An Historic Fiftieth Anniversary in Pelham During 1922

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A Golden Wedding Anniversary is a grand and glorious event, though rarely an historic event.  Yet, one such anniversary celebrated on Tuesday, November 14, 1922 rose to the level of an historic event in the little Town of Pelham.

That day, "anyone who was anyone" in the Town of Pelham attended a grand celebration of the Golden Wedding Anniversary of Isaac Carpenter Hill and Emma Jane Lovecraft Hill who were married in what was then the tiny little village of Mount Vernon on November 13, 1872.

Isaac C. Hill was one of the most significant and transformative public education figures in the early history of the Town of Pelham.  At the time of his marriage to Emma Jane Lovecraft in 1872, he was a school teacher in White Plains.  His new wife was a school teacher in Mount Vernon.  After the pair wedded, Isaac Hill moved to Mount Vernon.

In 1877, Isaac Hill became the "Principal" of the old Prospect Hill School on Split Rock Road.  Although he was designated the Principal, the tiny school was a one-room schoolhouse.  He was the only teacher.  

Prospect Hill Schoolhouse in an Undated Photograph.

Image Courtesy of the Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.

982 Split Rock Road Which Incorporates the Old Prospect

Hill Schoolhouse. Photograph by the Author, 2004.

I have written about Isaac C. Hill and his career in education before.  See, e.g.:

Tue., Sep. 27, 2005:  Isaac C. Hill's Reminiscences of Early Public Schools in Pelham. 

Tue., Mar. 28, 2006:  More Reminiscences of Isaac C. Hill of Early Public Schools in Pelham. 

Mon., Aug. 11, 2014:  Excerpts of January 8, 1889 Remarks Dedicating a New School Building in Pelhamville.

Mon., Jan. 12, 2015:  Isaac C. Hill, Involved with Pelham Education for Forty-Five Years, Retired in 1922.

On Tuesday, November 14, 1922, more than one hundred guests gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac C. Hill to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of the couple.  The gathering grew so large that an adjacent neighbor opened a nearby home to receive many of the guests who could not fit into the home of the Hills on Third Avenue in the Village of North Pelham.  

The celebration lasted from the early hours of the morning until the evening.  Rev. Herbert Haight Brown, pastor of the Church of the Redeemer in the Village of North Pelham, read the original marriage certificate of the couple to the crowd.  The couple also exhibited original wedding invitations from their ceremony in 1872 as well as a beautiful locket that contained "miniatures" of the couple at the time of their marriage.  The organist of the Church of the Redeemer played the wedding march from Richard Wagner's 1850 opera "Lohengrin."

Supper was served to nearly one hundred guests.  Isaac and Emma Jane Hill entertained the guests with a beautiful and remarkable duet "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," with Mrs. Hill playing the accompaniment on the piano.  According to The Pelham Sun "The steadiness of their voices was remarkable.  Despite their fifty years of married life and their advancing years, neither of them could be called old.  The passing years have only added maturity."

The Pelham Sun posted a lengthy list of the many astounding gifts that the couple received as well as a lengthy list of many of the guests who attended the grand celebration.  

Yes, because the celebration honored Isaac C. Hill, a beloved figure who devoted forty-five years of his life to public education service in the Town of Pelham, the event was indeed an historic one now part of the history of our little Town of Pelham.

"MR. AND MRS. ISAAC C. HILL

Pelham couple who celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding

at their Third avenue home last Monday.  They were married in the

Village of Mount Vernon in 1872.  Source:  Many Congratulations For

Pelham Couple At Their Golden Wedding -- Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hill of

Third Avenue Marked Completion of Fifty Years of Wedded Life With

Celebration Attended By Scores of Friends -- Were Married In the

Village of Mount Vernon In 1872, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 17, 1922, Vol.

13, No. 38, p. 1, cols. 3-4.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Many Congratulations For Pelham Couple At Their Golden Wedding
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Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hill of Third Avenue Marked Completion of Fifty Years of Wedded Life With Celebration Attended By Scores of Friends -- Were Married In the Village of Mount Vernon In 1872.
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It is seldom that a golden wedding anniversary is celebrated in the Pelhams, and still more seldom that such a celebration is attended with such unusual outpourings of affection and esteem as characterized the commemoration of fifty years of wedded life last Tuesday by Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Carpenter Hill of Third avenue, North Pelham.  From early morning hours until late in the evening visitors paid their respects to the happy couple, telegrams poured in from out of town friends.  Tokens of affection in wonderful array were brought and sent by their friends and the attendance at the reception held in the evening was such that the home of a neighbor was thrown open to receive some of the guests.  The home on Third avenue was beautifully decorated, being a veritable bower of chrysanthemums, roses, asters and autumn foliage mingled with artistic embellishments which made it a fairyland.

Features of the evening reception were the reading by Rev. H. H. Brown of the original marriage certificate, the exhibiting of the original wedding invitations and a locket containing miniatures of Mr. and Mrs. Hill at the time of their marriage.  Miss Peterson of Pelhamwood, organist of the Church of the Redeemer, played the wedding march from 'Lohen-

Continued on page 4

Golden Wedding Celebration
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Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hill Celebrated Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Last Tuesday
-----
Continued from page 1

grin'

Supper was served to almost one hundred guests, the tables being hosted by Mr. and Mrs. David Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ward, Mrs. Oscar Strieffler, and the Misses Iona, Helen and [illegible] Lyon, nieces of Mr. and Mrs. David Lyon.

Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hill were married on November 13, 1872, by Rev. Charles Seymour, rector, at Trinity Church in the then village of Mount Vernon.  At that time Mr. Hill was a teacher in the public schools in White Plains and Mrs. Hill, then Miss Emma Jane Lovecraft, officiated in like manner in the Mount Vernon schools.

