Historic Pelham

Presenting the rich history of Pelham, NY in Westchester County: current historical research, descriptions of how to research Pelham history online and genealogy discussions of Pelham families.

Monday, July 02, 2018

1922 Cornerstone Laying of Today's Community Church of the Pelhams in Pelhamwood


It was a ceremony rich with tradition held on what was once the site of the "Old Frog Pond" at the corner of today's Washington and Highbrook Avenues.  The objective was to lay the cornerstone of the Congregational Christian Church, known today as the Community Church of the Pelhams located in Pelhamwood.

 The ceremony was held on June 11, 1922.  The lovely half-timbered church was partially built when a large crowd gathered on a hot day to celebrate the event.  

 The cornerstone used was not freshly-hewn.  Rather, it once had served as the cornerstone of another significant building.  It was the original corner stone of the Trinity Congregational Church built at 176th Street and Washington Avenue in New York City.  The stone was saved after that church building was "given up for public school purposes, on account of the tremendous change in the character of the population surrounding the church building."  

 Even more interestingly, the original contents of the cornerstone laid in 1887 were kept within the stone.  The church added additional contents to the stone related to the Pelham Church.

 I have written before about the history of today's Community Church of the Pelhams.  The Church is located at 448 Washington Avenue in a lovely part of Pelham known as Pelhamwood.  Originally part of the Congregational Christian Churches, it is now part of The United Church of Christ that was created in 1957 when the Congregational Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches.  For more about the history of the church, see, e.g.:

 Tue., Mar. 04, 2014:  Information About the Earliest Years of Today's Community Church of the Pelhams.

 Sat., Jan. 25, 2014:  Putting the Finishing Touches on the Lovely New Church in Pelhamwood in 1923.

 Today's Historic Pelham Blog article transcribes an article that described the events of the day during the cornerstone laying ceremony.  It also includes immediately below a depiction of the church building as it originally was planned that was published with the article.

"To be new church at Pelhamwood; cornerstone laid yesterday."
Depiction of Today's Community Church of the Pelhams as it
was Originally Planned.  Source:  CORNER STONE OF PELHAM
CHURCH LAID YESTERDAY, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY],
Jun. 12, 1922, No. 9921, p. 7, cols. 3-4.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

 *          *          *          *          *

"CORNER STONE OF PELHAM CHURCH LAID YESTERDAY
-----

 Pelham, June 12. -- The cornerstone of the new Congregational church of the Pelhams was laid successfully yesterday.  The corner of Washington and Highbrook avenues, Pelhamwood, witnessed a unique gathering.  On the site of the old frog pond there is arising a beautiful gothic stone and one-half timbered church edifice.  A splendid audience, despite the heat of the day and the gathering clouds at sunset, witnessed the dignified and highly edifying and inspirational ceremony of the laying of the corner stone of the progressive new liberal church of which the Rev. Dr. Wm. Milton Hess is pastor.

The day was a red letter day in the young history of the new church.  

 The out-door service began with the singing of the fine old Pilgrim Father hymn, 'O God, Beneath Thy Guiding Hand, Our Exiled Fathers Crossed the Sea.'  This was followed by the innovation [sic] by Rev. Ralph L. Peterson of the Bedford Park Congregational church, New York city.  Selections from the scriptures were read by Rev. Chas. Francis Potter, who lives in Pelham and who is building a new liberal church on 110th street, New York city.  A solo was next splendidly rendered by Mrs. Habert Smith, of Spokane, Wash.

 Mr. Walter E. Hallett, of Bronxville, the deputy comptroller of the Bank for Savings, and a former president of the board of trustees of the Trinity Congregational church, New York city, read an interesting historical record of the church.  He spoke of the wonderfully equipped church plant at 176th street and Washington avenue, New York city, that had to be given up for public school purposes, on account of the tremendous change in the character of the population surrounding the church building.  He spoke very highly of Dr. Hess as minister and church builder.

 He was followed by Mr. John Oscar Ball, president of the board of trustees of the new church.  Mr. Ball resides in Pelhamwood, and he bespoke much interest in the new church.  Its progressiveness greatly appealed to him, he said.  He prophesied the church would fill a greatly needed want.  He was enthusiastic about its future; also highly complimenting Dr. Hess.

