Historic Pelham

Presenting the rich history of Pelham, NY in Westchester County: current historical research, descriptions of how to research Pelham history online and genealogy discussions of Pelham families.

Monday, April 02, 2018

Pelhamite William T. Grant, Founder of Grant's Dime Stores, Donated Land for Our Lady of Perpetual Help - St. Catharine Parish in 1939


The name “William Thomas Grant, Jr.” may sound like a common name, but it once belonged to an uncommon man who lived in Pelham Manor. He was the founder and Chairman of W.T. Grant Co. 

I have written a number of times about W. T. Grant and his company.  See, e.g. William Thomas Grant Jr. and His Estate in Pelham Manor, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 33, Aug. 20, 2004, p. 6, col. 1.

For many decades W.T. Grant Co. was one of the most successful retail chains in the United States. William T. Grant’s success enabled him to build a lovely estate on the north side of Boston Post Road where Our Lady of the Perpetual Help stands today. Grant donated this 4-1/2 acre estate to St. Catharine's for construction of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  Today's Historic Pelham article provides a brief account of W.T. Grant, his company, his ties to Pelham, and the donation of his estate to St. Catharine's.

William Thomas Grant, Jr. was born on June 27, 1876 in Stevensville, Pa. His father bounced happily from failed venture to failed venture including a flour mill in Stevensville that flopped and an unsuccessful tea-store in Fall River, Massachusetts. Yet, as Grant stated in his autobiography published in 1954, his father was “always the optimist” seeing the possibility for “a great business success” in every venture. W.T. Grant’s father never found great business success, but his radiant optimism and desire to create a successful retail establishment passed to his son. 



William Thomas Grant, Jr.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

W.T. Grant had a happy childhood, but remembered in his biography that “there was never a time when the family income was sufficient to give my mother any sense of security” and that “many times” the family “had to move to a home where rent was lower.” 

As a youngster, to help his family, Grant became a hustler in the positive sense. He ran errands for neighbors and friends. He sold flower seeds. He delivered newspapers. He helped the owner of a butter-and-egg wagon. He worked at a drugstore fountain. During this time, he learned one important thing about himself. As he put it, he learned that: “I liked to sell.” 

Unfortunately, Grant liked to sell so much that he failed to focus on his education. He dropped out of high school during the second year. As he put it, he was “fascinated with selling” and his string of jobs after quitting high school reflected that fact. According to one biographer: 

“Grant became an errand boy for a group of Boston lawyers and then worked for a wholesale shoe house in that city and in a warehouse for a whetstone manufacturer in Pike’s Station, N.H. In 1895, he returned to Boston and entered retailing as a clerk in a boot and shoe company, followed by jobs selling shoes in a department store and managing a shoe store in Amesbury, Mass. As a sideline, he promoted prizefights.” 

While working as the manager of the shoe department for Almy, Bigelow and Washburn, a large department store in Salem, Massachusetts, Grant experienced an epiphany. He observed that department store customers bought twenty-five cent items on impulse. His 1954 biography, THE STORY OF W.T. GRANT AND THE EARLY DAYS OF THE BUSINESS HE FOUNDED, says: 

“One Saturday morning I had worked in the shoe department nearly an hour, trying to help a customer to come to a decision, finally making the sale after a dozen fittings. To cool my own exasperation after this chore, I took a turn through the accessories section of the store. Around the jewelry counter, covered with 25-cent items, were five or six women. I saw each one pick up a hat pin, or a brooch or bracelet and put down her quarter. No problem. No sizes. No fitting. No selling effort. Every purchase was an impulse purchase. The salesgirl had only to answer questions and make change. Suddenly I realized that this was the kind of selling I had been looking for! This was merchandise in motion!” 

