New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia Used Bartow-Pell Mansion as a Summer City Hall

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."

The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Carriage House is yet another Pelham landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Located in today's Pelham Bay Park a few hundred yards from the Pelham Manor border, the Bartow-Pell estate is one of the most stunning reminders of what life was like in the grand estates that once lined the shores of Eastchester Bay and Pelham Bay overlooking Long Island Sound.

The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Part of Bartow-Pell's illustrious history includes its use as a Summer City Hall by New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia during the 1930s.  Today's Historic Pelham article provides a little more on the history of Bartow-Pell and its use by La Guardia.

According to tradition, Thomas Pell gathered with a great multitude of Englishmen and Native Americans beneath a giant oak on the land that later became the Bartow-Pell estate and signed the deed by which the Native Americans transferred about 50,000 acres of land to Pell.  This land became known as the Manor of Pelham.  

John Bartow, who married Ann Pell, bought a large estate that included the lands that form the grounds today in 1790.  He sold the property to a wealthy New York City Merchant, Herman LeRoy, in 1813.  More than two decades later, Bartow's grandson, Robert Bartow, purchased the property, thereby returning ownership of the property to the Bartow family.  Bartow built the mansion and carriage house by 1842.  Members of the Bartow family owned and managed the estate for nearly the next fifty years until Bartow heirs sold the estate and grounds to New York City in 1888 as the City was assembling the parcels necessary to form today's Pelham Bay Park.

Although the mansion, carriage house, and estate were used by various charitable organizations for a number of years, it was leased to The International Garden Club in 1914 for use as its headquarters.  For the next four years the mansion and carriage house were restored and formal gardens were designed by Delano & Aldrich.  

Because of the foresight and efforts of The International Garden Club, soon the mansion was the only one along Pelham Road (Shore Road) that still stood by the mid-20th century.  All the other grand estates that once stood in that area were demolished.

During the summer of 1936, the Bartow-Pell Mansion had a particularly notable resident.  Beginning on Wednesday, July 1, 1936, New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia moved into the mansion and used it for more than a month as New York City's "Summer City Hall."

Countless news articles were written about La Guardia's time in Bartow Mansion.  Many were intensely critical of his choice of the mansion as a Summer City Hall because it was located more than a mile away from the end of the Pelham Bay subway line and, thus, was considered inaccessible to the many supplicants who visited the Mayor's office daily.  Indeed, the Mayor was the target of so much criticism, before the end of his time in the Bartow Mansion he announced that the following summer he would find a location "somewhere" in the borough of Queens to serve as his Summer City Hall.  

On July 2, 1936, The Pelham Sun reported:

"Mayor LaGuardia Now A Neighbor
-----

Another Mayor came to Pelham this week, but this time it's Pelham Bay.  Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, chief executive of New York City, has moved his office to the old Bartow mansion on the Shore road, near Split Rock road, and now the business of the biggest city in the United States is transacted right on Pelham Manor's doorstep.  La Guardia, who makes his summer home at Westport [CT], will commute between that place and the Bartow Mansion during the summer.  In the winter the Bartow Mansion, one of the old historical relics is used as the headquarters of the International Garden Club."

Source:  Mayor LaGuardia Now A Neighbor, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 2, 1936, Vol. 27, No. 13, p. 1, col. 3.  

Today's Historic Pelham Article presents newspaper articles regarding Fiorello H. La Guardia's use of the Bartow-Pell Mansion as a Summer City Hall during July and August, 1936.  

"Mayor La Guardia Speaks Over WNYC on Grade A Milk

from Budget Room" on March 23, 1940.  Source:  Library

of Congress Prints and Photographs Division No. LC-

USZ62-132498 (visited May 6, 2017).  NOTE:  Click on

Image to Enlarge.

*          *           *          *          *


I have written extensively about the Bartow-Pell Estate and the Bartow family on numerous occasions.  For a few of many more examples, see, e.g.: 

Mon., May 01, 2017:  Tragic Accident Marred Pell Treaty Oak Ceremony at Bartow-Pell in 1915.  

Wed., Oct. 26, 2016:  The Ghost of the Murdered Traveler Who Wanders the Bartow-Pell Grounds.

Thu., Aug. 25, 2016:  Pelham's Thriving and Living Memorial to the Pell Treaty Oak That Once Stood on the Grounds of the Bartow-Pell Mansion.

Wed., Aug. 24, 2016:  Washington Post Report of the Final Destruction of the Pell Treaty Oak in Pelham Bay Park in 1909.

Wed., Jan. 06, 2016:  A Brief History of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Published in 1931.

Tue., Jul. 28, 2015:  John Bartow Who Lived in the Manor Home Built by John Pell in About 1672.

Thu., May 21, 2015:  Pelham Manor Romance: A Tale of Aaron Burr and His Love, Theodosia Bartow Prevost of the Manor of Pelham.

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Thu., Nov. 29, 2007:  John Bartow Offers His Pelham Farm for Sale in Advertisement Published in 1807.

Mon., Jul. 2, 2007:  Notice of Auction Sale of Lots at Bartow-on-the-Sound in Pelham in 1874.

