A new exhibit, “Neither Bought Nor Conquered” – The Revolutionary War and the Tenant Farmers of Philipsburg Manor, will open on Saturday, August 29 at the Irvington Historical Society and run through December 2026. The free exhibit explores the largely untold experience of people who lived in or moved through Westchester County at the time of the war – ordinary people caught in a bloody borderland between two relentless enemies.
Westchester County was like no other place in the newly formed United States during the war. Neither side controlled the county, hence the name “Neutral Ground.” Fighting continued without pause for the entire eight years of the war. Ordinary residents were forced to make extraordinary choices while in constant danger from the British, based in New York City, and Americans in the Hudson Highlands. Militia from each side and rival gangs raided and fought throughout the county. Everyday life became impossible and no one was safe.
The exhibit highlights what happens when war breaks out and divides neighbors, friends and even families. There are stories of secret orders to disarm residents for their political beliefs, of women defending their property to the point of death, of unarmed, enslaved men and women forced to confront attacking soldiers, of Native Americans fighting for the power to reclaim their land, and more. Curated by Char Weigel of the non-profit organization Revolutionary Westchester 250 with Marion Osmun and Patricia Ryan of the Irvington Historical Society board, the exhibit combines historical artifacts and original documents that give voice to patriots, loyalists and those caught in between in the Neutral Ground of Westchester County. The exhibit includes original and exact replica military, farming and other artifacts on loan from Fort Ticonderoga, the Odell Rochambeau Museum, and private collectors.
Irvington Historical Society President Scott Mosenthal commented, “Ken Burns and others have done a wonderful job reminding us of sweeping battles and famous officers during this 250th commemoration year. The Historical Society wanted to offer an experience that brought home what the war would have meant for people like us, residents of Westchester just trying to live our lives.” Exhibit curator Char Weigel elaborated, saying, “Ordinary citizens who lived through the war in Westchester, many of whom were not literate, left few records. As such, little has been shared about what happened to neighbors who turned against each other and families who had to make day-to-day choices with life or death consequences.” Weigel continued, “Their stories are just as dramatic and eventful as those of more recognizable names. Perhaps even more so because we can put ourselves in their shoes and wonder, ‘What would I have done?’”
In conjunction with the exhibit Weigel will bring to life the stories of Westchester residents in an outdoor evening experience at the Keepers House on Thursday, September 10 entitled “Life During Wartime” (sponsored by the Irvington Historical Society, the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct (FOCA), New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Odell Rochambeau Museum). Weigel will also offer walking tours with NYS Parks and FOCA about the tenant farmers who lived along the path of the Aqueduct. Additional events will be listed on the events page of the Irvington Historical Society website, on FOCA’s website, and in the RW250 newsletter.
The Irvington Historical Society is located at 131 Main Street in Irvington. The free exhibit will open Saturday, August 29 from 1 – 4 pm and then on Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm through the end of December.