Grant had observed the popularity of five and ten cent stores. He seemed to believe that there was a niche to be filled: the “25 Cent Store”. In 1906, at the age of 30, he opened his first “25 Cent Store” in Lynn, Massachusetts. By the time he died in 1972 (at the age of 96) his nationwide retailing empire included nearly 1,200 W.T. Grant Co. Stores. Grant’s Years in Pelham During the first year of the operation of his first store in Lynn, Massachusetts, Grant traveled to New York City so frequently on buying trips that he opened a tiny office in the City at 395 Broadway. That tiny office eventually grew to the behemoth national headquarters of the W.T. Grant Co. 

In the early years of his company, Grant worked long hours and opened more stores in the northeast. He handled his own buying for the stores and negotiated leases for each store that he opened.  Within ten years, he had opened thirty-six stores. By 1918 he raised the 25-cent price limit on the retail chain’s merchandise to $1. 

By about this time, W.T. Grant and his wife, Lena Blanche Brownell Grant (whom he married in 1907), were residents of Pelham Manor where they lived for many years. The couple, who adopted two children, built a lovely estate on the north side of Boston Post Road. The estate consisted of about six acres of property on which stood a large Manor House and two smaller houses. Records in the possession of the Library of Congress indicate that work on the estate continued for many years and that the beautifully landscaped grounds were designed by “Lundquist, L., landscape architect.”



W. T. Grant Home That Once Stood in Pelham Manor.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.


Fountain of the W. T. Grant Estate that Once
Stood in Pelham Manor.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Grant and his first wife divorced and, on September 3, 1930, he married Beth Bradshaw. The couple adopted one child in addition to Grant’s two other adopted children. Grant had homes in Pelham Manor, Cape Cod and Miami but he eventually moved to Greenwich, Connecticut where he lived until his death. 

In about 1937, St. Catharine’s Parish served Catholics throughout the entire Town of Pelham and was experiencing a “rising number of standees at all Masses.” Grant, a Protestant, offered to give his estate to the Archdiocese of New York. According to a history of the church, the initial offer was refused because the diocesan office already had arranged an option on a piece of property at Hazen Street and the Esplanade for a proposed new parish. But, “[d]uring ensuing meetings with the village board of Pelham Manor, the idea met strong opposition, zoning permission was not granted, and eventually the option was dropped.”

St. Catharine’s arranged an intermediary to approach W.T. Grant about his previously offered gift. The approach was successful and on May 27, 1939 a portion of the estate containing the Manor House and the land on which it stood was deeded for $1.00 to St. Catharine’s Parish as the gift of “Wm. T. and Beth B. Grant”. Approvals and legal technicalities required months of effort, but on December 8, 1939, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at 11:00 a.m., worshipers celebrated the first Mass in a tiny chapel created within the Manor House. 

William and Beth Grant deeded a gift of the remainder of the estate on December 31, 1940. According to a history of the parish, the second gift included: 

“the area now used for parking near the school and two additional houses one of which remains standing today as the parish rectory . . . The second house, which for several years was occupied by [New York Supreme Court Justice Ernest E.L.] Hammer, was later razed for the parking lot.” 

The parish was established as an Out Mission for St. Catharine’s Parish. On November 22, 1954, however, all the property of the Out Mission was transferred from St. Catharine’s Parish to the recently created Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 

The parish quickly remodeled the tiny little chapel. According to a history of the parish published in 1968, the remodeled chapel “became 71 feet long, able to seat 200 people. The Manor House [was] occupied by Monsignor McCormick and his first assistants.” 

The parish expanded its physical plant rapidly. In 1955, Mr. and Mrs. Abdala Barsa gave the parish a half-block piece of property on Fowler Avenue facing Boston Post Road. This became a parking area. In 1956 the Parish purchased a nearby home from Evans Dawson to serve as a convent. In 1958, the parish completed and opened a building designed by Edward Flaegle to serve as a parochial school for children of the parish. 

Today, the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a vibrant and successful part of the Pelham Community celebrating its fiftieth anniversary year. At least part of its success, as the parish has recognized in one of its publications, is due to “Mr. William T. Grant, a Protestant merchant prince of Scotch ancestry.” 

W.T. Grant served as President of his company until 1924. Thereafter he served as chairman of the board. After the company went public in 1928 he controlled about 25 percent of the stock. In 1966 he retired as chairman at the age of 90, but remained as honorary chairman until his death on August 6, 1972. 