Mon., Jun. 4, 2007:  Abstract of 1797 Will of John Bartow, Sr. Who Owned Land in Pelham and Whose Family Became Early Pelham Residents.

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

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham. 

Fri., Dec. 30, 2005:  Subdivision Development Map Created in 1873 for Bartow Village in the Town of Pelham.

Mon., Dec. 12, 2005:  19th Century Subdivision Map of Planned Bartow Village.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005:  Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., June 14, 2005:  Ceremony in 1915 to Open Bartow-Pell Mansion as Headquarters of International Garden Club Marred by Tragedy.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005:  The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Bell, Blake A., The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Carriage House, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 31, Aug. 6, 2004, p. 9, col. 1.

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.


Bell, Blake A., Bartow-on-the-Sound, Once a Hamlet in the Town of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XV, Issue 5, Feb. 3, 2006, p. 13, col. 1.

*          *           *           *            *

"Mayor to Be a Long Way Off
-----
Select an Almost Inaccessible Spot for His Summer City Hall.
-----

In choosing a site for the Summer City Hall Mayor LaGuardia selected a spot almost as far from City Hall Park as is Tottenville, Staten Island.  As a matter of fact the Bartow mansion, in Pelham Bay Park, is harder to reach than Tottenville unless one has a car.  

A tourist desiring to do business with the Mayor after next Wednesday will take the Lexington avenue I. R. T. subway at the City Hall station, and ride to 125th street.  There he will change to the Pelham Park line and ride to the end of it, which is the Pelham Bay Park station.  If he is lucky he will find a bus waiting at the foot of the stairs leading from the Pelham Bay Park station, which is elevated at that point.  Five minute ride will take him to Prospect avenue where a short walk will deposit him at the temporary home of the municipal government.  The Mayor plans to remain there until the end of August.

If the tourist is fortunate enough to own a car he can follow the Boston Post Road to the junction of Pelham Bay Parkway and follow the parkway to the summer City Hall.  Thousands who frequented the Hunters Island Inn during prohibition days will have no difficulty in finding the Mayor.  The summer City Hall can be seen from the road leading to Hunters Island Inn.

Seeks to Discourage Visitors.

It is known that the Mayor chose the Bartow mansion for the summer City Hall because of its inaccessibility.  He seeks to discourage visitors.  But it is a safe bet that bright and early next Wednesday morning there will be a line of taxicabs under the Pelham Bay Park station of the I. R. T. ready to whisk traveler to the summer City Hall in five minutes or less.

The Mayor can sleep in the summer City Hall if the mosquitoes, which are particularly ferocious in the swamps of Pelham Bay, when the tide is out, will allow him to sleep.  If he finds the mosquitoes beyond endurance he can jump into a car and motor up to his summer home at Westport, Conn., where his wife and children will be located for the summer.

The grounds around the Summer City Hall are full of poison ivy.  Whether the Mayor was aware of this when he picked the place is not known, but it is known that he would be overjoyed if a few of the pests who surround the downtown City Hall, and will get to the Summer City Hall if they have to walk or swim, would mistake the poison ivy for a harmless vine and eat some of it.

Mansion is 100 Years Old.

The Bartow mansion was built about 100 years ago and was the home of the Pell family [sic].  It stands on the spot where John [sic] Pell signed a treaty with the Indians in 1654 and purchased Pelham Manor and all the surrounding territory for $17.50 [sic].  Since 1915 it has been the home of the International Garden  Club.  About a dozen [sic] of the original Pells are buried in a family cemetery on the grounds of the Summer City Hall.

John Robertson, who is steward of the International Garden Club, has lived in the Bartow mansion with hi wife for the last thirteen years.  They will keep house for the Mayor.

The house is built of granite with walls at least two feet thick.  Mr. Robertson says it is always at least 15 degrees cooler within the mansion than outside.  The main floor has a dining room, a parlor, a conservatory, a smoking room, a music room, a library, a ladies' dressing room, a men's room and a kitchen.  On the second floor are four large bedrooms."

Source:  Mayor to Be a Long Way Off -- Select an Almost Inaccessible Spot for His Summer City Hall, The New York Sun, Jun. 26, 1936, p. 40, cols. 2-3.  

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."

A Brief History of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Published in 1931

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."

The mansion that houses today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and the property on which it sits together have quite a storied history.  Scholars believe that John Pell, a nephew and the principal legatee of Manor of Pelham founder Thomas Pell, built a home near today's mansion in the early 1670s.  Four generations of Pell family members resided in the home until, according to a variety of sources, it was destroyed by fire during the American Revolution.  

The property passed from the Pells to Herman and Hannah Leroy in 1813.  Robert Bartow, a New York city merchant, bought the property in 1836.  Shortly thereafter, he built the native stone mansion and moved with his family into the home by 1842.  The Bartow family remained in the home for more than four decades.  They attempted to develop an area around the nearby City Island Station on the New Haven Branch Line into a settlement that came to be known as Bartow and "Bartow-on-the-Sound."  (The station likewise came to be known as "Bartow Station.")

