Shelter Island Historical Society
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5.  “Heartsease”
By 1673, Capt. Nathaniel Sylvester had emerged as the sole owner of Shelter Island. The Sylvester family was involved in the Atlantic triangle trade and their ships carried rum and sugar cane between Shelter Island, England, and Barbados. They used the white oaks growing on Shelter Island to repair ships and make casks for the rum. Nathaniel Sylvester developed Sylvester Manor, his land was worked by enslaved Africans, indentured or paid Native Americans, and European laborers. The site is now known as Sylvester Manor Educational Farm.

Nathaniel Sylvester died in 1680, and in 1699, the Sylvester family sold  two parcels of their land: 3000 acres to the Nicoll  family (now Mashomack Preserve) and 1000 acres in the center of the island to George Havens of Conanicut Island, Rhode Island.
George Havens’ son, William, built this house in 1742;  William’s son, James, took over the house in 1761. James and his wife,  Elizabeth Bowditch Havens,  named their home “Heartsease”, and it quickly became the center of Shelter Island life. 

(Proceed to the room on your left.)

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  • Home
  • Virtual Content
    • A Day in the Life
    • Digital Tapestry
    • "The Prospect of Summer" Companion Exhibit
    • See Their Names Exhibit
    • Society Timeline 1922-2022
    • This Land is YOUR Land
    • The DNA of Shelter Island
    • Voices from the Vault
    • Then & Now
    • Witness the Manhansett
    • Walter Cole Brigham
    • Alan Shields
    • Helena Hernmarck
    • British Woolworks
    • "Connecting from a Quarantine Kitchen"
  • Havens Store
  • Education
    • The Shelter Island History Project
    • Race, Ethnicity & Class on SI, 1652-2013
  • Living History Project
  • The History Center
    • 2022 Exhibit: Once on this Island
    • Construction
  • The Collections
    • Digital Collections >
      • New York Heritage Digital Collections
    • Donate to the Collections
    • Finding Aids
    • Film Collection
    • House/Building Registry Project
  • The Havens House
    • Renovation
    • Havens DIMONscape
    • History of Shelter Island
  • The Society
    • Leadership
    • Partners
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Elizabeth Pedersen Educational Fund
    • Volunteer
  • Calendar
    • 2023 Events & Programs >
      • May 27-Sept 2 : Havens Market
      • June 10: Shelter Island House Tour
      • July 20-23: "The Lords of Menantic" Musical
      • July 24-Aug 4: Brooklyn Acting Lab
      • July 29: 1970's Dance Party
      • Aug 8-22 Adult Ceramic Program
      • August Children's Ceramic Program
  • Contact
  • Directors' Log In