in 2024 underscores the organization’s vital role in both local food production and community engagement, while also investing in the next generation of farmers who will continue to shape the future of agriculture. We look forward to the continued expansion of our programs and the lasting impact they will have on our farm and the surrounding community! 2024 also saw the launch of new, free community events that brought people to the farm. We hosted our first-ever farmwide Easter Egg Hunt, with eggs scattered in the field, old-fashioned egg tosses, and sack races galore. The 2nd Annual Veggie Derby was another highlight, with over 40 participants showing off their creativity in designing vegetable race cars. These events help connect the farm with the local community in fun, engaging ways.
Our food scrap composting program continues to grow, with great success in 2024. We expanded our food scrap collection to include all town residents, with a self-service drop-off site outside our farm gates, open 365 days a year. Many local residents have embraced the program, reducing landfill waste and enriching our farm’s composting efforts.
At the heart of everything we do are our farmers. In 2024, we were fortunate to hire five full-season apprentices and four summer farmers. All nine were beginning farmers, marking their first season working on a diverse vegetable and livestock farm.
Digging Deeper: Archaeological Excavations and Findings
Archaeological Dig at the Manor
In Spring 2024, a Fiske Center for Archaeological Research at UMass Boston team investigated an unexcavated area in the Manor House basement. The goal: to see whether old structures there deserved protection during the rehabilitation of Brinley Sylvester’s 1737 Manor House.
Importantly, they unearthed an extension of a cobbled courtyard, a 17th-century feature known to exist under the lawn just south of the Manor House. Dr. Steve Mrozowski, who leads the Fiske Center, said a small shell midden atop the basement cobbles suggests the paving was outside the original 1652 Manor House, so it’s unlikely Brinley built on the footprint of his grandfather Nathaniel’s house. They also found an old cistern positioned off what was the northwest corner of the 1737 house, possibly to collect rainwater.
As a result of the findings, our architects revised the building plans to avoid disrupting the area. Someday, we may place a window in the library floor above to view these historical features.
Fall Burial Ground Work
Our Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground holds the remains of enslaved, free people of color and Native Americans of Shelter Island. It is a testament to the presence of Indigenous inhabitants and a reminder of our history of slavery. Continuing our 25 year partnership with the Fiske Center, this project aims to confirm and map the burial ground’s boundaries and locate specific burial sites.
Funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Higher Learning program, the Fiske Center team began the fall study using ground penetrating radar (GPR), a non-invasive, remote sensing technology to determine and document the boundaries and layout. They pinpointed some large stones or tree roots — which often appear like burials when using GPR — and identified the tops of burial shafts, ensuring their continued protection. This process does not disturb human remains but is integral to confirming the full extent of historic burial grounds.
After several days of collecting data, the team returned to Boston to analyze the results and prepare a report. Work onsite will continue in May and June of 2025.
Financial Summary
Sylvester Manor’s Fiscal Year 2024 started November 1, 2023 and ended October 31, 2024. Operations for FY24 are consistent with years past, with steady growth in Education, History & Heritage and Fundraising. Sylvester Manor has continued to invest in Farm and Facilities related infrastructure as well as the preservation of the Manor House.
Not reflected in these numbers are grant awards and multi-year pledges made towards our ongoing capital campaign. Since 2023 we have raised over $6M specifically for the capital campaign (see page 6) in addition to another $2M in operating support from the Mellon Foundation. Much of this money will be received over the next two years and thus is not reflected in this financial summary.
NOTE: This financial overview draws from the organization’s unaudited financials. The audited financial statements and Form 990 for FY24 will be available by Spring 2025. Please contact our office for more information or to request copies of audited financials and filed Form 990.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND RESTRICTED PROJECTS:
The 11th Farm to Table Benefit: A Sold-Out Success
Sylvester Manor’s 11th Farm to Table benefit was a record-breaking success, selling out weeks in advance and drawing a large crowd to the Manor’s scenic grounds. The June event, a highlight of the summer season, brought together friends and families to celebrate community, generosity, and fun.
Local vendors People Pool Valet, Sperry Tents, White Oak Farm & Gardens, and Shelter Island Party Rental helped create a magical atmosphere, while Lombardi’s Market served delicious dishes such as cracked black pepper sirloin, Mediterranean mezze platters featuring our farm-grown vegetables, and summer berry trifle jars. Cocktail hour featured fresh sushi and a raw bar from Peeko Oysters.
The evening was filled with inspiring speeches, heartfelt conversations, and dancing as the sun set over Gardiners Creek. Thanks to your support, we continue to preserve the history, heritage, and sustainability of Sylvester Manor. We look forward to seeing you this summer!