In 1888, while assembling parcels to create today's Pelham Bay Park, New York City acquired the Bartow estate.  (It likewise acquired the lands that formed the tiny little settlement of Bartow nearby.)  For nearly the next three decades, mansions in the region acquired by the City of New York -- including the Bartow mansion -- languished scandalously.  They were subject to vandalism, squatters, and municipal corruption involving "rentals" of some of the structures to well-placed City employees for virtually nothing.  

In 1914, the International Garden Club was formed "to promote hoticultural knowledge and to save the Bartow-Pell Mansion."  The organization raised funds and restored the mansion.  Today, the mansion and grounds including the Bartow carriage house built in the 1840s are owned by the City of New York but are operated by the International Garden Club, Inc..  The Mansion-Museum is a member of the Historic House Trust and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1931, The Daily Argus of Mount Vernon, New York, published a brief history of the Bartow Mansion.  Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of that article and reproduces a photograph that appeared with the article.

I have written about the Bartow-Pell Mansion-Museum and members of the Bartow family on many occasions.  For examples, see the extensive bibliography with links at the end of today's posting.

"THE BARTOW MANSION  A view of the century-old house

builty by Robert Bartow on Pelham Road near Split Rock Road.

Robert Bartow was a descendant of the lords of Pelham, and

this house is near the site of Pelham Manor.  It is now the home

of the International Garden Club.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Source:  Cushman, Elizabeth, Near Pelham Manor In New York

Is Bartow Mansion, A House Which Holds Historical Importance --

It Is Hidden By Trees From View of Passersby on Pelham Road,

The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jul. 29, 1931, p. 3, cols. 1-2.

*          *          *          *          *

"Near Pelham Manor In New York Is Bartow Mansion, A House Which Holds Historical Importance
-----
It Is Hidden By Trees From View of Passersby on Pelham Road
-----
By ELIZABETH CUSHMAN

'Three goes into nine three times; three goes into 12 four times --'

What could this have to do with pink and blue water lilies drifting placidly in the square pool of a sunken garden behind an old stone mansion on the shores of Long Island Sound?  What could it have to do with high-ceilinged rooms and old marble fireplaces, with oil paintings of lords and ladies of long ago, with inlaid tables and slim-legged chairs?

What could it have to do with a wide shady walk, leadning among tall bushes to a little plot of land enclosed by low iron bars, meeting at the four corners, stone pillars on which pelicans are carved?

'Three goes into --' would have more to do with this old cemetery, a stone's throw from the water, than with the dignified old stone mansion known as the Bartow House, standing on Pelham Road not far from where it is joined by Split Rock road.  All this land has belonged to New York City since 1888, but in the days when the Bartow Mansion was built, in the days when those graves were dug, this was an important part of Westchester County.  Historically, it is essentially all Westchester, for its past is the past of this county.

The Bartow Mansion is now the home of the International Garden Club; the garden in back of it was created only in 1916, though it has about it the peace and the permanency usually associated with centuries of existence.  But before this estate was known by the name of Bartow -- which has been, probably, for something around a hundred years -- it was the site of the Manor house of Pelham; the lords of one of Westchester's greatest grants of land lived here for five generations.

The Pells of Pelham Manor were descended from a famous English mathematician who is credited with having been the first to use the present signs for division -- who then, would not stand by the lily pool on the old Pell land and repeat softly to herself, 'three goes into -- '?  This reverend and right honorable John Pell, who spoke 10 languages, taught at the University of Breda by invitation of the Prince of Orange, lectured in London and Switzerland and received a special card of invitation to Oliver Cromwell's funeral, was the husband of Ithamaria Reginolles, and the father of another John, second lord of the Manor of Pelhamm, here in Westchester.

The first lord was Thomas, the Rev. John's brother.  Thomas died childless and left his manor lands to his nephew, 'John Pell, living in ould England, the only sonne of my brother . . . '  This was in 1669.

Provided For Huguenots

John Pell promptly came over from 'Ould England' and assumed his manorial rights in America.  He was an important personage in Westchester, for he was first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and first member of the Provincial Assembly for Westchester.  It was he who sold part of the Pelham Manor lands to Jacob Leisler, to provide a home for the French Huguenots, who in 1688, arrived here to found New Rochelle.  

In 1702, this second lord of the manor fell off his yacht and was drowned in the water of Long Island Sound.  His son, Thomas, born in Pelham Manor about 1675 then became third lord.  Thomas' wife is said to have been Anna, the daughter of Wampage, the Indian chief, who tradition tells us, slew Anne Hutchinson.  Wampage was also known as Annahock, a name relating to his great prowess in the massacre of the Hutchinson family.

A Few Names

The fourth Lord of the Manor was Joseph, son of Thomas and the Indian Princess, and with this family, the name Bartow appears for the first time in relation to the Pells.  Joseph Pell's sister, Bathsheba, married Theophilus Bartow.  This was the first of several marriages binding the two families.

In the next generation Thomas, son of Joseph and grandson of the Indian Princess, married Margaret Bartow.  Their daughter, Ann, also married a Bartow, and it was to this couple, Anna Pell Bartow and her husband, John Bartow, that Ann's father turned over the lands where the Bartow mansion now stands, but the mansion itself was not built for two generations.  Then, Robert, grandson of Ann Pell and John Bartow, erected the building that stands today, but the exact date it was put up has never been determined.