Five years after their marriage, Mr. Hill came from Mount Vernon to become principal of the old Prospect School at Pelham Manor.  For forty-five years he has been identified with the educational system of The Pelhams, recently retiring from membership of the Board of Education, having closed his work as principal of Hutchinson School in 1914.  He has been a member of the vestry of the Church of the Redeemer for forty-[illegible] years and is now clerk of that body.  Mrs. Hill was for fourteen years organist of the same church and is still actively identified with the work of the parish as a member of the Parish Guild.  Both are beloved by members of the congregation.  

An interesting feature of the celebration was the singing by Mr. and Mrs. Hill of a duet 'When You and I Were Young, Maggie,' Mrs. Hill playing the accompaniment on the piano.  The steadiness of their voices was remarkable.  Despite their fifty years of married life and their advancing years, neither of them could be called old.  The passing years have only added maturity.

An interesting guest at the ceremonies was Mr. and Mrs. Charles Doad Hill of White Plains, who also celebrated their golden wedding [anniversary] on September 29th of this year.  Charles Hill is Isaac Hill's brother.

Among the list of gifts which were displayed in three rooms, owing to their great number, were the following:

Flowers, Parish Guild of the Church of the Redeemer; gold mounted cane, Vestry of the Church of the Redeemer; Tiffany-topaz brooch, Parish Guild of the Church of the Redeemer; $10 gold piece, Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Hill; gold and white dresser set, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lyon; gold match box and cameo brooch, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Brook; gold tea tile, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Herman; gold and glass cracker and cheese dish, Mrs. R. Hewitt; gold thimble, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Lyon; flowers, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sobel; gold pepper and salts, Mrs. M. Calderwood; gold dish, Mr. and Mrs. H. Hacker; two gold mounted fountain pens, Mr. and Mrs. A. Anderson; gold scarf pin, M. J. Lynch; gold bar pin, Miss Mary Lynch; old gold boudoir lamp, Mr. and Mrs. J. Lyon; oil painting, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Shinn; gold thermos bottle, Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Lyon; embroidered pillow cases, the Misses Hewitt; gold and glass syrup pitcher, Mrs. W. Lyon and Mrs. Vander-Roest; gold and glass vase, Judge and Mrs. I. B. Louis; gold and glass dish, Rev. and Mrs. E. B. Rice; flowers, Wm. Edinger; gold dish, Harry A. Anderson; Ovington cup and saucer, Mrs. and Miss Offinger; Ovington cup and saucer, Mr. and Mrs. M. Offinger; $5 gold piece, Prof. and Mrs. A. B. Davis; embroidered pillow cases, E. Merritt; flowers, Miss Agnes Ward; gold and glass dish, F. Case; gold piece, $2.50, Mrs. McGalliard; book, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wirth; thermos bottle, Mrs. J. Brengel; cigars, J. Brengel; cigars, Mrs. Eugene Meyer; Japanese tray, Mr. and Mrs. O. Strieffler; gold bon-bon dish, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Barker; flowers, the Misses Aspenleiter; gold and glass dish, Miss Ellen Freshney; flowers, Mrs. John B. Clegg; gold and glass dish, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Dobbs; filet lace scarf, Mrs. John Lowery; gold thimble, Mr. and Mrs. G. I. Karback; Tatting handkerchief; Mrs. H. I. Jones, gold tie clasp, Geo. Busteed; gold vanity pins, Mrs. Geo. Busteed; cigars, K. S. Durham; gold and glass mayonnaise bowl, Mrs. K. S. Durham; gold and glass dish, Mrs. MacCloud, Mrs. Rigg; gold and glass dish, Mrs. Hatch; box chocolates, Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hazen; hand painted mayonnaise bowl, Mr. and Mrs. J. Mollenhagen; flowers, Mrs. Godfrey Oden; bronze placque, Mr. and Mrs. J. Gulatsi; towel set, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe; peppers and salts, Mrs. Merz, and daughter; flowers, Mrs. Kate Mulligan; gold fish, the little Brengels; basket of flowers, Mr. and Mrs. B. Dick; peppers and salts, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick; flowers, Mrs. E. Semmons; cut glass vase and flowers, Mr. and Mrs. R. Scott; guest book, Rev. and Mrs. F. Anderson; peppers and salts, Mr. and Mrs. H. Blakeloke; bottle wine, Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Kennedy; flowers, Mrs. Merz; gold dish, Dr. and Mrs. Bryer; condiment set, Mr. and Mrs. J. Heisser; flowers, Mr. and Mrs. T. James; flowers, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Griffin; flowers, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Griffin; flowers, Mr. and Mrs. John Norman; flowers, Mr. and Miss Louis Kurtz; Pickard china gold plate, Mrs. Mary Dickinson; gold syrup jug and plate, Congressman and Mrs. Ben L. Fairchild.

One of the first to offer congratulations was Mrs. Hatch, who made Mrs. Hill's wedding gown fifty years ago.

