America’s Tapestry

New York State Panel

America’s Tapestry is a national project to embroider panels that celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, with one panel for each of the 13 original colonies. Stitching started in 2025 and will be completed in 2026. The inaugural display will be at William & Mary’s historic campus – a stone’s throw away from Colonial Williamsburg.

The New York panel is pictured above. It was designed in collaboration with the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York City and illustrates the Birch Trials, which emancipated nearly 3,000 Black Loyalists for their service to the Crown and sent them to Canada.

The top left depicts a man advocating for his service to the British Crown to a table of British and American generals. The center motif depicts the various roles enslaved people played in the British Army: fighting in the Ethiopian Regiment, building barracks, and making shoes. The lower left motif illustrates the harbor of New York City and Fraunces Tavern. The family on the ship in the bottom right depicts a family, now freed, boarding a ship to begin their new lives in Nova Scotia.

Chapter member Jenni Paperman volunteered to serve as the State Director for New York panel. Chapter members are excited to participate in this project.

We will be stitching at the Van Schaick Mansion when it is open to the public at the following dates and times:

Saturday, June 14th (1:00pm to 6:00pm)
Sunday. June 22nd (1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Sunday. July 13th (1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Sunday. August 17th (1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Sunday. September 21st (1:00pm to 4:00pm)
Sunday, October 19th (1:00pm to 4:00pm)

In addition, we will be stitching at times when the Van Schaick Mansion is not open to the public. If you are interested in participating, contact Jennifer Paperman.

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STITCHING NEW YORK’S STORY

Cohoes, NY – The General Peter Gansevoort Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be hosting an evening lecture on Monday, October 20, 2025, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the historic Van Schaick Mansion in Cohoes. The lecture will be about America’s Tapestry, given by the Project Director, Stefan Romero, and the New York State Director, Jennifer Paperman.

America’s Tapestry is a project to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States with 13 hand-embroidered panels, one for each of the original 13 colonies. The panels, each designed in consultation with historical research teams, illustrate the diverse stories of the American Revolution.

“The idea for America’s Tapestry was formulated while on a work assignment in Europe after visiting ‘The Great Tapestry of Scotland’”, says Stefan Romero. “I was deeply moved by the richness and drama of Scotland’s story as it unfolded from panel to panel. As the product of many talented individuals working across the country to create a harmonious whole, the project embodied one of the truly defining features of the American experiment.”

The New York State panel has a series of scenes that illustrate the Birch Trials, held at the historic Fraunces Tavern in New York City. These hearings were established to determine whether formerly enslaved individuals who had served the British Crown were entitled to freedom in Nova Scotia or would be returned to slavery in the United States. By the end, the Birch Trials had emancipated nearly 3,000 Black Loyalists for their service to the British Crown and sent them to Canada.

The Van Schaick Mansion is one of the most historic homes in New York State with a rich history that is tied to both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Built circa 1735, the house was used as the military headquarters by several English generals during the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution, the mansion once again served as military headquarters. This mansion is where the plans for the battle of Saratoga were formulated. The General Peter Gansevoort Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has graciously offered to host the stitching of the New York panel of America’s Tapestry.

Established in 1967, the New York Capital District Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America was created to “set and maintain high standards of design, color, and workmanship in all kinds of embroidery and canvas work.” With this spirit in mind, Jennifer Paperman, a member of the Chapter, volunteered to serve as the State Director for New York panel.

Since June 2025, members of the New York Capital District Chapter of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America and others have been meeting regularly at the Van Schaick Mansion to work on the panel. They are using a variety of needlework techniques, along with fabric painting and applique work, to bring the design to life.

We hope to see you at the Van Schaick Mansion on Monday, October 20, 2025. Visit http://www.vanschaickmansion.org/ for directions and more information about this event and others planned by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

For more information about America’s Tapestry, please visit www.americastapestry.com or contact hello@americastapestry.com. To follow the progress of the New York panel, please visit the online photo gallery photo gallery at https://nycapega.org/americas-tapestry.

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