Installation of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church's First Permanent Pastor in 1877

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Rev. Dr. Henry Randall Waite was the first permanent pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church.  (Rev. Charles Eliphalet Lord served as an acting pastor from the time the church opened until Rev. Waite became the first full-time pastor.) 

Huguenot Memorial was founded as the nation's only "Centennial Church" and, thus, opened its doors for its first service on the Sunday after the nation celebrated its July 4, 1876 Centennial.  Reverend Waite began service as the pastor of the Church in 1877 and was formally installed in that post on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 4, 1877.

Rev. Waite served as pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church for a little less than three years.  He resigned the pastorate in November, 1880.   A few years later he founded the tiny little Church of the Covenant at Pelhamville, and was its minister without salary from 1887 to 1889. 

Reverend Waite was a fascinating man. While serving as minister of the Church of the Covenant at Pelhamville, he also served as Secretary and Treasurer of the Julien Electric Company, which operated the first street cars propelled by storage battery in the United States. He also was a man of letters. He edited a host of important publications of his day.

I have written about Rev. Dr. Henry Randall Waite before.  See, e.g.: 

Thu., Sep. 29, 2005:  A Brief Biography of Henry Randall Waite, 19th Century Clergyman in Pelham.  

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

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

The installation of Rev. Waite as pastor of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church on December 4, 1877 was, of course, a seminal event in the history of the little church.  The installation services were conducted in the afternoon of that day.  Members of the clergy from throughout the Westchester Presbytery and elsewhere attended the services in the tiny little wooden sanctuary that stood where today's magnificent stone sanctuary stands.  The little church was painted red and became a famous landmark because it stood on Boston Post Road, then the principal thoroughfare between New York City and New England.  The red church gave the name "Red Church Corner" to the intersection of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue where it stood.

Among the clergy present for the installation services that day were:  Rev. Washington Roosevelt and Rev. Charles Higbee, both of Pelham Manor; Rev. Dr. Baird of Rye; Rev. Dr. William J. Tucker and Rev. Dr. Lewellyn Bevan, both of New York City; Rev. Robert A. Davison, Moderator of Westchester Presbytery; Rev. Dr. Wilson Phraner of Sing Sing, Rev. Dr. Rollin A. Sawyer of Irvington, Rev. Hiram H. Waite (father of Henry Randall Waite); and Rev. L. Francis of Greenpoint, Long Island.

Rev. Davison, Moderator of the Westchester Presbytery, propounded the constitutional question to Rev. Waite.  Rev. Phraner gave the charge to the new pastor.  Rev. Sawyer gave the charge to the people of the congregation.  Rev. Dr. William J. Tucker of New York City delivered the sermon.  According to one newspaper account:

"Dr. Tucker, of this city, preached an admirable sermon on what he called the inspiration of faith, which, he argued, always preceded the inspiration of writing.  So that before Moses or David, Isaiah or Paul could write, they must have believed.  And had they not been obedient as well as believing, God could not have developed His truth in them with sufficient clearness and power for them to have written it."  

Three vocalists ("Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover") from New Rochelle celebrated the installation with music.  Rev. Waite's father, Rev. Hiram H. Waite, delivered the closing prayer.  Following the services, the clergy dispersed to the homes of various residents of Pelham Manor and were "entertained by the hospitable Pelhamites at their homes."

A Glass Lantern Slide Created by Pelham Town Historian

William Montgomery Between December 10, 1916 and June

10, 1917. It Depicts the "Little Red Church," the Predecessor

Building to Today's Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church

Sanctuary. The Little Red Church was a "Centenary Church"

Opened in July 1876 in Part to Commemorate the Centennial

of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"WESTCHESTER COUNTY. . . .

A special meeting of the Westchester Presbytery will be held in the Huguenot Memorial Church, at Pelham Manor, on Tuesday afternoon next, for the purpose of installing the new Pastor of the church, Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D.  Among the prominent clergymen who will take part in the exercises are Rev. Washington Roosevelt, Rev. Llewellyn Bevan, Rev. T. Ralston Smith, Rev. William J. Tucker, Rev. Wilson Phraner, Rev. Rollin A. Sawyer, and Rev. Hiram H. Waite."

Source:  WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. Times, Dec. 2, 1877, p. 2, col. 5.  

"A HUGUENOT INSTALLATION.
-----
THE NEW CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN ERECTED AT PELHAM MANOR.