Only three years later, W.T. Grant Co. declared bankruptcy – the largest retailing bankruptcy in history up to that point. According to one biographer “[t]he company, which had so successfully found a retailing niche during the early twentieth century, was unable to do so in the 1970’s. Caught between the rapidly expanding Sears and Penney chains and several new discount houses, W.T. Grant was unable to decide on a retailing focus.”




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"Grant Property In Manor Is Accepted By Church; To Install Chapel There
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Consent of Majority of Adjacent Property Owners Required In New Program for Catholic Parish.
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The Rev. Henry F. Hammer, Administrator of St. Catherine's [sic] Church in North Pelham announced yesterday that negotiations have been completed for the transfer of the William T. Grant estate in Pelham Manor to the church.  Mr. Grant, president of the William T. Grant Stores, Inc., and former resident of Pelham Manor, has given the 4 1/2 acre piece of property on the Boston Post Road at Fowler avenue and the large colonial manor thereon, to the church.  The property which was for many years occupied by Mr. Grant, is one of the show places of Pelham Manor. 

Father Hammer intends to remodel the mansion at once into a chapel of convenience to take care of the spiritual needs of the Catholics in Pelham Manor and vicinity.  There has been a distinct need, he said, for such a chapel.  The parish church of St. Catherine's [sic] in North Pelham is taxed to capacity at the Sunday services and many of the communicants have been forced to stand in the aisle during devotions, because of the limited facilities of the present church edifice.  The Sunday attendance of the Catholics of Pelham Manor at the new chapel will ease greatly the congestion at St. Catherine's.  

Father Hammer explained that there is no intention of establishing a new parish in Pelham Manor.  The new chapel, when completed, will be operated as a mission of St. Catherine's, under his administratorship, and will be attended by the priests of St. Catherine's with such additions to the staff as may be necessary.

The site of the new chapel is in a highly restricted residential zone in Pelham Manor, but Father Hammer has been assured that there will be no opposition on the part of neighboring property owners, and that the necessary consent of two-thirds of the property owners within 1,000 feet of the property can be obtained.  Committees of women and men of the parish have already been organized to gather the signatures.

Work will begin immediately on the remodeling of the mansion and it is hoped that services will be held in the new chapel on the first Sunday in September."

Source:  Grant Property In Manor Is Accepted By Church; To Install Chapel There -- Consent of Majority of Adjacent Property Owners Required In New Program for Catholic Parish, The Pelham Sun, Jun. 2, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 9, p. 1, col. 3.

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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

St. Catharine's Broke Ground for Its School Addition in 1939


During the first years of the 20th century -- certainly before 1903 -- St. Catharine's Church in the Village of North Pelham built a lovely Lyceum building adjacent to the church.  The Lyceum was used as, among other things, a social hall and community gathering space for the congregation and its guests.  The first rector of the church, the Rev. Father Francis McNichol, had greater plans for the Lyceum even when it was first built.  He planned to use it as a Catholic school for youngsters in the region.

The matter was far more complex than it first appeared.  Father McNichol first planned to build a convent to house sisters from the Order of St. Francis to run a Parish school.  Father McNichol oversaw construction of the convent in 1906, arranged for four sisters to move into the new facility, then opened his new school in the former Lyceum building in 1907.  To learn more, see, e.g.:  Tue., Oct. 10, 2017:  New Convent Building Erected at St. Catharine's in 1906 Permitted Opening of St. Catharine's First School in 1907.

By the late 1930s, the little parochial school had developed a reputation for academic excellence.  Consequently, the tiny little school was bulging at the seams.

The original building housed four classrooms.  The classrooms had "sliding walls" to permit rooms to be opened and closed for different purposes.  The school, at that time, handled 135 elementary pupils.

In the late 1930s, the congregation of St. Catharine's began preparing for an expansion of the tiny little school.  They planned to increase its capacity to 329 students with an additional expansion intended for later in the event more than 329 students registered.