Hidden Gold?

There had been a dwelling here previously, of course -- the famous Manor house of the Lords of Pelham.  Its site is not definitely known, but it is thought to have stood near the present Bartow mansion.  Those graves, hidden from today's mansion by thick clusters of trees, are Pell graves -- the birds carved on the corner posts are pelicans, the symbol of the Pells.  There is a marble tablet here, giving a clue to the identity of those who rest beneath the quaint old brown stones with their crude carving.  The tablet, erected in 1862 by James K. Pell, gives the date of John Pell's death as 1700.  As late as 1911 vandals dug here one night in search of the gold and jewels which, tradition declares, were buried with the Pells of long ago.

Meanwhile the Bartows, who have given their name to the place were of no little significance in Westchesterwhen they became affiliated by marriage with the Pells.

The Bartows

The family was founded in America by John Bartow, a minister.  Though he was an Englishman he came, curiously, of Huguenot stock.  His ancestor had fled from France to Holland in 1572, following the massacre of Saint Bartholomew.  The name was then Bertaud or Bretagne or Brittany, but when this refugee reached England from Holland, it became Bartow.

Early in the 18th Century -- probably about 1702, John Bartow came to Westchester to officiate as minister for the parish of Rye, but Caleb Heathcote, Lord of the Manor of Scarsdale and a prominent and indefatigable churchman, decreed he should remain in Westchester.  This parish then included the village or rather the borough town of Westchester-Eastchester, Yonkers and the Manor of Pelham.  The difficulties of administering a parish of that size, in days when horseback travel was over roads that were scarcely more than the ruts that had developed from Indian trails, were tremendous, and poor Mr. Bartow had his troubles.

His Troubles

Witness this letter which he wrote home to England in 1706:

'My great business is to plant the Church of England amongst prejudiced, poor, and irreligious people, who are more apt to receive than to give, who think it a hardship to pay their dues; and we dare not use the law for fear of bringing an odium on the Church, and on all occasions except to be civilly treated by the minister.  My task is greater than I can bear; I will hold out as long as I can with submission to the Divine will who feedeth the fowls of the air; trusting he will still feed me, by your means, when you come to be sensible of our wants.'

Was there a bit of sarcasm or bitterness in that last line?

More Connection

Despite his doubts, the Rev. John Bartow held out for more than a quarter of a century.  He had married Helena Redi, who bore him two [sic] sons three of whom died in infancy and one of whom died young.  It was their son, Theophilus, who became the husband of Bathesheba Pell; Theophilus and Bathsheba's son, John, took Ann Pell for his second wife.  Their daughter, Margaret, married Thomas Pell.  Thus, John Bartow, who inherited this portion of the Pell Manor lands, was the grandson of the first John Bartow.  (Incidentally, Theophilus had a brother, Theodosius, a lawyer.  The lawyer's wife was one Ann Stillwell; their daughter, Theodosia Bartow, had a British soldier, Colonel James Marcus Prevost, as her first husband, and an American soldier, Aaron Burr, as her second husband. . . .)  It gets more and more involved as it goes on. . . . 

Theophilus and Theodosius

Theophilus Bartow and his wife, Bathsheba, had nine children in all.  One of them, the Rev. Theodosius, named for his lawyer uncle, was rector of Trinity Church in New Rochelle for 29 years.  His grandfather had on occasion preached here before him.  A Theodosius Bartow also served as minister in Bedford, resigning in 1976 [sic], but whether or not this was the same person, let someone else decide.

You might think of these things -- beginning with the 'three goes into' -- as you motor along Pelham Road.  You might think of the fine traditions the Pells brought with them to America -- They had been manor lords in old England before they came, for the father of the famous mathematicians was second lord of the manor of Shouldham Priory and Brookhall and Mayor of Lynn Regis.

You'll see, as you ride down Pelham Road, a circular iron fence around a tree on the grounds before the Bartow mansiion.

The Indians Treaty

This is supposed to encircle the site of the famous old charter oak under which Thomas Pell made his treaty with the Indians.  The claim, however, is disputed -- a local story says that one of the Bartows had a favorite horse which he buried here on this place.  But whatever the site is or is not, it helps to keep alive the story of Thomas Pell and the Indians and so serves the purpose quite adequately.

The windows of the Bartow mansion look out on lands that both British and American soldiers trod -- and disrupted in Revolutionary days.  The military history of this part of Westchester, however, does not belong here.  All that belongs here is a sign over a lilly pool, a glance at a grave and a thought of that gentleman of far away and long ago who first made up the signs for 'three goes into --'"

Source:  Cushman, Elizabeth, Near Pelham Manor In New York Is Bartow Mansion, A House Which Holds Historical Importance -- It Is Hidden By Trees From View of Passersby on Pelham Road, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Jul. 29, 1931, p. 3, cols. 1-2. 

*          *          *          *          *

Below is a bibliography of articles I have prepared regarding the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, members of the Bartow family, the settlement known as Bartow, and the little horse railroad that once ran from Bartow to City Island.