 Brief addresses followed by Dr. James Robert Smith, secretary Congregational church building society, who promised the financial aid of this society later on; by Rev. Ernest M. Holliday, general secretary, Congregational church extension boards, and by Rev. Dr. Chas. W. Shelton, secretary Congregational church extension society.

 The Rev. Dr. Wm. Milton Hess then announced the contents of the box in the corner stone.  The old contents, put in when Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott officiated at the laying of the corner stone originally in 1887 in New York city, and the new contents concerning the removal to Pelhamwood, were interestingly described.  Following a greeting by Walter A. Vonderlieth, of the Pelhamwood association and a trustee of North Pelham, the corner stone was laid by Rev. Dr. Wm. E. Stevens, 33d Mason, past grand master and chaplain of the grand lodge of Masons, state of New York.

 A hymn was sung before and after he officiated.

 The prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Charles H. Richards, former secretary and now editorial secretary of the Congregational church building society.

 Just as the corner stone was laid and after the congregation had gotten into the lower hall of the church building, the terrific wind and rain storm burst, reminding one of the Prophet Elijah's experience in King's 1:18.  God was in the 'Still Small Voice' of conscience as the Rev. Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis, of Henry Ward Beecher's Plymouth church, Brooklyn, held the audience spell-bound for another half hour.  

 It was a magnificent oration, and it was most fittingly given by Dr. Hillis, the successor of Dr. Lyman Abbott, who made the chief speech at the laying of the identical corner stone, 35 years ago, at 176th street and Washington avenue, New York city.

 A splendid God-filled letter from Miss Villa Faulkner Page, leader of the fellowship of the life more abundant of Brooklyn and Manhattan, was next read.  This was followed by a brief greeting from Mary E. T. Chapin, of New York city, of the International New Thought society.  Mrs. Chapin was much appreciated.

 The doxology was followed by the benediction given by Rev. Carl S. Weist, of the First Congregational church of Mount Vernon.  

 The whole affair was a brilliant success, and many favorable comments were made by those who were fortunate enough to witness the event."

 Source:  CORNER STONE OF PELHAM CHURCH LAID YESTERDAY, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 12, 1922, No. 9921, p. 7, cols. 3-4.

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Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Information About the Earliest Years of Today's Community Church of the Pelhams


I have written before about the history of today's Community Church of the Pelhams.  The Church is located at 448 Washington Avenue in a lovely part of Pelham known as Pelhamwood.  Originally part of the Congregational Christian Churches, it is now part of The United Church of Christ that was created in 1957 when the Congregational Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches.  For more information about the Community Church of the Pelhams and Pelhamwood where the Church is located, see the links at the end of this posting.  

 Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes an article that appeared in The Pelham Sun in 1926 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the first services held in the Church.  The article provides interesting insights into the earliest years of the Church and its first pastor, William Milton Hess, Ph.D.

Source:  Congregational Church Celebrating Fifth Anniversary In 
The Pelhams, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 10, 1926, p. 3, col. 3. 

 "Congregational Church Celebrating Fifth Anniversary In The Pelhams
-----
Congregation Presided Over by Rev. Dr. Wm. Milton Hess, Ph.D., Has In Few Years Become One of Most Active Religious Organizations in Community
-----

 Special services next Sunday will mark the fifth anniversary of the institution of the Congregational Church of the Pelhams, the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Wm. Milton Hess, and the beginning of a strong campaign to raise $10,000 to reduce the indebtedness of the church.

 Looking back over the five years which have passed, since the first services were held on December 11, 1921, in a little corner of what is now the assembly hall, they must be counted as years of achievement.  The Congregational Church has firmly established itself in the Pelhams.  During the five years the church has accumulated assets valued at $80,000.  Dr. Hess, the minister, was personally responsible for bringing $40,000 of this sum into Pelham from outside sources.  Five years ago services were held in the unfinished lower hall of the building where 20 children attended Sunday School.  The hall now finished holds 600 people.