On Monday, March 20, 1939, the Reverend Henry F. Hammer, the recently-appointed "administrator" of the Parish of St. Catharine's Catholic Church, oversaw a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a large addition to the school that would add four large classrooms.  Construction additionally involved renovations of the original facility to modernize it and ensure that the entire set of classrooms would look and feel like a single facility.  The Rev. Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, Rector at St. Patrick's Cathedral turned the first spadeful of earth in a ceremony attended by a very large crowd.  The local newspaper reported on the ceremony and said of the planned facility:

"The new addition will be a one-story structure, 52 feet by 57 feet, extending along Second avenue on the South side of the present building and having the same depth towards First avenue as the original structure.  Build in the present school, it will provide four addition classrooms, bringing the total to eight, and will also include an auditorium, a medical room, kitchen, and offices.  The old building will be renovated and modernized.  C. B. J. Snyder, former Chief Architect for the Board of Education in New York City is the designer and the construction work will be done by James H. Keane of Mount Vernon, a member of St. Catherine's Parish."

Preparations for construction began immediately.  Shortly thereafter, at noon on May 8, 1939, a crowd of several hundred Catholic and governmental dignitaries and spectators watched as the Most Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, administrator of the Diocese of New York, officiated at the laying of the cornerstone of the addition.  Inside the cornerstone, the officials placed a small copper box to serve as a time capsule.  It contained "documents giving a brief history of St. Catherine's Church, a list of pupils registered in the school, some 1939 United States coins and two issues of The Pelham Sun containing details of the ground breaking ceremony held March 20 and the advance details of the cornerstone laying."

Over the summer, construction was completed on the expanded school.  The expanded school opened its doors for an expanded student body on Monday, September 11, 1939.



St. Catharine's Church in April, 2011.

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"Begin Work on School Addition  The Rev. Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle
breaks ground for the St. Catherine's [sic] School addition.  The 82-year-
old priest scorned the carefully spaded ground which has been prepared
for the ceremony, forcing the spade into the hard ground, much to the
amusement of the spectators.  --  Photo by Pierpont.  Source:  Break Ground
Pelham Sun, Mar. 24, 1939, Vol. 28, No. 51, p. 1, cols. 3-4 & p. 5, col. 2.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"Break Ground For Addition To School
-----
Monsignor Lavelle, Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral Officiates at Ceremony at St. Catherine's [sic] School.
-----

St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Parochial School which has been educating children of the Catholic faith in the Pelhams for more than a quarter of a century in a small four classroom building adjacent to St. Catherine's Church on Second avenue, will be assured of increased facilities with the beginning of the Fall school semester.  On Monday in ground-breaking ceremonies the Rev. Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, Rector at St. Patrick's Cathedral turned the first spadeful of earth.  The work of construction started immediately.  

Monsignor Lavelle officiated at Mass which preceded the ceremony.  He was assisted by the right Rev. Monsignor Joseph Donahue representing the Right Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, Bishop of the Archdiocese; the Rev. John Quinn, rector of St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Bronx, and the Rev. Henry F. Hammer, who was recently appointed administrator of the local parish.  Other priests included the Rev. Arthur A. Campbell and the Rev. Francis Mahoney, assistants to Father Hammer, and the Rev. Vincent J. Campbell, assistant to Father Quinn.

Monsignor Lavelle was welcomed by two young pupils of St. Catherine's School, Robert Strasser and Johanna Burke.  The eighty-two year old clergyman made sure that the earth was truly turned.  He 

(Continued on Page Five.)

BREAK GROUND FOR SCHOOL ADDITION
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(Continued from Page One)

took a firm grip on a gilded shovel, forced the blade into the ground with a step of his foot and brought up a shovelful of earth.

The children of St. Catherine's School sang 'The Star Spangled Banner.'  Monsignor Lavelle pronounced the Benediction.

