More on Efforts to Divide Pelham Into Two Towns During the Late 1850s

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During the mid-19th century, the Town of Pelham was split into two principal camps:  the islanders versus the mainlanders.  The principal population of the Town at that time lived on City Island.  The population on the mainland, however, was growing. The mainlanders began to chafe at the refusal of City Islanders to vote in favor of authorizing funds to improve roads and infrastructure on the mainland. 

As I have written before, during the late 1850s, there was an initiative by many of the most illustrious mainland residents to have the Westchester County Board of Supervisors split the Town of Pelham into two towns. 

Eventually, the proposal was to create a then-unnamed town consisting of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island (and their "appurtenances") and a second town consisting of the mainland, Hunter's Island, the Twins (and their "appurtenances").  In 1859 an application was made to the Board of Supervisors by members of the Marshall, Morris, Bartow, Grenzebach, Coudert, Roosevelt, Hunter, Schuyler, and Secor Families, among others, to have the town split along these lines.  

I have written before about this multi-year campaign to split the Town of Pelham into two towns.  See, e.g.:  

Thu., Feb. 16, 2017:  Pelham Mainlanders Wouldn't Give Up: More Efforts to Split the Town in Two During 1859.

Fri., Jul. 15, 2016:  Efforts to Divide the Town of Pelham Into Two Towns Began as Early as 1856. 

Mon., Mar. 09, 2015:  The Feud Between Mainlanders And City Islanders in the Town of Pelham Turned Ugly in 1859.

Although we know that the Town of Pelham was not split into two towns at that time, research has not yet revealed the precise manner in which the petition to divide Pelham was resolved.  As I have noted before, however, one possibility is that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester may not have had the authority to enact such legislation.  Only the State of New York had such authority since the Town of Pelham and its boundaries were created by State statute in 1788, as reaffirmed by State statute in 1827, defining the "limits and divisions" of the Town of Pelham. See Mon., May 07, 2007 1827:  Statute Defining the "Limits and Divisions" of the Town of Pelham.

Today's Historic Pelham article documents the fruits of additional research on the failed efforts to divide Pelham into two towns.

It now is clear, as one might have suspected, that the citizens of City Island, Hart Island, and High Island fought back against the initiative over a period of years.

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester appears to have rejected the initiative, at least initially, as early as 1856.  Thus, on Tuesday, November 18, 1856, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester met in White Plains.  During the meeting, the Supervisor of White Plains who also was a member of the Board's Judiciary Committee, John J. Clapp, summarized the situation involving a petition received from Pelham residents who wanted to divide the Town into two towns and a "remonstrance" from Pelham residents who opposed the initiative.

Mr. Clapp then presented a report on the matter recommending against the division of the Town of Pelham.  According to records of the Board, "On motion, the Report was agreed to by the Board."  (Emphasis in original.)

The Board's agreement with the report read by John J. Clapp of the Judiciary Committee does not, however, seem to have ended the matter.  The initiative clearly continued well into 1859, though there remain gaps in the historical record that must be filled in as best possible. 

On November 17, 1859, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester met pursuant to adjournment.  At the time, the Supervisor of the Town of Pelham was Samuel Lippencott.  

During the meeting, the Town Supervisor of the then-Town of New Rochelle, Thaddeus Davids, presented a "remonstrance" of citizens of the Town of Pelham opposing division of the town.  It is interesting that the remonstrance was presented to the County Board by the Supervisor of the Town of New Rochelle and not Samuel Lippencott, the Supervisor of the Town of Pelham.  The record of the meeting indicates only that a "quorum" was present, without indicating which Supervisors attended.  Thus, it is possible that Lippencott was not present.  Of course, it also is possible that Lippencott was attempting to maintain an appearance of impartiality in the matter because, as Town Supervisor, he represented all of the citizens of Pelham including, of course, both mainlanders and islanders.  Lippencott's name does not appear in any of the published newspaper legal notices giving notice of the proposal to divide the Town of Pelham, though the names of many supporters of the measure were included in such notices.

Interestingly, Samuel Lippencott most likely opposed the initiative to split the Town as he was a "carpenter" who lived with his wife and family on City Island.  See Mon., Nov. 02, 2015:  Samuel Lippincott, Town Supervisor of Pelham in 1859, 1860, and 1861.  It would not be unreasonable to assume that Lippencott made his views on the initiative known to his fellow members of the County Board.  

The County Board received the remonstrance from Mr. Davids and immediately referred it to the Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source:  Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity, p. 35

(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868). NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

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"Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors.
-----
ANNUAL SESSION, NOVEMBER, 1856.
-----
Members of the Board.

