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.

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Obituary of Cornelius Winter Bolton Published on August 30, 1906


Cornelius Winter Bolton was a son of the Rev. Robert Bolton who founded Christ Church in Pelham Manor.  C. W. Bolton served for many years as the Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in the area once known as Pelhamville (later, the Village of North Pelham). 

I have written before about Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton and the Church he served for so long.  See, e.g.:

Mon., May 09, 2016:  More on the History of the Church of the Redeemer in Pelhamville Including a Photograph of the First Building it Used

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.

Thu., Feb. 21, 2008:  Obituary of Cornelius W. Bolton Published in 1906.  

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?

Cornelius Winter Bolton was born in Bath, England on June 3, 1819, a son of Rev. Robert Bolton (1788-1857) and Anne Jay Bolton (1793-1859).  He moved with his family as a young man to the Bronxville area in Westchester County in 1836 while his father preached at St. Paul's Church in nearby Eastchester.  In 1838, the family began construction of The Priory in today's Pelham Manor and soon moved to their new home and built Christ Church adjacent to The Priory.  Rev. Robert Bolton became the first Rector of the new Christ Church.

In 1844, the family sent Cornelius Winter Bolton to the Theological Seminary of Virginia.  After his ordination, he returned to The Priory and helped his father preach at Christ Church.  In 1848, he became an assistant minister of Christ Church in Baltimore, Maryland.  He served there for about four years.  

In 1856, C. W. Bolton returned to The Priory in Pelham Manor.  He married Cornelia Van Rensselaer, a daughter of Cornelius G. Van Rensselaer.  He remained in Pelham for about two years, but was was called to Kingsbridge, New York, which was the scene of his labors the next year. After this he was in mission work, at St. George's Church, New York city, for six and a half years, and from there went to Mount Kisco and, then, Armonk, New York.  Finally he became the Rector of The Church of the Redeemer in Pelhamville, where he remained until his death on Tuesday, August 28, 1906.  



Undated Photograph of Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.



1910 Post Card View of the Original Church of the Redeemer.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is the text of an obituary of Cornelius W. Bolton published in The Bronxville Review on August 30, 1906.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"REV. C. W. BOLTON DIES AT NORTH PELHAM
-----
Aged Clergyman was well known in This Village -- Aged 87 Years.
-----

The Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, rector of Christ Church, North Pelham, the oldest active clergyman in Westchester County, died Tuesday at the age of eighty-seven.  He came of a family which is famous in the Church of England for its clergymen and writers.  His father was an Episcopal clergyman born in Savanah [sic], Ga., and his mother was Miss Jay, of Bath, England, daughter of an Episcopal clergyman.

Dr. Bolton was born in Bath and came to America with his parents in 1836.  The family settled in Bronxville Westchester County, where the father bought a farm.  As a boy Dr. Bolton took produce to the New York market in a cart.

In 1844 he was sent to the Theological Seminary of Virginia.  After being ordained he returned to the old Pelham priory, remaining a year to help his father preach.  In 1848 he went to Christ Church, Baltimore, where he remained six years.  He returned to the Priory in 1856 and married Miss Cornelia Van Rensselaer.

At the age of eighty Dr. Bolton built a $20,000 structure, paid for it and consecrated it.  He never drew a large salary but he was always finding others to help who were poorer than himself.  One of his sayings was:  'It is the beggar who keeps the beggar alive.'

Dr. Bolton was very well known in this village.  For several years he was vice-president of the agricultural society.  For many years he has exhibited dahlias at the county fairs and his exhibit at the fairs always attracted attention.

His funeral will be held on Friday when the body of his nephew, Lieut. Edward C. Bolton, of the 17th United States Infantry, will arrive in Pelham for military burial.  Lieu. Bolton was assassinated last Spring in the Philippines."

Source:  REV. C. W. BOLTON DIES AT NORTH PELHAM -- Aged Clergyman was well known in This Village -- Aged 87 Years, The Bronxville Review, Aug. 30, 1906, Vol. V, No. 36, p. 5, col. 1.  


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Monday, May 09, 2016

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


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.

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"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 --
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.


Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak." 