Tue., Jul. 28, 2015:  John Bartow Who Lived in the Manor Home Built by John Pell in About 1672.

Thu., May 21, 2015:  Pelham Manor Romance: A Tale of Aaron Burr and His Love, Theodosia Bartow Prevost of the Manor of Pelham.

Thu., Jan. 22, 2015:  Lawsuit in 1884 Cleared the Way for Construction of Horse Railroad from Bartow Station to Lower Part of City Island in Pelham.

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Fri., Sep. 5, 2014:  Post Card Image of Bartow and City Island Stage Coach With Driver.

Thu., Aug. 28, 2014:  Gouverneur Morris Jr. Lived His Later Years, and Died, in Bartow-on-the-Sound in the Town of Pelham.

Tue., May 4, 2010:  Questions Regarding the Trolley Franchise from Bartow Station to the Tip of City Island Arose in 1915.

Fri., Apr. 2, 2010:  More on the So-Called "Horse Railroad" that Once Ran from Bartow Station to City Island.

Wed., Feb. 3, 2010:  Early Information Published in 1885 About the Organization of the "City Island Railroad", a Horse Railroad from Bartow Station to City Island.

Fri., Jan. 22, 2010:  1884 Account of Early Origins of Horse Railroad Between Bartow Station and City Island.

Mon., Jan. 4, 2010:  1888 Local News Account Describes Altercation on the Horse Railroad Running from Bartow Station to City Island.

Fri., Jan. 1, 2010:  1886 Dynamite Explosion in Baychester Kills Four and Shakes Residents of Bartow-on-the-Sound in Pelham.

Thu., Oct. 22, 2009:  Dynamite Explosion in 1890 Breaks Windows and Shakes Residents of Bartow-on-the-Sound in Pelham.

Tue.,Sep. 1, 2009:  Pelham News on February 29, 1884 Including Talk of Constructing a New Horse Railroad from Bartow to City Island.

Thu., Nov. 29, 2007:  John Bartow Offers His Pelham Farm for Sale in Advertisement Published in 1807.

Mon., Jul. 2, 2007:  Notice of Auction Sale of Lots at Bartow-on-the-Sound in Pelham in 1874.

Mon., Jun. 4, 2007:  Abstract of 1797 Will of John Bartow, Sr. Who Owned Land in Pelham and Whose Family Became Early Pelham Residents.

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

Fri., Jan. 12, 2007:  A Brief Description of Scott's Grocery Store at Bartow Village in Pelham.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham. 

Wed., Jan. 4, 2006:  Another Post Card Image of the Horse Car That Ran Between Bartow and City Island.

Fri., Dec. 30, 2005:  Subdivision Development Map Created in 1873 for Bartow Village in the Town of Pelham.

Mon., Dec. 12, 2005:  19th Century Subdivision Map of Planned Bartow Village.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005:  Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., June 14, 2005:  Ceremony in 1915 to Open Bartow-Pell Mansion as Headquarters of International Garden Club Marred by Tragedy.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005:  The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Bell, Blake A., The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Carriage House, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 31, Aug. 6, 2004, p. 9, col. 1.

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

Bell, Blake A., Bartow-on-the-Sound, Once a Hamlet in the Town of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XV, Issue 5, Feb. 3, 2006, p. 13, col. 1.

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."  

John Bartow Who Lived in the Manor Home Built by John Pell in About 1672

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."

John Pell, often referenced by members of the Pell family as the "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham," was the nephew and principal legatee of Thomas Pell who bought lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654.  Born in England in 1643, John Pell traveled to America in 1670 following his uncle's death to claim his inheritance that included the lands that formed the Manor of Pelham. 

Unlike his uncle who remained a resident of Fairfield after purchasing his Pelham lands, John Pell moved onto the lands shortly after inheriting them from his uncle.  It is believed that he built a Manor Home worthy of his vast land holdings.  Its location has long been lost in the mists of time.  Some authorities have suggested two possible locations for Pell's Manor House: (1) near today's Bartow-Pell Mansion; and (2) on Rodman's Neck, also known as Pell's Point and Anhooke's Neck.  See, e.g., City History Club of New York, Historical Guide to the City of New York, p. 210 (NY, NY: 1909) ("Not far away [from the Bartow-Pell Mansion] is the site of the original Pell Manor House, though some say that it was on the extreme end of Pelham Neck.").

Although it cannot be known with certainty, an analysis of the available evidence suggests that John Pell may have lived in two homes in the area.  He first may have lived for a time in the early 1670s in a home built by his uncle and referenced in an inventory of his deceased uncle's estate on Pell's Point (today's Rodman's Neck).  Some say the Bowne home on Rodman's Neck was later built on the site of the Pell home.  Evidence also suggests that John Pell later built a Manor House near today's Bartow Pell Mansion.  I have written about this home before.  See 

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham. 

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog attempts to shed further light on the history of the Manor House of John Pell that once stood in Pelham.  A genealogy of the Bartow family authored by Evelyn P. Bartow and published in 1875 asserts that John Bartow, a son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell lived in the Manor Home built by his grandfather, John Pell (known by Pell family members as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham").  The book further claims that Aaron Burr, who married a member of the Bartow family, "was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house."  Indeed, the book claims, "It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N.Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile."