Bedford........................Truman Clark.
Cortlandt......................Frost Horton.
East Chester,................Darius Lyon.
Greenburgh,.................Seth Bird.
Harrison,......................Daniel W. Gray.
Lewisboro,...................Daniel Hunt.
Mamaroneck,...............John Morrell.
Mount Pleasant,...........Henry E. Paulding.
Morrisania,..................Gouverneur Morris.
New Castle,.................John Y. Haight.
New Rochelle,.............Thaddeus Davids.
North Castle,...............Charles Purdy.
North Salem,...............Isaac H. Purdy.
Ossining,.....................John F. Purdy.
Pelham,.......................George W. Horton.
Poundridge,.................Alsop H. Lockwood.
Rye,.............................John E. Marshall.
Somers,.......................Joseph Reynolds.
Scarsdale,...................Francis Secor.
West Chester,..............Abraham Hatfield.
West Farms,................Samuel M. Purdy.
White Plains,...............John J. Clapp.
Yonkers,......................William W. Scrugham.
Yorktown,....................Samuel Fowler.
-----
Chairman,
Hon. DANIEL HUNT.
Clerk,
HIRAM P. ROWEL, Esq.
-----

Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment.

-- Mr. Hunt, in the Chair, and a quorum present. . . . 

Mr. Clapp, from the Judiciary Committee, . . . to whom were referred the petition for and the remonstrance against the division of the town of Pelham, presented a Report, against dividing said town.  On motion, the Report was agreed to by the Board. . . ."

Source:  Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors -- ANNUAL SESSION, NOVEMBER, 1856, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Dec. 19, 1856, Vol. XII, No. 32, p. 2, cols. 5-7.

"BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, 
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
-----
November Session, 1859.
CHAIRMAN -- ALSOP H. LOCKWOOD, Esq.
CLERK -- E.O. SUTHERLAND.
-----

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD:

TOWNS.                        NAMES.
Bedford,........................HEZEKIAH D. ROBERTSON.
Cortlandt,......................OWEN T. COFFIN.
East Chester,................DARIUS LYON.
Greenburgh,.................CHARLES W. LITTLE.
Harrison,......................SAMUEL HOPPER.
Lewisboro,...................DANIEL HUNT.
Mamaroneck,...............WILLIAM L. BARKER.
Mount Pleasant,..........ISAAC M. TWITCHINGS.
Morrisania,..................WILLIAM CAULDWELL.
New Castle,.................DANIEL HALLOUCK.
New Rochelle,.............THADDEUS DAVIDS.
North Castle,...............CHARLES PURDY.
North Salem,...............GILBERT F. BAILY.
Ossining,.....................GEORGE A. BRANDRETH.
Pelham,.......................SAMUEL LIPPENCOTT.
Poundridge,.................ALSOP H. LOCKWOODK.
Rye,.............................JOHN K. MARSHALL.
Scarsdale,...................FRANCIS SECOR.
Somers,......................WILLIAM MARSHALL, JR.
West Chester,..............ABRAHAM HATFIELD.
West Farms,................JOHN BUSSING.
White Plains,...............GILBERT S. LYON.
Yonkers,......................AUG. VAN CORTLANDT.
Yorktown,....................BENJAMIN D. MILLER.
-----

WHITE PLAINS, Thursday, Nov. 17.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment -- Mr. Lockwood in the Chair, and a quorum present. . . .

Mr. Davids presented the remonstrance of citizens of the town of Pelham against the division of said town, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee. . . ."

Source:  BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -- WESTCHESTER COUNTY -- November Session, 1859, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Nov. 25, 1859, Vol. XV, No. 29, p. 2, cols. 2-7.

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Murder in Pelhamville on the New Haven Line Tracks in 1859

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Like most communities, the little Town of Pelham has been the scene of some grisly and horrific crimes over the course of its history.  Two such crimes include the terrible murder and dismemberment of the captain of the Eudora Imogene in 1854 and the most terrible murder mystery in Pelham history:  the unsolved killing of wealthy Pelham Heights resident Julius Rosenheimer in 1905 in the garden of his home once located on the present site of the Pelham Picture House.

One terrible crime committed in 1859 was the murder of E. A. Patterson of the tiny settlement of Pelhamville as he walked along the tracks of the New Haven Main Line.  Patterson was described as "one of the quietest and most inoffensive citizens" of the settlement of Pelhamville which, at the time, was only eight years old and populated with only a few dozen residents.  

On Friday, September 9, 1859, Mr. Patterson had business in nearby New Rochelle.  As was so often the case in those days, the easiest and quickest way to travel to New Rochelle was to walk along the New Haven Line railroad tracks.  In those days, heavy woods extended from the Pelhamville Depot on both sides of the railroad tracks.  (Neither Pelhamwood nor Pelham Heights had yet been developed.)  The old Boston Post Road (today's Colonial Avenue) was an out-of-the-way route into New Rochelle that added substantial time to the trip as travelers had to plod along Wolf's Lane to the old Boston Post Road then turn east into New Rochelle.  Thus, E. A. Patterson traveled to and from New Rochelle along the railroad tracks that day.

In the evening, as he walked home to Pelhamville along the tracks, he came upon three men just as he reached Pelhamville.  Indeed, the men were no more than five hundred yards from the little station that, at the time, stood where today's Pelham National Bank building stands at One Wolfs Lane.  One man was sitting and two were standing along the tracks at the top of a forty or fifty foot high embankment along which the tracks ran.  The men had five or six dead white geese they had decapitated and that authorities later believed had been stolen nearby.  Due to the embankment, it was not an easy task simply to avoid the men.