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Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The Laying of the Cornerstone of Pelhamville's Church of the Redeemer on June 21, 1892


For many years a beautiful church building stood in the Village of North Pelham.  It was the Church of the Redeemer.  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.



1910 Post Card View of the Original Church of the Redeemer.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The early history of the original Church of the Redeemer is quite fascinating. A simple ceremony celebrated the laying of the cornerstone for the Church of the Redeemer on June 23, 1892.  A group of clergy from throughout the region gathered at the site.  Mrs. Isaac C. Hill led a children's choir that performed appropriate songs.  The Rector, Cornelius Winter Bolton, read an extensive history of the small church and the cornerstone was laid.  The cornerstone had a Maltese cross and the date "1892" chiseled on its face.  Within the cornerstone, those gathered that day placed a copper box to serve as a time capsule.  That time capsule contained a number of items (listed in the article quoted below) including the day's newspapers, 1892 silver coins, church publications, and much more.  The time capsule also contained a copy of the history of the church prepared by Rev. Bolton and read at the time of the cornerstone laying.

It is fortunate that Reverend Cornelius Winter Bolton's entire history was published in a local newspaper two days later.  As one would expect, it sheds important light on the early history of the Church of the Redeemer. 

The cornerstone and the bell from the original Church of the Redeemer now stand as a monument in front of the Richard J. Daronco Town House on Fifth Avenue in Pelham.  The recovery of the cornerstone and the rediscovery of the forgotten time capsule within make for a fascinating story as well. 



Cornerstone and Bell from the Original Church
of the Redeemer.  Now Kept as 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.

On December 18, 1969, a demolition crew worked to demolish the Church of the Redeemer.  According to papers in the collection of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham, "as the steeple roof and large stone chimney fell . . . North Pelham Police Chief Adolph V. Rusillo stopped by."  Chief Rusillo asked whether anyone had thought to remove the cornerstone of the building so it could be kept by the congregation at the congregation's new location in the combined Parish Hall and Church at 20 Fifth Avenue.  To his surprise, no such arrangements had been made.

Chief Rusillo thoughtfully asked that the cornerstone be removed and saved.  As the stone was lifted, a heavy copper box appeared beneath -- an 1892 time capsule placed by the congregation 77 years earlier!  Within that time capsule were the items listed by Reverend Bolton when he delivered his remarks at the laying of that cornerstone.  (See below.)



Drawing of the Church of the Redeemer,
as it was Planned to be Built, Published
in 1892.  Source:  Corner Stone Laying --
OF THE PARISHThe Daily Argus [Mount Vernon,
NY], Jun. 23, 1892, Vol. 1, No. 72, p. 2, cols. 2-4.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Corner Stone Laying
-----
THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER BEGUN.
-----
A Pretty Edifice For Pelhamville.
-----
HISTORY OF THE PARISH.
-----

Tuesday was a great day for Pelhamville, our thrifty neighbor to the east, especially among the parishioners of the Church of the Redeemer the corner stone of whose new edifice was laid with imposing ceremonies by the Rt. Rev. H. C. Potter, assisted by Arch-deacon F. B. Van Kleeck, assisted by the Revs. Charles Higbee, Pelham; Charles Smeck, Norwalk, Conn.; John Drissler, Gouverneur Cruger; Thomas Siel, of New York; John Bolton, Westchester, Pa.; William Samuel Coffey, Eastchester; Stephen F. Homes. Harry I. Bodley, of Mount Vernon.  The singing was in charge of Mrs. I. C. Hill, and was rendered by a chorus of children in a manner to elicit warm praise.

The history of the parish was prepared and read by the Rector, C. Winter Bolton, which appears in full in this connection.

The architect of the new edifice was Henry S. Rapelye, of this city; W. A. Thomas, of Rye, mason; builder, James Thompson, of Rose Bank, Staten Island; metal work, Richard V. Drake, Mount Vernon; slating, F. T. Rich; glass, Tyrolese Art Glass Company, of New York.

HISTORY.

This Parish was commenced in 1859-'60 by Miss Nanette Bolton, of Pelham Priory, who was asked to come over and hold a Sunday school by a resident of the place as they had no religious worship there.  The first service was held in the orchard under the trees.  Miss Bolton was assisted by the lady teachers residing with her.  Soon after this the Misses Schyuler [sic] were urged to join the mission party, and the work was committed into their hands.  A service was held by the Rev. John Bolton in the upper room of the R. R. depot.

