Watching 'The Underground Railroad' on Amazon? Check out these Hudson Valley sites

As much as slavery was a Southern issue, its roots also extend deep in the Hudson Valley's history.

Dozens of historical sites scattered across New York state serve as remnants of our past, documenting a network of trails along the Underground Railroad that took nearly 100,000 enslaved Black men and women to safe houses and other places of protection.  

An adaptation of Colson Whitehead's 2016 Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Underground Railroad" has brought attention back to this slice of history. With direction from "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins, a 10-part Amazon miniseries called "The Underground Railroad" tells a deeper story of slavery, and has widely received acclaim by critics and TV-bingers alike.   

"Overwhelming" and "triumphant" were the words a USA Today reviewer used to describe the series. Whitehead's novel reimagines how a literal underground railroad system would have served slaves on their quest toward freedom.  

While the show doesn’t lead to New York, the Underground Railroad trailed through the Hudson Valley. There are over 680 locations across the country verified as part of the Underground Railroad by the Network to Freedom, which is run by the National Parks Service.  

But in the Hudson Valley? Most historic buildings from that time period don’t fit the Network to Freedom’s criteria, or are without enough evidence to certify them as part of the Underground Railroad.

“Some of the homes of the Quakers who lived in that area no longer exist. It’s almost impossible to research something that is no longer there,” said Peter Bunten, chairman of the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project in Dutchess County.  

“In Dutchess County we don’t have any buildings right now that we can certify through the Network to Freedom, meeting their criteria,” he said. “We’re aware of people who were involved in the railroad through letters and from churches, but to meet that criteria is tough.”  

Westchester County also lacks substantial evidence confirming locations as part of the Underground Railroad. Historians agree that Sleepy Hollow’s Philipsburg Manor was built by slaves in the 1600s, but it's unclear to historians how freedom-seeking slaves moved north from there. Fredrick Philips started the plantation, and it eventually took over the entirety of what is now Westchester County, according to Bunten.  

However, through letters and discovering matching family names across Dutchess and Westchester, historians believe Quakers in both areas helped slaves move north to freedom.

In Orange County there is similar evidence to suggest at least one stop in the Underground Railroad.  

The Henry Green Homestead in the village of Florida was built in 1848, but is believed to have served as a stopover for runaway slaves during the pre-Civil War years.  

“There was a room in the house underground and a tunnel over to the ox barn — they had the slaves go there until they were transported other places,” according to Gary Randall, the president of the Florida Historical Society in the village.    

The ox barn has since been taken down, though the property's underground rooms remain.   

"William Henry Seward might have had an underground tunnel in the Seward House; he was the one who started the Emancipation Act," said Randall. "He was in charge of the Senate under Lincoln." 

Seward, who was born in the village of Florida, grew up with slaves and had an appreciation for them and the work they did. Growing up, he spent much of his time in the kitchen with them, according to Randall. This eventually led him to become a vocal advocate for their emancipation. 

“A lot is almost certain, and there’s evidence to suggest quite a bit, but it’s often impossible to confirm parts of the Underground Railroad,” Bunten said.  

History: The Henry Green Homestead's place in village of Florida

Slavery: Interactive website explores impact in the Hudson Valley

Underground Railroad: Historical Upstate New York spots to visit

While there are dozens of historical Underground Railroad sites across the state, here is a guide to some more historical locations nearby.   

• John Sands House, 1112 Main St., Peekskill. Black property owners Hawley and Harriet Green allowed their house to be used as a safehouse for those passing to Canada along the Underground Railroad.
• Foster Memorial AME Zion Church, Tarrytown: The oldest Black church in Westchester, and possibly New York state. One of the church's founders was an escaped slave, and many parishioners helped slaves trek to Canada or settle in Tarrytown. 
• Nyack's Bench by the Road, honoring Cynthia Hesdra, a freed slave who sheltered travelers on the Underground Railroad in her home on the corner of Main Street and Route 9W. The Toni Morrison Society's "Bench by the Road" project and Nyack's Memorial Park honor Hesdra's life. 
• Historic Palen-Platt House, Poughkeepsie: The home once contained a tunnel extending from its basement to a nearby creek, which was believed to have been used as part of the Underground Railroad. 
• Nine Partners Meeting House, Millbrook: A major stop on the Underground Railroad during the abolitionist period. People were transported either to Vermont on their way to freedom in Canada or taken to Milton by boat in the dark of night. Members of the Religious Society of Friends in Milton would keep fugitive slaves safe until transport was arranged to help them safely reach the Finger Lakes region of the state, where a large Quaker population would assist them. 
• Stoutenburgh-Teller House, Hyde Park: The oldest house in the municipality, built of fieldstone, with a Dutch front door and stoop. The house's basement was used as a stop-over for fugitive slaves moving north along the Underground Railroad heading toward Canada. 

Isabel Keane covers trending news for The Journal News, Poughkeepsie Journal and Times Herald-Record. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @ijkeane.