In 1822, Ebenezer Christopher used two enslaved men, Leavon and Sam, as collateral to secure the loan for the land that would become Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing. These men where enslaved along with Jenny, Charlotte, Ann, Noah, Sitleton, Caleb, and Alfred. They cleared the land, constructed the buildings and operated the landing until Christopher’s death in 1826.

Evidence suggests that Gabriel Farnsley is responsible for having the historic brick house constructed, with records indicating it was completed in 1837. Approximately 300,000 bricks were made on the property to complete the house. The men, women, and children Farnsley enslaved were responsible for not only the labor involved with the farm and landing, but they also left their fingerprints in the bricks they made in order to build the house. These fingerprints provide a tangible connection to Dave, Henrietta, Tom, Tom’s Heir, Peter, Henry, Jim, Anna, Eliza, Emily, Milly, Mary Ann, Martha, Josephine, and Maryann.

Alanson and Rachel Moremen and six of their children moved to the Riverside property in 1860 from Brandenburg, Kentucky. They brought 23 enslaved people with them, including Richard and Kitty Thomas and their young children Mary, Joseph, and Maria. Another enslaved couple, Lewis and Sydney Alexander, were brought to Riverside with their daughter Amanda. Their daughters Sydney and Emma were born into enslavement here at Riverside.

These are the known names of the people who lived and labored here until emancipation in 1865. We continue to uncover evidence of the ways that they resisted the control and dehumanization of enslavement.

The contributions of these enslaved individuals are integral to the ongoing story of this place. They are as vital today as they were in the past. We are dedicated to researching, interpreting, and sharing their pivotal stories with our visitors.