-By Elliot Walker
William Voris, one of Westchester County’s first Black entrepreneurs, ran an inn and tavern and a homemade ice cream shop in two locations in Rye, becoming prosperous and influential at a time when enslaving Black people was still common practice in half of the United States.
From July 22 to Aug. 2 volunteers and two archaeologists gathered on Milton Road between the Rye Meeting House/Grace Chapel and the Bird Homestead to participate in the third and final phase of an archeological dig on the site of Voris’ homestead.
The dig, organized by the Bird Homestead and Meeting House Conservancy, sought to uncover more about this fascinating man.
Voris bought the property in 1841 and built a house on the location, initially living with his wife Jane and a boy named Benjamin Sutton.
In the following years, Voris established a thriving inn and tavern, and opened his first ice cream stand, years before the use of electricity allowed the process of ice-cream making to become industrialized.
Historical records show that Voris opened an additional ice cream parlor at Rye Beach by what is now Playland, suggesting that his initial stand must have been quite successful. That Voris was so successful in a time of great racial discrimination is not only historically significant, it suggests that Voris must have been a remarkable man.
He died at age 67 in 1872, and now rests in Rye’s African American Cemetery alongside numerous other remarkable African-American trailblazers from the history of Rye and Westchester County.
Photo Elliot Walker
The dig was led by Archeologist Dr. Sara Mascia, who is vice-president of cultural resources for Historical Perspectives, Inc., a consulting firm that has overseen the previous phases of the project. Mascia, along with volunteers and archeologist Liz Eibert hoped to unearth information about Voris and his property, as well as the physical location of his ice-cream shop.
Using 2017 scan results with ground-penetrating radar, areas of interest on the property were designated, and soon excavation began. Despite the heat, those gathered dug tirelessly, sifting through piles of dirt to find small artifacts and materials.
Large rocks and bricks that made up the foundation of the residence were discovered, along with chunks of metal, ceramic, and melted glass found after sifting through the dirt from the sites.
Many glass shards were found, a lot of them with labeling that indicated they were from bottles. An intact condiment bottle with the date 1853 was found, likely used for the storing of sauces and toppings.
Another find was a ceramic lid, likely to a cooking pot, which was glazed with vivid colors and had a flower design ornament around the handle.
All of the artifacts recovered point to the site being a residential dwelling and not Voris’ saloon, as many food-related items, architectural fragments, and personal items have been found.