After this the loft of a carpenter's shop was obtained which the people had to ascend by means of a ladder.

The classes from the first were well attended by adults and children.  At length the use of the school house was procured.  Here services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Lyle, Rector of Christ Church, Pelham.  The building was unusually full.  This continued for two years.  Mr. Schuyler, Senior Warden of Christ Church, united with the Rector in trying to obtain a site and building for permanent worship.  They succeeded in buying the present lot on Fourth avenue, and also an old carpenters shop which was moved and placed on the lot.  Money was raised by subscription among friends to pay for it.  But the work was suddenly arrested by the death of Mr. Schuyler in 1865.  During the absence of Misses Schuylers Miss Bolton again assumed charge.

The Rev. Mr. Lyle resigned Christ Church, Pelham, to return to the mission in China, and the Rev. Mr. Harding was called to the Parish Church.  In 1869 the Misses Schuyler returned to work at the request of Miss Bolton who found that her duties at home required all her time. 

In 1870, on the resignation of Mr. Harding, the Rev. Mr. Higbee, present incumbent, was called to the parish.  He thought it would be to the interest of the mission to throw it on its own resources.  The services of a student from the General Theological Seminary were secured and Mr. Pentreath commenced as a Lay Reader.  In February, 1872, he called a meeting of the villagers for the purpose of organizing a parish, and it was Resolved, 'That they incorporate as a distinct church and parish to be known as The Church of the Redeemer, Pelhamville.'

The first wardens were Wm. H. Sparks and James Parish.  The vestry were Ed. A. Patterson, Jas. W. Roosevelt, Chas. Barker, Wm. H. Johnson, John Case, Frederick Wahl, Wm. H. Penfield and William H. Leonard.  The first vestry meeting was held on March 6th, 1872.  The church at Pelham then handed over to them the deed of the property.

Robt. W. Barnwell, another student, succeeded Mr. Pentreath.  The Rev. Dr. Coffey, rector of St. Paul's, Eastchester, kindly officiated when either of the sacraments were desired.  From 1872 to '80 the parish was served by students.  There was no visible growth in the place, rather a backward tendency, and it was a constant anxiety to all interests to sustain and provide for its support. 

At the expiration of 18 months Mr. Barnwell was ordained, and left.  The Rev. Mr. Howell, rector of Grace Church, City Island, was requested to take charge of the work in connection with his own.  This he did for a short time until he removed to New York City.

The neighboring clergy were then asked to look after the little parish and give an afternoon service.  This they kindly consented to do for some time.

Again it was thought wise to look once more to the seminary for a student, and Mr. Beavan took charge of the work.  He was followed by Mr. Nelligan, but in his health soon failed and he died in Bellevue Hospital, New York. 

Here a cloud arose and threatened the welfare of the parish for a few months.  During this period it was thought best to return the deed of the property to the rector, wardens and vestrymen of Christ Church, Pelham, to prevent its passing into the hands of another denomination.  On the return of spring the clouds began to disperse.  The Misses Schuyler and Miss Bolton again rallied to the rescue, and the services of the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of New York City, were secured.  This arrangement lasted for about a year, when he left for England.

I was strongly urged to take charge of the work, which I did on the first Sunday in November, 1880, and found an interesting male Bible class under the charge of Miss Fanny Schuyler, a female Bible class under Miss Bolton's care, while the smaller children were grouped in classes under different teachers.  There were 21 families and 18 communicants on the roll.   There was only a Sunday afternoon service.  The next Sunday we commenced a morning service as well as the afternoon.  The two services have been sustained ever since. 

The first thing to be done was to reorganize the parish without delay, and a request was made to the rector, wardens and vestry of Christ Church to return the deeds of the property which had been entrusted to their care.  This they kindly granted.

It was felt necessary that the rector should live among the people.  There being no house, it was proposed to build a parsonage.  In the fall of 1886 the rectory was completed and has been occupied ever since.