To Open in September

Work on the renovation of the present school and the addition of the new structure, will begin immediately as the first section of the new plan, and be completed in time for the opening of the Fall term in September, Father Hammer has announced.  The new school will provide accommodations for 329 pupils, 190 above the present registration.  A second addition, contingent on the number of applications for admission received, will be started in September.

The new addition will be a one-story structure, 52 feet by 57 feet, extending along Second avenue on the South side of the present building and having the same depth towards First avenue as the original structure.  Build in the present school, it will provide four addition classrooms, bringing the total to eight, and will also include an auditorium, a medical room, kitchen, and offices.  The old building will be renovated and modernized.  

C. B. J. Snyder, former Chief Architect for the Board of Education in New York City is the designer and the construction work will be done by James H. Keane of Mount Vernon, a member of St. Catherine's Parish.

Bishop Stephen J. Donahue, Administrator of the Archdiocese of New York, will lay the cornerstone for the building, May 8th."

Source:  Break Ground For Addition To School -- Monsignor Lavelle, Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral Officiates at Ceremony at St. Catherine's [sic] School, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 24, 1939, Vol. 28, No. 51, p. 1, cols. 3-4 & p. 5, col. 2.


"To Officiate At Cornerstone Laying  MOST REV. STEPHEN J.
DONAHUE, D. D."  Source:  BISHOP DONAHUE TO OFFICIATE
Sun, Apr. 28, 1939, p. 1, col. 2.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"BISHOP DONAHUE TO OFFICIATE AT LAYING OF STONE
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Administrator of Diocese Will Confirm Fifty Children at St. Catherine's [sic] Church on May 8th.
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The Most Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, administrator of the Diocese of New York will officiate at the laying of the cornerstone of the addition to St. Catherine's Parochial School in North Pelham on Monday, May 8.  The Rev. Henry F. Hammer, administrator of the local parish this week announced plans for the ceremonies, which will mark the consecration of the school building under construction on Second avenue adjacent to St. Catherine's Church.  Bishop Donahue will confirm a class of 50 children in the church prior to the laying of the cornerstone.  The speaker for the occasion will be Monsignor Fulton Shean, of Catholic University, Washington, D. C., who is one of the outstanding Catholic speakers, known for his radio addresses.  The program will begin at 11.30 o'clock.

The ceremony of Laying the Cornerstone will begin at noon.  Children of St. Catherine's School will participate.  Supervisor Harold W. Davis will make a short address.  Also included among those who will participate will be the Mayors of the three Pelham villages, Supt. of Schools Joseph C. Brown, Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral; Monsignor McIntyre Chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York, and prelates and priests from many Westchester County parishes."

Source:  BISHOP DONAHUE TO OFFICIATE AT LAYING OF STONE -- Administrator of Diocese Will Confirm Fifty Children at St. Catherine's [sic] Church on May 8th, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 28, 1939, p. 1, col. 2.  

"BISHOP DONAHUE WILL LAY CORNERSTONE OF SCHOOL ON MONDAY
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MSGR. SHEAN TO BE SPEAKER AT LOCAL FUNCTION
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Administrator of Achdiocese Will Confirm Children Prior to Ceremony at New School Addition.
-----

In consecration of the addition to St. Catherine's [sic] Parochial School in North Pelham, dignitaries of the Catholic Church will participate in ceremonies to be held on Monday beginning at 11.30 o'clock.  The Most Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, Administrator of the Archdiocese of New York will confirm a class of 57 children, all pupils in the school, and will also officiate at the laying of the Cornerstone of the school building, which is situated adjacent to St. Catherine's Church on Second avenue, near First street.

The speaker for the ceremonies at the site of the school building will be Monsignor Fulton Shean of Catholic University, Washington, D. C. who is recognized as one of the outstanding Catholic speakers of the day.  Monsignor Shean's sermons are broadcast by radio every Sunday.

The program has been arranged by the Rev. Henry F. Hammer, Administrator of St. Catherine's parish.  Supervisor Harold W. Davis will speak for the citizens of Pelham.  Also in attendance will be Supt. of Schools Joseph Brown the the Mayors of the Pelham villages.

