On April 27, Historic Huguenot Street will host a presentation by Bard College professor of history Myra B. Young Armstead. Armstead will be discussing and answering questions about her latest book, Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America. In Freedom’s Gardener, Armstead explores the experiences of the self-emancipated slave James F. Brown – who worked as an estate gardener in present-day Beacon, NY – via a historical study of Brown’s personal nineteenth-century diaries. 

Armstead’s talk will begin at 3pm in the LeFevre House, followed by a book signing and catered fireside chat at 4pm in the DuBois Fort. Copies of Freedom’s Gardener will be available for purchase. Members, seniors, and military $5. Non-members $8, plus $5 for the book signing and fireside chat. Students free with ID. Become a New Friend member for $15 for complimentary entry.