Among those who attended the ceremonies and tendered personal congratulations were:  Prof. and Mrs. A. B. Davis, Rev. and Mrs. E. B. Rice, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scott, Mr. and Mrs. J. Brengel, Mrs. Mary Offinger, Miss J. Offinger, of Mt. Vernon; Miss Florence Busteel, of Bronxville; Mrs. Fannie Hatch of New York City, Mr. and Mrs. O. Strieffler, Mr. William Ernst, Mrs. Wm. Barry, Miss Agnes Ward, of New York City; Mr. and Mrs. MacCloud, Mrs. Riggs, Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Hill of Mt. Kisco; Mrs. A. F. Kitchel of Sound Beach, Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Van de Water, Mrs. George Lawrence, Mrs. Wm. Twells Tiers, Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Wardrop, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Harper, Mrs. Frederick Davies, H. J. Bickford, Judge A. N. Menkel, D. A. Kennedy, E. O. Bartlett, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Brook, Mrs. H. J. Carell, Miss Peterson, Mr. and Mrs. H. Chase, Miss Chae, Mrs. H. I. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Hoff, Rev. H. H. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. J. Ward, Mr. Edgar Merritt, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Shinn, Mrs. Robert Hewitt, Mr. and Mrs. M. Fitzpatrick, Mr. and Mrs. Alex. Anderson, Harry Anderson, J. Rolus, Jr., Mrs. Walter Barker, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Barker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hacker, Miss Helen Hewitt, the Misses Aspenleiter, Mr. and Mrs. Mm. Dobbs, Mrs. Ernest Mann, Mrs. F. Semmons, Mr. and Mrs. H. Blakelock, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ryan, Mrs. E. McGalliard, Mr. and Mrs. John Clegg, Mrs. Edward Temple, Miss Susan Singer, Mrs. Vander Roest, Mrs. Grace Lyones, Judge and Mrs. I. B. Louis, Thomas M. Kennett, Miss Ione Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Zoebel, Mrs. Matthew Herman, Mrs. M. Calderwood, Miss Helen Lyon, Mr. M. J. Lynch, Miss Mary Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. H. Playle, Mrs. Carew, Mrs. W. B. Lyon and little Eleanor, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Fassler, Miss Anita Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. J. Buchanan, Mr. and Mrs. J. Gulatsi, Mr. John Lowery, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Offinger, Mrs. G. I. Karback, Mrs. Loretta Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. Young, Mr. and Mrs. J. Mollenhagen, Rev. Dr. Louis G. Leary, Mrs. Godfrey Oden, Mrs. Kate Mulligan, Miss Mulligan, Mr. and Mrs. A. Monroe, Mrs. Merz, Miss Emma Merz, Miss L. Merz, Mr. Wm. Edinger, Mrs. Augusta Keller, Mrs. Thomas Barker, Miss Caroline Barker, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barker, Mrs. Harriet Barker, Mrs. Mary Dickinson.

Over a hundred telegrams and letters were received.  From Congressman and Mrs. Ben L. Fairchild at Washington came hearty congratulations; others arrived from Kansas City, Rochester, N. Y., Syracuse, Danbury, Ct., North Hero, Vt., and other places.

Mr. and Mrs. Hill wish to take this opportunity of thanking all their many friends for their wonderful expressions of good will."

Source:  Many Congratulations For Pelham Couple At Their Golden Wedding -- Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Hill of Third Avenue Marked Completion of Fifty Years of Wedded Life With Celebration Attended By Scores of Friends -- Were Married In the Village of Mount Vernon In 1872, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 17, 1922, Vol. 13, No. 38, p. 1, cols. 3-4 & p. 4, cols. 1-4.

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The Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of The Pelham Home for Children in 1938

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One of the most important philanthropic institutions ever founded in Pelham was The Pelham Home for Children.  In 1888, a group of Pelham residents organized "The Pelham Home for Children" as a summer home for New York City's underprivileged children.  The home began as part of the Fresh Air Fund program.  Initially, the institution was known as "The Summer Home" and initially was located in North Pelham.  It opened in the Spring and closed in the Autumn each year.

At about the turn of the century, those involved with the institution began searching for a more permanent location.  James F. Secor, William B. Randall, and B. Collins took the lead and decided to purchase a plot along today's Split Rock Road in Pelham Manor on land once owned by Aaron Burr and, later, the Prevost family.  The land cost $1,500.  The three men needed to raise $100 immediately to bind the contract for purchasing the property.  They raised the $100 in 24 hours, with most coming from Emily Hall Hazen, headmistress of Pelham Hall (otherwise known as Mrs. Hazen's School for Girls).

Pelhamites embraced the institution with gusto.  They raised additional monies and constructed an entirely new building.  Over the years, the charity evolved into a convalescent summer home for children, particularly girls, with cardiac issues. The entire town supported the institution which became a year-round place of rest that offered youngsters schooling and medical care. 

The Pelham Home for Children operated until 1950.  On June 15, 1950, the board of the institution decided to dissolve the institution and distribute its assets to other charitable organizations because "more recent and beneficial treatments could be given the youngsters than the home was equipped for."  See Cardiac Home To Give $62,945 To 2 Hospitals, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Apr. 8, 1951, p. 1, col. 4 and p. 2, col. 5.

I have written about The Pelham Home for Children on a number of occasions.  For a few examples, see:

Fri., Feb. 07, 2014:  Early History of The Pelham Home for Children, an Early Pelham Charity.

Thu., Apr. 14, 2005:  The Pelham Home for Children that Once Stood on Split Rock Road.    

Fri., Mar. 13, 2009:  Pelham Women Stage Benefit for the "Summer School for Children" in 1900.    

Tue., Jul. 14, 2009:  Successful Fundraiser for the Pelham Home for Children that Once Stood on Split Rock Road. 

On Wednesday, January 26, 1938, Pelhamites gathered at The Pelham Home for Children to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the institution.  A grand tea celebrated not only The Pelham Home for Children, but also one of its board members, Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland of Pelham Manor, who had served on the Board of the institution for all fifty years of its existence.

The account of the celebration provides fascinating background regarding the history of the institution.  It also provides important insight into the goals of the charitable organization and the way it was run -- from running a school in the building for the children being treated there to providing recreational and other opportunities for the youngsters, many of whom had suffered heart damage from the scourges of rheumatic fever and scarlet fever.   The account of the Golden Anniversary celebration is transcribed in its entirety below.

Post Card View of the "Pelham Summer Home" in About 1908.

