Stony Hill Cemetery
Why it's listed
Stony Hill Cemetery is a six and one-half acre burial ground on Buckout Road in Harrison, New York, set in hilly, wooded land bounded by Wolf Swamp Brook and low fieldstone walls. It served The Hills, a free Black community established around 1800 by people freed from slavery by local Quakers. Most graves run east to west and are marked only by plain fieldstones, with roughly 200 sites possibly identifiable. Seven carved stones survive, four of them government-issued markers for Civil War veterans. Inside the grounds lie the stone foundation of a community church, also possibly used as a school, which was demolished before 1930. The Hills was the largest concentration of African-Americans in Westchester County through 1870, and at least 32 of its men served in the Union army. The site was listed for its ethnic heritage importance, its intact condition, and its potential to yield information about the community's people and burial customs.
Significance in brief: The cemetery is argued to be a large, intact example of a rural nineteenth-century African-American burial ground in Westchester County. It holds the graves of Black Civil War veterans and the church foundation, the most visible remnant of The Hills. It also has potential to yield information about the community's people and customs.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99000753, listed June 25, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Buckout Rd., Harrison |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | June 25, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000753 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | c. 1800-c. 1920 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Cemetery remains in use as a burial ground and is owned by a church; the church building was demolished prior to 1930 and only its stone foundation remains. The form states the site is wooded and well preserved. |
| Acreage | 6.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.05507, -73.74938 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99000753.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7619559
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.