The dignitaries of the Catholic Church who will attend will include Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, Rector of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Monsignor McIntyre, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York City, and prelates and priests from southern Westchester County parishes.

Children to be confirmed.

The following children are to be confirmed:  Robert Bowen, Charles Kenneth Baker, John [illegible], Donn Quinn, Gerard Goettel, Edward Campbell, Robert [illegible], John Jennings, Arthur [illegible], David Parsons, John [illegible], James Murray, John Milano, Robert Chandler, Donald [illegible], Gerald Donahue, Fred Miller, Robert Gerrity, Edward La [illegible], Richard Taferner, Raymond [illegible], Lawrence Nack, Louis Whitehead, Bruce Baker, George [illegible] Hammer, Robert Fallon, [illegible] Eberhardt, Jaclyn Kieley, [illegible] McCormack, Emedia Adinolf, Catherine Sullivan, Janet Lang [illegible] Kelly, Barbara Ann [illegible], Adele Drago, Jane Ellen [illegible], Ruth Schuck, Jane Coughlin.

Rose Marie Falciano, Virginia Bowen, Beatric La Voie, Virginia Beam, Teresa Isole, Marion [illegible], Anne Pisani, Marjorie Desno [illegible], Jean Dunham, Constance Coughlan, Betty Nimphius, Florence [illegible], Elizabeth Marsland, Dorothy Zobel, Dolores Seaman, Joan Auer, Marjorie Guilday, Ann Tierney, Joan Maust."

Source:  BISHOP DONAHUE WILL LAY CORNERSTONE OF SCHOOL ON MONDAY -- MSGR. SHEAN TO BE SPEAKER AT LOCAL FUNCTION -- Administrator of Achdiocese Will Confirm Children Prior to Ceremony at New School Addition, The Pelham Sun, May 5, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 5, p. 1, cols. 6-8.  


"Bishop Donahue Officiates at Cornerstone-Laying  Father Hammer
of St. Catherine's Parish addresses congregation after Bishop Donahue,
Administrator of Archdiocese of New York has consecrated foundation
stone of addition to St. Catherine's School in North Pelham.  Seated in
front of the platform in Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, Rector of St.
Patrick's Cathedral.  Seated on the platform are Bishop Donahue, Msgr.
John Quinn, Msgr. Fulton Shean, Msgr. Joseph Donahue, Msgr. J.D.
Roach and Msgr. Joseph Breslin."  Source:  BISHOP DONAHUE
North PelhamThe Pelham Sun, May 12, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 6, p. 1, col. 1
p. 10, col. 2.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"BISHOP DONAHUE LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF SCHOOL
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Monsignor Fulton Shean Gives Inspiring Address at Ceremonies at St. Catherine's [sic] School in North Pelham.
-----

The new addition to St. Catherine's Parochial School was consecrated on Monday when, before a crowd of more than 400 church dignitaries of New York and Westchester, prominent officials of the Pelhams, and members of St. Catherine's Parish.  The Most Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, Administrator of the Archdiocese of New York, officiated at the laying of the cornerstone of the new school.  The ceremony followed the confirmation of a class of 57 children at a Mass held in the church at 11:30 o'clock.  

In a stirring address, Monsignor Fulton J. Shean of Catholic University, Washington, D. C. speaking on the anniversary of his birth, urged the members of St. Catherine's Parish to send their children to the new school that they might receive a religious education.  Pointing out that the Catholic Church had no objection to public schools, Monsignor Shean declared:  'We merely wish to be sure of a complete education.  The education of children is not complete if God is left out.'

The speaker deplored the lack of interest in religion on the part of the state.  'Our states take an interest in religion on the part of the state.  'Our states take an interest in religion when character has already been deformed.  Once the character is broken down, and men and women are behind bars in state institutions, the state says:

(Continued on Page 10)

Bishop Donahue Lays Cornerstone
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(Continued from Page 1)

'We will give you a chapel and a chaplain.'  'Then it is too late.  We should take an interest in religion early enough to develop character.  A child is so much plastic clay to be modeled into an image of Christ.  This ceremony today, if it was general in the nation, would create less need of chapels and chaplains in state institutions.'

