Sandy Ground Historical Museum

About

The Sandy Ground Historical Museum, located within the Sandy Ground community of Rossville in Staten Island, New York City, is dedicated to the oldest continuously inhabited free black settlement in the United States. The museum is home to the largest documentary collection of Staten Island's African-American culture and history and it may also be home to the only intact 18th -century African cemetery in America. As of February 2023, it is temporarily closed due to maintenance and operational issues . The Historical Society has plans to complete a restoration, expand their oral history projects, and develop new exhibits in 2026.

The museum is operated by the Sandy Ground Historical Society and its annual festival is a celebration of black history, culture and freedom. The museum is also chartered by the New York State Department of Education to bring education and awareness of Sandy Ground to adults and children alike through guided tours, exhibits, interactive activities including arts and crafts, and lectures. Sandy Ground reaches about 10,000 people a year in these education initiatives (about 4,000 children and about 6,000 adults.) The museum also preserves artifacts from the early years of the town such as art, quilts, letters, photographs, film and rare books.