09/30/2025
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 250 th 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 [email protected]. To follow the progress of the New York panel, visit the
online photo gallery at https://nycapega.org/americas-tapestry.
A visual exploration of cultural diversity across the American landscape
