A Brief History of the Tuesday Afternoon Club Before It Merged Into the Manor Club of Pelham Manor

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In about 1898, a small group of about a dozen Pelham Manor women gathered periodically to do "fancy work" (i.e., ornamental needlework including crocheting and knitting).  As they worked, a chosen member of the group read aloud a lecture by an historian "about some famous character in history."  These informal weekly gatherings occurred during the winter months of the year.  

Soon the women tired of the lectures that were read to them.  They opted for having a chosen member read novels during their informal gatherings.  According to one report, this period represented the "lowest ebb intellectually" of those who gathered to socialize.  

Such novels likewise failed to satisfy the intellectual yearnings of the Pelham Manor women who gathered weekly during the winter months.  An early history of the group noted they still had a "desire for more worthy things."

In 1900, the group organized formally as "The Tuesday Afternoon Club."  It elected as its first president Mrs. Joan E. Secor.  She was the only president the club ever had, serving until The Tuesday Afternoon Club merged with the Manor Club when Pelham Manor women took over that club in 1914.  Other early officers of The Tuesday Afternoon Club were Mrs. Charles B. Hull, vice-president; Mrs. Evelyn Randall, secretary; and Mrs. Charlotte E. Cowles, treasurer.

The club met in one of the alcoves of the original Manor Club building that once stood on the site of today's clubhouse.  At the time, the Manor Club was run by men of Pelham Manor and was experiencing difficulties including financial difficulties.  According to one account, the Manor Club "was glad to encourage the use, at a nominal fee, of the building by the women's club."  

At about the time the club organized more formally and installed Joan Secor as its president, members embarked on an initiative to raise the level of the studies embraced by members of the club.  As part of this initiative, members of The Tuesday Afternoon Club spent a winter season reading Homer's Iliad and studying the Hellenic period.  As part of the program, members of the club prepared a number of scholarly papers that were read to the club.  The enhanced program was deemed a success.

During the next two winter seasons, members of the club read and studied the Divine Comedy of Dante and then the Renaissance period in various countries.  During the winter season in which they studied the Renaissance, the women departed from their previous practice of centering their studies around a book.  Instead, they prepared a lesson plan that allowed them to study more broadly the Renaissance period.  

During this time, The Tuesday Afternoon Club thrived and grew while the male-dominated Manor Club continued with its difficulties.  Each year, during a four-month winter season, the women of The Tuesday Afternoon Club met weekly in an alcove of the Manor Club building.  One season they studied Goethe's Faust.  The following two seasons thereafter they studied works of Shakespeare, followed by a season when they studied a "group of leaders of modern thought."

By about 1909, however, things were beginning to change. First, the club was growing tremendously.  Within only a few short years it would reach one hundred members.  Second, the rise of the suffragette movement and the growth of feminism gripped members of the club and prompted a shift away from studies of the arts.  Instead, the club satisfied its "sense of responsibility toward practical mundane affairs" by embarking on studies of "Political Economy, Elementary Law and kindred civic subjects" for several winter seasons. 

Soon the tide turned again as members of the club hungered for studies of the arts.  During the winter season of 1912/1913, members of the club studied "the art of the Diana."

By 1913, The Tuesday Afternoon Club had reached more than one hundred members.  The quality of its programming likewise had grown.  During the 1913/1914 winter season, members of the club heard eight lectures on the Theory of the Theatre by Clayton Hamilton, of Columbia University.  They also conducted forums and discussions on "eight subjects of present day interest, such as socialism, suffrage, modern religion, modern literature, music and art."

In 1914, The Tuesday Afternoon Club joined with the Manor Club and the women replaced the men as officers.  Mrs. Joan E. Secor was elected president of the new Manor Club and continued her service as president until she moved from Pelham to the west coast in 1925.  The women of The Tuesday Afternoon Club oversaw a turnaround of the fortunes and finances of the Manor Club and even oversaw construction of the new clubhouse that still stands when the cornerstone was laid in 1921 and the clubhouse was completed the following year.  

Though The Tuesday Afternoon Club no longer exists, its heart and soul remain in the guise of today's Manor Club, still a social and cultural force in Pelham more than one hundred years later.

Photograph of the Manor Club's "Manor House"

Published in 1892. Source: Manor Club "Memory

Book."  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Below is the transcribed text of an article that appeared in the December 20, 1913 issue of The Pelham Sun providing a brief history of The Tuesday Afternoon Club.  The text is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

"The Tuesday Afternoon Club
OF PELHAM MANOR
-----

The Tuesday Afternoon Club is a woman's study club, which meets weekly for four months each winter to give its members an opportunity to come together and to study some subject more or less seriously.

Its aim is to give purpose to the reading of the busy housewife so that the years may not drift by in desultory fashion but with passing time may yield some substantial intellectual accomplishment, some definite spiritual gain.  

Of course, not every member can nor will give the time necessary for serious work, but lecturers and books are supplied, and members are encouraged to go as deeply into a subject as they can.

In the beginning, some fifteen years ago, the club was a little group of perhaps a dozen women who met to do fancy work while some one read aloud one of Dr. Lord's lectures about some famous character in history.  The women were too timid to write papers or to read them if they had been written.

In course of time the lectures proved tiresome and a novel was ventured upon which proved still more fatiguing.  The club was at its lowest ebb intellectually.  But a decided reaction set in which showed itself by a desire for more worthy things and which lasted for some years.

The first expression of this desire was a season spent in reading Homer's Iliad and in studying the Hellenic period, and excellent papers were not only prepared but read.

Refreshed by contact with virile Greek life the club women then pressed on to another great masterpiece and read the entire Divine Comedy of Dante which was followed by a season's study of the Renaissance in various countries.  This latter year was the first time that the club had ventured to do without a text book, depending entirely upon a plan arranged by itself.  Many of us remember with pleasure the hard work of these two seasons, especially the study of this medieval poem and its early Italian background.

