“The Last of the Mohicans” (1992, R) follows half-White Hawkeye and his adoptive Mohican family as they struggle to rescue the captured daughters of a British colonel during the French & Indian War. Historians Michael McGurty and Chad Johnson of New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site and historian and Pocomoke nation member Drew Shuptar-Rayvis discuss the truth and fiction behind this popular adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel.
The “Historian & A Movie” film series invites historians to Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site to help audience members explore the real history behind some of Hollywood’s most famous films. Historians offer commentary on history, accuracy, film trivia, and more in the museum’s beautiful Gothic Chamber.
Michael S. McGurty is the historic site manager of New Windsor Cantonment & Knox's Headquarters State Historic sites in New York. A retired infantry New York Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, he was one of the first military responders to the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, and served two tours in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan National Army.
Chad D. Johnson is the interpretive programs assistant at New Windsor Cantonment & Knox's Headquarters State Historic Sites. He has worked in history museums since 2004.
Drew Shuptar-Rayvis is a public historian who seeks to preserve the language, history, and culture of Eastern Woodlands people, particularly the Renape, Nanticoke, and Southern Unami. He has a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Western Connecticut State University and a Certificate Degree in Archaeology from Norwalk Community College. He works as an Algonkian historical consultant with the New Amsterdam History Center and for the Maryland State Archives as a contractual research and preservation specialist, working with tribal oral histories and lifeways.
Tickets are free, but registration is recommended. To reserve your spot, call 914-965-4027 or email philipsemanorhall@parks.ny.gov. Refreshments provided by the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is located at the corner of Warburton Ave. and Dock Street in downtown Yonkers. The main entrance to the museum and the free museum parking lot are both located on Warburton Ave. (do not turn onto Dock Street). If the museum lot is full, there is a public parking garage (Warburton Garage) directly north of the museum at the Wells Ave. intersection, and metered street parking available on Warburton Ave. and Dock Street. Philipse Manor Hall is just a few blocks east of the historic Yonkers train station, and several Bee Line buses stop directly in front of the museum. Learn more.