The Huguenots were an important factor in the morals and politics of Westchester county, N. Y., a century ago, though their history is still unwritten save in sketches.  The old Pelham Manor having been laid out in village plots by an association composed largely of New England descendants of the Huguenots a few years ago, they resolved to plant a church there which should be a memorial to their persecuted ancestors.  They have built one of the plainest and prettiest country churches anywhere within an hours' [sic] ride of New York, and yesterday the edifice was filled with persons from the city and the villages adjacent between this and Sing Sing to witness the installation of the Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., as pastor.  Mr. Waite was formerly pastor of the American Chapel in Rome, but has been back about a year.  The little Huguenot church was opened for worship on the first Sabbath of the second centenary of American independence, and is therefore properly named the Huguenot Centenary Memorial Church of Pelham Manor.  It is the only Huguenot church in the land.  Being within the bounds of the Westchester Presbytery a large representation of that body was present at the installation services yesterday afternoon.  The exercises were participated in by the Rev. Washington Roosevelt and the Rev. Charles Higbee, of Pelham Manor, the later rector of the Episcopal Church there; by the Rev. Dr. Baird of Rye; Rev. Drs. W. J. Tucker and L. Bevan, of this city; Rev. Robert A. Davison, moderator of Presbytery, who propounded the constitutional question to the new pastor; by Dr. Phraner, of Sing Sing, who gave the charge to the pastor, and Dr. Sawyer, of Irvington, N. Y., who charged the people.  The Rev. H. H. Waite, father of the Huguenot pastor, is engaged in the same relation with the Second Congregational Church in Jersey City.  He was present yesterday at the installation of his son and made the closing prayer, and the Rev. L. Francis of the First Reformed Church, Greenpoint, L. I., also took part.  Dr. Tucker, of this city, preached an admirable sermon on what he called the inspiration of faith, which, he argued, always preceded the inspiration of writing.  So that before Moses or David, Isaiah or Paul could write, they must have believed.  And had they not been obedient as well as believing, God could not have developed His truth in them with sufficient clearness and power for them to have written it.  Dr. Sawyer's charge to the people was a model of its kind.  It was delivered extempore and related to their reception of the new pastor as a man and as a minister.  As a man, he was theirs; as a minister, they were to be him.  The first meant that they should provide adequate support for him; the second that they should hear the Word of God from his mouth, not in a perfunctory manner, but as if Christ, whose ambassador he is, stood before them.  A trio from New Rochelle -- Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover -- furnished the vocal music, and the visitors were entertained by the hospitable Pelhamites at their homes."

Source:  A HUGUENOT INSTALLATION -- THE NEW CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN ERECTED AT PELHAM MANOR, N. Y. Herald, Dec. 5, 1877, No. 15,080, p. 4, col. 4.  

"Dedication of a Huguenot Church.

The Huguenots were an important factor in the morals and politics of this county a century ago, though their history is still unwritten save in sketches.  The old Pelham Manor having been laid out in village plots by an association composed largely of New England descendants of the Huguenots a few years ago, they resolved to plant a church there which should be a memorial to their persecuted ancestors.  They have built a plain but handsome edifice, which was filled with people on the 4th inst. to witness the installation of Rev. Henry Randall Waite, Ph. D., as pastor.  This is the only Huguenot Church in the land.  Being with the bounds of the Westchester Presbytery a large representation of that body was present at the installation services.  The exercises were participated in by the Rev. Washington Roosevelt and the Rev. Charles Higbee, of Pelham Manor, the latter rector of the Episcopal Church there; by the Rev. Dr. Baird, of Rye; Rev. Drs. W. J. Tucker and L. Bevan, of New York city; Rev. Robert A. Davison, Moderator of the Presbytery, who propounded the constitutional question to the new pastor; by Dr. Phraner, of Sing Sing, who gave the charge to the pastor, and Dr. Sawyer, of Irvington, who charged the people.  A trio from New Rochelle -- Miss Phillips and Messrs. O'Brien and Grover -- furnished the vocal music, and the visitors were entertained by the hospital [sic] Pelhamites at their homes."

Source:  Dedication of a Huguenot Church, Eastern State Journal, Dec. 14, 1877, Vol. XXXIII, No. 35, p. 3, col. 3.

"COUNTY JOTTINGS. -- Interesting Items of Happenings in all Parts of this County. . . . 

Rev. Henry Randall Waite has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor. . . ."

Source:  COUNTY JOTTINGS. -- Interesting Items of Happenings in all Parts of this County, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Nov. 12, 1880, p. 3, col. 3.  

"Westchester County. . . . 

Rev. Henry Randall Waite has resigned the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor. . . ."

Source:  Westchester County, The Port Chester Journal [Port Chester, NY], Nov. 25, 1880, Vol. XIII, No. 627, p. 4, col. 2.

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Traffic Light Outage at Four Corners Reminds Pelham of When Mack, the "Jovial Traffic Cop" was Out Sick

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The intersection of Boston Post Road (U.S. Route 1) and Pelhamdale Avenue in the Village of Pelham Manor is a historic place.  Long known as "Red Church Corner" because of the little wooden red church that once stood there and as "Four Corners," the intersection long has been the busiest in the Village of Pelham Manor.