Coming a little closer to modern times another great poem was chosen for study, and a season was well spent in reading both parts of Goethe's Faust.  This poem proved heavier reading than most busy women cared to undertake alone, but under the stimulus of weekly meetings and the companionship of earnest minds, many of them persevered to the end which brought its own reward.  

Two delightful seasons were then given to Shakespeare, which were followed by the study of a group of leaders of modern thought.  

A winter's study of Browning was to have rounded out the cycle of the masters of literature, but the club now grown large, decided to turn its attention away from the realm of the imagination and toward the problems of daily living.  The growth of feminism brought with it a certain sense of responsibility toward practical mundane affairs which caused the club to give several seasons to the study of Political Economy, Elementary Law and kindred civic subjects until after a time another current turned the tide in the direction of the arts.

Because it was the most vital and personal of the arts as well as one which combined not only literary and pictorial interest but the representation of human emotion and struggle, the art of the Diana was chosen as the subject both for last year and this.

It is gratifying to look back and to note the healthy development of the Tuesday Afternoon Club during the past fifteen years, from a dozen members to more than a hundred, and from the reading of a printed lecture to the program for the present season of 1914, when the members of the club will listen to eight lectures on the Theory of the Theatre by Clayton Hamilton, of Columbia University, and will themselves conduct discussions upon eight subjects of present day interest, such as socialism, suffrage, modern religion, modern literature, music and art.

The spirit of the club is most generous and kindly and there is shown a steadily increasing interest in the higher things of life, both intellectual and spiritual, which is due in large measure to the influence and inspiration of the President of the club, who has held that office since the beginning.

EVELYN RANDALL."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, The Tuesday Afternoon Club of Pelham Manor, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 20, 1913, p. 8, col. 2.  

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I have written about the Manor Club and its history on a number of occasions.  See, e.g.:  

Bell, Blake A., Early History of the Manor Club, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 20, May 14, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

Tue., Dec. 13, 2005:  The Manor Club's First Clubhouse Built in 1887-1888. 

Wed., Dec. 28, 2005:  The Mystery of the "Manor Club Girl" That Set Pelham Tongues Wagging in 1913. 

Fri., Aug. 4, 2006:  Early Images of the Original and Current Clubhouse Structures of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor, New York.

Mon., Feb. 15, 2010:  Early History of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor.

Thu., Sep. 25, 2014:  The Manor Club's Celebration of its Golden Anniversary in 1932.

Mon., Feb. 08, 2016:  Laying of the Cornerstone of the First Manor Club Clubhouse on Thanksgiving Day in 1887.

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Reminiscences Of Long-Time Pelham Manor Resident Evelyn Randall Published in 1938

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Evelyn Smith Randall and her husband, William Bradley Randall, were important early residents of the Village of Pelham Manor.  The couple began spending their summers in Pelham Manor in a bungalow they built on a lot extending from Park Lane to Beech Tree Lane in the early 1890s when there were only a few homes built on Manor Circle and virtually no other homes between the branch line railroad and Shore Road along Long Island Sound.  In 1896, the couple moved to Pelham Manor permanently and expanded their bungalow into a beautiful home named the "Hermitage."  

The Hermitage, Home of William B. and Evelyn Randall in

Pelham Manor for Many Years.  The Home No Longer

Stands.  Source:  Courtesy of The Office of The Historian

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

I have written about William B. Randall, Evelyn Randall, and their home, the Hermitage, on a number of occasions.  See:

Thu., Apr. 30, 2015:  Obituaries of William B. Randall, a Notable Pelham Manor Resident, and Information About His Family and Home.  

Fri., Apr. 29, 2005:  Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall And Their Pelham Home Known as The Hermitage. 

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007:  An Early Event in the History of Pelhamwood. 

Fri., Jul. 17, 2009:  Brief Biography of William B. Randall of Pelham Manor Published in 1900. 

Thu., Oct. 23, 2014: A Mystery: The Club House Built by the Pelham Shore Improvement Company.

In 1938, Evelyn Randall wrote a pair of articles published in the local newspaper, The Pelham Sun, recording her reminiscences of her early days in Pelham Manor.  She and her husband were active members of the community.  Consequently, Evelyn Randall's reminiscences touch on a host of historical matters including early development of the Park Lane and Beech Tree Lane area, the transition from horses to automobiles, the early days of the Manor Club and the Tuesday Afternoon Club, the origins of Wykagyl Country Club, and the origins of today's Pelham Country Club.  

Mrs. Randall's reminiscences provide a fascinating glimpse of life in Pelham Manor during a simpler, more rural time.  The text of her two articles appears immediately below.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR

By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall)

Reminiscences of an oldtime Pelham Manor resident, presenting an intimate and charming picture of life in the early days of the village.
-----

This article, the first in a series of two, written by Mrs. William B. Randall of Park Lane, longtime resident of Pelham Manor, will make its appeal to both old and new residents of the community.  To the former group, it will doubtless recall many pleasant memories and associations of other days, and to the newer residents it will serve to bring a vivid picture of what Pelham Manor was like in the days before the turn of the century and in the years that followed.  Mrs. Randall, long a prominent resident, has with Mr. Randall for many years taken a leading part in the social and club activity and general life of the community.  A woman of cultured tastes, her influence has long been felt in the Manor Club.

Early Days in Pelham Manor

When we were young, Mr. Randall and I used to enjoy traveling up from the City to see the Spring Games at the New York Athletic Club, and as we walked past Christ's Church and along the thickly shaded country road toward the railroad station [i.e., today's Pelhamdale Avenue] we thought that Pelham Manor must look like rural England, and that we should like to live in it.  

