Slavery at the Farmstead

Slavery at the Farmstead. . Centuries of slavery destroyed countless people and families - dehumanized, abused, and sold as property. Its profound impacts have persisted for generations. West Windsor, a farming town from colonial settlement until the late 20th century, wasn’t free of this sin, nor was this very farm., Many early (1690s) absentee landowners, such as David Lyell and Pennsylvania founder William Penn (both named in “Penn Lyle Road”), were enslavers. So, too, was Cornelius Van Voorhies Jr., who in 1741 bought hundreds of acres from David’s son, Fenwick, including the land that is now this farm, and settled locally. In 1784, he willed his wife (Sarah) and daughters (Sarah Jr. and Ann) “two negro girls named Patt and Tenet.” William Van Voorhees (likely Cornelius’ cousin) and his wife, Ann, who are believed to have built the house around 1758, also kept at least one enslaved here., In 1830, John and Sarah Fisher lived here with one enslaved man and woman. The 1860 census also lists them with a “slave servant” named Diana Updike - fourteen years after New Jersey “abolished” slavery, but with glaring loopholes (see the adjacent timeline). In 1863, John willed ownership of Diana to his wife. Diana was one of the state’s last enslaved before it ratified the United States Constitution’s 13 Amendment, which abolished chattel slavery nationwide (except as a “punishment for crime”). It was the last northern state to do so, on Jan. 23, 1866., Those who were enslaved were both field laborers and domestic servants. Some lived with their enslavers; other in external quarters. Research continues into their lives and challenges, but certainly the road to freedom was long and arduous. Learn much more at https://WestWindsorHistory.com/Slavery.html, Timeline: West Windsor and Slavery , 1690s: Wealthy landowners and enslavers such as David Lyell and William Penn buy thousands of acres in the West Windsor area, but never live here., 1712: David Lyell’s enslaved worker, Tom, is executed after the New York Slave Revolt., 1730s: The first large wave of colonists settle in the present-day West Windsor area., 1731: Windsor Township, West Windsor’s predecessor, forms as population grows., 1741: Cornelius Van Voorhies buys hundreds of acres from Fenwick Lyell, including the land that is now this farm., Circa 1758: William and Ann Van Voorhees establish this farm(around 154 acres)., 1775-1783: Revolutionary War. Dozens of locals fight for freedom from British rule but ironically some who fought were also enslavers., 1778: Windsor Township tax rolls list 34 as enslaved., 1780s: This farm passes to Samuel and Elizabeth Fisher., 1790: Windsor Township census lists 190 as enslaved., 1797: Windsor Township divides into East Windsor and West Windsor., 1804: New Jersey “frees” all children born after July 4, 1804, but with caveats, such as binding them to their former “masters” into their 20s., 1830: Around two-thirds of those enslaved in the North live in New Jersey (21 in West Windsor, per the census)., 1846: New Jersey “abolishes” slavery for all but with major loopholes, such as simply redefining those still enslaved as “apprenticed for life.”, 1861-1865: Civil War fought between the Confederacy and Union, largely over slavery., 1863: Pres. Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free those in areas of the Confederacy still in rebellion against the United States (but nowhere else)., 1866 (Jan. 23): New Jersey becomes the last northern state to ratify the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution., (captions) , Fig.1: Post in the Trenton Federalist (not related to this Farmstead)., Fig. 2: 1860 census. Note Diana and Pompey Updike. Pompey, perhaps Diana's son, was one of West Windsor's best-documented free 1800s-era African American residents. He worked for the Fisher family., Fig. 3: Map of Underground Railroad in New Jersey, circa 1860. Some who escaped to freedom may have passed through West Windsor (note the blue star)., This marker, posted in 2026, was made possible in part through funds from the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.