The Nor'easter that rampaged over the region last Friday, March 2, blew down trees and utility poles throughout Pelham, knocking out electricity including that which provided power to the traffic light at Four Corners.  Pelham Manor police erected temporary four-way stop signs at the intersection with long lines of cars at rush hour snaking carefully through the intersection for days.  (Power was restored and the light was reactivated overnight last night.)  Occasionally during the last three and a half days when traffic at the intersection became particularly bad, Pelham Manor police officers served as temporary traffic cops standing in the center of the intersection and directing traffic to move it along -- the same spot where their famous predecessor Mack the Traffic Cop once worked full time.

I have written about Pelham Manor Police Officer John "Mack" McCormack before.  See:

Mon., Feb. 24, 2014:  Mack, the Movie Star Traffic Cop of Pelham Manor, 1916-1928.

Fri., Sep. 23, 2016:  More on the History of the Police Booth at Four Corners in Pelham Manor.

Wed., Nov. 29, 2017:  Pelham Grows Up: Installation of "Silent Cop" Traffic Lights and Traffic Semaphores in the 1920s.

In mid-December, 1922, construction on Boston Post Road to widen and improve the roadway had just been completed.  Poor Mack, the "Movie Star Traffic Cop" of Pelham Manor had spent an exceedingly long time standing on his box in the center of the intersection at Four Corners trying to unsnarl the mess of traffic that tried to navigate the road construction in the area.

Then, in the second week of December something seemed amiss at Red Church Corner.  A reporter at The Pelham Sun received a phone tip that something was wrong at Four Corners and that he should take a look for himself.  The reporter took off from the newspaper offices near the Pelham train station on foot, but soon flagged down an auto to hitch a ride to Red Church Corner.

When he arrived, all seemed well.  Nothing was amiss at the recently-built stone sanctuary of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church.  The "Pop's Gas Station" that stood at the intersection was fine.  A small real estate office that stood at the intersection also was fine.  Slightly down the road, the Old Red Church (once the wooden sanctuary of Huguenot Memorial that was moved up Boston Post Road when the stone sanctuary was built) seemed fine.  

The reporter was puzzled until he turned to ask Mack the Jovial Traffic Cop what was wrong.  When he turned, he realized what was wrong.  Mack was not there!  

For the moment, Pelham Manor Police Officer Cornelius Ormond was standing in Mack's place.  Mack was sick with tonsillitis and was out for a few days.  As the reporter later noted:

"Mack was not there.  That's what it was -- Mack, the jovial Hibernian guardian of the crossing was not in his accustomed place.  'Wassa matter?'"

Red Church Corner was out of sorts for the few days Mack was missing in December, 1922, just like today's Four Corners was out of sorts for a few days this week when Mack's automated machine ancestor was out of commission.  Yet, for some in Pelham who know of the history of Mack the jovial traffic cop at Red Church Corner, it was particularly soothing to see Pelham Manor Police Officers helping direct traffic at the intersection over the last few days. . . . . . . . . . . 

The Police Booth at Four Corners Before Its Recent

Restoration. Note the Light Atop the Structure, Likely

Once a Green Light to Signify, When Lit, That an

Officer Such as Pelham Manor Police Officer John "Mack"

McCormack Was Present. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"Mack, Ill, Is Missed At Red Church Corner
-----
Unfamiliar Air About Historic Corner During Absence of Jovial Traffic Cop
-----

Motorists who frequent the reconstructed Boston Road have reported that there is an unfamiliar air about the historic Red Church Corner.  This report reached the Sun office and a reporter was dispatched post haste to dig out the trouble.

To give fleeter wing to the Mercuric feet of the press, the reporter hailed a passing motorist.  'Trouble at the Red Church Corner.  Want to get there on the double.  Give us a lift,' he panted, as he dashed alongside the car.  'Hop in,' was the reply, and the reporter cooled his dogs.

As the car approached the corner the reporter jumped out.  'Lemme see; Pop's gas station is still here.  That's O. K.  Huguenot Memorial Church -- O. K.; old Red Church -- O. K.; real estate office -- O. K.; everything Jake, but still there's unmistakably something wrong here.

'Ah!  There is no road work being done.  Nope nothin' doin' for a couple of days.  Say, Mack,' turning to the traffic cop, 'what's wrong aroun---'

But Mack was not there.  That's what it was -- Mack, the jovial Hibernian guardian of the crossing was not in his accustomed place.  'Wassa matter?  Where's Mack?  How did you get here?' we buzzed the questions of Officer Cornelius Ormond, who stood in McCormack's place.

'Why, Mack is sick with tonsilitis [sic].  I'm rubbin' for him for a few days.  'Sallright, he'll be back soon,' said Connie.

We did a little checking back with Chief Philip Gargan, and are now assuring Pelhamites that Mack will be back in a short time."

Source:  Mack, Ill, Is Missed At Red Church Corner -- Unfamiliar Air About Historic Corner During Absence of Jovial Traffic Cop, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 15, 1922, p. 18, col. 5.