After we were married we did come to Pelham Manor where we acquired a modest lot on Park Lane.  

When children came the problem of where to go for the Summer became so urgent that we built a bungalow on our lot and we spent several Summers there before enlarging it for our year-round home in 1896.  [This is the origin of the home on Park Lane known as "The Hermitage."]  

Early Troubles

When we first came to the country, I was afraid of tramps, of the dark woods, of the noise of the hoot owls, in fact of everything.

If Mr. Randall were detained late in town I would go to bed with a pistol and a candle on a chair by my bedside.  In my nervousness I might easily have shot someone by mistake.  

In those first years we suffered many inconveniences.  We had neither water, gas, sewer, electricity, nor sidewalk, and of course, no telephone.  The narrow road had a layer of stone at the bottom but it needed several layers more before it could be called a road.  The road ended at our property and later on Mr. Randall extended the road down to the Sound at his own expense.  

Our land was very rough, it had never been subdued or cultivated in any way.  We struggled long to make a lawn, and had a gang of men with grub hoes to dig up the stones and rocks and level it off.  

In the fields adjoining, weeds and grasses grew as high as one's head, and one day our little daughter, Phoebe wandered down a tiny path and was lost for hours.  She was finally picked up by the carpenter and brought home.  We also were devoured by mosquitoes.  

In our year-round house we proudly put in one of the first hot water heating systems, the first pure white kitchen, and one of the first sleeping porches.  

As soon as we came to live in Pelham Manor, Mr. Randall joined the sewer commission.  We also struggled to put in water and gas and each achievement would seem like an exciting adventure.

As a reward for his efforts, Mr. Randall was elected a trustee of the village and he finally became President.  During his term an amusing incident occurred.

An Amusing Incident

One warm Summer evening at about nine o'clock, a gentleman wandered into the little old station at Pelham Manor to take the Branch Line train of the New Haven, to New York.  He was intoxicated after spending a happy day with his friends among the 'Indians' on Huckleberry Island, and he failed to make the train which was moving slightly.  He fell to the ground and our policeman, Joseph Colgan, and Mr. Harry Dey ran out on the track to assist him.  Unfortunately, he mistook them for robbers and to their horror drew out his gun.  They thought it unwise to force the matter to an issue and the intoxicated man walked the supposed 'robbers' all the way to the Athletic Club at the point of his pistol.  The man, later on, was identified, arrested and fined and after being lectured by the Rev. John H. Dey, editor of the Evangelist, on the evils of drink, he was glad to evaporate.

Spreading Out

Soon after we built our year-'round home we built a stable and began to keep horses.  We took on a coachman and a gardener and two maids and we laid out flower and vegetable gardens.  We also built cowshed and purchased a cow which unfortunately proceeded to run dry.  We purchased coops and a runway for chickens but as we did not understand chickens they soon failed to lay and we ate them.  There was a long, succession of dogs, large and small, and our boats ran from row boats up to power boats.  We also bought adjoining land until we owned five acres.  It was all in the game.  

The Old Manor Club

Our principal amusement, evenings, in those early days was going to the old Manor Club for dances, entertainments, pool and cards.  

Although the clubhouse was small, seating barely one hundred, our affairs had quite an air of smartness.  

People wore evening dress, the women wore long white gloves and at dances the men wore gloves.  I remember that Mr. Randall had eight pairs at once, and Mrs. Corlies would bring me a package of white gloves every year from Paris.  

The old Manor Club was restricted by the deed of gift of the land from having or serving alcoholic beverages and we were constantly troubled to make welsh-rarebits without beer.  The 'he men' of the period also complained at our mild refreshments of ice cream and cake and all this had a bearing on the success of the new Country Club where anything could be had to drink.  

The Tuesday Afternoon Club

One of the very best things that ever happened for the women of Pelham Manor was the founding of the Tuesday Afternoon Club in 1900.  This club was a modest little reading group.  It grew with the growth of the village until in 1914, when the Old Manor Club was about to expire it 'took over' the old club, and made it a regulation women's club with sections for the study of various subjects.  

The present Manor Club is a valued factor in the lives of the women of the Pelhams, enabling them to exercise their talents whether cultural or executive and to make and cement friendships.

Mrs. James F. Secor was the leading spirit in these two women's clubs, and she was the beloved president of one and then of the other during a period of no less than twenty-five years.  

Ed. Note:  The second and last article by Mrs. Randall presenting her reminiscences of other days, will appear in next week's issue of The Pelham Sun."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall) Reminiscences of an oldtime Pelham Manor resident, presenting an intimate and charming picture of life in the early days of the village, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1938, p. 7, cols. 1-2.  

"EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR
By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall)
-----

This is the second and last article written by Mrs. Randall long a resident of Pelham Manor , in which she has presented a vivid and intimate picture of life in the village of days gone by.

Early Automobiling

About 1910, when a few automobiles began to be owned in Pelham Manor, we still clung to our horses.  

At that time people used to put up their cars in Winter, featuring to have them freeze or get blocked in a snow drift.

It used to give us considerable inward glee on cold, Winter mornings to see these rich and bloated owners of cars standing shivering on street corners waiting trustfully for the 'Toonerville Trolley' to take them to their train while we drove gaily by, nestling in fur robes, our sleigh bells jingling and red tassels waving.  If there happened to be room we would invite one or two to ride.

The Pelham Country Club

It may surprise you to learn that the original Pelham Country Club rented some farm land on the easterly side of Fowler avenue for a nine hole golf course in the early years of golf.  

After a time the land was sold and the club was forced to remove.  The old Disbrow farm on North avenue ,New Rochelle was rented and finally purchased and an eighteen hole course was built.  