Patterson tried to walk past the men.  As he did, they began following him and used a stone to knock him down.  The group set upon the poor man, saying they would murder him and beating him nearly senseless.  Once the men had disabled Patterson, they lifted him and tried to "heave" him down the stony embankment.  When that failed, they kicked or dragged him down the embankment where one of the men, in an act of extreme depravity, used a stone to drive the senseless man's head between two large rocks.  One of the men then jumped on the poor man until he was dead.  The three then rifled through his pockets and stole four or five dollars, a pen knife, a pocket handkerchief, and "sundry small articles."

It appears from one brief news report that the three men were eventually identified.  Although the eventual fate of the murderers is unknown, by October (according to one account) "one of the suspected persons [had] been arrested and [was] in jail at White Plains."  

 Map of Pelhamville Published in 1868. Source:   Beers, F.W.,

Atlas of New York and Vicinity from Actual Surveys By and Under

the Direction of F.W. Beers, Assisted By A.B. Prindle & Others, pg.

36 (NY, NY:  Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868) (Detail from Page 36 Map

Entitled "Town of New Rochelle, Westchester Co., N.Y. (With) Pelhamville).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"MURDER IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY. -- The Tribune learns from a correspondent at Pelhamville, Westchester Co., N.Y., Sept. 12th, 1859, that on Friday evening, Sept. 9, one of the quietest and most inoffensive citizens, Mr. E. A. Patterson, went to New Rochelle on some business; on his return home to Pelhamville, on the New York and New Haven Railroad track, when within 500 yards of Pelhamville Depot, he met three negroes [sic], one sitting and two standing, they having five or six white geese, with their heads twisted off, supposed to be stolen; as Mr. Patterson passed them, they immediately started after him, knocked him down with a stone, then commenced to murder him, as they themselves said they would; having disabled the sufferer, they took him and attempted to heave him down a rough stone embankment, 40 or 50 feet deep; not succeeding, they followed and kicked or drove the victim down the embankment with stones, their feet and fists.  By this time his senses began to fail.  When he was driven to the bottom of this awful precipice, one of them struck him with a large stone, and drove his head in between two large rocks.  While in that position they broke the guard of his watch, and let it fall among the stones under him; while doing so one of them jumped on him several times; they then searched and rifled his pockets of between four and five dollars, pen knife, pocket handkerchief, and sundry small articles.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of the negroes supposed to be implicated in the crime, and one of the suspected persons has been arrested and is now in jail at White Plains."

Source:   MURDER IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, Hudson Daily Star, Sep. 21, 1859, Vol. XII, No. 3688, p. 2, col. 2.

"HORRIBLE MURDER IN WESTCHESTER CO. -- On Friday evening, Mr. E. A. Patterson, of Pelhamville, went to New-Rochelle on some business; on his return home, on the New York and New Haven Railroad track, when within 500 yards of Pelhamville Depot, he met three negroes who, as Mr. Patterson passed them immediately started after him, knocked him down with a stone, then commenced to murder him, as they themselves said they would; having disabled the sufferer, they took him and attempted to heave him down a rough stone embankment, 40 or 50 feet deep; not succeeding, they followed and kicked or drove the victim down the embankment.  When he was driven to the bottom of this awful precipice, one of them struck him with a large stone, and drove his head in between two large rocks. --  They then searched and rifled his pockets of between four and five dollars, pen-knife, pocket-handkerchief, and sundry small articles.  Warrants have been issued for the arrest of the negroes [sic], and one of the suspected persons has been arrested and is now in jail at White Plains."

Source:  HORRIBLE MURDER IN WESTCHESTER CO., The Tri-States Union [Port Jervis, NY], Oct. 6, 1859, Vol. 9, No. 49, p. 2, col. 4.

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Brutal Assault on Split Rock Road in Pelham in 1859

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For many years during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Pelham was a desolate and, occasionally, dangerous place.  As in the Old West, highwaymen preyed on travelers passing through Pelham on dark and deserted roadways.  There are countless news stories of highway robberies and brutal assaults on desolate Pelham roads during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

One such attack occurred on October 6, 1859.  Mrs. Elizabeth F. Roosevelt was visiting family in Pelham and New Rochelle.  That day she climbed into her carriage and headed for Throgg's Neck to visit friends.  

At about mid-day, she proceeded along "Pelham Road" (today's Shore Road) and approached Pelham Bridge.  She overtook a young man walking along the roadway shortly before she reached the bridge.  As she approached him, she was struck by the odd way he acted.  On hearing the approach of her carriage, he turned completely around and stared at her intently until she had passed entirely.  Mrs. Roosevelt drove over the bridge, took out her purse, paid the toll, and proceeded to Throgg's Neck to visit her friends.  