Farm to Table Committee Members
Matthew Arendt, Co-Chair | Karolann Rubin, Co-Chair
Courtney Wingate, Director of Development
Alyse Clark, Development Associate
Vita Giannone, Event Planner
Ingrid Bateman
Paul Carberry
Amy Cococcia
Sarah Fairbairn
Chuck Fleckenstein
Kathleen Gerard
Edith Langner
Patrick Loftus-Hills
Mara Manus
Krista Miniutti
Susan Petrie-Badertscher
Russell Piccione
Caroline Ritter
Karen Robert
Cristina Roig
Konnin Tam
Volunteer Spotlight:
A special thank you to Milen Planas for volunteering her time to help with several Sylvester Manor events in 2024. From checkin at Farm to Table to scanning tickets at our Creekside Concert, Milen shared her bright and friendly smile with many Sylvester Manor visitors – and often brought friends to join her! Milen was first introduced to Sylvester Manor by Jim Dougherty back in 2011. “While I didn’t get a chance to be very involved in those early years,” Milen said, “I absolutely loved coming by and enjoying everything the Manor had to offer, especially picking fresh vegetables on Saturdays.”
Jim was a dear friend to Sylvester Manor, and was involved in everything: a Founding Families donor, a longtime CSA member, a Farm to Table Benefit supporter, a champion of land preservation, and so much more. The former Shelter Island Town Supervisor, who died in 2023, had a profound impact.
“Jim was such a big supporter of the Manor, and during his last days, he shared with me that one of the things he would miss most was visiting the Manor for his vegetables,” Planas said. “I promised him that I’d start volunteering more often to keep his spirit alive, and I’ve kept that promise ever since.”
Honor Roll of Donors
We are grateful to Sylvester Manor’s friends and donors who share our confidence in the mission and values, and who continue to invest in the critical work we do. This support and the careful stewardship of our resources are an essential partnership - and help us become the innovative, evolving farm and historic center with boundary-breaking programming we aspire to be.
Listing includes ALL GIFTS received from November 1, 2023October 31, 2024.
$100,000+
Anonymous
Mellon Foundation
The Robert and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Foundation / Elizabeth and Robert Jeffe
$50,000-$99,999
Ingrid and Justin Bateman
Sarah and Robert Fairbairn
Gerry Charitable Trust
Goldman Sachs Gives / Karen and Samuel Seymour
Jane and Alex Jackson
Jasteka Foundation, Inc / Elly Wong
The Versailles Foundation
Jennifer Kroman and David Wermuth
$20,000-$49,999
Anonymous
Krista Miniutti and Paul Carberry
Concordia Foundation
The Gillian S. Fuller Foundation, Inc. / Gillian Fuller
Sarah Francois-Poncet and Michael Granoff
Mimi and Stephen Houston
The Ida and Robert Gordon Family Foundation
Cynthia Flynt and David Kriegel
Leon Levy Foundation
Matthew Arendt and Thomas Misson
Sarah Tobin and Paul Skinner
Patrick Loftus-Hills and Konnin Tam
U.S. Department of Agriculture - NRCS
$10,000-$19,999
Victoria and Craig Bergstrom
Christine and Cromwell Coulson
Tania Brief and Andrew Ehrlich
Marie and John Evans
Nancy Cooley and Stuarte Goode
Kevin Roberts and Timothy Haynes
Eugenie and Derek Jacobson
J.W. Piccozzi, Inc. / Willette and George Hoffmann
Karolann and Alex Rubin
Rebecca and Stanford Searl
Seven Seas Community Foundation
Nancy and John Sommi
Suffolk County
Traynor Family Foundation / Kathleen DeRose and Nigel Francombe
$5,000-$9,999
Anonymous
Ellen and Hans Aaltonen
Bessemer Trust / Deborah and Michael Shepherd
Petra Schmidt and Andrew Colocotronis
Rosemarie Ryan and Benjamin Dyett
Rhonda Greene and Danek Freeman
Kristin and Lawrence Kast
Peter Neckles
Karen and Marc Robert
Christine Anderson and Jake Siewert
Kathleen Gerard and Gerard Smith
Walter Sternlieb
Justin Sullivan
$1,000-$4,999
Joanna Harries and Cory Albert
Cécile and Pascal Antier-Perez
Holly and Bruce Aronow
Susan and Brian Badertscher
Angela Vallot and Jim Basker
Rachel and Peter Beardsley