 There will be special music next Sunday and the preacher of the anniversary sermon will be the Rev. Dr. John Luther Kilbon, the executive secretary of the N.Y. City Association of Congregational Churches, an association of about 70 Congregational Churches in and about New York City.

 This association and the Congregational Church Building Society have allready contributed $11,000 toward the building of the church.

 A committee is now at work to raise $10,000 as a fifth anniversary gift to the church to reduce its debt and finish the main auditorium and has already received pledges of $2,000.  The handsome edifice at Washington and Highbrook was built on swamp land  and its erection removed an unsightly spot from the neighborhood.  The present building is a landmark in Pelhamwood.  

 During the incumbency of Rev. Hess the Congregational Church has become a community factor.  Provision for physical development as well as spiritual and moral has been one of the features of, the work of the church."

 Source:  Congregational Church Celebrating Fifth Anniversary In The Pelhams, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 10, 1926, p. 3, col. 2.  

 For more information about the Community Church of the Pelhams and Pelhamwood where the Church is located, see:

 Sat., Jan. 25, 2014:  Putting the Finishing Touches on the Lovely New Church in Pelhamwood in 1923.









Bell, Blake A., The Early Development of Pelhamwood, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 37, Sep. 17, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

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Friday, February 28, 2014

Brief History of the Role Churches Played in the Growth of the Pelhams Published in 1926


Religious institutions have played an important role in the growth of the Pelhams for nearly three hundred years.  Indeed, no history of Pelham would be complete without a detailed history of such institutions and the role they have played.  

 Few in Pelham today know that Lutheran services once were held in the Pelham Picture House on Sundays (when the showing of films was banned).  Even fewer may know that a time capsule was accidentally discovered in the debris of the first Church of the Redeemer after that edifice was demolished on December 18, 1969.  (The cornerstone that contained the copper box time capsule rests today with the Church bell in front of the Richard J. Daronco Town House on Fifth Avenue.)  Even fewer Pelham residents may be aware that the Little Red Church that was the predecessor building to today's magnificent stone sanctuary of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church is believed to be the only "Centenary Church" in the United States -- a church building that was unveiled in 1876 to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  (To learn more about these and other historical tidbits regarding religious institutions in our area, see the lengthy list of links to previous postings on such subjects at the end of this article.)

 Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes an article about the role that churches have played in the growth of the Pelhams that appeared in the October 15, 1926 issue of The Pelham Sun.  It contains a wealth of information about the early histories of a variety of churches in our area.  

A Glass Lantern Slide Created by Pelham Town Historian 
William Montgomery Between December 10, 1916 and June 10, 1917.  
It Depicts the "Little Red Church," the Predecessor Building to 
Today's Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church Sanctuary.
The Little Red Church was a "Centenary Church" Opened in 
July 1876 in Part to Commemorate the Centennial of the 
Signing of the Declaration of Independence.  To Read More 
About How This Lantern Slide Was Dated, See:
Mon., Jan. 1, 2007:  Dating an Undated Glass Lantern Slide Showing
The Little Red Church.


Original Church of the Redeemer Church Building 
in the Village of North Pelham from an Undated 
Post Card Issued in About 1910.

 "Churches Have Played Big Part In The Growth Of The Pelhams
-----
March of Progress in the Village Is Marked by Spiritual Aid of the Church.  Rev. Robert Bolton and His Sons Established First Church in Pelhamville
-----

 Pelham's religious history dates back to 1686, when a company of French Huguenots set sail from England where they had fled from the persecutions of their own country, and landed at Echo Bay, in the Manor of Pelham.  There they established a colony on the property owned by Lord John Pell.  Through the interest displayed in them by Jacob Leisler, a New York merchant, Lord Pell conveyed to Leisler six thousand acres of land for use of the Huguenots.  The consideration of the conveyance was 1,675 pounds sterling silver and one fat calf to be delivered to the Lord of the Manor every year on the festival of St. John the Baptist.  Pell also set apart another 100 acres for a French church in the new settlement known as New Rochelle.

 At this time spiritual aid was administered by laymen.  In 1695 a clergyman of the Church of England settled in the Manor and established a small paris.  This, however, did not thrive in the sparsely settled district, and failed to survive more than a few years.

