Escape From the Sugar House with Author and Historian Tim Duerden
Key Takeaways
- Host Brett Barry visits the Delaware County Historical Association to speak with author and historian Tim Duerden about his debut historical fiction novel, Escape From the Sugar House.
- The book follows Levi Hanford, a Connecticut teenager who joins the Revolutionary War and is subsequently imprisoned in a notorious New York City sugar house.
- Duerden highlights the American Revolution as a deeply divisive civil war driven by complex economic forces that shaped Loyalist and Patriot strongholds.
- The discussion explores the harsh realities of makeshift Revolutionary War prisons where thousands of captives perished from disease, starvation, and neglect.
- A central focus of the conversation is a unique historical artifact: a walking cane crafted from an actual Sugar House beam and given to Hanford later in life.
- The episode connects the personal journey of veterans like Hanford to the postwar migration that ultimately brought them to the Catskills region.
In this episode, Brett Barry visits the Delaware County Historical Association to talk with historian Tim Duerden about Escape From the Sugar House, his first work of historical fiction. The book follows Levi Hanford, a Connecticut teenager swept into the Revolutionary War and imprisoned in a New York City "sugar house" — one of several makeshift prisons where thousands died from disease, starvation, and neglect.
Duerden discusses the Revolution as a civil war, the economic forces shaping Loyalist and Patriot strongholds, and the postwar migration that brought veterans like Hanford to the Catskills. The conversation centers on a unique artifact: a cane crafted from a Sugar House beam and gifted to Hanford late in life.
A compelling blend of history, storytelling, and regional heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tim Duerden?
Tim Duerden is an author and historian who wrote his first work of historical fiction, Escape From the Sugar House.
What is 'Escape From the Sugar House' about?
The book follows Levi Hanford, a Connecticut teenager swept into the Revolutionary War who is imprisoned in a brutal New York City sugar house.
What was a New York City sugar house during the Revolutionary War?
Sugar houses were makeshift prisons used by the British in New York City where thousands of American prisoners died from disease, starvation, and neglect.
What unique artifact is discussed in the episode?
The conversation centers on a cane crafted from a Sugar House beam that was gifted to Levi Hanford late in his life.
