Harvests and History
Located on Shelter Island, Sylvester Manor Educational Farm was settled by European colonists on Manhansett tribal land in 1651. The Manor landscape has been continuously shaped by people, food, and their relationship to the land, from early hunter-gathering to colonial provisioning and enslaved labor, to commercial agriculture.
The site’s narratives reflect a remarkable history of America’s evolving tastes, economies, and ecologies, from Indigenous use patterns to the food and arts-oriented non-profit educational farm of today. NBW lead a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) effort that provide recommendations for a long-term, flexible management framework for the property that is immediately applicable and supports the Manor’s historic integrity within its period of significance (ca. 1200-1944).
As one of the primary goals of the NBW-led Comprehensive Landscape Planning (CLP) effort was to create a resilient and flexible framework for revealing these important stories while supporting practical needs and manifesting the organization’s values, this CLR was a crucial first step in NBW’s process. The CLR served as a foundation and inspiration for design rooted in the site’s authentic stories. The team went on to create a CLP that is grounded in careful stewardship and includes proposals for agricultural and administrative operations, educational public programming, interpretation, and wayfinding, as well as budgetary guidance. Implementation of this plan is currently underway.
Based on the team's extensive research, the landscape, program, circulation, and structures will be carefully calibrated to respond to the needs of the Manor and the people engaged in supporting and furthering its mission into the future.