 In 1697 the Lord of the Manor laid the cornerstone for the first church in the Manor.  It is now known as the First Presbyterian Church of New Rochelle.

 Later St. Paul's Church in Eastchester was established and these two subscribed to the religious comfort of the settlers.  The Rev. Robert Bolton, rector of the Eastchester parish in the early 1800's, hearing of the condition at Pelham, moved to what is now the Bolton Priory.

 For a time he conducted services both at Eastchester and in Pelham at his residence at the Priory.  He was responsible for the starting of a new parish and founding the first church of the Pelhams.  On April 28, 1843, the cornerstone of Christ's Church at Pelham was laid.

 Most of the construction of the church was done by the Rev. Bolton and his five sons.  Washington Irving, a good friend of the Boltons, helped in the construction and made many suggestions as to its architecture.  It was constructed of common granite and patterned after a small country church in England.

 The Boltons established the first stained glass works in America in what was known as Devoe Town, a quarter of a mile away from the church, and made the stained glass windows there.  The building is still standing on the Shore Road in Pelham Manor.

 These windows made by the Boltons are still intact in Christ's Church.  Two of them represent the Adoration of the Magi, two of them are copies of windows in Salisbury Cathedral, and two bear respectively the arms of the Bolton and the Pell families.

 Other members of the Bolton family aided in the work.  Some built the carved pulpit and a solid sounding board which was constructed above it.

 At the same time a parochial free school for the parishioners was started.  The school building was erected by public subscription.  The earliest record of the student body shows that in 1854 there were 15 boys and 20 girls in the school.  In that year the church building was enlarged to accommodate the growing congregation.  

 In 1856 the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, fourth son of the founder of the church, became its rector, and remained such until 1860, when he became rector of St. Paul's Mission Chapel in New York City.  The Rev. N.E. Cornwall succeeded him and found 38 families connected with the church.  The next year a mission was started in City Island out of which the present Grace Church grew.

 The Sunday School at Pelhamville and City Island was started through the efforts of Miss Nanette Bolton, daughter of the founder of the church.  Assisting her were the Misses Fanny and Grace Schuyler.  Later a memorial building was erected to the memory of Nanette bolton.

 During the Civil War the ladies of the congregation were active in the hospital work among the soldiers at David's Island now Fort Slocum.  This is the first organization of Pelham women established for the aid of war veterans.

 On October 30, 1874, the Pelham Manor and Huguenot Heights Association, which had been formed for the civic government of the community, established a second church in the Pelhams.  

 The eight articles establishing the Huguenot Memorial Forest Church stipulated that the association give the land for the church, providing not less than $3,000 was subscribed for the erection of the building, and the church be Presbyterian.  A considerable portion of this amount was raised, and Rev. Dr. C.E. Lord, D.D., a retired clergyman whose researches into the history of the early Huguenot settlements in America had made him familiar with the district where the refugees from La Rochelle had founded their new homes, was retained as rector.

 Silas Witherbee of Port Henry, N.Y., loaned the church $5,000 on mortgage and later made a gift of the loan.

 When the site for the church building was being discussed, there was considerable opposition to the plt finally chosen, on the ground that it was too far from the center of population of the community, which was near where the Manor Club now stands.  To-day about nine-tenths of the congregation live on the north side of the Boston Post Road.

 The building was erected, not only as a memorial to the Huguenot settlers, but in commemoration of the centennial of our national independence.  The old records often refer to it as the 'Centenary' Church, and emphasis is laid on the fact that it was the only church in the country to be thus specifically dedicated during the year of the great Centennial Exposition.

 In the Eight Articles, special provision is made for the use of the church building as a day school.  A generation afterwards, the present building had hardly been completed when, in order to relieve the congregation in the public schools, one of the classes was housed in the church without charges except for the additional expenses of heating and service.