Image of Primitive Drawing of a Home Claimed by Some to

Depict the John Pell Manor House Near Today's Bartow-Pell

Mansion Museum; Provenance and Source Information So Unclear

that It Cannot Be Known with Any Degree of Reliability Whether

This Actually Depicts the Pell Home. Source: Courtesy of the

Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

The pertinent excerpts from the book are transcribed below, followed by a citation and link to the source.

"JOHN BARTOW,1 [Footnote 1 reads:  "Bolton's W. C., i, 541, 551; ii. 200, 209, 213, 222; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch., 107, 124; N. Y. Marriage Licenses."] eldest son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell, his wife, born at Westchester 1740, lived at Pelham, in the old Manor House of his grandfather, Lord Pell.  He was wealthy, and a great friend to St. Peter's Church, Westchester, of which he was vestryman.  At the old manorial residence of his ancestors, Mr. Bartow kept open house to all his relatives and friends, and his home was the centre of attraction to the society of the neighborhood, from the hearty welcome they always received.  Col. Burr, who had married his first cousin, was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house.  It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N. Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile.  Mr. Bartow sold his estate towards the close of his life, and lived in Spring street, N.Y.  He died in 1816, and was the last of the Bartows who was interred in the family cemetery at Westchester.  The funeral was attended by Robert Bartow, his grandson, the Reids of Eastchester, and many others of the family.  The family of Robert Bartow now reside on a portion of the estate of John Bartow.  A short distance from their residence is a station named Bartow, of the Harlem River Branch.  John Bartow m. first, Mary Ryder, of Jamaica, by whom he had two sons and one daughter; and secondly, in 1771, Ann, d. of Joseph Pell, of Pelham, by whom he had three sons and four daughters, as follows: -- 

1.  Augustus Bartow, b. 1762, of whom hereafter.

2.  Stephen Bartow,1 [Footnote 1 reads:  "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch. 124."] b. at Westchester, m. Mary Thompson, of Catskill, N.Y., and had Sarah Bartow,2 [Footnote 2 reads:  "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] m. John Spencer; Edwin Bartow,3 [Footnote 3 reads:  "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] d. s. p.; Alfred Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] d. s. p.; Emily Bartow,4 [Footnote 4 reads:  "N. Y. Gen. Rec., July 1874."] unm.; Harriet Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.; Maria Bartow,5 [Footnote 5 reads "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874; Noble's Life of Cole, 236; American Cyclopedia.] m. Thomas Cole, of Catskill; and Fanny Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.

3.  Mary Bartow, 6 [Footnote 6 reads:  "6) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N.Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872."] m. Punderson, son of Basil Bartow.

4.  John Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1772, m. Mary Sands, of Sands Point, L. I., and had an only child, Mary Bartow, who d. unm.

5.  Phoebe Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Turk.

6.  Sarah Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Halleck.

7.  Amelia Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] d. unm.

8.  James Bartow 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m., and had an only child, Eliza Bartow.

9.  Katharine Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1790, m. Mr. Smith.

10.  Bernabeu Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] named after Don Juan Baptista de Bernabeu, who had married his cousin, died s. p."

Source:  Bartow, Evelyn P., Bartow Genealogy:  Containing Every One of the Name of Bartow Descended from Doctor Thomas Bartow Who Was Living at Crediton, in England, A.D., 1672 with References To the Books Where Any of the Name is Mentioned, pp. 37-38 (Baltimore, MD:  Innes & Co., Printers and Binders, 1875).  

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."

The March 6, 1812 New York Statute Authorizing Construction of the Pelham Bridge

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."

On March 6, 1812, the New York State Legislature enacted a statute incorporating the "Eastchester Bridge Company" to build a bridge over the Hutchinson River where it empties into Eastchester Bay.  The bridge was built shortly afterward and is believed to have been completed by about 1815.  In 1817, the Westchester and Pelham Turnpike Company was incorporated to construct a turnpike from the causeway at Westchester to the bridge.  That bridge came to be known as "Pelham Bridge"  -- the name it bears today.  Even in its first iteration, Pelham Bridge was a draw bridge to permit masted ships to pass.  

Within its first few years, the first Pelham Bridge was destroyed by a storm.  On April 12, 1816, the company was authorized by the Legislature to sell its property and toll franchise for a period of forty-five years. The second bridge was built in 1834 by George Rapelje, with the right to charge tolls for a period of thirty years, but the supervisors of Westchester County purchased the bridge in 1860 and made it free. The bridge was replaced with an iron bridge constructed in 1869-1870.  That bridge, in turn, was replaced by the present larger bridge, opened by the New York City Department of Bridges on October 15, 1908.  

I have written before about the history of the Pelham Bridge.  See, e.g.:  Thu., Jan. 1, 2009:  A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.  Additionally, I have written about other aspects of the Pelham Bridge and its history on numerous occasions.  For a lengthy list of such postings with links, see the end of today's article.

