Yonkers’ Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site was reopened on November 16, 2022 following an expansive 18-month, $20M renovation and restoration of the historic building and grounds. Building renovations included improvements for accessibility in the elevators and bathrooms, as well as upgraded electrical systems. There were also extensive enhancements made to the interactive exhibits, interpretive areas, and museum spaces.
Located on the corner of Dock Street and Warburton Avenue in the Getty Square neighbourhood, Philipse Manor Hall has been a fixture in Yonkers for over 340 years. Built in 1682 as a colonial trading post, the settlement stands on the edges of the Nepperhan (Saw Mill) and Hudson Rivers, once the location of a Munsee Lunaape village.
At its peak, the estate surrounding Philipse Manor Hall was more than 200,000 acres, while the Philipse family was the wealthiest in New York State. The historic site is unique for its representation of the Munsee peoples’ native homeland and the colonial history of four generations of the Philipse family, the European tenant farmers, and the enslaved peoples who maintained the manor and estate.
Philipse Manor Hall has changed ownership several times throughout its history, and was once the site of Yonkers Village Hall and later Yonkers City Hall. The hall and lands were preserved as a National Historic Site in the early 20th century when local philanthropist Eva Smith Cochran donated funds to New York State and lobbied the cause.
As the renovated Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site opens its doors to a new generation of Yonkersites and visitors, Governor Kathy Hochul is enthusiastic about their interpretation of how Indigenous, European, and African people in the area influenced and formed the Yonkers region as we know it today.
“Philipse Manor Hall provides a unique window into early Colonial-era life in New York and lends itself to telling the first chapters of the nation’s path to independence,” Governor Hochul said. “The people who lived, worked and traded at the Philipse family home in the 18th century had a tremendous impact on shaping the lower-Hudson Valley. This renovation of Philipse Manor Hall reflects New York State’s strong commitment to preserving our shared heritage – illuminating the full spectrum of our state’s diverse culture and history.”
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is located at 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, New York, with hours of operation Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
