The twelve enslaved people who were held at Montgomery place need to be remembered. Their resilience, hardships, and liberation need to be commemorated through a permanent memorial that highlights where they lived on the grounds and emphasizes their humanity.  

As far as the research I have conducted with Professor Grover, the people who were enslaved on the grounds were seen as building blocks to the estate's success and as hands for household work. What has yet to be acknowledged is where they were being held on the grounds, with it most likely being the basement of the manor, which is indicated through archeological evidence accumulated through historical records of similar buildings and estates in the area. 

It would feel most appropriate and fitting to have on the grounds of Montgomery place a visible, clear plaque/series of memorial sculptures to the enslaved persons that cannot be missed or ignored, like a scannable QR code. 

The plaque would be at the head of the building, aiming to inform any visitors on the premises of the role of the people enslaved during 1800-1830, where they were held/the conditions that they were subjugated to, and the persistence and resilience they showed in the face of discrimination. 

The sculptures would portray the twelve individuals, men, women, and children, who were held on the grounds. Their figures would be walking in a direct path from the entrance to the basement, dug into the hillside, to the lawn overlooking the Hudson River, with the youngest enslaved person looking to the sunset representing the future histories that grew from the pain inflicted in their time. 

The elements stated are to be permanent additions to the grounds. The plaque would be secured on the wall of the house that acts as the porch, with the sculptures individually being fixed to the ground on which they stand. I want this to be in the memory of students and visitors to the site. I want them to know that slavery was a cancer that infected all of the United States, and that the north was just as susceptible as any other area. I want this memorial to be a reminder of that past and a challenge to future generations to seek knowledge about history for their benefit and our collective memory.

Started as a historical project with assistance from Professor Donna Grover in the Memorial, Monuments, and Memories course. 2025.