 In 1881 the Church of the Redeemer was established in North Pelham.  Its first rector was the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, son of the founder of Christ's Church, and its former pastor.  Services were held in a small frame building on Fourth Avenue near Third Street, which is now the home of Robert Martini.  In 1885 the property on which the present church stands were purchased and the rectory built.  On June 21, 1892 the cornerstone of the new church was laid and in the following February the building was completed.  It was dedicated in 1892 and consecrated by the late Bishop Henry C. Potter June 3, 1899.

 The church stands as a memorial to the late Rev. Bolton, who died in his 88th year, on August 28, 1906.  

 In 1888 the Congregational Church of North Pelham (now extinct) was organizaed by a group known as the Union Sabbath School of Pelhamville.  This church was disbanded after a short life.

 In 1907 St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church was established after a temporary church had been conducted in North Pelham by the Rev. Mgr. Kellner of St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church in New Rochelle.  The Rev. Mgr. Francis P. McNichol was first rector of the new church, which was constructed on property donated by Patrick Farrell.  First mass was celebrated December 8, 1907.

 In 1921, the Congregational Church of the Pelhams was established by the Rev. William Milton Hess of New York City.  First services were held in the new church building on December 11, 1921.

 Our Savior Lutheran Church, which holds its services at the Pelham Picture House, was organized in 1923 by the Rev. Carl O. Romoser of Concordia Collegiate Institute at Bronxville.  Services were first held at the Town Hall, and later transferred to the present location.  The Rev. H. Wittschen is present rector."

 Source:  Churches Have Played Big Part In The Growth Of The Pelhams, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 15, 1926, p. 16, col. 1.

 To learn more about the history of various religious institutions that have served the residents of Pelham during the last several centuries, see:  

 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?

 Mon., Jul. 25, 2005:  The Columbarium at Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham Manor.

 Fri., Oct. 21, 2005:  Christ Church Dedicated its Columbarium in 1943 As Part of Its Centennial Celebration.

 Tue., Dec. 06, 2005:  The Origins of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham, New York.

 Fri., Jan. 27, 2006:  Lectures to Raise Money to Build the "Huguenot Memorial Forest Church" Building in Pelham Manor.

 Thu., Mar. 2, 2006:  A Lecture in 1877 to Raise Money for the New Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham Manor.

 Thu., Jun. 29, 2006:  A Biography of Lewis Gaston Leary, Early 20th Century Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham.

 Wed., Oct. 25, 2006:  A Biography of the Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., a 19th Century Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church.

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

 Wed., Dec. 20, 2006: A Brief History of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Published in 1907.

Mon., Jan. 01, 2007:  Dating an Undated Glass Lantern Slide Showing the Little Red Church (Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church).  

 Fri., Jan. 05, 2007:  The Early Years of Grace Church, City Island -- Once a Church in Pelham.

 Wed., Feb. 28, 2007 Lord Cornbury Installs John Bartow as Rector of the Parish of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers and the Manor of Pelham in 1702.

 Tue., May 08, 2007:  Rev. Francis Asbury, Methodist Minister, Preaches in Pelham in 1772.

 Fri., Jun. 15, 2007:  Photograph of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Published in 1914.

 Tue., Jun. 19, 2007:  A Brazen Burglary at The Little Red Church in 1904.

 Mon., Aug. 06, 2007:  1714 Letter Reporting on the Establishment of the Church at East Chester Built in 1692.

 Wed., Aug. 8, 2007:  A Description of an Eyewitness Account of Interior of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester During the Revolutionary War.

 Mon., Aug. 13, 2007:  1865 Comments of Rev. William Samuel Coffey of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Regarding the Tenure of Rev. Robert Bolton of Pelham.

 Wed., Aug. 15, 2007:  Plan of Pews in St. Paul's Church 1790.

 Thu., Aug. 16, 2007:  Biographical Data About Rev. Charles Eliphalet Lord Who Served as Acting Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church, 1874-79.

 Fri., Aug. 31, 2007:  Announcement of the First Services Held in the Little Red Church of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church on July 9, 1876.

 Thu., Sep. 6, 2007:  Information About St. Paul's Church, the Battle of Pelham and Other Revolutionary War Events Near Pelham Contained in an Account Published in 1940.

 Wed., Sep. 12, 2007:  Announcement of Planned Construction of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in Pelhamville in 1895.