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Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church Had a Special Celebration of its 46th Anniversary in 1922

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On Sunday, October 22, 1922, Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church celebrated its 46th anniversary.  While it might seem to some unusual to celebrate a 46th anniversary rather than a 45th or 50th, there was method in the madness.  The 46th anniversary of the church happened to coincide with the fifteenth anniversary of the pastorate of Dr. Lewis Gaston Leary, one of the most influential pastors in the long and storied history of the church.

The Church also celebrated the final completion of the Sunday School portion of the massive church structure built to replace the Little Red Church that once stood at Red Church Corner (known today as "Four Corners," the intersection of Pelhamdale Avenue and Boston Post Road).  

The celebration included organ selections by George H. Shackley as well as music by famous baritone Knight MacGregor and tenor Judson House, including a duet by the pair.  Reverend Leary delivered an address on the history of the church.  

Dr. Lewis Gaston Leary oversaw unprecedented growth in the size of the congregation and the Sunday School of the church.  He addressed the fact that the church, first known as "The Huguenot Memorial Forest First Presbyterian Church of Pelham Manor, New York," was formally incorporated on October 22, 1876.  It held its first service in the newly-completed Little Red Church, however, on July 9, 1876 -- the Sunday closest to the nation's centennial on July 4, 1876.  The Church was dedicated as the nation's only centenary church opened on July 9, 1876 to honor the nation's centennial.  The Little Red Church could seat 200 in its sanctuary.  It had plenty of room for the growth of its initial congregation of a couple dozen members.  The first Sunday School was held the following Sunday, July 16, 1876, with 13 teachers and scholars on the roll.  

Reverend Lewis Gaston Leary, Ph.D., came to the church in 1907 from the Presbyterian Church at Blauvelt, New York.  By 1922, Reverend Leary had grown to 340 by late October, 1922.

On October 20, 1922, The Pelham Sun published a wonderful news story about the history of the church.  It included a biography of Reverend Leary and is recommended reading for students of Pelham history.  The article is transcribed below, followed by a citation and link to its source.

A Glass Lantern Slide Created by Pelham Town Historian

William Montgomery Between December 10, 1916 and June 10, 1917.

It Depicts the "Little Red Church," the Predecessor Building to

Today's Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church Sanctuary.

The Little Red Church was a "Centenary Church" Opened in

July 1876 in Part to Commemorate the Centennial of the

Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"Dr. Lewis G. Leary" in a Photograph Published in 1922

With the Article Transcribed and Cited Below with a Link.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.  

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"Huguenot Memorial Church Celebrates Forty-sixth Anniversary With Special Service on Sunday
-----
Celebration Will Also Commemorate the Close of the Fifteenth Year of Service By Dr. Lewis G. Leary As Pastor of the Church.
-----
Special Music at All Sunday Services
-----
Under Dr. Leary's Pastorate Church Has Grown In Membership From 46 to 333.

Huguenot Memorial Church will celebrate at its service next Sunday morning the forty-sixth anniversary of its organization and the completion of the fifteenth year of the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Lewis Gaston Leary.  A further interesting feature will be on the public recognition of the complete fulfillment of the plans of the new church building.  While the beautiful structure has been in use for some time and was formally dedicated with appropriate ceremonies over a year ago, it is only recently that the opening of the enlarged Sunday School room marked the end of the work of the Building Committee.  The completion of this fine addition to the architectural beauties of the Pelhams forms a fitting climax to the forty-six years of the church's existence and to the fifteen years of faithful service of Dr. Leary.

The services in the church at 11:15 a.m. Sunday will be worthy of the oc-

(Continued on Page Four)

Celebrating Forty-sixth Anniversary of Church
-----
(Continued from Page One)

casion.  In addition to solos by Knight MacGregor, the well-known baritone of the church, and the special organ selections by George H. Shackley, the musical program will include solos by Judson House, formerly of St. Bartholomew's Church and one of New York's leading tenors.  Mr. House will sing at the versper service also.  There will also be a duet by Mr. MacGregor and Mr. House.  Dr. Leary's address will deal with the interesting development of the church during its forty-six years' existence, and particularly during his pastorate.  The history of the Huguenot Memorial Church is closely associated with the history of the Town of Pelham in the period of its greatest growth.

The organization that we know as the Huguenot Memorial Church in the Town of Pelham was originally incorporated as 'The Huguenot Memorial Forest First Presbyterian Church of Pelham Manor, New York.'  This unwieldy title was quickly dropped by common consent and the latter name adopted as being more descriptive of its activities.  The first building, the old Red Church, which gave its popular name to Red Church Corner, was erected in 1876, largely through the generosity of Mr. Silas Witherbee, the father of Mrs. Robert C. Black.  At that time there were but nineteen houses in Pelham Manor and one in the section now known as Pelham Heights.  The little building, with its seating capacity of two hundred, would hold more than the entire population of its parish and have lots of empty pews.  In those days a traveler by rail from New York could reach Pelham Manor only by going to New Rochelle and coming back from there.  The station on the main line was called Pelhamville.