Blair and John Borthwick
Michael Brandmeyer
Judy and Jay Card
Peter and Marshia Carlino
Letitia and Clifford Clark
Amy Cococcia
Jessica and Vlad Colas
Meryl Rosofsky and Stuart Coleman
Kelly and Richard Coles
Tara and Jeffrey Coniaris
Amanda Conte
Katharine Lawless and Dirk Van Dall
Ellen Davis
Mara Manus and Mark DuBois
Moran Eizenberger
Ingrid and Robert Fagen
April Gornik and Eric Fischl
Charles Fleckenstein
Bridget Moynahan and Andrew Frankel
Brigid Flanagan and Robert Friebel
Millicent McCarthy and Rajiv Gosine
Karyn and Bruce Greenwald
Anne Grifo
Brenda and Robert Grosbard
Holly Atkinson and Galen Guengerich
Lisa Hall
Susan Harris
Susan and Clarkson Hine
Cristina Roig and Michael Hirschorn
Lily and Joel Hoffman
Kathryn Huarte
Kay and Paul Hymowitz
Melissa and Zul Jamal
Maryann Koch and William Johnston III
Kimberly and John Keiserman
Lynn King
Paola and Thomas Kusner
Kareen and Scott Laton
Stephen Lessar
Pamela Sweeney and Peter Levenson
Elisabeth Cholnoky and Richard Levine
Ilana and Joshua Levine
Gretchen and Andrew McFarland
Linda Gibbs and Thomas McMahon
Rebecca Ingber and Anton Metlitsky
Melanie Coronetz and Bruce Miller
Lucille and Stephen Morgan
Margie and Donald Mosher
Helen Carey and Martin O’Neill
Julie and Sean O’Shea
Russell Piccione
Margo and Marc Pinto
Todd and Maggie Prager
Barbara Warren and James Preston
Lisbeth Kaiser and Alex Rappaport
Kimeran and Samuel Reinhart
Janet Resnick
Alice Roberts
Sonali Rodrigo
Malgorzata and Andrzej Rojek
Tiffany and David Rolfe
Caroline Rosen
William Derrough and Alvaro Salas
Marcee and Mark Samberg
Stephen Harvey and Perry Sayles
Dennis Schrader
Jessica and Raj Seth
Audrey and Sterling Shea
Nancy Lashine and Gary Sher
Gail and Eric Shube
Clora Kelly and Helge Skibeli
Liana and John Slater
Alicia Rojas-Sloan and Robert Sloan
Caroline Ritter and Oscar Sloterbeck
Beth Swanstrom and Richard Smith
South Ferry Company, Inc.
Susan Evans and
John Sterling III
Katherine and Matias Stitch
Eva and Jan Sudol
Jennifer and John Sullivan
Colin Telmer
Sara Gordon and Peter Vielbig
Melina and Marc Wein
Amy and Darryn Weinstein
Burton White
Alicin Williamson
Elly and Tony Wong
Jason Wortendyke
Dr. Ronnie Salzman Zisfein and Dr. Jerry Zisfein
$500-$999
Michael Brennan and Thomas Amico
Veronique Boucher
Nancy and John Buchanan
Cerini & Associates LLP
Dale and Bill Clark
Kathleen DeFouw
Adam Eaker
Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc
Carrie and Hiram Emery
Miriam and Thomas Farmakis
Connie and Woody Fischer
Alex MacCallum and Nick Fribourg
Michael Gerstner
James Goldman
Carrie Grin
George Birman and Phillip Gubert
Brenda Harms
Marianne Carey and Dennis Hayes
Shannon and Brock Houghton
Karen Kiaer
Ashley Liddle
Alfred Ling
Jessica McCarthy
Randy Meech
Christine Martin and Christian Murrle
Network for Good
Eamon Nolan
Bethany Notley
Lois Patranzino
Andrew Pennecke
Penny Pilkington
Jane Azia and
Rob Quaintance
Karen Roe
Anonymous
Finley and Patrick Shaw
Shelter Island Run
Landey Strongin
Katherine Sudol
Cristina Peffer and Bill Tancredi
Erica and Adam True
Wallace Foundation / Kenneth Austin
Sedgwick Ward
Erica Weissman
Parnel Wickham
Lyn and ET Williams
Nancy Gilbert and Richard Wines
Jessica Zarzycki
Lion Robin C. Zust
$250-$499
Kenneth Austin
Kerry Kinney and Gil Bakal
Donnamarie Barnes
Maryellen and David Basile
Lydia and Dr. William R. Brancaccio
Jean-Sebastien Brettes
Anonymous
Samantha Gilbert and Edward Dolman
Gina Donnelly
Angela and David Duff
Sandi and John Fifield
Jane Galasso
Robert Haarsgaard
Julie and William Harding
Jane and John Kenney
Jonathan Kilb
Malcolm Kriegel
Deborah and Ron Lajda
Julian Grant and Peter Lighte
Paypal Giving Fund
Janet and Paul Pyers
Deborah and Mike Rouzee
Dawn Bradford-Watt and Robert Watt
Up to $249
Elizabeth Auman
Cheryl Cashin and Kevin Barry
Regina and Donald Becker
Annette and Stanley Blaugrund
Courtney Wingate and
Marcus Borowsky
Jane Bornemeier
Archer Brown
Cynthia Belt and Mark Cappellino