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"Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland Director For 50 Years At Pelham Home Is Honored
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Prominent Manor Resident Honored on Occasion of Convalescent Home's 50th Anniversary.  Drs. Sclater, Evans and Coburn are Heard at Annual Meeting.  Roscoe Ingalls and Perrin Galpin Also Gave Brief Talks.
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Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland of Pelham Manor, at present the first vice-president of the Pelham Home for Children, cardiac convalescent institution on Split Rock Road was guest of honor at tea at the Home on Wednesday afternoon, following the annual business meeting, the occasion marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Home, and Mrs. Gilliland's fiftieth year as a director.  

Mrs. Gilliland who has long been a prominent resident in the Manor was one of the first to become interested in the project of a Summer Home for New York Children in Pelham, fifty years ago.  She has served continuously on the board for half a century.  The Summer Home originally located in North Pelhlam opened in the Spring and closed in the Autumn.  Later the Home was housed in the Split Rock Road building and became an incorporated institution in 1898.  For the past 22 years it has been a convalescent institution for cardiac children.  

Through the long years of its development from small beginnings, Mrs. Gilliland has been closely identified with its progress.  From 1902 to 1910 she was chairman of the visiting committee; from 1910 to 1922 chairman of the house committee; 1923-24 on the Thrift Shop committee.  In 1925 she became third vice-president and in 1929, first vice-president, the office she now holds.

Mrs. Gilliland received many congratulations on her long term of devoted service and received a bouquet of fifty roses, from the officers and directors of the Home.

(Continued on Page 4)

Mrs. E. T. Gilliland Served 50 Years As Pelham Home Director
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(Continued from Page 1)

The presentation was made by Bertha Liberi, one of the convalescents at the home.  Mrs. Gilliland expressed her thanks for 'the wonderful tribute' paid her.

Dr. Sclater is Heard

Dr. J. G. Sclater of the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh who is associated with Dr. Alvin Coburn in his research in the subject of rheumatic heart disease told his audience that it was essential for the state to take over the problem of convalescence for the future.

He expressed the hope that the Pelham Home will carry on with its splendid work, giving the doctors encouragement to continue with their research in an effort to discover the causes of the disease.

Dr. Sclater, touching on the connection of the environment with disease said that if we give a community, or keep it up to a reasonable standard of health the incidence of disease would be very low.  Dr. Sclater pointed out that in every case of rheumatic heart disease, the patient suffers either temporary or permanent heart damage.  'It is your job,' he added, 'to prevent that temporary damage from becoming permanent.'  Rest for the patient is one of the factors in achieving this end.

Dr. Philip Evans of Great Ormonda Street Hospital, London, another guest speaker, presented an historical survey of rheumatic heart disease and predicted a magnificent future for the Home, in view of its past achievements.

Dr. Alvin Coburn, in a brief talk emphasized the great importance of the newly-built sun deck for the convalescents and congratulated the Home on the way in which it continuously allies itself with the spirit of progress, in meeting its problems.

Roscoe C. Ingalls Speaks

Roscoe C. Ingalls, past president of the Community Chest offering his congratulation, said the Home has done well by the youngsters it has and is caring for and by the community.  Mr. Ingalls read the names of directors who in its history have served for a period over twenty years.  They included:  the late Mrs. Robert C. Black, 30 years; the late Mrs. Joan Secor, 27 years; Mrs. William Leslie, 26 years; Mrs. E. E. Sinclair, 24 years; [illegible] . . . Mrs. Jas. Elliott, 22 years; Mrs. James Edgar Morris, 21 years; Mrs. E. Kendall Gillett, 21 years; Mrs. J. A. Migel, 21 years; Mrs. A. R. Van De Water, 21 years; Mrs. Gilliland, 50 years.

'The Pelham Home,' Mr. Ingalls pointed out, 'until three years ago had on its board, descendants of one of its founders, Mrs. Charles Frederick Heywood.  She was succeeded by her daughter, the late Mrs. Charles P. Rogers, who was succeeded by her daughter, Mrs. Henry H. Fox.

'The site of land on which the Home stands was known as Bartow Lane, and was purchased from one of the descendants of Aaron Burr, who was Mrs. Adelaide S. Prevost, for the sum of $1,500.

Mr. James F. Secor and Mr. William B. Randall and Mr. B. Collins transacted the business of purchasing the property.'  'Mr. Randall has recalled' Mr. Ingalls said, 'that it was necessary to raise $100 in twenty-four hours in order to bind the contract, and although that sum was hard to find, Mrs. Randall and he found some of it and Mrs. Hazen went up-stairs to the First National Bank and found the balance.'

Mr. Perrin C. Galpin, president of the Pelham Community Chest, extended the greetings of that body and said that the Home may be known for its care of convalescents and for the long life and long service of its devoted workers.  From the point of view of the layman, Mr. Galpin indicated the importance of 'seeing the vision along with the doctors and the nurses,' in a realization of the importance of the work that is being performed.

Nominating Committee Report

The following were reelected to the Board of Directors at the business session:  Mrs. Lockwood Barr, Mrs. W. Beach Day, Mrs. Field Mrs. W. S. Finlay, Jr., Mrs. Perrin C. Galpin, Mrs. Francis E. Haag, Mrs. Robert J. Leonard, Mrs. Jas. Edgar Morris, Mrs. George M. Sicard and Mrs. John T. Snyder.  The report of the nominating committee was presented by Mrs. James F. Chaffee, third vice-president who also read the reports of the various standing committees.

Mrs. Benjamin L. Fairchild, chairman of the Building Committee presented a report on the new school room, sun deck and dining room, sun deck and dining room that were added to the Home during the Summer months.  The old classroom, has been made into a much needed playroom.  Mrs. Morris presented the treasurer's report; Mrs. Black the auditor's report and Mrs. Morris also the budget report.

The annual election of officers has been deferred until the board meeting on February 3.