The leading spirits were the men from Pelham Manor, though new members soon increased the membership.  The first three presidents were from Pelham Manor, Martin J. Condon, Paul Heubner and William B. Randall who also became life members.

The name Wykagyl was substituted by William K. Gillett who discovered a native Indian tribe associated with that neighborhood.  

About that time there was a tennis club in Pelham Manor which had its home at the Iden Mansion on Wolf's Lane, where they had six tennis courts.  

In 1908 this cljub decided to expand and they chose the present site of the Pelham Country Club.  

The property was the much despised Spreen Swamp which Mr. George Lahey described as 'a repository for discarded iron beds, boilers and tin cans and debris of every description.'  Drainage from half of Pelham Manor flowed into it; it contained a peat bed, quick sands and a swamp where frogs, snakes and mosquitoes flourished.  

With infinite courage and tenacity and at great expense, this unlovely spot 'has been transformed into a lovely park with fine trees, shrubs and running brooks, where formerly there was only rough terrain and stagnant water.'  A full length golf course was finally completed within the village.

This great undertaking was accomplished under the leadership of Mont D. Rogers, Edmjund E. Sinclair and William B. Randall, faithfully supported by the Board of Governors and the entire membership.

I quote again:  'After the construction of the golf course, Pelham Manor property in the vicinity that had been offered at $4,000 per acre, eventually sold as high as $40,000 per acre greatly increasing the wealth of the owners.'

The Pelham Country Club has been a boon to its members giving them health and pleasure."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, EARLY DAYS IN PELHAM MANOR By EVELYN RANDALL (Mrs. Wm. B. Randall), The Pelham Sun, Aug. 6, 1938, p. 6, cols. 7-8.  

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Obituaries of William B. Randall, a Notable Pelham Manor Resident, and Information About His Family and Home

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

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

William Bradley Randall and his wife, Evelyn Smith Randall, lived for many years in a home they called The Hermitage located at 1385 Park Lane on a large plot of land that extended from Park Lane through to today's Beech Tree Lane in the estate section of Pelham Manor.  After Ther Hermitage was razed in the mid-20th century, the Randalls' land was subdivided and a number of homes were built on the site that now stand between Park Lane and Beech Tree Lane near Pelham's border with Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx.

William B. Randall was one of the most notable citizens of the Village of Pelham Manor in the early 20th century.  His wife, Evelyn, was a social force in the Village and was an important member of The Manor Club for much of her life until her death at the age of 94 in 1955.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of a number of obituaries of William Bradley Randall, includes a photograph of The Hermitage, includes the text of a couple of wedding announcements describing the wedding of the couple's daughter at The Hermitage during World War I, and transcribes the text of a brief biography of Evelyn Randall published in 1914.

"Deceased The Late WILLIAM B. RANDALL"

Source:  WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF

MANOR DIES, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, 

Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 1, col. 3.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF MANOR DIES
-----
Took an Active Interest in Development of Pelham Manor for More Than 40 Years.
-----

William Bradley Randall, 82, former official of the Village of Pelham Manor, who was one of the pioneers of development of the residential village, died on Saturday at his home No. 15 Gramercy Park, New York City, where he had lived for the last two years.  Death followed a brief illness.  His Pelham Manor home was on Park Lane.

Mr. Randall was president of the Security Transfer and Registrar Company of No. 39 Broadway.  He had been trust officer of the Knickerbocker Trust Company from 1889 until he organized his own business in 1907.  He was also a vice-president of the Amalgamated Picohe Mines and Smelter Corporation, a director of the Bankers National Life Insurance Company, and former director of the Marine Midland Trust Company.  

Mr. Randall was born at South Lee,, Mass., the son of Abel Bradley Randall and Ann E. Ormsby Randall.  

When Mr. Randall and his family moved to Pelham Manor more than 40 years ago, there was neither water, gas, electricity or trolley service in the village.  A few weeks after his arrival here, Mr. Randall organized a committee to plan a new sewer system for the village.  Since that time, is [sic] committee, as an official, and as an individual citizen, he ccontinued his effort to make Pelham Manor an attractive residential community.  

Mr. Randall served as President of the village in 1902, and continued close association with its affairs subsequently as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Commission.  He resigned two years ago, when he took up permanent residence in New York City.

Mr. Randall was one of the founders of the Pelham Country Club and was elected a life mem-

(Continued on Page 4)

W. B. RANDALL, FORMER VILLAGE OFFICIAL DIED IN NEW YORK
-----
(Cointinued From Page One)

ber.  He served as its treasurer for 17 years.  He was also one of the founders and a life member of the Wykagyl Country Club.  He served as president of the Wykagyl Club in 1912 and 1913.  He was the founder and first president of the Hampton Roads Golf Club, a charter and life member of the National Arts Club, a member of India House in New York City Railroad Club and the Downtown Athletic Club.  

Mr. Randall also was a director of the Southern States Lumber Co., Old Point Comfort Improvement Co., and Hurricane Lodge, in the Adirondacks.

Mr. Randall served for 20 years as a director of the Mount Vernon Trust Co.  He had been president of the Security, Transfer and Register Co. of New York City, a director of the Coal & Iron National Bank, the Puritan Mortgage Co., and was a director of the Chamber of Commerce of Westchester County.

He served as president and treasurer of the old Manor Club, which preceded the present organization.  

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Evelyn Smith Randall, a son Bradley Randall and a daughter, Mrs. Vernon Radcliffe, of Pelham Manor.

The funeral service was held on Monday afternoon at St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church, East 16th street, New York City."

Source:  WM. B. RANDALL EARLY PRESIDENT OF MANOR DIES, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 1, col. 3 & p. 4, cols. 4-6.