The lot on which the rectory stands was bought by the vestry, and Mrs. H. H. Seaver very generously gave the remaining three lots, on one of which the church is now being built.

We have at present 47 families belonging to the church, with 57 communicants and a Sunday school of over 50 children.

We would take this opportunity to thank the neighboring clergy for all their past favors; and Almighty God for His protecting care and many blessings.

THE CONTENTS OF THE BOX.

A Bible and Prayer Book.
Copy of the last General Convention.
Copy of the last Journal of the Diocese of New York.
Digest of the Canons.
Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of New York.  1888.
83d Report of the New York Bible and Common Prayer Book Society.  1891.
The Church Almanac for 1892.
Whittaker's Churchman's Almanac for 1892.
Copy of the New York Churchman, June 18, 1892.
Copy of The Parish Visitor for June, 1892.
A 'History of the Parish,' as read by the rector.
Silver coins for 1892.
Copy of the New York Tribune for Jun. 21, 1892.
Copy of the Mount Vernon Chronicle.
A list of the present church officers, Sunday School teachers and choir."


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

*          *          *          *           *

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

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?

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

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Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Obituaries of Reginald Pelham Bolton, a Former Pelham Resident and an Historian with a Love for Pelham


Reginald Pelham Bolton was a grandson of the Rev. Robert Bolton, founder of Christ Church and builder of the Priory in Pelham Manor, a home that still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Reginald Pelham Bolton was a resident of Pelham in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, but later moved to New York City where he died in 1942.  I have written before about one-time Pelham resident Reginald Pelham Bolton.  See, e.g., Thu., Jan. 10, 2008:  Brief Biography of Reginald Pelham Bolton, Local Historian.



Reginald Pelham Bolton in 1913.
NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Reginald Pelham Bolton was born on October 5, 1856 in Kilburn, an area of northwest London, England.  He was a son of James Bolton and Lydia Louisa Pym Bolton.  He studied as a young man in England to become a civil engineer.  In 1878, he married Ethelind Huyck in Sussex, England.  The couple had two children:  Guy Bolton and Ivy Bolton.  



Ethelind Huyk Bolton and Reginald Pelham
Bolton in an Undated Photograph.  NOTE:
Click Image to Enlarge.


Reginald Pelham Bolton with His Children,
Ivy Bolton and Guy Bolton in an Undated
Phtograph.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

In 1879, Reginald and Ethelind Bolton moved to Pelham, New York.  While residing in Pelham, Reginald assisted his uncle, the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, who was rector of the Church of the Redeemer in North Pelham, with the revision of a second edition of the Bolton History of Westchester, which had been written by another of Reginald's uncles, Robert Bolton, Jr., another son of the founder of the Christ Church and the Priory in Pelham Manor.  Reginald Pelham Bolton and his family lived for a time in a small home on Sparks Avenue that later became the Village Hall of the Village of Pelham (i.e., Pelham Heights).  

At about the turn of the 20th century, Reginald Pelham Bolton and his family moved from Pelham and settled nearby in Washington Heights at what is now 638 West 158th Street.  By this time, Bolton was known as a noted consulting civil engineer and an avid amateur archaeologist and local historian.  His principal hobby became a study of Native Americans in the New York region.  He spent years trying to sort out colonial records suggesting the interrelationships among the many groups of Native Americans that once inhabited the region.  

Reginald Pelham Bolton was a prolific author who wrote a host of books, booklets, and published articles regarding local history.  As a consequence, he became a Life Member of the New-York Historical Society and of the Museum of the American Museum, Heye Foundation (now part of the Smithsonian Institution).  He also was a member of the Westchester County Historical Society who wrote a number of articles on Pelham history published in the Society's Journal.  He also served as Vice President of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society and of the City History Club (of New York City).



Reginald Pelham Bolton at an Excavation Site.
NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Reginald Pelham Bolton died in his home at 638 West 158th Street in Washington Heights, the Bronx, on Wednesday, February 18, 1942.  His wife, Ethelind, died on December 29, 1945.  Both were cremated in the Ferncliff Cemetery crematorium in Hartsdale, New York.  Their ashes are at Beechwoods Cemetery in New Rochelle, adjacent to the Town of Pelham border.

