11 Priory Lane: The Rose Cottage

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

A lovely home stands near Bolton Priory on Priory Lane in Pelham Manor. It is known as the "Rose Cottage" and is located at 11 Priory Lane.

The precise date that the structure was built is unknown. Nor is it known who built it. It reportedly was standing when Rev. Robert Bolton bought the property in 1838.

When Robert Bolton acquired his estate in 1838, it covered a large area including the property of Christ Church (which he founded a few years later), the property along today's Priory Lane, the property along Shore Front Park and more. Tradition says that after Rev. Bolton acquired the property, the Bolton family moved from the area around today's Bronxville to the little Rose Cottage on the grounds of the estate and lived there while the family built Bolton Priory in which they lived for decades.

Local historians have theorized that the lovely little structure may have been an outbuilding of one of the Pell family members who lived in the area during the 18th and early 19th centuries. If that is the case, then it is at least possible that the structure was associated with the Kemble House located at 145 Shore Road. That home was built by a member of the Pell family in about 1760 and still stands just north of today's Pelham Manor Texaco station at the intersection of Pelhamdale Avenue and Shore Road.

There is a fascinating story told about the Rose Cottage. Experts generally believe that the stained glass window in Christ Church depicting the "Adoration of the Magi" was the first "figured stained glass window" created anywhere in America. One of Rev. Bolton's sons, William Jay Bolton, executed that window. According to several authorities, "William Jay Bolton created a figured stained glass window of 'Abraham Sacrificing Isaac on the Altar' which he placed in the front door of the cottage. This window may pre-date the 'Adoration of the Magi' window in Christ Church.'" If true, of course, this little cottage would be the site of the first figured stained glass window executed in the United States.

To read more about the little Rose Cottage at 11 Priory Lane, see Village of Pelham Manor, Pelham Manor: A Tour Through Time A Self-Guided Tour in Honor of Pelham Manor's Centennial, p. 2 (1991). See also The Junior League of Pelham, Inc., A Glance at the Past: Pelham's Growth From 1775-1975 pp. 8, 9, 11 (The Junior League of Pelham, Inc. Sept. 1976) (Pamphlet associated with accompanying map; 32 pp. including Map Bibliography, Manuscript Bibliography and illustrations by Hedy Klein).

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