"WILLIAM BRADLEY RANDALL
----

The death of William Bradley Randall, removes from the list of old Pelham residents, one who had a great deal to do with the planning and development of the Pelhams as a high-class residential suburb.  He took a great deal of pride in the growth of Pelham, and was a zealous guardian of its residential interests.

From a very close friend, The Pelham Sun has received the following tribute:

'The death of our beloved fellow-townsman, William B. Randall has shocked us beyond expression.  Pelham has lost one of her great citizens, who will be sorely missed when vital questions confront the people.  His principles were interwoven with the sacred ideals of the early settlers of Pelham and these he defended strongly and stubbornly.  He was loath to follow the new communistic ideas which for a time have excited the American people.  He had a wonderful capacity for judging correctly the trend of the times, but he could never sympathize with the viewpoint of the radical socialist.

Aristocratic in his bearings, he portrayed in the highest degree the ideal of the old-time gentleman.  Yet he always exercised careful consideration for the opinions of his fellow men, weighing their judgment without bias.  He was gifted with a well-ordered mind which enabled him to decide methodically and logically the perplexing problems that were continually confronting him.  

He will remain indwelt in our memory for many years, and it is the hope of all of us that his mantle will fall upon one deserving of that distinguished honor.'"

Source:  WILLIAM BRADLEY RANDALL, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 22, 1940, Vol. 29, No. 51, p. 2, col. 1.  

The Hermitage, Home of William B. and Evelyn Randall in

Pelham Manor for Many Years.  Source:  Courtesy of The

Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham.

The Hermitage, pictured above, once stood at 1385 Park Lane in the Beech Tree Lane section of the Village of Pelham Manor.  It was, for many years, the home of William Bradley Randall, his wife (Evelyn), and their two children.  The home was the scene of the wedding of the couple's daughter, Phoebe Randall, at the height of World War I on February 12, 1918.  Below is the text of two brief announcements of the wedding.

"RADCLIFFE -- RANDALL.

Officers of the United States Signal Corps and several college professors attended the wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall, to Vernon Radcliffe, who is connected with the photographic division of the aviation department of the United States Signal Corps.  The ceremony took place at the Hermitage, the country home of the bride's parents, on Park lane, Pelham Manor, N. Y.  It was performed by Rev. William L. Sullivan, pastor of All Souls' Church, Manhattan.

It was a simple military wedding, because the bridegroom expects to be called to France on short notice.  The bride's only attendant was Miss Katherine Seymour, and her brother, Bradley Randall, was best man."

Source:  SOCIAL AND PERSONAL . . . RADCLIFFE--RANDALL, The Yonkers Statesman, Feb. 13, 1918, p. 5, col. 1.  

"Wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe.

An out-of-town wedding of this afternoon which has a very decided interest for Brooklyn society is that of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe, son of Mrs. James Anderson of Manhattan, formerly of 201 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn.  Mrs. Radcliffe, who before her marriage was Miss Elizabeth Wills Vernon, comes from the old Brooklyn family of that name.  Her son was graduated from Amherst class of 1911 and is now connected with the signal work of the United States Aviation Corps.  The wedding was hurried on account of Mr. Radcliffe's orders.  Miss Randall is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall of Pelham Manor, N. Y.  She attended Miss Master's School at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.  The hour of the wedding which occurred at the Hermitage, the bride's home in Pelham Manor, was 3:30, the Rev. William L. Sullivan of All Souls' Church officiating.

Miss Randall's only attendent [sic] was her maid of honor, Miss Katherine Seymour, the bride's brother Bradley Randall, acting as best man for Mr. Radcliffe.

Bride roses, palms and smilax decorated the house.  Miss Randall's gown was of rich cream brocade and duchess lace, a family heirloom.  Her veil was also of the duchest lace and she carried lillies of the valley and bride roses.  

Only relatives and intimate friends witnessed the ceremony."

Source:  Brooklyn Society:  Wedding of Miss Phoebe Randall to Vernon Radcliffe, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Feb. 12, 1918, p. 7, col. 1.  

Immediately below is the text of a brief biography of Evelyn Smith Randall published in 1914, followed by a citation and link to its source.

"RANDALL, Evelyn (Mrs. William Bradley Randall, Park Lae, Pelham Manor, N.Y.

Born N.Y. City, 1860; dau. Addison P. and Phoebe (Cargill) Smith; ed. N. Y. City public schools; m. 1888, William Bradley Randall; children:  Jerome, Bradley, Phoebe.  Mem. Mary Washington Colonial Chapter D.A.R. (cor. sec.); treas.  Pelham Summer Home for Children.  Clubs:  Tuesday Afternoon, National Arts, MacDowell, N. Y. Browning.  Recreations:  Walking, music, art, literature.  Favors woman suffrage; mem. Suffrage League of New Rochelle, N. Y."

Source:  Leonard, John William, ed., Woman's Who's Who of America - A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915, p. 671 (NY, NY:  The American Commonwealth Co., 1914).

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I have written about William Bradley Randall, his wife Evelyn Smith Randall, and their home known as The Hermitage on a number of occasions.  For examples, see:

Fri., Apr. 29, 2005:  Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Randall And Their Pelham Home Known as The Hermitage.

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007:  An Early Event in the History of Pelhamwood.

Fri., Jul. 17, 2009:  Brief Biography of William B. Randall of Pelham Manor Published in 1900.

Thu., Oct. 23, 2014:  A Mystery:  The Club House Built by the Pelham Shore Improvement Company.

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

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The Manor Club's Celebration of its Golden Anniversary in 1932

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The Manor Club, located at 1023 Esplanade in the Village of Pelham Manor, is a cultural, civic, and social club for women.  The Club had its beginnings in the 1870's.  It was not, however, organized formally until January 10, 1882. 