Towards evening, she hopped back in her carriage for the return trip.  She passed over Pelham Bridge onto Shore Road and continued to "Prospect Hill Road" (i.e., today's Split Rock Road that once extended from Shore Road to Boston Post Road).  After proceeding only a "short distance" on that road (onto the grounds of today's Split Rock and Pelham Bay Golf Courses), she was struck with a violent blow on the right side of her forehead "which was twice repeated."  She suffered a two inch gash that cut "through to the skull" and was beaten badly.  Before she became "insensible," she realized that while her horse continued to pull the carriage, a man by the side of the vehicle had his arms raised and was attempting to get in the carriage.  

There is no account regarding how Mrs. Roosevelt escaped.  All we know is that she "remained in a state of stupor" for two weeks after the brutal beating.  During the incident, she never saw the man's face, but she believed that she recognized "from the dress and portion of the person seen" before she became insensible that her attacker was the young man she had passed on Shore Road near Pelham Bridge earlier that day.  

Police soon arrested young Charles B. Smith, a "respectable" and well-connected young man.  He was indicted for assault and battery with intent to kill or rob Mrs. Roosevelt.  He hired the best and most-connected counsel possible.  The prosecutor's office responded by retaining one of New York City's most notable criminal lawyers of the day, John Sedgwick, to assist with prosecuting the case against Charles B. Smith.

The two-day trial of the criminal case was held at the Courthouse in Bedford, New York on June 5-6, 1860 before a panel of three judges of the Court of Sessions:  Hon. William H. Robertson, County Judge, presiding; Hon. Samuel Tompkins, a Justice of Sessions; and Hon. William Miller, a Justice of Sessions.  Because the matter was considered "one of importance" and involved such sensational charges against a well-connected young man, the courthouse was packed.  Former Connecticut Governor William T. Minor, who knew the young man, was in attendance.  

Things seemed bleak for the young man.  In addition to Mrs. Roosevelt's testimony identifying him as the man she passed on Shore Road and the man she believed attacked her, the prosecution entered evidence of compromising conversations the young man had with an investigator.  Although counsel on both sides of the case tried the matter "with much tact, courtesy, and ability," the eloquent performance of J. W. Tompkins, attorney for the defendant, seems to have been exceptional.  According to one account, the "argument of Mr. Tompkins for the prisoner was unsurpassed by his former efforts at the bar, for strength, ingenuity, and eloquence."  The same account noted that the "Court House was densely crowded with spectators; and during the summing up of counsel breathless silence prevailed."

The jury soon returned its verdict of not guilty.  Charles B. Smith was freed.  No other culprit seems ever to have been identified or charged.  Elizabeth F. Roosevelt, it seems, would have no justice for the attack on her by a highwayman on a Pelham roadway.

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Below is the text of an account of the trial of Charles B. Smith.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

"COURT PROCEEDINGS. . . . 

COURT OF SESSIONS.

This Court convened at the Court House in Bedford on Tuesday, the 5th instant.  Present -- Hon. WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON, County Judge, presiding;

SAMUEL TOMPKINS, Esq.,     }
                                                  }  Justices of Sessions.
WILLIAM MILLER, Esq.,           }

URIAH HILL, Jr., of Cortlandt, was appointed Foreman of the Grand Jury, and JOHN C. HOLMES, Esq., of Lewisboro, Clerk.  A large number of indictments were found, as follows:  2 for murder, 2 for robbery in the first degree, 2 for burglary in the third degree, 1 for grand larceny, 1 for attempting to poison, 3 for selling liquor without license, 2 for attempting to kill, and 4 for assault and battery.

The following cases were disposed of:

The People vs. Charles B. Smith.  --  This case was one of importance.  The prisoner was indicted for an assault and battery on Mrs. Elizabeth F. Roosevelt in Pelham, with an intent to kill or rob.  Governor Minor, of Connecticut, who had been his counsel in other matters, was in attendance on the first day of the term.  The prisoner was respectably connected.  The complainant by marriage was a niece of Judge Roosevelt.  Eminent counsel of the County were employed on either side -- Sedgwick of New York, a criminal lawyer of the first order, was also retained for the prosecution.  The case was tried with much tact, courtesy, and ability.  The argument of Mr. Tompkins for the prisoner was unsurpassed by his former efforts at the bar, for strength, ingenuity, and eloquence.  Other counsel, on both sides, made masterly arguments, of which they may justly be proud.  The trial continued to two days.  The Court House was densely crowded with spectators; and during the summing up of counsel breathless silence prevailed.  