For a more extensive biography of Reginald Pelham Bolton including a more extensive discussion of his archaelogical excavations and references to many of his publications, see Reemer, James, REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON (visited Sep. 7, 2015).

"Reginald Pelham Bolton, Historian Grandson Of Founder of Priory And Christ Church Died On Wednesday
-----

Reginald Pelham Bolton, grandson of the founder of Bolton Priory and noted authority on Pelham and Westchester history, died on Wednesday at his home, No. 638 West 158th street, New York City.  Mr. Bolton was 85 years old.

He was born in England, the son of the Rev. James Bolton and Lydia Louisa Bolton.  His father was the son of the Rev. Robert Bolton, who established Christ's Church and built the Priory in Pelham Manor.  In his youth James Bolton had assisted his father in the construction of the church.  Reginald Bolton came to America in 1879 and took great pride in the Bolton family tradition and the church in Pelham Manor where he attended for many years.  He lived in Pelham Heights forty years ago and the church was the scene of his wedding.  

During Mr. Bolton's life in Pelham he assisted his uncle, the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, who was rector of the Church of the Redeemer, in North Pelham, with the revision of a second edition of the Bolton History of Westchester, which had been written by Robert Bolton, another son of the founder of the church.  The latter was the father of Miss Arabella Bolton, now residing in Pelham Manor.

Regionald Pelham Bolton was also the author of several historical articles about the Pelhams and Christ Church, which have been published by the Westchester County Historical Association [sic].

Mr. Bolton was also an authority on the history of New York and for many years he was engaged in excavating for relics of the Colonial period in the Inwood section of New York City, both privately and as a member of the New York Historical Society.  He was chairman of a committee of the Washington Heights Taxpayers Assocation, leading a successful fight in 1931 to prevent the demolition of the John James Audubon home at Riverside Drive and 155th street.

Mr. Bolton was a consulting engineer by profession and was president and chairman of the board of the Electric Motor Corporation, 116 East 19th street.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Ethelind Bolton; a daughter, Sister Mercedes of the Protestant Episcopal Community of St. Mary in Peekskill; and a son, Guy Bolton, who is a playwright.

The funeral service will be held tomorrow at the Chapel of the Intercession, 155th street and Broadway, New York City.  Cremation will follow."

Source:  Reginald Pelham Bolton, Historian Grandson Of Founder of Priory And Christ Church Died On Wednesday, The Pelham Sun, Feb. 20, 1942, Vol. 31, No. 47, p. 4, cols. 1-2.  

"REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON
-----

In the passing of Reginald Pelham Bolton on Wednesday, Pelham lost one whose name was inseparably associated with the history of our town.  Although he had lived for many years in the city of New York his interest was keen for Pelham.  It was his grandfather, Robert Bolton, who came to Pelham.  It was his grandfather, Robert Bolton, who came to Pelham and built the Priory at Shore Road and Pelhamdale avenue, the real manor house of Pelham to which came Washington Irving to discuss literature and events of the day.

Reginald Pelham Bolton was born in 1857 [sic] in England.  His father had returned to his native land.  Reginald Pelham Bolton, came to Pelham when he was 22 years of age.  He lived for several years on Sparks avenue in the building which afterward became the Village Hall of the Village of Pelham.  He was a familiar figure on the street with his big Newfoundland dog accompanying him.

Possessing the literary talents that were natural accomplishments of the Boltons he aided greatly in compiling the History of Westchester County which can be found in public libraries as the accepted authority on the subject.  His hobby was Indian history.  He delighted in discoveries of Indian relics and spent much time in determining their origin and developing their probable history.  He achieved fame as a consulting engineer and his services were in demand in many parts of the world.

Although the Reginald Bolton family departed from Pelham about the beginning of the century, Reginald's wide knowledge of the early days of Pelham was often sought by Pelham residents eager to know history of various places.  He numbered among his close friends, William R. Montgomery, Town Historian of Pelham.  The latter quite frequently acknowledged the assistance which Mr. Bolton rendered in furnishing data for papers dealing with the history of Pelham."

Source:  REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON, The Pelham Sun, Feb. 20, 1942, Vol. 31, No. 47, p. 2, cols. 1-2.  


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