The clubhouse that stands today is not the original clubhouse. Today's clubhouse opened in 1922.  

On May 12, 2014, the Manor Club clubhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Reference No. 14000207).  The National Park Service Web site page devoted to the Manor Club is located here.  The full file reflecting the listing is located here. 

"THE MANOR CLUB," an Architectural Rendering Prepared by

William H. Orchard, Architect, in 1921.  Source:  Manor Club National

Register of Historic Places File (Reference No. 14000207), Enhanced

with Adobe Photoshop.

I have written much about the history of the Manor Club on countless occasions.  At the close of today's Historic Pelham Blog Posting I have included an extensive list of articles (with links where available) to prior articles on the topic. 

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes two wonderful articles that celebrated the golden anniversary of the Manor Club.  Both appeared in the same issue of The Pelham Sun on May 27, 1932, intended to honor what those in the Club at the time said was the Club's golden anniversary.  The first is the text of a paper on the history of the Manor Club that was read by the Club Historian to members of the Club during the golden anniversary celebration.  The second is an article describing the festivities the same day.

"FIFTY YEARS OF THE MANOR CLUB
BY MRS. WILLIAM B. RANDALL
The Historical Sketch of the Manor Club Was Presented by the Historian at the Annual Luncheon Tuesday.

It is with considerable pride and pleasure that we meet together today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Manor Club.  A club like this does not grow of itself.  It is the work of many minds and many hands, the reward of many years of unselfish effort.

There must be many new members who do not know that the present Manor Club is a combination of two clubs which grew up side by side and finally were amalgamated.

They were the old Manor club, a family club for recreation, and the Tuesday Afternoon club which was a study club for women.  Each had a separate existence until 1914 when they were combined, the club continuing as a woman's cultural club for the Pelhams.

We are fortunate in having the original minutes book of 1882, the first year of the club.  It shows a remarkable vitality in the monthly entertainments that were given and that explains why the club so soon desired a club house.  They first purchased two lots on the Esplanade (where Mr. W. R. Bull's house now stands) for the sum of $300, a sum even then so small as to make the lots practically a gift from the owner Mrs. Robert C. Black.  Later on these lots were exchanged for the narrow point on which the club house was afterward built.

The deed of the property was incumbered [sic] by several restrictions all of which have now been removed except the one forbidding the bringing of alcoholic beverages on the property, which still remains in force.  

In 1887 the first club house was built at a cost of about $10,000 and was financed by sale of bonds to the amount of $10,000.  

As the village was very small and the residents mostly of slender means the club was seldom able to pay the interest on the bonds, and certainly unable to redeem them.

The club house was of wood and consisted of one large room seating fewer than 100.  This room was entirely surrounded by the stage, alcoves and wide porches and was therefore dark in the daytime although lighted by gas at night.

There was a billiard room in one alcove, so small that the cues would touch the wall.  In the cellar there was a bowling alley less than regulation length.  There were two tennis courts which did not pay their overhead and were abandoned.

The club was managed by a board of fine men directors who smoked many cigars in the effort to finance the club.

The House Committee consisted of five women whose duty it was to give monthly entertainments for which no funds were available.  This hard working committee used to plan the programs, sell tickets, make the refreshments, arriving at the club in evening dress to run off the entertainment, pass the refreshments and do everything else except wash the dishes.  We were jolly if impecunious.

We used to dance or play whist on Saturday night and we had many excellent concerts, theatricals, lectures and cotillion.  One of the notable events was the concert of Itala Campanini, the Caruso of that period, through the kindness of Mr. Gilliland, the president of the Club.  The best men of the village served as officers and the best women served as House Committee.  As the club never had more than seventy five family memberships at twelve dollars each, the income of $900 was entirely inadequate to provide for interest, taxes, insurance, repairs and replenishments, heating and lighting to say nothing of the cost of club steward, monthly entertainments, printing stationery and various sundries.

Finally late in 1913 at the end of 30 years of effort, it came to pass that the Directors became weary of making up an annual deficit and the House Committee became weary of getting up endless entertainments.  The time had arrived when the old Manor Club was ready to give up the struggle and to let the club house and land revert to the original owner.

We will now turn for a moment to the story of the Woman's Club which for years had been growing at the side of the Manor Club.

In the late nineties a few of the women began to meet weekly to read and study together.  The beginnings were small and tentative, but in 1900 they adopted a name and a constitution and elected officers.  Mrs. James F. Secor was president, Mrs. Charles B. Hull, vice-president; Mrs. William B. Randall, secretary; Miss Charlotte E. Cowles, treasurer.  Mrs. Secor remained president until the two clubs were united in 1914 and then served as president of the new Manor Club, making 25 years of service in all.

The Tuesday Afternoon Club used to meet in one of the alcoves of the Manor Club, for use of which it paid the munificent rental of four dollars per meeting.  There were seventy-five members, and as the dues were then but two dollars per year and there were practically no expenses, the club constantly grew and prospered.  An increase of dues provided lectures.  A great deal of honest  effort was expended in study, principally literary, and many papers were read and discussed.

By the year 1913 when the Manor Club was at the point of expiring, Mr. Henry E. Dey had the happy thought of asking the women of the Tuesday Afternoon Club to take over the Manor Club as the women's club was prosperous and growning.

They gasped at the suggestion.  But old associations had made the club house dear to their hearts and they could not bear to let it go.

They met and talked and canvassed and conferred, they increased their dues to twelve dollars and increased their membership to nearly 200 and bravely undertook the task of rejuvenating the Manor Club.  In 1914 in one eve the old Manor Club and the Tuesday Afternoon Club were amalgamated.  One by one women were elected as Directors to take the places of the five men Directors as they resigned.