The afternoon's meeting was opened by Rev. Edward Thomas Taggard, Rector of Christ's Church who offered a prayer.

Mrs. W. Beach Day and Mrs. Robert J. Leonard were in charge of arrangements for tea.  Presiding at the tea tables were:  Mrs. R. Clifford Black, Mrs. Lockwood Barr, Mrs. Roscoe C. Ingalls, Mrs. James Elliott, Mrs. Arthur Van De Water, Mrs. John T. Snyder.

Assisting in serving were Miss Eleanor Fox, Miss Eileen Giblin, Miss Rosaleen Giblin, Miss Jean Brundage, Mrs. Matthew Pirone, Mrs. Richard H. Smith, Mrs. Frederick Johnston, Jr., and Mrs. John Balet.

Among the guests present were:  Dr. Walter H. Brundage, Rev. Arthur Campbell and Rev. Willard P. Soper.

Mrs. Field's annual report was in part as follows:

'This very suspicious [sic] occasion, the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Pelham Summer Home, is to have as its main feature, the honoring of our first vice-president, Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland, who is serving her fiftieth year as a Director.

'To look ahead fifty years seems like endless time, but to look back twenty or more years, to the time when some of us became interested in the Home seems short, and yet Mrs. Gilliland and her co-workers of that early date probably feel that fifty years has not been so long.

'It probably did not enter the minds of these pioneering workers what firm foundations they were building, nor how valuable and far-reaching their efforts were to become.

The Home, A Product of Pelham People

'The Home is in every sense the product of Pelham people and to Pelham people, past and present is due the credit for its existence and its accomplishments.

'While it is modest in its makeup, it stands as a monument of unselfishness and sincere good-will to a small community which is doing its bit to help its fellowman, and to help make the work a healthier and happier place in which to live.'

The New Wing, A Notable Improvement

'Our outstanding effort during the past year was the erection of the new wing, that fulfilled the necessity for out-door accommodations for bed patients and indoor play space for ambulant children.

'The old school room was renovated and now lends itself admirably as a play room.

'We would urgently invite you to visit the Home during any normal day's activities, as we know that you will be much inspired by the children's contentment and happiness.

'Another major piece of construction that was forced upon us during the year, was the tearing out and replacing of several floors in the basement that had been reduced to pulp, under a shell of this wood, eaten away by termites.

'A further improvement that the Pelham Manor Fire Department had been urging upon us for some time was a fire resistant wall between the furnace and the basement stairway.

'Insulation of the cap of the house and repairs and replacements in electrical wiring were other improvements.

'When the Building Fund was created by some gifts early in 1929 it was secretly hoped by some of us that the Fiftieth Anniversary would be celebrated in a new fire-proof building.

'While we were unable to realize this dream, as a matter of space and utility, the present building now lends itself very, very well to the work being done, and we wonder if a complete new building would be any more adaptable.

'We are very much indebted to Mrs. Benjamin L. Fairchild and her committee for their untiring efforts in supervising the Building Program and bringing it to such a satisfactory completion.'

Seventy Children Cared for During Years

'We cared for 70 children during the year, four of whom were Westchester County children.  A few have been with us three years, some are in their second.  Only thirteen who were here less than a year were discharged, and four of this group were transferred to hospitals for additional medical care.  'Many of these children have had prolonged periods of time in bed.  A few of them spent as long as two years in the 'Land of Counterpane,' as one member of the Community Chest so ably termed it.  With such long periods in bed, one can readily see whey it is necessary to have facilities for getting the children out of doors and into the sunshine.

'Weather permitting, all of the children now get out of doors every day and you will find the bed-patients carrying a good coat of tan as you visit them.

'Dr. Alvin Coburn and his associates are giving the children very close attention.  Dr. Brundage is always available when needed, and Dr. Heyl and Dr. H. N. Stevenson, together with Dr. Swift and Dr. Brodhead have rendered services when called upon.

'We feel very much honored that Dr. Coburn chose the Pelham Home as one of his units of research.  We have tried to be of as much assistance to him in his work, as our space and means would permit.

School Work Every Day

'All children, unless acutely ill, or otherwise indisposed, carry on their school work every day under the supervision of Miss Aimee Gibbon, who has been conducting the Cardiopathic Class since it was started in the Home, in February, 1924.  The largest class in our history, eight in number, was graduated from Grammar School, last June.  Four of these girls are now having visiting teachers supervise their High School work in their own homes, since the Board of Education does not provide special High School classes for cardiacs, as it does for grade students.

'It is most encouraging to learn of the many children who retain their good health long after they go home, despite their cardiac conditions.  Most of them finish High School work, find their places in the world and earn their own living.  Several of the girls are now married and ably taking care of homes and families.

'Another bit of encouragement is the number of children who return to visit the Home after they have been discharged.  Some of them return every year, recalling happy occasions, and wishing they might return to stay.  Especially, are they eager since the house has been enlarged.  It is true with convalescents as it is with all other groups, that 'We do not live by bread alone'.'

The Recreation Program

'By way of diversion, the children have a recreation period every afternoon from three until five o'clock.  The bed-patients are entertained three afternoons a week by thee Service League members, and the older girls are members of Pelham Home Scout Troop No. 3.  Also, parties are held on various holidays to relieve the monotony.

'Our well, established custom is the Christmas Eve party with its profusion of gaily wrapped gifts, beautiful tree and the arrival of Santa Claus, sponsored by the Christmas Aid Fund of Mount Vernon.  You would enjoy this party and return in spirit, to your childhood days, as your President and other Directors have done for many years.  Indeed, it would not be Christmas to us if we missed this party.  

'We are greatly indebted to the many friends and to the various organizations that make the parties possible, and bring happiness to the children.

'The food budget was materially augmented during the year, with gifts and donations.  Despite the rising prices in this line, we remained well under the budget figures, and kept the purchase price down to 27 cents per person per day.'