The formal organization of the church occurred on October 22, 1876, but services were held as early as July 9th of that year.  The first Sunday School was held on July 16, 1876, with 13 teachers and scholars on the roll.  The enrollment of the Huguenot Memorial Sunday School last Sunday, October 15, 1922, was 340.

Among those who signed the petition to the Presbytery for the organization of the church and thus became charter members was John M. Shinn, a well-known resident of Pelham Manor today and an active member of the church.  Mrs. Shinn was later voted a charter member and Mr. and Mrs. Shinn are the only charter members now on the church roll.  Among other early members of the church are the Robert C. Blacks, the Alfred L. Hammetts and the Secors.

The first annual report to Presbytery showed 20 members an in the Sunday School and the financial statistics included congregational expenses, $200, and benevolences of $35.  The report of the church filed in the spring of the present year shows a membership of 333, Sunday School 326, congregational expenses of over $25,000 and benevolences of over $10,000.  Three churches have grown from the Huguenot Memorial Church, the Swedish Church of New Rochelle, the old Congregational Church of North Pelham, now defunct, and the Presbyterian  Church of Gold Beach, Oregon.

Rev. Lewis Gaston Leary, Ph.D., came to the church in 1907 from the Presbyterian Church at Blauvelt, N. Y.  He is a graduate of Rutgers College with a degree of B.Sc. and Phi Beta Kappa, having won first scientific honor, first rhetorical honor and prizes in history, debate, orations and metaphysics.  He entered Union Theological Seminary where he remained for two years, winning the degree of M. A. at the Post Graduate School of New York University during the second year at the Seminary in addition to studying the necessary Greek and Latin in the summer.  He attended his final seminary year at McCormick Seminary, Chicago, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Elizabeth, N. J., in 1900.

From 1900 to 1903 Dr. Leary was instructor, chiefly in mathematics and senior English, at the Syrian Protestant College in Beirut, now the American University of Beirut, during which time he studied Italian and Arabic and put on the stage at the college the first play in the English language ever presented in the Turkish Empire -- Julius Caesar.  His wide experience as a traveler includes extensive journeys by land and water in Europe, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, the Balkans, Egean Islands and Asia Minor.  In 1902 he traveled 7,000 miles during 100 days at a total cost of $200, and he has traveled in over 30 Mediterranean steamers and for thirty days in Mediterranean steerages studying human nature.  Returning to America in 1903 he spent a year in post-graduate work in Semitics at McCormick Seminary and in 1904 married Beatrice Knight, of Newark, N. J.

Dr. Leary's degree of Doctor of Philosophy was received from New York University after graduate work in 1904-5, the major subjects being Hebrew and Arabic.  He has won wide recognition as a lecturer on Oriental travel and the Old Testament, delivering lectures at many Chautauquas, besides about 500 lectures under the auspices of the New York Board of Education.  His articles on Near East, Travel and Old Testament subjects have been published in many magazines including Scribner's and the Christian Herald.  About 80 articles in the Standard Bible History are from his pen.  He is also the author of four books, The Real Palestine of Today; Syria, the Land of Lebanon; The Christmas City; and Andorra, the Hidden Republic.

Upon coming to the Huguenot Memorial Church October 24, 1907, Dr. Leary entered into the activities of the church and community with characteristic energy.  During his residence in Pelham he has served as a member of the Board of Education and was on the Building Committee which obtained the ground and secured the vote of the district for the Memorial High School Building.  During the war he was an active member of all the committees in connection with war loans, he prepared the illustrated lectures which were used by the Junior Department, American Red Cross, he was later a speaker for the Near East Relief Committee, a member of original committee and then of the Executive Committee for the drive for funds to rebuild the Pelham Home for Children.  He was a Moderator of Westchester Presbytery for two terms and is a chaplain of Winyah Lodge, F. & A. M.

During Dr. Leary's pastorate the Huguenot Memorial Church has grown from a membership of 46 to 333, while the Sunday School has increased from 83 to 340.  The money raised for congregational expenses has increased from $961, to more than $25,000, and for benevolences from $737, to more than $10,000."

Source:  Huguenot Memorial Church Celebrates Forty-sixth Anniversary With Special Service on Sunday -- Celebration Will Also Commemorate the Close of the Fifteenth Year of Service By Dr. Lewis G. Leary As Pastor of the Church -- Special Music at All Sunday Services -- Under Dr. Leary's Pastorate Church Has Grown In Membership From 46 to 333, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 20, 1922, Vol. 13, No. 34, p. 1, cols. 3-5 & p. 4, cols.  1-3.  