The Tuesday Club relinquished its name and took the name of the Manor Club, its charter, its constitution and its property.

This was the most exciting period in the club's history.

The men who resigned were:  Mr. Gerald Mygatt, Mr. Wm. Currie, Mr. E. C. Beecroft, Mr. Henry E. Dey, and Mr. Theodore Hill.

The women who were elected were:  Mrs. James F. Secor, Mrs. Robert C. Black, Mrs. W. T. Tiers, Mrs. Clifford Black and Mrs. Wm. B. Randall.  

When the new Directors quieted down, they found that with the old club house they had inherited $9,000 of bond indebtedness and one thousand of current indebtedness which was rather discouraging.

Time went on, with the usual studies, lectures and entertainments, and as the village grew the club grew with it.

At the end of three years of effort the entire bonded indebtedness had been wiped out by purchase or by gift of the bonds.  As many owners of bonds had long considered them worthless, perhaps, they did not so much mind giving them up.

At the end of this struggle the members stopped just long enough to catch breath when they began to clamor for more room, more light and more convenience in the old club house.  

For two years they discussed, they raised a little money and finally decided to enlarge the club house.  

For two whole years more they discussed as to how it should be altered, until in a wave of enthusiasm they finally decided to tear down the old club house and build one entirely new.  (This was the second most exciting moment.)

Our first subscription of one thousand dollars came from Mrs. Clifford Black.  Mrs. Robert Black bought life membership for her entire family.

Mr. Wm. T. Grant spoke publicly encouraging us in our project.

Mr. J. C.  Wilberding originated the working plan for raising the funds.

The Pelhams had been growing.  The entire community felt the value of our work, and supported us by their sympathy and their subscription.  

We raised by subscription some $30,000 and borrowed as much more from the kindly disposed New Rochelle Trust Co.

During this time our studies and lectures were kept up.  Our membership increased and our activities had broadened from the study of literature to include the study of the fine arts, music and drama.  Later on we added civic and horticultural activities.

By 1922 our present club house was finished.  We celebrated by giving a large entertainment on the new stage with its modern lighting and dressing rooms; the inclined floor which enabled everyone to see and hear.

In addition we found we had an assembly room for smaller affairs, a sun porch, kitchens and rooms on the second floor.  Joy swelled up in our hearts to see the fulfillment of our dreams.

A speaker on that occasion said that the building was a 'monument to the women of the club who had given so lavishly of their time, money and effort, not for their own glory but for the enrichment of the life of the community.'

The club house is the outward symbol of an inward spirit, an intense love for the finer things of life, the beautiful, intellectual and spiritual.

Editor's Note -- The facts in the above paper were derived from the minutes of the Manor Club."

Source:  Randall, Evelyn, FIFTY YEARS OF THE MANOR CLUB, The Pelham Sun, May 27, 1932, p. 14, cols. 4-6.

"MRS. JAMES F. LONGLEY," President of the Manor Club

at the Time of its 50th Anniversary Celebration in 1932.

Source:  Mrs. J. F. Longley Honored At Manor Club Golden

Anniversary Program, The Pelham Sun, May 27, 1932,

p. 14, cols. 1-3.

"Mrs. J. F. Longley Honored At Manor Club Golden Anniversary Program
-----
One Hundred and Seventy Women Attend Annual Luncheon; Sections Present Novel Historical Program.
-----

After six years as president of the Manor Club, Mrs. James F. Longley turned the gavel over to Mrs. Walter B. Parsons, newly elected president, on Tuesday, at the annual luncheon which marked the Golden Anniversary of the club.  More than 160 women, including presidents of other women's clubs, charter members, past presidents and directors were present at the Fiftieth Anniversary program.

Mrs. J. F. Longley in her final address said that she felt the club had reached a distinct landmark in its history.  Its founders she characterized as people of high ideals and standards and the past year as perhaps the most successful and active year in the club's history.  During her term of office, Mrs. Longley said, her aim had been to uphold the traditions of the club and she bespoke for her successor the same cooperation and loyalty which she had received.  With expressions of the greatest confidence Mrs. Longley presented the president's gavel to Mrs. Parsons.

Mrs. Edward Penfield presented Mrs. Longley with a gift from the club members in recognition of her devoted services.  The Board of Directors had also presented a gift to the retiring president at a previous meeting.

On receiving the gavel Mrs. Parsons explained that the first meeting in the club building eleven years ago, was her initiation to Manor Club membership and since then the club has been an absorbing interest.  Mrs. Parsons said:  'My work with the club has made me understand more, probably, than anything else could have, what a heritage we in the Pelhams have to cherish and develop.  These charming villages, unspoiled by their nearness to the largest city in the world, have in their community spirit, of which the Manor Club is probably the most dominant factor, realized all and more than their founders hoped for them.'  

In speaking of the club traditions, Mrs. Parsons said:  'As traditions are made from our best experiences, it is not wise to lightly put them aside.  But as times and customs change, we must build on those traditions, to meet the changing needs -- so that we in turn can hand on to our successors a heritage worthy of us.'

Of paramount interest on the program, especially to the older club members was the reading of a greeting from the club's honorary president, Mrs. James F. Secor.  Mrs. Henry E. Dey who headed the committee arranging the anniversary program, spoke briefly and feelingly of Mrs. Secor's services to the club.  Mrs. Secor was leader of the Tuesday afternoon club and president of the Manor Club for thirteen years.  Mrs. Dey spoke of her generosity of spirit and mind and also of the late Mrs. Robert Black, the first vice-president, to whose good sense and wisdom the members turned for advice.  Mrs. Black, Mrs. Dey called the fairy godmother of the club.  Mrs. Secor's greeting from California was as follows:

Greeting From Mrs. James F. Secor

'To the President, officers and members of the Manor Club, warmest greeting!

