The Underground Railroad on Long Island by Kathleen G. Velsor

The Underground Railroad on Long Island by Kathleen G. Velsor

Author:Kathleen G. Velsor [Velsor, Kathleen G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, African American & Black, Travel, United States, Northeast, Middle Atlantic (NJ; NY; PA), State & Local, Middle Atlantic (DC; DE; MD; NJ; NY; PA)
ISBN: 9781614238607
Google: tKB2CQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2013-02-12T03:07:06+00:00


A map of Jericho. Velsor Collection.

While Valentine was a resident in New York City, he made a major contribution to the welfare of all children. He worked to organize the Society for Establishing a Free School, a group that started the New York City Public Schools. Through his work with the Manumission Society, Valentine helped to establish a series of African Free Schools. By the time Valentine was thirty-one years old, he had accumulated $50,000 and decided to retire to Long Island.101 In 1815, two years after the family returned to Jericho, Valentine and Abigail were able to purchase the house diagonally across the street from Elias on Old Jericho Turnpike. The house was built by Timothy Treadwell in 1789.

Originally, the house had a side hall entrance. Valentine and Abigail wanted the door to be in the center of the house, with a grand staircase wrapping around the main entrance. The renovations were completed over a period of time. Workmen were often seen at the house working on the elaborate moldings and floors. This is further evidenced by the changes that were made to the second-floor stairs and the addition of the front rooms facing the turnpike. The original floors were so well made that they are still used in the front rooms today.102



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