Cornwall honors former slave and war hero

CORNWALL — Nearly 245 years a er he purchased his freedom, Robin Starr — a formerly enslaved Revolutionary War veteran— was officially recognized last week when the Town of Cornwall proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.

Starr, who served in the Revolutionary War, is the subject of a research project undertaken by the7th-grade class of Cornwall Consolidated School. He was a veteran of many battles, including the Battle of Stony Point and the Battle of Yorktown, and he was a recipient of the Badge of Military Merit (an early version of the Purple Heart).

Pippa Cavalier, a 7th grader at CCS, explained Starr earned the medal “for being wounded twice in battle. And he was also the first Black soldier to get that award. ”On Feb. 8, 1781, Starr became a free man by purchasing his freedom. He later owned land in Cornwall and Sharon, as verified by census data and meeting minutes discovered through student research in conjunction with the Cornwall Historical Society.

Nearly 245 years later, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway prepared a proclamation declaring Feb. 8, 2026, as Robin Starr Day. The proclamation was presented to the 7th graders on Feb. 5. As part of the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, Cornwall was compiling a list of local veterans. Starr was not previously on the list, but because of the student research he has since been added.

“You’ve led us to learn a lot about this story,” Ridgway said to the class, praising the efforts of the students.

First Selectman Gordon Ridgway learns from 7th graders at Cornwall Consolidated School about the story of Robin Starr, a man who bought his freedom after serving in the Revolutionary War.Riley Klein

The idea to research Starr came when the students spoke with John Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation in West Hartford, whose company researches formerly enslaved peoples and brings their stories to light.

“The timing of this worked well,” said Will Vincent, history teacher at CCS. He pointed out that Starr’s Feb. 8 payment to buy his freedom coincides with Black History Month. “It all ties together.”

A presentation on Starr’s life and legacy will be given by the students at Troutbeck Symposium this spring. There, they will show informational posters about Starr’s life, a three-dimensional model of his land near the Housatonic River, a depiction of the uniform he likely wore serving in the 2nd and 7th Regiments, his family tree and other visual cues to bring his story to life.

Cavalier noted that Starr does not have a gravestone in town, but some of his descendants are buried in Calhoun Cemetery. “So, we decided to get him an honorary gravestone in Calhoun Cemetery.”

The students plan to deliver a full address to the community at the Memorial Day ceremony in May.