 Thu., Sep. 13, 2007:  Dedication of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham in 1896.

 Tue., Sep. 18, 2007:  Installation of the First Full-Time Pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor in 1877.

 Fri., Sep. 21, 2007:  The Ringing of the Bell of St. Paul's Church of Eastchester on the 100th Anniversary of the First Service in the Stone Church.

 Thu., Nov. 08, 2007:  Brief History of St. Paul's Church in Eastchester Published in 1886.

 Thu., Mar. 26, 2009:  Excerpt from Book Published in 1860 Provides Memories of Sundays at St. Paul's Church Before 1838.

 Fri., Aug. 14, 2009:  The Consecration of the Nanette Bolton Memorial Chapel at Christ Church in Pelham Manor on April 28, 1887.

 Mon., Aug. 24, 2009:  1878 Advertisement for Services of The Union Sabbath School Society of Pelhamville.

 Fri., Dec. 25, 2009 1906:  Christmas Day Celebration at Christ Church in Pelham.

 Sat., Jan. 25, 2014:  Putting the Finishing Touches on the Lovely New Church in Pelhamwood in 1923.

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Monday, January 20, 2014

Putting the Finishing Touches on the Lovely New Church in Pelhamwood in 1923


The Community Church of the Pelhams is located at 448 Washington Avenue in a lovely part of the neighborhood known as Pelhamwood.  Originally part of the Congregational Christian Churches, it is now part of The United Church of Christ that was created in 1957 when the Congregational Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Churches.  

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes an article from the October 19, 1923 issue of The Pelham Sun that describes efforts to complete the lovely church structure that the neighborhood rallied to build to serve the new neighborhood of Pelhamwood during the 1920s.  The article provides a fascinating glimpse of the pride that the entire community took in the completion of the facility.

I have written extensively about the neighborhood of Pelhamwood on many occasions.  For those who may be interested in learning more about the neighborhood still served by this beautiful church, see the linked list of articles at the end of this posting.  

"CHURCH BUILDING TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE YEAR ENDS
-----
Congregational Church Will Open Lower Hall Next Week -- Splendid Equipment
-----
Only  $10,000 Needed to Complete Edifice Which Will Be Ornament to District
-----

An active campaign to raise the rest of money needed to complete the new Congregational Church in Pelhamwood is expected to resut [sic] in the completion of the building this winter.  The lower hall of the edifice will be officially opened next Friday [Oct. 26, 1923] and will be a worthy addition to Pelham's meeting places.  

The hall has a fine new stage and curtain.  This curtain is being put in by Wanamaker.  

The hall is over 10 feet long and 50 feet wide, with a polished maple floor.  

An indoor tennis court, a basketball, volley-ball and handball court will be laid out.  As the ceiling is 16 feet high and there is not a post or obstruction of any kind, there will be a splendid chance for these games for the young people of the Pelhams.  

A fine outdoor tennis court on the church land has recently been completed and the boys and girls of the Sunday school and church are now enjoying it.  

A motion picture machine will be installed in the lower hall in the very near future.  

This hall will make a great place for mass meetings and banquets.  

Pelhamwood is proud of this hall and many congratulations are pouring in. 

It is expected that the whole church edifice will be completed this year, as soon as the Congregational Church Building and Extension Societies pay in their promised aid.  Meanwhile the Building Committee has gone ahead as money has been contributed from many sources in Pelham and elsewhere.  Only about $10,000 is needed, besides what has been promised to finish this beautiful $100,000 church plant, so ideally situated in the center of the Pelhams at the corner of Washington and Highbrook Avenue."

Source:  Church Building To Be Completed Before Year Ends, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 19, 1923, pg. 1, col. 3.  

Pelhamwood

In 1909, Clifford B. Harmon & Co. bought from the Winyah Park Realty Company a one-hundred acre tract of land just north of the Pelham train station. The company began development of a lovely residential neighborhood that it named "Pelhamwood".

Periodically I have written about Clifford B. Harmon and Pelhamwood. For a number of such examples, see:










Bell, Blake A., The Early Development of Pelhamwood, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 37, Sep. 17, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

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