The College of Staten Island will host a special book talk exploring the fascinating history of one of Staten Island’s most unique neighborhoods, Elliottville, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in 1L-216.
The event will feature Professor James Kaser, Archivist at CSI, who will discuss his book Staten Island’s Elliottville: Abolitionist Enclave, Gilded Age Retreat, Ferry Suburb. Drawing on years of research, Professor Kaser reveals the neighborhood’s extraordinary role in shaping national conversations around abolition, social reform, and culture.
While New York City was often associated with concessions to the South before the Civil War, Elliottville stood apart. Settled by New Englanders dedicated to reform, it became a hub for influential voices such as editorialist Sydney Howard Gay of the New York Tribune and George William Curtis, political editor of Harper’s Weekly. Civil War heroes Robert Gould Shaw, commander of the famed 54th Massachusetts regiment, and Theodore Winthrop, one of the first Union officers killed in the war, also called Elliottville home.
The neighborhood’s impact extended beyond the war years. Anna Leonowens, who lived in Elliottville after the conflict, gained international recognition for her writings on Siam—stories that inspired the beloved musical Anna and the King.
This event is part of CSI’s observance of American Archives Month, a national celebration each October that highlights the importance of archival and historical records in preserving the story of our nation.
The talk is free and open to the public.
For more information, please contact Professor James Kaser at james.kaser@csi.cuny.edu.