$1.53 Cost of Each Child Per Day

'The cost of the care of each child was one dollar and fifty-three cents per day.  Although these figures seem very low, we do most of our purchasing at wholesale prices, and we send our children home, having gained from ten to thirty pounds in weight.'

Plan Improvement of Grounds

'We hope it will be possible, in the near future, to improve the grounds in the rear of the building, to conform to the new Hutchinson River Parkway that is adjacent to our property and recently opened to traffic.  The opening of the Parkway has materially reduced traffic in front of the Home and is a great asset.  We have been offered a quantity of shrubs and some trees when we are ready to make the improvements.

'We depend upon our monthly check from the Thrift Shop as one does his weekly pay check.  It has become such an established asset.

'Our Sustaining Factor -- The Community Chest'

'Our sustaining factor, the Community Chest, of which you are all a part, has been our great comforter for several years.

'Your president is most grateful for the sustaining hands of your all.  She voices the sentiments and appreciation of the Board in according you her heartfelt thanks; and asks your continued service in sponsoring the efforts so nobly started a half century ago.

'Let us all continue to uphold the heritage and tradition handed down to us by those women whose charity has reached the vast unknown, in the care of His loved ones.'

Among those who received invitations to the tea honoring Mrs. Gilliland were:  Mrs. C. R. Gillett, Mrs. E. C. Beecroft, Mrs. J. D. Baker, Mrs. J. D. Currie, Mrs. A. L. Hammett, Mrs. H. G. K. Heath, Mrs. George A. Jeffers, Mrs. Edward C. King, Mrs. George W. Lawrence, Mrs. James F. Longley, Mrs. William H. Orchard, Mrs. Edward Penfield, Mrs. Mont D. Rogers, Mrs. E. E. Sinclair, Mrs. Loren O. Thompson, Mrs. J. C. Wilberding, Mrs. George L. Eaton, Mrs. E. S. Whitall, Mrs. E. P. Bacon.

Also, Miss Anna Secor, Mrs. F. W. Whitehouse, Mrs. William L. Dench, Mrs. William H. Leslie, Mrs. T. J. Deuscher, Mrs. A. F. Decker, Mrs. G. G. Wood, Mrs. Everett Pervere, Mrs. Harriet Jacob, Mrs. W. W. Damon, Miss Anna C. North, Mrs. Gordon M. Buck, Mrs. A. G. Adriance, Mrs. George Phelps, Mrs. Ralph Rogers, Mrs. Francis Kingsley, Mrs. Henry H. Fox, Mrs. James L. Gerry, Mrs. Walter H. McIlroy, Mrs. William B. Randall, Mrs. George Taylor, Mrs. George Batcheller, Mrs. Allston Gerry."

Source:  Mrs. Ezra T. Gilliland Director For 50 Years At Pelham Home Is Honored -- Prominent Manor Resident Honored on Occasion of Convalescent Home's 50th Anniversary.  Drs. Sclater, Evans and Coburn are Heard at Annual Meeting.  Roscoe Ingalls and Perrin Galpin Also Gave Brief Talks, The Pelham Sun, Jan. 28, 1938, Vol. 28, No. 43, p. 1, cols. 5-6 & p. 4, cols. 3-7. 

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The Village of North Pelham Celebrated the Golden Jubilee of its Incorporation During Festivities in 1946

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On August 29, 1946, the Village of North Pelham held a magnificent celebration of the Golden Jubilee anniversary of the incorporation of the village fifty years earlier.  Village police distributed a beautiful jubilee celebration booklet to every household in the village.  Every store and building along Fifth Avenue was festooned with flags and bunting.  Thousands and thousands of colorful lights were strung along the street.  The Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York, Joe Hanley, attended and spoke.  There was a massive parade, athletic events, a soapbox derby, a traditional Pelham "fatte calf" ceremony, a family picnic, a fireworks display, a street dance with full orchestra and vocalists, and more.  A portion of the celebration was broadcast by radio station WFAS, 1230 on the am dial.  

Perhaps most significantly for the tiny little village, there was a bond-burning ceremony.  The Village of North Pelham had successfully retired the entirety of its bonded indebtedness and chose its golden jubilee celebration as the occasion to burn retired bonds as a symbol of its complete freedom from all bonded debt.

Even the newspaper of the City of Mount Vernon, The Daily Argus, joined in congratulating the Village of North Pelham.  A host of articles about the celebration appeared the day before in the August 28, 1946 issue of the newspaper.  Those articles, and one photograph that appeared with them, are set forth below.

"Colorful Festivities To Mark North Pelham's Golden Jubilee

Sports, Parade, Costume Ceremonies Planned; Lieut.-Gov. Hanley To Speak Tomorrow Night

NORTH PELHAM -- This village is decorated like a Christmas tree and gay with flags and bunting in readiness for its all-day celebration tomorrow of the 50th anniversary of its incorporation.

Lieutenant Governor Joe Hanley will be the principal speaker, and several thousand visitors from neighboring Westchester communities are expected to attend.

Tomorrow North Pelham also will commemorate the retirement of the last of its bonded indebtedness, making it debt free.

Every store on Fifth Avenue, the village's main street where the festivities will take place, is hung with flags and bunting.  Thousands of vari-colored lights have been strung up across Fifth Avenue at Town Hall and at Fire Headquarters by Theodore French, chairman of lighting.  The exterior of Town Hall has been freshly painted and the erection and decoration of a speakers' stand in front of it has been completed.  

The celebration will begin at 1 P. M. with a soap box derby and other athletic events for the children, until 3 P. M.  Athletic directors at the various village playgrounds and day camps will be in charge of the events.  Carl Schilling of Hutchinson School Playground, Richard Lacey of the Pelican Day Camp, and Earl La-

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North Pelham 

(Continued from Page One)

Barre of the Pelham Hobby Club comprise the committee headed by Fred Kennett.

