Martha Emmons Weihman Memorial Park: More Pieces of the Puzzle

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site

Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.

Recently I have been doing research on the history of the Martha Emmons Weihman Memorial Park located on the Esplanade at Boston Post Road behind Huguenot Memorial Church. Information about the park has never been collected in one place, so the research is slow, consisting principally of reading microfilm images of The Pelham Sun from the early 1940s as time permits. I have been doing the research to assist The Junior League of Pelham, Inc. That organization is engaged in an effort to raise approximately $200,000 to restore the park. Recent postings on the topic include:

Mon. June 6, 2005: Martha Emmons Weihman Memorial Park in Pelham Manor - Origins of the Idea to Create a Park

Thu. June 2, 2005: Obituary of Martha Emmons Weihman From The Pelham Sun, August 16, 1940

Tue. May 24, 2005: Clifford and Martha Weihman of Pelham (Part I of II)

Wed. May 25, 2005: Clifford and Martha Weihman of Pelham (Part II of II)

Tue. May 31, 2005: The June 6, 1940 Fire That Destroyed the George M. Reynolds Mansion (Part I of II)

Wed. Jun. 1, 2005: The June 6, 1940 Fire That Destroyed the George M. Reynolds Mansion (Part II of II)

Today's Blog posting will provide additional information regarding creation of the park based on the research I was able to do over the weekend. Several articles from The Pelham Sun are transcribed below. They document the approval of the Village of Pelham Manor's plan to issue bonds to fund the purchase of the site for the park and the successful sale of those bonds.

“$16,000 Park Land Purchase Bonds Approved

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The Pelham Manor Board of Trustees on Monday night [Dec. 9, 1940] approved a $16,000 bond issue to finance the purchase of property on the southeasterly corner of the Boston Post Road and the Esplanade, which will be used for park purposes. The property was formerly the site of a frame apartment house, which was gutted by fire early in June.”

Source: $16,000 Park Land Purchase Bonds Approved, The Pelham Sun, Vol. 30, No. 37, Dec. 13, 1940, p. 1, col. 7.

“Park Bonds to be Sold on Jan. 24th [1941]

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The Board of Trustees will receive bids on a $16,000 park bond issue on Friday, Jan. 24 at 3.45 p. m. The bond issue will be sold to finance the purchase of property on the southeasterly corner of the Boston Post Road and the Esplanade, which the village recently took over to protect the zoning ordinance against the threat of apartment house construction thereon.”

Source: Park Bonds to be Sold on Jan. 24th, The Pelham Sun, Vol. 30, No. 41, Jan. 17, 1941, p. 1, col. 6.

“Gibbons Company Buys Manor Bonds

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The Pelham Manor Board of Trustees on Friday afternoon accepted the bid of the George B. Gibbons Co. of New York City for the $16,000 park bond issue floated to finance the purchase of property at the Boston Post Road and the Esplanade. The successful bidder offered a premium of $57.44 and an interest rate of 2.1%. The village will pay off the bonds at the rate of $1,000 per year. The issue will be paid up by 1954.

The other bids were as follows: Roosevelt & Weigler Inc., 2.2% interest and a premium of $71; Bacon & Stevenson & Co., 2.25% interest and a premium of $33.60; Manufacturers’ Traders Trust Co. of Buffalo, 2.1% and a premium of $43.04; Gremmel & Co., 2.2% interest and a premium of $44.32; R. D. White & Co., 2.2% interest and a premium of $88; A. C. Allyn Co., 2.3% interest and a premium of $24.80; Adam, McEntee & Co., 2.2% interest and a premium of $83.20.”

Source: Gibbons Company Buys Manor Bonds, The Pelham Sun, Vol. 30, No. 44, Jan. 31, 1941, p. 8, col. 3.

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.