On Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 1:00pm, Johnson Hall State Historic Site in Johnstown, NY, invites the public to explore the stories of both free and enslaved Black colonial residents of the Mohawk valley, from Albany to Fort Stanwix, with a program titled Soldiers, Servants, and Self-Manumitters.

This afternoon of presentations will feature a panel of historians from across the region, including Kelly Cardwell of Fort Stanwix National Monument, who will speak on African-descended troops in the Mohawk Valley, and Jessie Serfilippi of Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, speaking on people who escaped enslavement by the Schuyler family during the Revolutionary War. Ian Mumpton of Johnson Hall will present on new information about Mr. Frank, the enslaved butler at Johnson Hall during Sir William Johnson’s occupancy of the house.

After the presentations, visitors are invited to view some of the spaces most associated with the people of African ancestry enslaved at Johnson Hall between 1763 and 1774, including the cellar kitchen, butler’s pantry, and the West Stonehouse.

This event is free and open to the public, however space is limited and pre-reservations are required. For more information, or to make a reservation, please call Johnson Hall at 518-762-8712.

Johnson Hall is located at 139 Hall Avenue in Johnstown, NY.  Formerly the home of Sir William Johnson and Molly Brant, it served as a seat of trade and diplomacy on the borderlands of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee and British colonies in North America. The Hall is open for guided tours Wednesday through Sunday from May through mid-October. For further information, please call (518) 762-8712, visit www.parks.ny.gov, or find Johnson Hall State Historic Site on Facebook.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, and welcomes over 88 million visitors annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer app or call 518.474.0456. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, the OPRHP Blog or via the OPRHP Newsroom.