Thursday, October 1, 2026
Raynham Hall Museum has received $30,000 in state funding to support educational programming ahead of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in New York state in 2027.
The grant was presented to Friends of Raynham Hall Museum trustees on Monday by Assemblyman Charles Lavine, and will be administered by the nonprofit organization, which operates the facility.
“These are features that are right in our community that we need to protect,” Lavine said, “and I’m happy to try to do that.”
The funding is intended specifically for educational programs, including lectures, exhibits and other events that will delve into the history of slavery and emancipation in New York and the nation.
The museum’s director, Harriet Clark, said it had sought support from elected officials earlier this year, sending them information about its mission and programs. Lavine was the first to offer financial assistance, she said.
The grant follows a separate $30,000 grant secured through Lavine’s office for Raynham Hall programs commemorating the nation’s semiquincentennial.
Clark said that the museum plans to use the new funding for programming focused on the history of slavery and abolition in New York, including lectures, exhibits and the museum’s annual art show. “We’re working with the Oyster Bay Historical Society,” Clark added. “We’re working with the Huntington African American Museum. We’re reaching out to all kinds of people who know things.”
The anniversary is particularly significant to Raynham Hall because of its connections to both slavery and the abolition movement. Samuel Townsend, of the prominent Oyster Bay family, who purchased the property in 1738, also owned more than 20 enslaved people throughout his life. But his son Robert, a spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War, was a founding member of the New York Manumission Society, according to Clark. The organization was created by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, and its original members included other prominent figures of the era.
The abolition of slavery in New York was a long-term process. The state’s emancipation law, enacted in 1799, freed children born to enslaved mothers under specified conditions, while those already enslaved remained in bondage for years. Under the law, New York officially ended slavery in 1827.
The museum’s interest in the 2027 anniversary, Clark explained, extends beyond its connection to the Townsend family. “I think it’s part of our history, and it’s a good part of our history,” she said. “We’re happy to celebrate good things, and I think the fact that [Robert] was a member of the manumission society, alongside the fact that the Townsends owned 20 enslaved people, is another reason why the story resonates here.”
Clark also noted the story of Tom Gall, whom she described as likely the first enslaved person to be freed on Long Island. Gall was emancipated in the will of Alice Crabb, who owned the Raynham Hall property before the Townsends, in 1685.
Lavine said that the grant reflects his support for preserving local history, and ensuring that historical institutions can offer educational programming to the public.
“America is a complex nation,” he said. “Every complex nation, in fact every nation, has historic events that are truly noteworthy, and at the same time, every nation, especially America, has events that are problematic, troubling.”
Raynham Hall, Lavine added, offers visitors an opportunity to learn about American history through the experiences of the Townsend family, and the people they enslaved.
Lavine’s support for the museum also stems from a lifelong connection to Oyster Bay, he explained. As an 8-year-old growing up in Wisconsin, he visited the hamlet during a family trip to New York, and has been interested in its history ever since. The museum has also played a role in his annual summer student program, which brings young people together to discuss current events and visit historic sites.
“Two of the places that we have taken them during this summer student experience are ones that they will never forget,” Lavine said. “One is Sagamore Hill — and we’ve had amazing tours of Sagamore Hill, which in and of itself is just a historic gem, an American historic gem — and Raynham Hall, and they have been fascinated by their tours of Raynham Hall, the building itself, which is so fascinating, and the history surrounding it.”
The museum, Clark said, will provide additional information about its 2027 programming as plans opportunities for the public to take part develop.
The grant will allow Raynham Hall to begin preparing those programs while continuing its broader effort to examine the complicated history of Oyster Bay and New York state. For more information on the museum, visit RaynhamHallMuseum.org.