 Downstream Side of Pelham Bridge, Looking

Northeast Across the Hutchinson River on October 19, 2008.

Source:  Wikimedia Commons, Photograph by Jim Henderson.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of the March 6, 1812 statute that incorporated the Eastchester Bridge Company and authorized it to build the first Pelham Bridge.  The statute contains a wealth of information relevant to the early history of the Town of Pelham.

"CHAP. XXII.
An ACT to incorporate the Eastchester Bridge Company.  Passed March 6, 1812.

Preamble

WHEREAS Herman Le Roy and others have, by their petition to the Legislature, prayed to [Page 23 / Page 24] be incorporated for the purpose of erecting, by voluntary subscriptions, a bridge across Eastchester creek, and to be authorised to exact from all persons using such bridge, a toll merely adequate to the repairs thereof:  Therefore,

Eastchester bridge company incorporated

I.  Be it enacted by the people of the state of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That Herman Le Roy, James Harvey, William Bayard, John Bartow, Richard Ward, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton, Joshua Heustice and John Hunter, and all such other persons as shall associate for the purpose of building a bridge across the mouth of Eastchester creek, from the farm of James Harvey, in the town of Pelham, to the point of Throgh's Neck, called Dormer's Island, in the county of Westchester, and shall subscribe and pay towards building the said bridge a sum not less than twenty-five dollars, their successors and assigns, shall be and hereby are created a body corporate and politic, by the name of 'the president and directors of the Eastchester bridge company,' and so to remain for the term of thirty years and no longer; 

Their style and corporate rights.

and they are hereby constituted and declared to be a body politic and corporate, in fact and in name, and by that name they and their successors may have continual succession, and shall be capable in law of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended, in all courts and places whatever; and that they and their successors may have a common seal, and may make, change and alter the same at their pleasure, and also that they and their successors, by the same name and style, shall be capable in law of purchasing, holding and conveying, any real or personal estate for the use of the said corporation:  

Proviso.

Provided, That the estates so to be holden shall be such only as shall be necessary to promote or attain the objects of this incorporation.

Capital stock

II.  And be it further enacted, That the capital stock of the said company shall consist of so many shares of twenty-five dollars each, as shall amount to a sum sufficient, for building the said bridge, and the toll house and gate thereunto belonging; and each stockholder shall be entitled to as many votes for directors of the [Page 24 / Page 25] said company as he may hold shares of the said stock; 

7 directors chosen annually.

and the affairs of the said company shall be managed by seven directors, who shall be chosen annually from among the stockholders of the said company, by a plurality of the votes of the said stockholders, at such times and in such manner as may be prescribed by the by-laws of the said company; and a majority of the said directors shall elect one of their number to be president, and the said president, with a majority of the said directors, shall be a quorum capable of transacting the business of the said corporation; 

Their powers.

and shall have power to make such by-laws, rules, orders and regulations, (not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this state or of the United States,) as shall be necessary for the well governing the affairs of the said company.

The company may build a bridge over Eastchester creek.

III.  And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the said company to erect and build at their own expense, a good and substantial bridge across Eastchester creek, at the place before mentioned:  

Proviso.

Provided, That the said bridge be built at least twenty-four feet wide in the clear between the sides or railings thereof, and be well covered with planks, not less than three inches thick, and the sides of the said bridge be well secured with good and substantial railings, not less than four feet, six inches height:  

Further proviso.  

And provided further, That the said bridge be constructed with a draw, to open at least twenty feet, so as to permit vessels with standing masts conveniently to pass and repass the said bridge, which passage shall be freely passed, repassed and used, by all persons whatever, without toll or reward.

The bridge to be kept in repair.

IV.  And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said company to keep and maintain the said bridge, and the floor, sides, railings and draw thereof, in good and sufficient repair from the time the said bridge shall be completed, during the continuance of this act; 

A person shall attend night & day to open the draw.

and when they have completed the said bridge, they shall at all times thereafter, as well by night as by day, provide and keep a sufficient person or persons at or near the said bridge, to open the draw thereof; and such person or persons so attending, on sufficient no- [Page 25 / Page 26] tice being given to him or them by the master or owner of any vessel having necessary business or occasion to pass the said bridge, by blowing a horn or otherwise, such person or persons so attending the said bridge shall immediately open or cause to be opened, the said draw, and shall permit every such vessel to pass through the said draw unmolested and freely as aforesaid; 

The company shall pay a fine of five dollars
for every 10 minutes neglect to open the draw.

and when any vessel shall be unnecessarily detained from passing through the said draw for more than ten minutes, by the refusal, neglect or delay of any person or persons so attending the said bridge, the said company shall pay to the owner or master of such vessel so unnecessarily detained, the sum of five dollars for every ten minutes such vessel shall be so unnecessarily detained beyond ten minutes before mentioned, which sum or sums shall be paid upon demand, to be made of the president of the said company; 

Masters and owners of vessels to pass with due diligence.

and the owner or master of any vessel at whose request the said draw shall be opened, shall use all due diligence and expedition in passing such vessel through the said draw, 

For every 10 minutes delay to forfeit 5 dollars to the company

and shall pay to the said company five dollars for every ten minutes of unnecessary delay in passing such vessel through the said draw, after the said draw shall have been opened to permit her to pass through it; which sum or sums shall be paid upon demand to be made of the master or owner of such vessel, by an authorised officer or agent of the said company.