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More on the History of the Police Booth at Four Corners in Pelham Manor

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This summer, Eagle Scout candidate Matthew Spana conducted an Eagle Scout Project to revitalize Pelham Manor’s Park on Boston Post Road between the Esplanade and Pelhamdale Avenue, including the historical Police Booth that stands at Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue.  Donations from The Pelham Preservation & Garden Society, DETCO, and others helped fund the project.  The donation by Pelham Preservation was used to replace the tile roof on the Police Booth, among other things.

I have written before about that Police Booth and one of its most famous occupants, John McCormick, known as “Mack the Smiling Traffic Cop” who directed traffic at the intersection during the 1910s and 1920s. See Mon., Feb. 24, 2014:  Mack, the Movie Star Traffic Cop of Pelham Manor, 1916-1928.  Today’s posting to the Historic Pelham Blog provides more information about the historical Police Booth at Four Corners.

Research has not yet revealed when a police booth first was built at the busy intersection of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue.  Clearly a booth stood at the intersection as early as 1926 and likely well before that.  Traffic cops including Pelham Manor Police officer John ("Mack") McCormick directed traffic from the very center of the intersection beginning as early as 1916 until early December 1926 when the first “traffic semaphore” in the Village of Pelham Manor was installed at the intersection.  It is likely that as early as 1916 there was a Police Booth at the intersection to provide shelter from bad weather and the cold to officers serving at the intersection.  It should be noted, however, that the booth was the equivalent of a miniature police station to which officers were posted each day -- not merely a weather shelter.

It is clear that the booth that stands today is not the original Police Booth. The Police Booth that stood at the same location was demolished during a violent car crash at the intersection during autumn of 1928.  Frank Cavallero of 65 Woodside Park, New Rochelle and Lambertus Godfrey of 4610 Garden Place, New York City crashed their cars at the intersection and demolished the Police Booth. Counter charges of reckless driving and opposing civil suits followed the crash. The booth was rebuilt.

It appears that the rebuilt Police Booth was first painted green (rather than the cream color with green trim and green tile roof that we see today).  A brief news story published in 1936 stated: 

“At Last. 

The police booth at Pelhamdale avenue and the Boston Road has finally been given a coat of green paint – and about time, say many who disliked its former faded green which lasted no one remembers how long.  Patrolman Mike Spillane did the job last week and found only one fault with it. ‘I got more of the paint on me than I did on the booth,’ he confided.” 

Source: At Last, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 3, 1936, p. 2, col. 3.

The Police Booth at Four Corners was far more than a mere shelter for a traffic cop.  It was a tiny police station in which officers were stationed to deal with all police matters.  News articles make clear that suspects were questioned in the little booth.  Police officers stationed in the booth were approached by victims of crimes.  People seeking police help ran or drove to the Police Booth.

Though police records likely would establish the precise dates the Police Booth was in active use, it is clear that officers were posted to the booth at least well into the 1940s.  Interestingly, older photographs of the booth show a light at the top of the booth.  During the recent renovation of the booth, it was discovered that the light was rusted through.  It was removed and a replacement is being sought.

As members of the Pelham Manor Police Department have pointed out to this author, that light likely was green at one time -- either a green bulb or, more likely, green lantern glass.  Today, green lights appear outside police stations for interesting historical reasons.  According to one author who has studied the issue:

“Whether the precinct house is old or new, all New York police stations should have two green lights flanking their entrance.  There’s a story explaining why, and it has to do with the first men who patrolled New Amsterdam in the 1650s.  Peter Stuyvesant established an eight-member “rattle watch” who were “paid a small sum to keep an eye on the growing, bustling town,” and look out for pirates, vagabonds, and robbers. . . . The rattle watchmen carried green lanterns over their shoulders on a pole, like a hobo stick, so residents could identify them in the dark, unlit streets. ‘ When the watchmen returned to the watch house after patrol, they hung their lantern on a hook by the front door to show people seeking the watchman that he was in the watch house.’ . . . ‘Today, green lights are hung outside the entrances of police precincts as a symbol that the ‘watch’ is present and vigilant.’”

Source: “The Green Lanterns Outside City Police Precincts,” Ephemeral New York Chronicling an Ever-Changing City Through Faded and Forgotten Artifacts (visited Sep. 17, 2016).

Whether the bulb or lantern ever was green or not, a green replacement would seem a fitting tribute to the Pelham Manor Police Officers, past and present, who have protected the lives and properties of Pelham Manor citizens.

The Police Booth at Four Corners Before Its Recent

Restoration. Note the Light Atop the Structure,

Likely Once a Green Light to Signify, When Lit, That an

Officer Was Present.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge

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“Adjourn Assault and Automobile Cases In Manor 
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Three Cases In Pelham Manor Police Court Delayed At Request of Principals. . . . 

