Frederick Philipse III and his family lived in luxury, well–supported by rents from the many tenant farms on his property. But times were changing, and while others rebelled against Great Britain, Frederick III defended the Crown. His Loyalist beliefs were so strong that, under orders from General George Washington, he was arrested in 1776. He and his family later fled to British–occupied New York City and then to England, where the last “Lord of the Manor,” broken in spirit and health, died in 1786. His land and his mansion were confiscated by the New York State Legislature and sold at public auction. Philipse Manor Hall passed through the hands of several owners in the years that followed. As the nineteenth century progressed, an urban community developed around the mansion. In 1868 the building was purchased for use as the village hall, and soon after became the first city hall for the ever–expanding City of Yonkers. By the twentieth century, city growth threatened the Manor Hall's future. Fortunately, in 1908, Mrs. Eva Smith Cochran of Yonkers generously provided the means for New York State to purchase the building. Open as a museum of art and history since 1911, Philipse Manor Hall, home to the Cochran Collection of American portraiture, has in recent years made great strides in the areas of education and curriculum development, establishing valuable partnerships with the Yonkers Board of Education and other community groups. The result of these efforts has been the fostering of a greater sense of local pride and awareness among Yonkers students, as well as among the citizens of the greater Yonkers area.