To Give 'Fatted Calf'

At 3:30 P. M. the ceremony of the presentation of the fatted calf by the City of New Rochelle will take place.  This is the revival of a custom that dates back to 1689 when the Huguenot refugees from France purchased the site of the present City of New Rochelle from Sir John Pell, Lord of the Manor, where Pelham now stands.  As part of the contract for purchase of the land, the Huguenots agreed to a provision:  'forever yielding and paying unto John Pell, his heirs and assign one fatte calf on every four and twentieth day of June yearly and every year forever, if demanded * * * '

Mayor Stanley W. Church of New Rochelle will bring the calf in an old farm wagon and present it to Mayor Dominic Amato of North Pelham.

Mayor Church will be accompanied by a group of New Rochelle citizens garbed in Huguenot costumes.

From 5 to 7 P. M. a family picnic will be held on the grounds of the Town Hall.  Mrs. W. Wallace Downes is chairman.  Refreshments will be sold from booths, and proceeds will go to the churches in charge.

Dinner for Hanley

Lieutenant Governor Hanley will be met at the town's boundary line at 6 P. M. and escorted by a motorcycle escort composed of patrolmen from each of the three Pelhams to the Pelham Country Club, where he will be guest of honor at a dinner.  Invitations have been extended to County Executive Herbert Gerlach, William F. Bleakley, former County Executive; Town Supervisor George Lambert, the mayors of the three Pelhams, and trustees and officials of North Pelham. 

At 7 P. M., Lieutenant Governor Hanley will review a gala parade in which most of Pelham's civic and fraternal organizations will take part.

The day's formal exercises will begin at 8:45 P. M. at the speakers' stand in front of Town Hall, when Lieutenant Governor Hanley will make an address.  He will be introduced by Frank W. Shober, chairman of the steering committee of the celebration.

The ceremony of the burning of the village bonds will be featured at this time.

Fireworks Show at 10 P. M.

At 10 P. M. an elaborate fireworks display will be held under the direction of Fire Chief Irving J. Wallach.  Dancing on the street, and entertainment by Joe Downing and his orchestra and a number of vocalists will continue until midnight.

Auxiliary police will assist local police during the festivities.  Mayor Amato has proclaimed the day a holiday, and stores will close at noon.

The program from 830 to 930 P. M. will be broadcast over WFAS, 1230 on the dial.  This will include the bond burning ceremony and Lieutenant Governor Hanley and other speakers.  The broadcast is being donated by the Pelham Branch of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon."

Source:  Colorful Festivities To Mark North Pelham's Golden Jubilee, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1946, p. 1, cols. 5-6 & p. 9, cols. 5-6.

"THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PELHAM and its Mayor,

Dominic Amato (left) will be hosts tomorrow to Lieutenant

Governor Joe R. Hanley (right), who will speak in the evening

after a day of colorful festivities."  Source:  Colorful Festivities To Mark

North Pelham's Golden Jubilee, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY],

Aug. 28, 1946, p. 1, cols. 5-6.

"Anniversary Program

The program for the 50th anniversary observance of North Pelham tomorrow follows:

1 to 3 P. M. -- Athletics; course, Fifth Avenue starting from Second Street.  Box race at Station Plaza down First Street.

3:30 to 5 P. M. -- Ceremony of Fatted Calf at Town Hall, Fifth Avenue.  Calf presented by Mayor Stanley W. Church of New Rochelle.

5 to 7 P. M. -- Family picnic on grounds of Town Hall under direction of Congregational Church, St. Catharine's Church and Church of the Redeemer.

7 to 8:30 P. M. -- Parade, with Frederick M. Wirth grand marshal.  Line of march starts at Station Plaza.  

8:45 to 9:45 P. M. -- Address by Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Hanley, with introduction by Frank W. Shober, chairman of the 50th Anniversary Committee.

9:45 to 10 P. M. -- Burning of North Pelham's bonds in Town Park, signalling the end of the village's bonded indebtedness.

10 P. M. -- Fireworks at Third Street and Fifth Avenue under direction of Fire Chief Irving J. Wallach.

10:15 P. M. -- Dancing and entertainment under direction of George Usbeck.  Joe Downing and orchestra, and vocalists."

Source:  Anniversary Program, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1946, p. 9, cols. 6-7.

"No. Pelham Dates Its Identity As Village As Far Back As 1825

NORTH PELHAM -- The actual identity of the Village of North Pelham, which tomorrow will hold a gala celebration of the 50th anniversary of its incorporation, can be said to have begun around 1825, according to Lockwood Barr of Pelham Manor, town historian, who has made a hobby of Pelham history and tradition.  

The earliest maps of Pelham date back to 1711, showing an Indian trail parallel to and east of the Hutchinson River from City Island up to what is now the tip of North Pelham.  Out of this trail developed the modern highways of Split Rock Road, Wolf's Lane, Fifth Avenue and Pelhamdale Avenue North.

Mr. Barr's research shows that the first mention in the archives of that tract of land which is now Pelham Heights and North Pelham was in 1727 when Thomas Pell, the third Lord of the Manor, sold a tract of land to one 'Edward Blagge of New York, Gentleman.'  It was the tract from Hutchinson River east to the New Rochelle line and north of the Old Boston Road, now Colonial Avenue, up to the point of the present North Pelham.  The Pell family regained the tract in 1732 when Blagge resold the tract to Thomas Pell, Jr., son of the third Thomas, Lord of the Manor.  This tract was broken up into several large properties in the hundred years up to 1825.