The facts disclosed upon the trial were these:  Mrs. Roosevelt had been passing the season at New Rochelle.  On the 6th of October last she visited from friends at Throgg's Neck.  As she was passing over the river road [i.e., today's Shore Road], alone in her carriage, and approaching Pelham bridge, she discovered a man walking in the same direction.  On hearing the approach of her vehicle, he turned completely around and gazed at her until she passed.  This man she pronounced to be the prisoner.  This was about mid-day.  She drove over the bridge, took out her purse, paid the toll, and proceeded to Throgg's Neck.  On her return home, towards evening, after leaving the River road and proceeding a short distance upon Prospect Hill road [i.e., today's Split Rock Road that once extended from Shore Road to Boston Post Road], she received a violent blow on the right side of her forehead, which was twice repeated.  The wound was two inches and a half in length, cutting through to the skull.  She received other injuries.  After the infliction of the blows, she saw a man standing by the side of the wagon with his arms raised, and attempting to get in the wagon.  She did not see his face, but from the dress and portion of the person seen, she had no doubt that this man was the prisoner.  The horse passed on -- she became insensible, and for two weeks remained in a state of stupor, during which period her [illegible] in danger.

The prosecution gave in evidence several conversations of the prisoner in reference to the attack, elicited by an employee of Matsell & Co., who is certainly one of the shewdest and most adroit men connected with that or any other police establishment in the country.  Other facts and circumstances were proved by the respective parties with a view of establishing the prisoner's guilt or innocence.  The Jury rendered a verdict of not guilty.  --  William H. Pemberton, District Attorney, James P. Sanders, John Sedgwick, for the People; P. L. McClellan, John S. Bates, J. W. Tompkins, for the prisoner. . . ."

Source:  COURT PROCEEDINGS. . . . COURT OF SESSIONS -- The People vs. Charles B. Smith, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Jun. 15, 1860, Vol. XVI, No. 6, p. 2, col. 4.  

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Pelham Mainlanders Wouldn't Give Up: More Efforts to Split the Town in Two During 1859

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Pelham mainlanders were still fed up with Pelham islanders.  As 1859 drew to a close, they were still in the midst of a multi-year campaign to split the Town of Pelham into two towns.  

During the mid-19th century, the Town of Pelham was splt politically.  Interestingly, it was not split on party lines but on geographic lines:  the islanders versus the mainlanders.  The principal population of the Town at that time lived on City Island.  The population on the mainland, however, was growing.  The mainlanders began to chafe at the refusal of City Islanders to vote in favor of authorizing funds to improve roads and infrastructure on the mainland.  The mainlanders wanted out of the deal.  They wanted to spin off the islanders into a separate town.

I have written before about this multi-year campaign to split the Town of Pelham into two towns.  See, e.g.:

Fri., Jul. 15, 2016:  Efforts to Divide the Town of Pelham Into Two Towns Began as Early as 1856.

Mon., Mar. 09, 2015:  The Feud Between Mainlanders And City Islanders in the Town of Pelham Turned Ugly in 1859.

Luminaries of mainland Pelham were behind the effort to split the Town in 1859.  According to a Notice of Application to the Westchester County Board of Supervisors, leaders of the initiative included:  Levin Rothrock Marshall (owner of Hawkswood, also known as the "Marshall Mansion" and, later, the "Colonial Inn") on Pelham Neck; Dr. Richard L. Morris (long-time owner of "Oakshade" on Shore Road and grandson of Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence); Robert Bartow (famed owner of the home known today as the Bartow-Pell Mansion-Museum); Elias Desbrosses Hunter (son and executor of the estate of John Hunter of Hunter's Island); Elbert J. Roosevelt (Pelham Manor landowner and owner of estate that stood on today's border between New York City and Pelham along Shore Road); Charles Coudert, Jr. (a founder of famed international law firm Coudert Brothers and owner of the Pelham Manor estate known as Pelhamdale); Philip B. Schuyler a grandson of General Philip John Schuyler of Revolutionary War fame and long-time owner of the Schuyler Homestead in Pelham Manor who married Grace Hunter, sister of John Hunter of Hunter's Island); and others.

Although I have reproduced one version of the Notice of Application by these gentlemen before, today's posting reproduces a version that appeared in The Eastern State Journal.  The image of the notice below, dated September 9, 1859, is followed by a link and citation to its source as well as a transcription of its text to facilitate search.

Source:  NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF

SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, The Eastern

State Journal, Undated Page Included in FultonHistory.com

Collections After November 25, 1859 Issue of the Newspaper.

""NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY. -- Notice is hereby given that the undersigned, freeholders of the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, will apply to the Board of Supervisors of said county, at the next Annual Session thereof, to commence at White Plains, in said county, on the fourteenth day of November next, for a division of said town of Pelham into two towns, by the following division, viz.:  

That so much of the said town of Pelham as lies on the main land, with its present boundaries, except on the Sound side and the Islands known as Hunter's Island and the Twins, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township, and be known and designated as the town of Pelham -- the boundary on the Sound side being a line equi-distant between the main land, Hunter's Island, and the Twins with each of their appurtenances, on one side, and City Island, High Island, and Hart Island, with each of their appurtenances, on the other side. 

That all the rest and residue of the present town of Pelham, as at present constituted, and not comprised in the above, including City Island, Hart Island, and High Island, and each of their appurtenances, shall constitute a separate and independent township -- thus diving the town of Pelham, as at present known, into two separate towns. -- Dated September 9th, 1859. 

