Images of the Pelham Countryside Published in 1901

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In 1901, William Abbatt published a fascinating book entitled "The Battle of Pell's Point (or Pelham) October 18, 1776 Being the Story of a Stubborn Fight."  The book collected research about the Battle of Pelham and provided an account of the events before, during, and after the battle.

For purposes of today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog, however, it is not the Battle of Pelham that will be addressed.  Rather, today's posting includes a number of the lovely photographs of the Pelham countryside that Abbatt included in his book, with brief discussions of each image.  The images captured Pelham and the surrounding countryside shortly before great change in the form of residential development descended upon the region.  The photographs depict a simpler, more pastoral time.  Each image is set forth below, followed by a brief discussion of the image and, in some instances, a current view of the same scene.

Glover’s Rock in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above shows Glover’s Rock in about 1901 shortly before the first memorial tablet dedicated to the Battle of Pelham was installed on the giant glacial boulder on October 18 1901. The old City Island Road (known today as Orchard Beach Road) passes, unpaved, adjacent to Glover’s Rock with the tracks of the Pelham Bay and City Island Horse Railroad visible along the side of the road. In the distance a horse-drawn buggy can be seen making its way toward City Island along the road. Today, the paved Orchard Beach Road has been widened into a four-lane roadway with a grassy median in the center to carry heavy summer traffic to Orchard Beach (and to City Island).

Looking East From Glover's Rock in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above was taken in the roadway next to Glover’s Rock looking toward the east in about 1901. Once again, this is the old City Island Road (known today as Orchard Beach Road). The tracks of the Pelham Bay and City Island Horse Railroad extend along the side of the road into the distance where they curve around the bend toward City Island. Eleven pedestrians in three successive groups can be seen in the distance walking on the roadway toward Bartow Station on the New Haven Branch Line which is located behind the photographer.

Looking East from Glover’s Rock in July, 2016.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The Google Maps photograph immediately above depicts roughly the same view looking east from Glover’s Rock as it looks today. The two east-bound lanes of Orchard Beach Road curve in the distance toward City Island while the two west-bound lanes of the road (on the left in the photograph) curve in the distance toward the Orchard Beach parking area created when Pelham Bay was filled during the 1930s.

Looking West from Glover’s Rock in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above was taken in the roadway next to Glover’s Rock looking toward the west (toward today’s Shore Road and Bartow Station on the Branch Line) in about 1901. The roadway is the old City Island Road (today’s Orchard Beach Road). Once again, along the side of the road are the tracks of the Pelham Bay and City Island Horse Railroad that once ran between Bartow Station and City Island. In the foreground, on the roadway, are birds. In the distance behind them can be seen what appears to be a group of four pedestrians walking from City Island to Bartow Station. Hanging from the electrical lines near the telephone on the right in this photograph is an early electric street lamp to light the roadway.

Looking West from Glover’s Rock in July, 2016.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The Google Maps photograph immediately above depicts roughly the same view looking west from Glover’s Rock as it looks today. It is interesting to note that there is a modern street lamp in nearly the same location as in the similar photograph taken in 1901. A west-bound automobile can be seen in the distance traveling toward Shore Road.

Split Rock Road at the Junction with Shore Road in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above depicts Split Rock Road from its beginning at Shore Road. Split Rock Road can be seen winding into the distance and passing beneath the railroad overpass that carried the tracks of the New Haven Branch Line above the ancient Split Rock Road. The railroad overpass is plainly visible in the center of the photograph. Split Rock Road was closed in December, 1937. Later, during the 1950s, construction of the New England Thruway obliterated much of the ancient roadway between Split Rock and the New York City border with Pelham Manor where a portion of Split Rock Road remains today, lined with lovely residential homes. A portion of Split Rock Road that can be seen in this photograph taken in about 1901 essentially still exists, but serves as a golf cart path traveling beneath the same railroad overpass on the grounds of the Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Course complex along Shore Road. Today, the clubhouse of that golf complex stands in the area on the right of the roadway in this photograph, while the parking lot of that golf complex stands in the area on the left of the roadway in this photograph.

