Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

Participating Towns

Witness Stones Project to Partner with the Farmington’s First Church of Christ, Congregational, and the Stanley-Whitman House to Recover the History of the Enslaved

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The Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit educational initiative whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities, today announced a new partnership with the First Church of Christ, Congregational, and the Stanley-Whitman House, both in Farmington, Connecticut. The church and the museum will be using the Project’s research, curriculum, and landscape markers to help uncover, share, and memorialize the history of the enslaved individuals who lived in Farmington.

The First Church of Christ, also known as First Church 1652, is an historic church, whose mission  is to serve and build a welcoming faith community shaped and enlightened by the love and teachings of Jesus, in covenant with each other; empowering and assisting one another to do justice and grow in the love of God, neighbor, and self.

The Stanley-Whitman House is a living history center and museum that teaches through the collection, preservation, research, and dynamic interpretation of the history and culture of early Farmington, Connecticut.  Programs, events, classes, and exhibits encourage visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in history by doing, acting, questioning, and engaging in colonial life and the ideas that formed the foundation of that culture.

 

Witness Stones Project Announces New Partnership

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The Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit educational initiative whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities, today announced a new partnership with the Junior League of Central Westchester. The nonprofit educational women’s volunteer organization based in Scarsdale, New York, will be using the Project’s research, curriculum, and landscape markers to help uncover, share, and memorialize the history of the enslaved individuals who lived at the League’s eighteenth-century museum and headquarters, the Wayside Cottage.

The Wayside Cottage was gifted to the Village of Scarsdale by Emily Butler in 1919. In 1953, the League was chosen as the steward of the property. For decades, the League has hosted education programming for Scarsdale students and the general community at the Cottage. The League’s leadership and members are now working toward telling a more complete history of the house that includes the enslavement during the 18th century of a woman named Rose and her children. Witness Stones Project Advisor Teresa Vega, an historian and genealogist, will be leading the efforts to recover and document the history of Rose and her descendants.

League President Danielle Marino says that the organization is “eager to begin its work with the Witness Stones Project.” She notes that, “Miss Butler donated the cottage for ‘the use of educational and historical purpose, for fostering a public and democratic spirit in the community and providing a center for civic welfare.’ Accurately sharing Rose’s story allows us to more deeply fulfill that mission.”

Those interested in learning more about the Junior League and their work with the Witness Stones Project are invited to contact the League’s Alison Park at WaysideTours@JLCentralWestchester.org.

The Junior League of Central Westchester: The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Headquartered at historic Wayside Cottage, the JLCW has served the communities of Eastchester, Greenburgh, Scarsdale, White Plains and beyond for 75 years. Our approximately 200 active and sustaining members are accomplished collaborators who identify community needs and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs.

William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund Supports New Witness Stones Project Partnership

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The Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities, today announced a new affiliation with James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut.

This new collaboration is funding by a generous gift from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund in Hamden, Connecticut. The Director’s Discretionary Grant from Executive Director R. David Addams will allow Hillhouse students to discover and chronicle the local history of slavery in New Haven.

James Hillhouse High School’s mission to graduate students prepared for success in a world of increasing diversity, technological change and global challenges.

The New Haven Museum stimulates inquiry, increases understanding and fosters appreciation of greater New Haven’s history and heritage.

The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund’s mission is to achieve equity in education by working with those affected and inspiring all to end racism and poverty.