Town Established in 1825 [sic]

By 1825 the Town of Pelham had been established as a political entity, covering the present township and also a large area of what is now the East Bronx, including Pelham Bay Park, and City Island, which was the chief village.  The seat of government was nearer the latter place, with the Town Hall on Shore Road, close to what is now the road to Orchard Beach.  During this era there came into being a settlement known as Pelhamville.  In 1848, when the main line of the New Haven Railroad was constructed, Pelhamville was important enough to be designated as a site for a station.  Old maps show that the proposed line was to bisect Pelhamville.  

Mr. Barr's research shows that this railroad also cut in two a parcel of land indicated on the map as a 'race field,' adjacent to the Hutchinson River.  

The first survey map of the land records go back to the original grant to Lord Pell.

Map Shows Land Records

Land records in North Pelham date only as far back as what is known as the 'Bryson Map,' dated 1851, but prior to this time there had been organized a group known as the Pelhamville Village Association, whose purpose was to develop a certain tract of land lying north of the proposed railroad line, and east of the Hutchinson River.  The association had purchased the Wolf farm and had laid out streets and residential plots and a business district.  That plan has been continued as the present plan of the Village of of North Pelham.

Pelhamville's station was a bleak building, the only remaining symbol of which has been memorialized on the seal of the Village of North Pelham.  It was a plain two-and-a-half story building situated on the north side of the tracks on the site now occupied by the Pelham Post Office.  It also housed the Post Office, established there in 1878, and it and the Town Hall -- relocated in Pelhamville in 1896 when New York City annexed City Island and other areas west of the river -- were the center of local interest.

Big Wreck at Depot

Pelham station was the scene of one of the worst wrecks in early New Haven Railroad history on Christmas night, 1898 [sic], when the locomotive and tender of the Boston Flyer left the rails and plunged down the embankment just west of the station building, killing one and injuring several persons.  The wooden platform had been blown over the tracks by the severe storm, and the locomotive crashed into it.  

Pelhamville's first school was opened sometime before 1866, near the site of the present Hutchinson School.  The late Isaac C. Hill was principal for more than 40 years.  In an article published Dec. 20, 1913, he told of his transfer to the school from the old Prospect Hill Scchool in Pelhham Manor, in January, 1878.  Pelhamville, he said, was 'a little hamlet of 48 houses.'  The school was a small frame building containing two classrooms and accommodated 50 pupils.  The original Hutchinson School was opened in January, 1890. 

In 1859 the Church of the Redeemer was established in Pelhamville as a chapel under the direction of Christ Church on the Shore Road in Pelham Manor.  It was under the direction of Miss Bolton of Pelham Priory.  St. Catharine's was established January 11, 1896, and the Congregational Church in July, 1919.

The late Jacob Heisser, first president of the Village, is authority for the statement that 'the population of Pelhamville in 1862 was fifty persons and in 1877 it jumped to 245.'

Four Train Stops

Four trains stopped at Pelhamville station, if you flagged them, and you paid your fare of 50 cents to New York, on the train.  In 1872 the ticket office was opened and trains made regular stops.  

Agitation for incorporating the village grew during the years, and early in 1896 there was action.

Among those credited as being sponsors were Mr. Heisser, Otto Stroetzel, John H. Young, C. A. Barker, Alex Kennedy, G. I. Karbach, James W. Penny, George Glover, George Pearson, August Godfrey, Mrs. Broege, Seth T. Lyman, Louis C. Young, W. J. Evert, M. J. Woods, William Edinger, Isaac C. Hill, John Case, S. Gregoor, J. A. R. Greer and S. E. Field.

The referendum for incorporation was carried by a margin of only two votes, 67 affirmative and 65 negative."  

Source:  No. Pelham Dates Its Identity As Village As Far Back As 1825, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1946, p. 9, cols. 2-4.  

"Village Issues 2,500 Copies Of Souvenir Program

NORTH PELHAM -- More than 2,500 copies of a souvenir program of the golden jubilee celebration of the incorporation of the Village of North Pelham were distributed this week to every householder in this village by local police.  Copies were also mailed to all out-of-town contributors to the fund for the celebration which totals, $1,891.25.

The booklet, which consists of 22 pages, includes an article on the history of the village, illustrated with photographs of all its presidents and mayors since it was incorporated in 1896.

'The Birth of A Village,' by J. Gardner Minard, a resident of North Pelham for more than 50 years, gives personal recollections of the historical development of the village, including the first industries and businesses.  It is illustrated with old photographs of the village.  

The names of the more than 200 sponsors of the celebration who contributed funds are listed.  A poem in honor of the jubilee written by D. J. Kennedy, oldest living village official of North Pelham, is included in the booklet.

The cover is adorned with a drawing by F. P. Schall, showing bonded debts burning in the flames of a torch.  The cost of the program was donated by the Pelham branch of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon.  

Gordon Miller was chairman of the souvenir program committee."

Source:  Village Issues 2,500 Copies of Souvenir Program, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1946, p. 9, col. 4.  

"Hussey Congratulates Village On Jubilee

NORTH PELHAM -- Mayor Amato today received the congratulations of May William H. Hussey of Mount Vernon on the 50th anniversary of the founding of North Pelham, which the village is celebrating tomorrow.  

Mayor Hussey's letter follows:

'In behalf of the citizens of the City of Mount Vernon and myself I extend most cordial greetings to you and your residents on this occasion of your fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Village of North Pelham.

'I wish also to congratulate you upon your attainment of the enviable position of having your village free from debt.  Few cities, towns and villages can boast of this achievement.

'You have a truly fine village.  I have always admired the friendly, neighborly and cooperative community spirit that exists among your inhabitants.  

'May your village prosper for many years to come, just as it had prospered since its incorporation.'"

Source:  Hussey Congratulates Village on Jubilee, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 28, 1946, p. 9, col. 5.  

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