Split Rock Road at the Junction with Shore Road in July, 2016.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

This Google Maps photograph immediately above shows very, very roughly the same view of what once was the beginning of Split Rock Road at the junction with Shore Road. Vegetation obscures any view of the railroad overpass that stands essentially a little to the right beyond what can be seen of the driveway entrance to the golf complex clubhouse as it seems to disappear in the distance. The clubhouse can be seen on the right. The main parking lot of the complex is just out of the photograph on the left.

View from Split Rock Looking Across the Valley Toward Eastchester

in About 1901.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above seems to have been taken from a point a little beyond Split Rock looking toward Eastchester. Today the “valley” has been destroyed by construction of the New England Thruway. Additionally, the area in the distance referenced as “Eastchester” is now the City of Mount Vernon. Though Mount Vernon is the eighth largest city in the State of New York, it is the second most-densely populated city in the state. This once bucolic view certainly is no more.

View of Split Rock in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above shows a couple standing on Split Rock Road while admiring Split Rock. Split Rock was saved from demolition during the construction of the New England Thruway by a group of local historians who successfully urged engineers to move the planned roadway several feet in order to spare the famous Pelham landmark. The landmark now stands in an area surrounded by the Hutchinson River Parkway, the New England Thruway, and the entrance ramp from the Hutchinson River Parkway to the New England Thruway.

The Hill at Wolfs Lane in Pelham Manor in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above shows a portion of Wolfs Lane in Pelham Manor not far from Boston Post Road in about 1901. Portions of Wolfs Lane have been straightened and graded a number of times since then. Additionally, of course, the entire area since has been fully developed as a residential neighborhood. Though the area appears quite rural with a fenced pasture visible in the background, there are sidewalks on both sides of the unpaved roadway and a grill in the right foreground that appears to be part of a water drainage system. At the intersection of the unidentified road on the left with Wolfs Lane, there appears to be what likely is a gas lantern atop a pole.

Approximation of the Current View of the Hill at Wolfs

Lane in July, 2016.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Wolfs Lane has changed so much in the last 115 years that it is nearly impossible to determine precisely from where the photograph taken of the area in 1901 was snapped. Nevertheless, based on the reference in the caption of the previous photograph taken in 1901 to the bridge over the Hutchinson River being about three-quarters of a mile away and the prominent hill and curve visible in that photograph, one possibility is that the photograph was taken along Wolfs Lane not far from today’s Sherwood Avenue. The Google Maps photograph immediately above depicts that area of Wolfs Lane.

The Bridge Over the Hutchinson River in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above shows the tiny little wooden bridge, resting on stone piers, that crossed the Hutchinson River in about 1901. The unpaved roadway climbing up the hill in the background appears to be today’s Highland Avenue in the City of Mount Vernon. The roadway crossing the bridge is the Old Boston Post Road, now named “Colonial Avenue” within the Town of Pelham (to the right in this photograph) and East Sandford Boulevard within the City of Mount Vernon (to the left in this photograph). Today there is a highway overpass that carries the Hutchinson River Parkway over Colonial Avenue that later was located immediately out of the view of this photograph on the right. Today the tiny little bridge has been replaced with a modern concrete and steel bridge so that cars traveling from Pelham on Colonial Avenue toward the City of Mount Vernon first pass beneath the overpass for the Hutchinson River Parkway and, immediately upon emerging from beneath that overpass, cross the modern bridge over the Hutchinson River that has replaced the tiny wooden bridge seen in this photograph.

The Bridge Over the Hutchinson River in July, 2016.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The Google Maps photograph immediately above shows the modern bridge that stands today near the site where the tiny little wooden bridge along Old Boston Post Road once crossed the Hutchinson River. The bridge is the roadway in the immediate foreground of the photograph with low railings on each side.  In this photograph, the bridge is being viewed from the East Sandford Boulevard side in the City of Mount Vernon. Behind the bridge in this photograph, of course, is the modern highway overpass that carries the Hutchinson River Parkway over Colonial Avenue on the Pelham side of the bridge.

St. Paul’s Church in Eastchester in About 1901.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The photograph immediately above shows St. Paul’s Church in the Town of Eastchester in about 1901. A remnant stretch of the village green is visible on the left of the photograph with a winding unpaved road and a footpath visible as well. The church building, begun in 1764, still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Many renowned Pelhamites are buried in its ancient cemetery. The structure no longer serves as a church.

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