Columbia County History Events

Transforming Hempstead Plains: The End of the "Commons" on western Long Island by Jennifer Anderson

HUDSON, NY - March 18, 2025 - On Thursday, April 24, 6-7:30pm, the Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History, in collaboration with the Hudson Area Library, hosts an in-person presentation on the dramatic historical transformations of Hempstead Plains--the only prairie in the northeast. Celebrated as a natural wonder by early Dutch and English settlers, these vast grasslands were initially regarded as a valuable shared resource, then as a barren wasteland, and now--long vanished--as one of the United State's most populous suburbs. Yet for over two hundred years, the inhabitants of the Town of Hempstead preserved the plains as common lands, carefully regulating their use and expelling trespassers. In the early 19th century, however, this practice came under attack as Hempstead Plains began to be privatized and redeveloped--with long-term ecological and social consequences.  

Jennifer Anderson is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University who specializes in Early American and Atlantic History. Her current scholarship focuses on Long Island's changing land and labor systems from the colonial period to the early 19th century. She is the author of Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America (2012). She curated “Sylvester Manor: Land, Labor & Power on a Northern Plantation” (2012) at New York University and advised on Long Island Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, “Long Road to Freedom: Surviving Slavery on Long Island” (2019). More recently, she has been a scholar-in-residence at Preservation Long Island, assisting with a project to interpret the life of Jupiter Hammon, the first published African American poet. Her current research focuses on the deep roots of segregation and racial inequality on Long Island.  

The Jacob Leisler Library Lectures are made partially possible through the generous support of the Van Dyke Family Foundation, HRBT Foundation, and Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation.

The Hudson Area Library History Room houses a collection that pertains to the history of the City of Hudson, Greenport and Stockport; as well as Columbia County and New York State. The History Room also hosts the Local History Speaker Series at the library, offering free monthly talks on diverse topics related to local history.

The History Room is open Saturdays, 10am-1pm and Wednesdays 6 - 8pm and by appointment. Online research requests for information on local history are available at historyroom.hudsonarealibrary.org/. This is a free service to the public. To inquire about an appointment email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518-828-1792 x106.

The Hudson Area Library is located at 51 N. 5th St. in Hudson, NY. The mission of the library is to enrich the quality of life by providing free and equal access to programs, services and resources, and by creating opportunities for all members of our community to connect, create, learn and grow.