Freetown is an area in

East Hampton (town), New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a tota ...

originally inhabited by

freed slaves A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...

and Native Americans. East Hampton in the early 19th century was lightly populated and one of the biggest slave holders were descendants of

Lion Gardiner Lion Gardiner (1599–1663) was an English engineer and colonist who founded the first English settlement in New York, acquiring land on eastern Long Island. He had been working in the Netherlands and was hired to construct fortifications on the ...

who owned Gardiner's Island. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

slaves from the island were used to ferry supplies back and forth because they could slip through British lines because it was "obvious" that they were "owned." After slavery was abolished in New York State in 1827, freed slaves were relocated to small houses just north of

East Hampton (village), New York The Village of East Hampton is a village in Suffolk County, New York. It is located in the town of East Hampton on the South Fork of eastern Long Island. The population was 1,083 at the time of the 2010 census, 251 less than in the year 20 ...

. An 1858 Chace Map shows only 13 structures in town In 1879 Arthur W. Benson bought 10,000 acres (40 km²) around

Montauk, New York Montauk ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, on the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 4,318. The ...

from the

Montaukett = Montauketts = An indigenous Native American People. Name and Identifications The Montaukett ("Metoac" or Matouwac), currently more commonly known as Montauk. The meaning of the name ''Montauk'' is unknown. Native Americans living on Long ...

tribe and relocated tribe members to Freetown. There is little direct connection to the neighborhood now. One of the last structures from the town is the St. Matthews Chapel which was moved in 1976 to what is now East Hampton Pointe.Freetown Chapel - St Mathews Chapel - easthampton.com

References

{{Reflist East Hampton (town), New York East Hampton (village), New York Populated places established in 1827 1827 establishments in New York (state) Populated places in New York established by African Americans