L. R. MARSHALL, 
RICHARD L. MORRIS, 
RICHARD S. MORRIS, 
ROBERT BARTOW, 
WILLIAM O'CALLAGHAN, 
JAMES FLANEGAN, 
HENRY GRENZEBACH, 
JAMES HINMAN, 
VALENTINE G. HALL, 
E. A. PATTERSON, 
CH. COUDERT, 
E. J. ROOSEVELT, 
P. C. ROOSEVELT, 
E. D. HUNTER, 
PH. SCHUYLER, 
FRANCIS SECOR."

Among the more interesting aspects of this dispute and the above-quoted notice is that Hunter's Island was proposed for inclusion in the mainlanders' town (which would retain the name of the Town of Pelham).  Of course, Hunter's Island was attached to the mainland by a causeway and its owner would have an interest in the spending of tax dollars to iprove Shore Road, Split Rock Road, and the roadway from Shore Road up to Boston Post Road that, today, is part of the bridle path in Pelham Bay Park along the border with Pelham.  

As I have indicated before, it is not yet clear why the initiative to split the Town of Pelham into two towns ultimately failed.  One possibility is that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Westchester may not have had the authority to enact such legislation -- only the State of New York would seem to have that authority since the Town of Pelham was created by State statute in 1788, reaffirmed by State statute in 1827, defining the "limits and divisions" of the Town of Pelham.  See Mon., May 07, 2007:  1827:  Statute Defining the "Limits and Divisions" of the Town of Pelham.

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity, p. 35

(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868). NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

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More on the History of the Church of the Redeemer in Pelhamville Including a Photograph of the First Building it Used

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

Recently while researching unrelated aspects of Pelham history I ran across a significant article on the history of the Church of the Redeemer that once stood in Pelhamville.  The article, written by then Rector of the Church, Herbert H. Brown, was published in 1940.  It is significant for a host of reasons.  First, it includes a photograph of the carpenter's shop that once stood on First Avenue where early members of the church met in the loft of that building.  I had never seen a photograph of the carpenter's shop before.  Second, the article includes a host of information about the early history of the church that, likewise, I had never seen before.

I have written about The Church of the Redeemer on a number of occasions.  For a few examples, see:  

Wed., Nov. 11, 2015:  The Laying of the Cornerstone of Pelhamville's Church of the Redeemer on June 21, 1892.

Fri., May 02, 2014:  Early History of the Church of the Redeemer in the Village of North Pelham.

Fri., Feb. 28, 2014:  Brief History of the Role Churches Played in the Growth of the Pelhams Published in 1926. 

Wed., Nov. 08, 2006:  The Time Capsule in the Cornerstone of the Church of the Redeemer in the Village of North Pelham. 

Wed., Mar. 15, 2006:  A Biography of Cornelius W. Bolton Published in 1899. 

Mon., Mar. 07, 2005:  What is That Bell Resting on a Stone Pedestal in Front of the Richard J. Daronco Townhouse at 20 Fifth Avenue?

1910 Post Card View of the Church of the Redeemer 

Built Beginning in 1892. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

Those who love North Pelham know much about the beloved Church of the Redeemer.  The roots of the church extend back to 1859.  The tiny settlement of Pelhamville was in its infancy, only eight years after it was surveyed, mapped, and offered for sale by lots.  

Christ Church, the beautiful and thriving Episcopal Church founded in Pelham Manor by Rev. Robert Bolton, sought to extend its mission to Pelhamville, only a decade after the Bolton family extended Christ Church's mission to City Island.  

According to this article, one of the "day servants" working at the Priory School in Pelham Manor made "an appeal" to Miss Nanette Bolton of the Priory School (something I never had heard) asking her to help begin a mission of the church to serve the twenty-five "scattered families" that lived in the tiny settlement at the time.  Nanette Bolton worked with "two or three" students of the Priory School to create a "Sunday School" established in the loft of a carpenter's shop on First Avenue not far from where the Church of the Redeemer built its main church building beginning in 1892.  

Though I never have seen a photograph of the tiny wooden frame carpenter's shop in which the Sunday School held its earliest meetings, the 1940 article written by a Rector of the Church of the Redeemer includes such a photograph.  Though the quality is very poor, it gives an important sense of the original structure, so important to the history of North Pelham.  

During the early years of the church, members of the congregation met in at least three different places:  (1) the loft of the carpenter's shop on First Avenue; (2) the wooden Pelhamville train station that once stood where today's Pelham National Bank Building at One Wolfs Lane stands; and (3) the little red Pelhamville school house that once stood about where today's Hutchinson Elementary School stands.  In about 1864, members of the congregation began agitating for the construction of a church.  Enough money was raised to purchase land on the east side of Fourth Avenue near Third Street to build the new church.  

Knowing how difficult it would be to raise the funds necessary to build a church sufficiently large to serve the growing population of Pelhamville, the congregation quickly moved to purchase the original carpenter's shop in which the Sunday School first had met.  The newly-acquired building was moved to the new site.  After alterations, the old carpenter's shop became "a simple unpretentious chapel."  Church services and Sunday School classes met in the tiny wooden chapel for "several years."