Lisa Cohen
Margaret Colligan
Sandra and
Anthony Corcoran
Steve Forman
Arielle Gardner
Virginia Gerardi
Kathleen Minder and Stephen Gessner
Tracy Lovatt and Maria Gianoutsos
Ellen Gove
Leslie Koch and Douglas Gray
Sharna Goldseker and Simon Greer
Amanda Harris
Sandra O’Connor and Edwin Hydeman
Lois Morris and
Robert Lipsyte
Diana Malcolmson
Janine and John Mahoney
Karen Mateo
Jim McNabb
Joey Modica
Renate Paul
Dietmar Prager
Preservation League of NYS
Susie and Jeff Pribor
Dona Bergin and James Pugh
Alyse Clark and James Read III
Thomas Reilly
Robert Ruben
J. Edward Shillingburg
Brenda Simmons
Natasha and Richard Stowe
Stacia Thompson
Carol Tiernan
Beverly and Barbara Tyler
Arden and Andrew Ward
Mary and Mike Ward
Joan Wicks
IN HONOR OF
Jari Aaltonen
Hans Aaltonen
Donnamarie Barnes
James Basker
Ingrid Bateman
Anne Grifo
The F. Family
Nancy Buchanan
Sarah and Robert Fairbairn
Clora Kelly
Lorna Laspia
Jonathan Kilb
Paul Carberry and Krista Miniutti
Anonymous
Matthew Arendt and Thomas Misson
Andrew Pennecke
Ronald Oehl
Anonymous
Lisa Parrish
Stacia Thompson
Marc and Karen Robert
Clora Kelly
Colette Roe
Karen Roe
Kaz Rubin
Amanda Conte
William Derrough
Patricia Shillingburg
J. Edward Shillingburg
Sylvester Manor Staff
Sara Gordon
Patrick Loftus-Hills and Konnin Tam
Jason Wortendyke
Michael Brandmeyer
Stephen Lessar
Chuck Tiernan
Carol Tiernan
IN MEMORY OF
Vera B. Burns
Janet Pyers
Herbert Schmidt
Petra Schmidt
GIFT
IN KIND
Edith Landeck and Michael Coles
GeekHampton
North Fork Signs Co., Inc.
Ray Smith & Associates
Donor Spotlight
Shelter Island homeowners Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe are distinguished philanthropists known for their significant contributions to education, healthcare, and history. Robert, who has an extensive background in finance and investment, and Elizabeth, a historian and writer, have channeled their resources and passion into initiatives that foster learning and societal development.
In 1998, the couple established the Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Foundation in their hometown of Greenwich. The foundation has provided critical support to various organizations, notably the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY). Their generosity led to the creation of the Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Distinguished Lecture in Urban History, MCNY’s premier annual series. This lecture series invites leading observers of history, sociology, the arts, and architecture to explore New York City’s ongoing evolution.
They are supporters of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to fund ocean research, study climate change impacts, and create educational programs. At the New York Public Library, their generous support enabled the Harry Belafonte 115th Street branch to provide programs and services to help children build pathways for their future.
In all their work, the Jeffes have demonstrated a deep commitment to global education and healthcare through the creation and support of a medical school in Tanzania and a fellowship program in Central America. They have also endowed a professorship at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a research fellowship at Dartmouth.
Here at Sylvester Manor, where Liz is a charter member of our Collections Committee, the Jeffes are stalwart supporters of our capital campaign to rehabilitate the Manor House. They funded a feasibility study to establish an Archive and Special Collections Research Center to house our many historical collections, and possibly bring back archaeological and archival collections now held by other institutions.
We are grateful for the continued generous support of donors like Liz and Bob Jeffe. With the help and support of donors like them we are able to fulfill the mission of Sylvester Manor and have made substantial progress on the preservation of the Manor House and our extensive archives and special collections.
