Peter Hutchinson (1799/1880 – 1882) was the last African American owner of the Robbins house and farm, and was called “the ablest common laborer I have ever known” by one of his townsmen. Emerson’s poems “Peter’s Field” and “Dirge” were set on Peter Hutchinson’s farm overlooking Great Meadows. Thoreau expressed respect for Peter Hutchinson’s knowledge of Concord’s woods, fields, and wildlife throughout his journals.
In 2013, the Robbins House and the Friends of Sleepy Hollow provided a marker for Peter Hutchinson and his family at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord MA.
The dedication ceremony for the Peter Hutchinson family headstone took place on Saturday, November 9th, 2013 in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord. Our featured speakers were Robert A. Gross, Professor of Early American History, University of Connecticut, and The Honorable Milton Wright. Dillon Bustin performed 19th-century spirituals.