Counter charges of reckless driving and civil suits for damages which grew out of an accident between the cars of Frank Cavallero, of No. 65 Woodside Park, New Rochelle, and Lambertus Godfrey, of No. 4610 Garden Place, New York City, were also adjourned until Tuesday night by Judge Fetzer.  The police booth at the corner of the Boston Post road and Pelhamdale avenue was demolished in this crash.  Lee Moran, motion picture actor, is a witness in the case. . . .” 

Source:  Adjourn Assault and Automobile Cases In Manor -- Three Cases In Pelham Manor Police Court Delayed At Request of Principals, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 7, 1928, Vol. 19, No. 41, p. 11, col. 4.

"DRIVER HURT WHEN CAR TURNS OVER
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Sandy Ford, chauffeur for Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Joliffe of No. 40 Beech Tree Lane, Pelham Manor, suffered a strained left shoulder on Friday night when his car was struck by a truck and turned over at the intersection of Pelhamdale avenue and the Boston road.

The truck was operated by Charles Buccino, of New Haven, Conn.  Patrolman John Doyle of the Pelham Manor police, who was on duty at the police booth on the corner, reported that Buccino drove through the traffic light which was set against him.

Mr. Joliffe made a charge of reckless driving against Buccino, who failed to appear in Pelham Manor court on Tuesday night on a plea of illness.  The trial was postponed by Judge Forrest M. Anderson until May 5th."

Source:  DRIVER HURT WHEN CAR TURNS OVER, The Pelham Sun, May 1, 1936, Vol. 27, No. 4, p. 1, col. 4.  

"Neighbor Spots Thief With Silver And Furs Stolen From Residence
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Clue Given by Pelham Manor Woman Leads to Arrest of Negro Who Confesses to $1,500 Theft in Home of Mrs. Gertrude Johnson.
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"Rookie Cop Nabs Youth Wanted For Questioning About Series Of Thefts
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Just two days before his first month's service would have been completed, Patrolman Frank X. O'Reilly of the Pelham Manor police department made a smart capture on Wednesday afternoon.  

Patrolman O'Reilly, on duty at the police booth on the Boston Post road, spotted a youth lurking near stores at the Village Center building.  He crossed the street, whereupon the boy moved on.  The rookie policeman followed him and caught him at the Country Club.  Taking him back to the booth, he questioned him, and when his answers proved unsatisfactory, he searched the 17-year-old and found a five-inch knife and a flashlight in his pockets.  He took him to headquarters.

The youth was booked as Ezio Pace, 17, of Hartford, Conn.  Communication with Hartford police brought the information that Pace had seven times been arrested in that city and was wanted by authorities in a long series of store robberies.  

The youth was booked on a charge of vagrancy and appeared before George Lambert the same night when sentence was put over for 24 hours to allow Hartford police to take charge of the boy in Pelham Manor the next morning."

Source:  Rookie Cop Nabs Youth Wanted For Questioning About Series Of Thefts, The Pelham Sun, Feb. 28, 1941, Vol. 30, No. 48, p. 1, cols. 4-5.  

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Brief History of Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor Published in 1963

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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."

The Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church is a magnificent cut field stone Gothic architectural complex that stands at Four Corners in Pelham Manor.  The complex is the successor to the famed "Little Red Church" that stood on the site from 1876 until early 1917 when the structure was sold and moved across Pelhamdale Avenue to a site on Boston Post Road just past the CVS Pharmacy that stands near Four Corners today (once called "Red Church Corner").  The cornerstone of the present sanctuary was laid on Children's Day, June 10, 1917.  

The history of the Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church is integrally intertwined with the history of the Village of Pelham Manor.  Accordingly, today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes a brief history of the church that was published in 1963.  The text is followed by a citation to its source, as well as a list of (and links to) previous postings regarding the history of the Church.

Post Card View of "Huguenot Memorial Church Pelham Manor, N.Y."

Postmarked August 10, 1951.  

"Westchester Today!

Huguenot Memorial Church:  Beauty in Pelham

Visitors and passersby admire the beauty of 'The Huguenot Memorial Church In The Town Of Pelham,' as the edifice at the corner of Boston Post Road and Pelhamdale Avenue in Pelham Manor is officially known.

The cut field stone and the Gothic architecture seem to symbolize the eternal values for which the church stands.  The spreading wings of the church house and the interestingly broken roof lines suggest the building was always there and just grew out of the ground.

This is an architectural illusion.  For many years the church which today numbers 1,650 members grew slowly.  Today the staff consists of a pastor, Rev. Dr. William C. Schram, 2 assistants, a full time secretary, two part-time secretaries, a full-time assistant treasurer, an organist and director of music, three full-time sextons and a part-time assistant to the pastor in Christian Education.  

There are four buildings, the Church or Sanctuary, the Church House or education and cultural center containing classrooms, a kitchen, library and nursery, and two manses.  

