This month’s story is that of 20th century German statesman Adam Von Trott Zu Solz (1909-1944), a descendent of John Jay through his maternal grandmother Anna Jay Von Schweinitz, daughter of John Jay II. Von Trott zu Solz is perhaps best known for his participation in the infamous Operation Valkyrie plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler…
Posts Categorized: News
Jay Family Stories: John Jay Chapman (1862-1933)
John Jay Chapman was a lawyer, author, and the great-great grandson of John Jay. Born in 1862 in New York City, Chapman attended Harvard Law School and was admitted to the Bar in 1888. After only practicing law for a decade, he dedicated the rest of this life to writing books and essays focusing on…
Jay Family Stories: Mary Rutherfurd Jay (1872-1953)
Our story for this month is about one of America’s earliest landscape architects, and major proponent of advancing careers for women, Mary Rutherfurd Jay (1872-1953). She was the daughter of Peter Augustus Jay (1841-1875) and Julia Post, and the granddaughter of Dr. John Clarkson Jay. Mary grew up at the Jay family estate in Rye,…
Jay Family Stories: The Lemmon Slave Case
John Jay II (1817-1894), son of early abolitionist William Jay and grandson of Founding Father John Jay, had been exposed to staunch anti-slavery sentiments from an early age. As an attorney, he dedicated a significant portion of his career to arguing against pro-slavery legislation in court, often, securing the freedom of formerly enslaved people who…
Mastering Paradox: John Jay As A Slaveholding Abolitionist, By David N. Gellman
Check out the latest from scholar/author David Gellman on John Jay, the abolitionist founding father on THE GOTHAM CENTER FOR NEW YORK CITY HISTORY Blog.
Yours for the Oppressed, Harriet Myers Exhibit
We are honored to have loaned from our collections an original letter from Harriet Myers to John Jay II to an exhibit mounted by the Underground Railroad Education Center at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence in Albany New York. Harriet’s handwritten one-page letter is a treasure trove of information about UGRR activism, the role of…
On the Trail Of Alexander Hamilton Road Trip
Alexander Hamilton was considered the architect of America’s Federal Banking system and a fierce advocate of a strong centralized United States (as opposed to a Confederation of States). Of the 85 Federalist Papers – essays arguing to ratify the United States Constitution – Hamilton authored 51, James Monroe wrote 29, and John Jay – our country’s first…
Enjoy John Jay Homestead while you’re stuck at home!
John Jay Homestead State Historic Site has launched new digital content you can enjoy from home. These fun, interactive activities allow you to experience history while historic house tours are suspended. Learn more about the collection by exploring the Object of the Day or try to solve one of history’s mysteries by being an Object Detective. A…
John Jay featured in The Wall of Spies (and on NPR)
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: And I’m about to take you inside an unusual museum – unusual because most people will never see it. Normally, you need a top-secret security clearance to get up here. So we’ve just walked down. You’ve just pulled back the curtain. And what are we looking at? BILL EVANINA: The very…
Sarah Jay, The True First Lady of Fashion
An article, written by the talented Joyce Corrigan about Sarah Livingston Jay, appeared in the February 23, 2018 issue of the Record Review. A special house tour focused on the Jay women is available by appointment. Sarah, Nancy, Eleanor and the rest! Six generations of strong, educated women lived at John Jay’s Bedford House. Their…
THE BARN DANCE
The Barn Dance, scheduled for Saturday, September 14, features pig racing, a country barbecue, a pizza truck, music by local bands, a campfire, and more. Click HERE for tickets.