During at least those "several years," services were carried on by "a young undergraduate engaged each year from the General Theological Seminary in New York City, at other times by the clergy of Christ Church and from neighboring parishes."

By 1872, however, (about thirteen years after Nanette Bolton and her compatriots first began a Pelhamville "mission") it was time to create a new parish.  On February 27, 1872, Pelhamville residents incorporated "an organized parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church under the name of the Church of the Redeemer."  

Church of the Redeemer suffered through many years without a "settled pastor."  Members of the congregation became upset and, once again, agitated for change.  According to one source:  "The church was, however, continued for a number of years without a settled pastor.  Out of this circumstance sprang seeds of dissension which threatened to destroy it."

In early 1881, Nanette Bolton observed the dire nature of the "mission" she had helped create.  She approached one of her brothers, Reverend Cornelius Winter Bolton, to urge him to "take charge of the Mission."  In December of that year became the Church of the Redeemer's first rector, holding that office for 25 years.  According to one account (quoted below):  


"Shortly after his installation he purchased an acre of ground on Second Avenue and Second Street and built the present rectory upon it, and in 1892 he built the Gothic stone church -- both still in use.  Within seven years he cleared the parish of its debt."

The church congregation laid the cornerstone for the structure on June 23, 1892.  It stood for many years on Second Avenue in today's Village of Pelham.  The church congregation later built what became its combined Parish Hall and Church located at 20 Fifth Avenue.  Today that structure is the Richard J. Daronco Town House that serves as the Town of Pelham's community center.  

In 1969, the original Church of the Redeemer was vacant and suffered a terrible fire. Authorities made a decision to raze the structure.  Within a short time (1974), the Church of the Redeemer combined with Christ Church in the Village of Pelham Manor to create the Parish of Christ the Redeemer.  Three years later the Church deeded the Parish Hall and Church at 20 Fifth Avenue to the Town of Pelham for use as a community center.

*          *          *          *           *

"NEWS FROM PELHAM TOWN AND THE VILLAGES

Redeemer Church, Founded In Loft In 1859, Now Has 300 Members, 6 Parish Societies

-----

By THE REV. H. H. BROWN Rector

Religious work which ultimately brought into existence the Church of the Redeemer in Pelham began about the year 1859.  It was inaugurated by Miss Nanette Bolton of Pelham Manor in response to an appeal made by one of the day servants at the Priory School -- of which Miss Bolton was the head -- to help the little community of Pelhamville, as North Pelham was then called and which consisted of 25 scattered families.

Miss Bolton assisted by two or three of the young ladies of her school, gathered the children of the community into the loft of a carpenter's shop on First Avenue, near the site of the present church edifice.  After a few months Miss Bolton was obliged to relinquish the work and Miss Fannie Schuyler of West Neck, granddaughter of General Philip Schuyler of Revolutionary fame, assumed charge.

Use Public School

Before long the loft, proving too small, was vacated and the group met in the village public school, a small frame structure on Fourth Street between Second and Third Avenues, opposite the present Hutchinson Grade School.  Here Sunday School continued for three years to hold its sessions.  

As Miss Bolton and Miss Schuyler were members of Christ Church, Pelham Manor, the enterprise from its inception was considered something of an adjunct of that parish.

Thus it was the Rev. Edward W. Syle, then rector of Christ Church, began to come over on Sunday afternoons to conduct evening prayer at the close of the Sunday School sessions and to speak to the people assembled.  These religious services were the first ever held in North Pelham.  

In 1864 or thereabouts, a suggestion was made that the little congregation should have an edifice of its own.  The suggestion met with a cordial response.  Residents of the village supported the motion, and a site of ground was purchased on the east side of Fourth Avenue near Third Street.

Building Is Purchased

As soon as this was steps were taken to acquire the original carpenter's shop in which the Sunday School first met.  The building was acquired, bodily removed to the new site and, after suitable alterations, was converted into a simple unpretentious chapel.  Services and Sunday School classes met here uninterruptedly for several years.

First services were generally carried on by a young undergraduate engaged each year from the General Theological Seminary in New York City, at other times by the clergy of Christ Church and from neighboring parishes.

On Feb. 27, 1872, the work was incorporated into an organized parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church under the name of the Church of the Redeemer.  The church was, however, continued for a number of years without a settled pastor.  Out of this circumstance sprang seeds of dissension which threatened to destroy it.

First Rector Takes Charge

Early in 1881, while visiting his home at Pelham Priory, the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton was approached by his sister about assuming charge of the Mission in North Pelham.  He accepted, and in December of that year became the church's first rector, holding that office for 25 years.

Shortly after his installation he purchased an acre of ground on Second Avenue and Second Street and built the present rectory upon it, and in 1892 he built the Gothic stone church -- both still in use.  Within seven years he cleared the parish of its debt.

The church was consecrated in 1899 with imposing ceremonies on Mr. Bolton's eightieth birthday by the Right Rev. Henry Codman Potter, then Bishop of New York.

