Sandy Ground Oyster Gatherers
Sandy Ground was settled in 1833 by African-American oystermen fleeing the restrictive industry laws of Maryland. It boasts as the “oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement in the United States.” Located on the southwestern shore of Staten Island near plentiful oyster beds, Sandy Ground was a once-bustling community supported by farming initially and oystering, beginning in the 1840s. Sandy Ground is also believed to have been a stop along the Underground Railroad.
“ ...that's another source of pride for me and a part of my obligation. And the legacy that Moses Harris had laid down when he settled, or had the wherewithal to come to Staten Island and buy this property and set up a community of free Black people where they could work and educate their children..." ~Julie Moody Lewis
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