Historic Sites and Monuments in New York

John Brown Farm State Historic Site
2 John Brown Road Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: (518) 523-3900

High in New York State's Adirondack Mountains is the home and grave of abolitionist John Brown. Many Americans know the song "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave," but most do not associate the words with this simple farm at North Elba, New York. On the night of October 16, 1859, Brown and his followers assaulted the U.S. Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, planning to use the captured arms in an extensive campaign for the liberation of the slaves in the South. Brown was captured on October 18, 1859, imprisoned at Charlestown, Virginia, tried by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and hanged on December 2, 1859. His body was returned to North Elba and was buried in front of his home on December 8, 1859. The remains of several of Brown's followers, who fought and died at Harper's Ferry, were moved to this small graveyard in 1899. Brown's final prophesy--"I, John Brown, am quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done,"--was soon to be realized in the Civil War.

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Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park
Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Phone: (516) 922-9200

Visit the former Gold Coast estate of the W.R. Coe family. This National Register property has over 400 acres of rolling lawns, gardens, woodlands, and nature walks. The Camellia Greenhouse displays the largest collection of camellias in the northeast, and the Main Greenhouse has extensive collections of hibiscus, orchids, succulents, and seasonal displays.

Coe Hall is the Tudor Revival residence of the Coe family and is open for guided tours from April to September. Guests sample the formal lifestyle of the 1920s and see stunning craftsmanship and impressive collections of furnishings, paintings, stained glass, and decorative arts. In addition to the mansion, visitors will experience a wide variety of gardens, specimen plantings, and charming outbuildings that make Planting Fields truly unique.

The Coes used the talents of the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, to create an English park setting. Guided tours of the grounds are available and the park welcomes group tours. A wide variety of special events and courses are offered year-round.