'Greetings from the far away California coast, where I lived until I was in my 23rd year and then upon the occasion of my marriage to Mr. Secor, in 1880, I came to New York and shortly afterward to Pelham Manor.  I can truly say that I have lived my life in Pelham Manor, that is, in its working years, and they are the years that count.  It was the Manor Club which gave me my first experience in the art of managing public affairs, and I learned as much as I gave during the thirteen years when I was its president.  It is not the length of time one is in office, but what one accomplishes while there which counts.  I now see that the whole-hearted cooperation in things that are uplifting, the generous willingness to do something to make the club better, more stimulating to what is highest and best in our daily lives, had made the Pelhams a finer place in which to live.  This was the great aim of our young years, and it has been accomplished as I can see and feel although so many miles away.

'Life in the Pelhams is a finer thing by reason of the influence of a group of women who worked, and still do, to bring out the best qualities of those about them through the study of literature, music, art, the drama, and various sections.

'Therefore, I say to you who thus labor:  'Go forward, be not weary in well-doing.'  To my dear friend Mrs. Longley who is to retire from the office of president I send my warm love and congratulations upon her successful presidency, and now, my dear Sophie (Mrs. H. E. Dey) I will close with kind remembrances to my many friends in the Manor Club, among which you are surely included.

'JOAN E. SECOR,
'Honorary President.'

The members of the club rose and applauded at the conclusion of Mrs. Secor's message.

Of considerable value and interest was the historical sketch of the Manor Club presented by Mrs. William B. Randall, historian of the club.  It will be found in full in another part of the paper.

The various divisions of the club each contributed to the interesting program in the auditorium, celebrating the club's fiftieth birthday.

'The Bachelor's Reverie' from an old program of the 'Nineties,' directed by Mrs. J. Sheppard Cabanne.  Those taking part in a series of charming tableaux included:  Mrs. Willard H. Cobb, Miss Claire Specht, Mrs. Louis Carreau, Miss Helen Haskins, Mrs. Charles M. Chenery, Mrs. Dermot Gale, Mrs. Richard Souther, Miss Katharine King, Mrs. A. N. Hutchinson, Mrs. Julius A. Migel and Miss Margaret Stobie.

A revival of a meeting of 'The Tuesday Afternoon Club' in 1900 was presented by the Literature Section.  Mrs. Alexander F. Fromhold impersonated Mrs. James F. Secor, president, Mrs. H. C. Birney, Mrs. Charles B. Hull, vice-president, and Mrs. Richard H. Lee, Mrs. William B. Randall, secretary-treasurer.

A most amusing rendition of a musical afternoon of the Gay Nineties was presented by members of the Music Section and the Choral, taken from a program at the Manor Club in 1930.  Mrs. Laurence T. Hemmenway took the part of the hostess.  Others assisting were Miss Temperance P. Reed who 'rendered' 'Monastery Bells,' Mrs. E. A. Jurgensen who presented a 'Mazurka,' Mrs. Harold Garton and Mrs. Chauncey Williams who presented that touching duet 'Whispering Hope,' and 'Goodbye' by Tosti, was dramatically rendered by Mrs. Clinton T. Miller during which, one by one, the dear ladies wilted in true Victorian style.

Mrs. Holmes Contributes to Program

A unique and entertaining note was introduced into the program by Mrs. Robert A. Holmes who served as Manor Club president from 1925 to 1926.  In a witty verse Mrs. Holmes sketched the Genesis of Women's Clubs, going back two thousand years to the days of Sappho.

Mrs. H. G. K. Heath who called herself 'the oldest active member of the club' spoke informally and delightfully.  She has been associated with the club for 42 years and those years present a record of pleasant memories and valued friendships.

'Almost Any Day,' an amusing monologue of the life of a very busy society woman was presented by Mrs. R. C. Heyl, Jr., and the Civic and Junior Sections concluded the program presenting 'future directors of the club, little tots of very tender age.'  The Nursemaids included:  Marie Villari, Marion Russell, Barbara Trowbridge, Marjorie Curtin, Donna Brace, Kathryn Tolbert, Betty Best, Norma Rubino, Lucille McAuliffe, Catherine McHugh and Betty McDonagh.

On the motion of Mrs. Robert A. Holmes a telegram of love and congratulations was sent to Mrs. Secor in California.  

Incidental music was supplied by the Music Section of the club and the Garden Section had charge of decorations.  Two interesting murals depicting 1882 and 1920 were the work of Henry E. Dey.

The program committee of the club for 1931-1932 was headed by Mrs. Charles M. Chenery.

Mrs. Henry E. Dey was chairman of the Anniversary Committee.  The advisory committee included:  Mrs. Robert P. Bacon, Mrs. Charles Gillett, Mrs. E. T. Gilliland, Mrs. H. G. K. Heath, Miss Geraldine O'Neill, Mrs. Edward Penfield, Mrs. William B. Randall, Miss Anna Secor, Mrs. William Twell Tiers and Mrs. Joseph C. Wilberding."

Source:  Mrs. J. F. Longley Honored At Manor Club Golden Anniversary Program, The Pelham Sun, May 27, 1932, p. 14, cols. 1-3.

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Bell, Blake A., Early History of the Manor Club, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 20, May 14, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

Tue., Dec. 13, 2005:  The Manor Club's First Clubhouse Built in 1887-1888. 

Wed., Dec. 28, 2005:  The Mystery of the "Manor Club Girl" That Set Pelham Tongues Wagging in 1913. 

Fri., Aug. 4, 2006:  Early Images of the Original and Current Clubhouse Structures of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor, New York.

Mon., Feb. 15, 2010:  Early History of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor.

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