In August, 1906, the Rev. Mr. Bolton died at the age of eighty-seven.  In his later years he had as his assistant the Rev. Edwin B. Rice of Mount Vernon, who was employed during the week at the Church Mission's House in New York City.

Until 1907, the parish existed as an 'assisted parish,' receiving financial aid from the diocese.  In 1907, when the present rector, the Rev. Herbert H. Brown, was installed, it was made an independent parish at his request.  

Rapid Growth Shown

Within five years, the membership of the church and Sunday School was doubled, all debts were paid and a mortgage of $2,000 on the rectory liquidated.

A new choir room was built in the basement of the church to accommodate the first vested choir to sing there.  Two tennis courts also were built at this time.  

In 1920, a serious movement was started to remove the church to a more central location in the township.  The matter had been previously discussed by some members but nothing had come of the discussion.  Now, however, it was strongly felt that the influence of the church was being retarded by being on the extreme western line of the village.  

A new parish house was urgently needed, since the old building on Fourth Avenue was utterly inadequate, as well as being a distance from the church.  Enlargement of the church itself also was involved.  All pews were rented and there was a waiting list.  Because of this the vestry purchased a new site in 1921, costing about $22,000 and located centrally on Fifth and Harmon Avenues, with the intention of erecting a complete set of buildings there eventually.  

The first unit erected was the parish house in field stone at a cost of $117,000, considered one of the most attractive in Westchester County.  It is in this building that all social activities of the parish are held.  

It is the intention of the vestrymen, when conditions warrant, to sell the present church edifice and rectory and erect new buildings on the new site.  

There are more than 300 names on the list of communicants and about 150 members enlisted in the Sunday School.

Church organizations include the Layman's Association, Women's Auxiliary, Parish Guild, the Circle, Young People's Society and Badminton Club."

Source:  NEWS FROM PELHAM TOWN AND THE VILLAGES -- Redeemer Church, Founded In Loft In 1859, Now Has 300 Members, 6 Parish Societies, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 26, 1940, p. 14, cols. 1-3.  

The following two photographs accompanied the above-quoted text:

"UPPER PICTURE shows Church of the Redeemer  as it now

stands on Second Avenue, North Pelham.  It is Gothic in

architecture and a far cry from the original wooden building shown

in the lower picture.  The latter structure was once a carpenter

shop and was purchased for a meeting place on establishment

of the church."  NOTE:  Click on Images Above and Below to Enlarge.

This is the only image I ever have seen of the small

carpenter's shop that once stood on First Avenue where

early members of the Church of the Redeemer met in

the loft of the building.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"Pelhamville Dedicates New House of Worship
-----
Looking Backward

(Reprinted From The Daily Argus of Feb. 7, 1893)

The Parishioners of the Church of the Redeemer at Pelhamville had the satisfaction of witnessing today the dedication of their new house of worship by the Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter, of New York, with appropriate ceremonies.

The Bishop was assisted in the dedicatory exercises by the Rev. E. N. Potter, S.T.D., LL.D., D.C.L., President of Hobart College, Geneva, N.Y., Rev. Mr. Drissler, Rev. Alexander Hamilton of Norwalk, Conn., Archdeacon Van Kleeck, of White Plains, and Rev. John Bolton.  There was present from this city the Rev. S. F. Holmes, late of Trinity Church, Rev. F. M. S. Taylor of the Church of the Ascension, Rev. Dr. E. T. Hiscox and the Rev. Charles S. Todd of the Baptist persuasion.

A history of the Parish in brief is as follows:  In 1859-60 Miss Nanette Bolton, of Pelham Priory, established a Sunday School in the then hamlet which may properly be termed the nucleus of the present thriving congregation.  For a time there were temporary meeting places:  the railroad station, a carpenter shop and the school house sheltering those who sought religious instruction.  The Rev. Mr. Lyle and Mr. Schuyler of Christ Church, Pelham, subsequently secured the present site on Fourth Avenue.  In 1870 it assumed full growth and in February 1872, it dropped its 'mission' title and assumed that of the Church of the Redeemer.  

The pastor, the Rev. C. Winter Bolton, informed a representative of The Argus that the church was in a very prosperous condition, 47 families belonging to the church, with 57 communicants and a Sunday school of over 50 children."

Source:  Pelhamville Dedicates New House of Worship -- Looking Backward, The Daily Argus, Feb. 6, 1943, p. 4, cols. 4-6 (Reprinted from The Daily Argus of Feb. 7, 1893).

Drawing of the Church of the Redeemer, as it was Planned

to be Built, Published in 1892. Source: Corner Stone Laying --

THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER BEGUN -- A Pretty

Edifice For Pelhamville -- HISTORY OF THE PARISH, The Daily

Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 23, 1892, Vol. 1, No. 72, p. 2, cols. 

2-4. NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Cornerstone and Bell from the Original Church of the Redeemer.

Now a Monument in Front of the Richard J. Daronco Town House

on Fifth Avenue in the Village of Pelham. Photograph by the Author,

2004. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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