The judges of Westchester county to give a certificate
that the bridge is sufficiently constructed.

V.  And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said bridge shall be finished, and the judges of the court of common pleas in and for the county of Westchester, or a majority of them, shall, upon inspection, have certified under their hands that the said bridge is well and sufficiently constructed and built, and will admit the passage of loaded teams and other carriages, and is in all things conformable to the true intent and meaning of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the said company to erect a gate at or near the said bridge, and to exact and demand of all persons passing the said bridge a toll to be received and taken for the use of the said company, to enable them to keep and maintain the said bridge in repair, which toll shall not exceed the following rates, to wit:  

Rates of toll.

For every stage-waggon, drawn by [Page 26 / Page 27] two or more horses or mules, twelve and an half cents; for every four wheel pleasure carriage, with two or more horses, twelve and an half cents; for every two wheel pleasure carriage or sleigh, and horses or mules, six cents; for every waggon and horses or mules, other than stage-waggons, four cents; for every man and horse or mule, two cents; for every ox-cart with oxen, four cents; for every market sleigh or sled and horses, or mules or oxen, four cents; for every cart with one horse or mule, three cents; for every ox, bull, cow, steer, mule or horse, led or driven loose over the said bridge, one cent; for every score of sheep or swine, two cents, and in that proportion for a greater or less number of them.

President and directors

VI.  And be it further enacted, That Herman Le Roy shall be president, and John Hunter, Richard Ward, John Bartow, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton and Joshua Hustice, directors of the said comapny, until an election for directors of the said company shall be held according to the provisions of this act.

The company shall render to the

comptroller an account of the costs of the bridge.

VII.  And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said bridge shall be finished, the said company shall render to the Comptroller of this state an account of the costs thereof, 

And annually thereafter render an

account of monies received and expended.

and that they shall annually thereafter render him a full and just account of all monies received by them for tolls for passing the said bridge, and of all expenditures to be made by them in repairing and maintaining the said bridge, to the end that if it shall be found that the rates of toll hereby established shall be more than adequate to the repairs of the said bridge, the said rates of toll may be reduced in such manner as the Legislature may from time to time think proper and expedient.

The provision in the 7th section

of a certain act repealed.

VIII.  And be it further enacted, That the proviso contained in the seventh section of the act, entitled 'an act for improving the road from Eastchester to Byram,' be, and the same hereby is repealed:  

Proviso.

Provided, That it shall not be lawful to erect the most easterly gate therein mentioned to the eastward of the dwelling-house of Thomas Theall, in Rye.

IX.  And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the company incorporated by the last mentioned [Page 27 / Page 28] act 

The draw in the bridge at
Fisher's Landing discontinued.

to discontinue the draw in the bridge across Eastchester creek, at Fisher's Landing, directed by the said act to be maintained in the said bridge.

This is a public act.

X.  And be it further enacted, That this act be, and the same is hereby declared to be a public act."

Source:  "CHAP. XXII. An ACT to Incorporate the Eastchester Bridge Company Passed March 6, 1812" in Laws of the State of New-York, Passed at the Thirty-Fifth Session of the Legislature Begun and held at the City of Albany, The Twenty-Eighth Day of January, 1912, pp. 23-28 (Albany, NY:  Printed for S. Southwick, Printer to the State, 1812). 

*          *          *          *          *

Below is a listing of other postings I have published regarding the Pelham Bridge.  Together they present a rather interesting history of the bridge that was so important to the development and expansion of the Town of Pelham during the nineteenth century. 

Tue., Sep. 22, 2009:  Names of Early "Keepers of Pelham Bridge" Appointed by Westchester County.  

Thu., Jan. 08, 2009:  Another Brief History of The Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 1, 2009:  A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008:  New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester to Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834.

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007:  The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue From Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Wed., Jul. 4, 2007:  1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge.

Fri., Jul. 22, 2007:  1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge.

Fri., May 18, 2007:   Celebration at Pelham Bridge in 1872.

Wed., May 16, 2007:  Board of Supervisors of Westchester County Vote to Build New Iron Bridge to Replace Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Tue., May 15, 2007:  The Owner of the Pelham Bridge Hotel Sold it for the Princely Sum of $22,000 in 1869.

Mon., May 14, 2007:  Plans to Widen Shore Road in the Town of Pelham in 1869.

Fri., May 11, 2007:  A Sad Attempted Suicide at Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Thu., Dec. 08, 2005:  The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815.

Thu., Aug. 18, 2005:  The Opening of the New Iron "Pelham Bridge" in 1871.

Tue., Aug. 9, 2005:  Cock Fighting at Pelham Bridge in the 19th Century.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005:  Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., Jun. 28, 2005:  The Hotel and Bar Room at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005:  The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005:  Prize Fighting at Pelham Bridge in 1884.

For more about the Pelham Bridge and its history, see Pelham Bridge, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bridge (visited May 6, 2014).

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."