The Church's start was humble.  In 1689, Huguenot refugees assembled in New York and sought land on which to settle.  On their behalf Jacob Leisler, a businessman, bought 6,000 acres of Sir John Pell's land for 1,675 pounds sterling silver and one fat calf to be delivered each year.  The purchase price was the equivalent of about $1.40 an acre.  The Huguenots named this tract New Rochelle in memory of La Rochelle, France.

Lord Pell also gave acreage for a French church, which eventually became the First Presbyterian Church of New Rochelle.  

For nearly 200 years New Rochelle remained a small, quiet village, and what is now the Town of Pelham was still virgin forest, except for the tiny settlement of Pelhamville (North Pelham) and a few farms in the southerly portion (Pelham Manor) where Christ Church was built in 1843.

In 1873 a group including Silas H. Witherbee, formed the Pelham Manor and Huguenot Heights Association.  It planned to develop the Roosevelt Farm and adjacent properties as a residential suburb of New York City.  

At the center of the community it decided to erect a church.  The name was fixed as a commemoration of the Huguenot settlement.

On Oct. 30, 1874, the Association drew up Eight Articles relating to 'the character of this church enterprise, its estimated cost, and the services of the originator of the Huguenot Memorial Forest Church.  Rev. C. E. Lord, D.D.'

Although the articles stipulate that the new church should be Presbyterian, its charter members came from other denominations.  The present membership is drawn from more than a score of denominations.  

The new church seems to have been called 'The Centenary and Huguenot Memorial Forest First Presbyterian Church in the Town of Pelham, New York.'

The first service was held Sunday, July 9, 1876, the Sunday following the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Devotional exercises were led by the Rev. Mr. Roosevelt of Pelham Manor and the Rev. Prof. E. P. Thwing of Brooklyn.  Dr. Lord made an address on 'The Religious History of the Huguenots of the United States and Reasons for the erection of the Huguenot Memorial Church.'  

The following Sunday, July 16, the first session of the Sunday school was held, with Dr. Lord as superintendent.

On October 3, 1876, the Presbytery of Westchester approved a petition for the organization of the new church in accordance with Presbyterian usage.

Joseph Johnson was elected ruling elder, and his son, Joseph H. Johnson, deacon.  The later [sic] died in 1924 at the age of 82.  

The official minutes say the church was incorporated Sept. 29, 1877, R. M. Mitchill, E. E. Hitchcock and R. C. Black were the first trustees.

Dr. Lord remained with the church for about a year.  In 1877 the Rev. Henry Randall Waite was installed as the first regular pastor, and served until 1881, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Daniel N. Freeland.  

The Rev. Harris Ely Adriance was pastor from 1890 to 1895; the Rev. Joseph Haswell Robinson from 1896 to 1902.  During 1903 the pulpit was filled by the Rev. Charles E. Robinson.

From 1904 to 1907 the Rev. Dr. George William Knox, a professor in the Union Theological Seminary, served.  He and his family lived in the Manor.  The Rev. Dr. Lewis Gaston Leary was installed Oct. 24, 1907 and served until 1927.  In 1928 Rev. Dr. Willard P. Soper succeeded him.  He held the pastorate for a quarter of a century.  He was succeeded by the Rev. Dr. George E. Sweazey.

The cornerstone of the building costing $101,363, was laid June 1917, by the Senior elder, A. L. Hammett, and the youngest scholar of the Sunday School, Bruce Currie.  In 1918 the corporate name of the church was changed to 'The Huguenot Memorial Church in the Town of Pelham, New York.'  

In 1920 the manse adjoining the church was purchased for $25,000.  

In 1929 the vestibule was added to the church at a cost of $26,250.  This enlarged the seating capacity to 450.  An acre of land south of the church property and fronting on Pelhamdale Avenue was purchased for $35,000 in 1929 and the manse was moved to its present position.

Despite the depression of 1931, it was decided to erect a building to house the expanded Sunday School.  The cost was $215,000 and it was dedicated in September 1931.

Huguenot Memorial Church is still growing.  A $35,000 rebuilding of the organ has been completed and plans for a $325,000 fund raising drive have been approved for the spring."

Source:  Westchester Today!  Huguenot Memorial Church:  Beauty in Pelham, The Herald Statesman [Yonkers, NY], Jan. 22, 1963, p. 25, cols. 2-5.  

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Periodically I have posted items to the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the fascinating history of the church known today as Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church in Pelham Manor.  For a few of many such examples, see: 

Thu., Mar. 06, 2014:  An Account of the Dedication of the Little Red Church at Four Corners on July 9, 1876.

Fri., Feb. 28, 2014:  Brief History of the Role Churches Played in the Growth of the Pelhams Published in 1926. 

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

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

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

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

Mon., Jan. 1, 2007:  Dating an Undated Glass Lantern Slide Showing the Little Red Church (Huguenot Memorial Presbyterian Church). 

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

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

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

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

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

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