What is the Source of Human Rights?

In a discussion of religion and democracy, Monsignor Shean declared:  'The basci problem before all nations today is what is the source of human rights, and the liberty of conscience?'  He pointed out that Europe today has given some answers to that question.

'In Italy,' said the Monsignor, 'it is held that rights and liberties are governed by the state.  In Germany by the race and in Russia, the class.  What is America's answer?  Our forefathers, who wrote those first documents (The Declaration of Independence) sought the answer to these same questions.  England said:  'In Parliament'; France said 'In the Will of the Majority, for the will can take away the minority.'

'But our forefathers found that base, and grounded their answers on God.'  Monsignor Shean here quoted the second paragraph in the 'Declaration of Independence':  'We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

'None of the signers of that document were educated in non-religious schools,' Monsignor Shean held.  'The laying of the cornerstone is the marking of a real opoch, it is a concrete manifestation of the link between religion and democracy.'

In the laying of the cornerstone, Bishop Donahue performed the ceremony from a platform with the Rev. Henry F. Hammer, Administrator of St. Catherine's Church on his left and Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, at his right.  Encased in the cornerstone was a small, sealed copper box containing documents giving a brief history of St. Catherine's Church, a list of pupils registered in the school, some 1939 United States coins and two issues of The Pelham Sun containing details of the ground breaking ceremony held March 20 and the advance details of the cornerstone laying.

Directly following the ceremony, Father Hammer addressed the gathering and declared that 'This is a blessed day in the history of St. Catherine's Parish.  When completed, this school will be a magnificent unit in the system of Catholic Primary education.

'Primary Catholic education is not new in Pelham,' Father Hammer declared.  'In 1908 [sic; was 1907], as the result of a gift made to Monsignor McNichol by the Iselin family, the present school was built, and, despite the handicaps, has been successful ever since, through the efforts of Monsignor McNichol and the Sisters of St. Francis.'  Father Hammer thanked all those in the Parish who had made the new addition to the school possible.

Supervisor Davis Speaks

Town Supervisor Harold W. Davis then addressed the assemblage and declared the 'achievement of the forces of Education, Culture and Religion is the salvation of humanity.  With the completion of this educational unit, the town, county, state and country has been enriched.  I wish to pledge Father Hammer and members of the parish our hearty cooperation.'

Bishop Donahue was presented with a floral offering by Doris Ann Rhem, and Monsignor Lavelle, who attended the ceremonies on the feast day of his Patron Saint Michael, was presented with a floral wreath by Peggy Warde, both members of the Confirmation Class.

The ceremonies concluded with Bishop Donahue bestowing his blessing on the gathering, and the children's choir of the church, under the direction of the Rev. Francis A. Mahoney, singing 'Holy God We Praise Thy Name.'

Among the church dignitaries present at the affair were Monsignor Joseph Donahue, Pastor of the Ascension Church in New York City; Monsignor William Roche, Pastor of the Holy Spirit Church in New York City; Monsignor Francis Walsh of Peekskill, Dean of the Westchester Clergy; Monsignor Joseph Breslin of White Plains; Monsignor John J. Casey of New York City, former secretary to the late Patrick Cardinal Hayes; Monsignor Aloysius Dineen of New York City and the Rev. Robert I. Gannon, President of Fordham University.  More than 50 priests from all sections of Westchester count also were in attendance.

Among the prominent local officials who attended the affair were Town Supervisor Harold W. Davis, Mayor Dominic Amato of North Pelham and Mayor Edmund C. Gause of Pelham Manor; Superintendent of Pelham Schools Joseph C. Brown and W. W. Fairclough, Principal of Pelham Memorial High School."

Source:  BISHOP DONAHUE LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF SCHOOL -- Monsignor Fulton Shean Gives Inspiring Address at Ceremonies at St. Catherine's [sic] School in North Pelham, The Pelham Sun, May 12, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 6, p. 1, col. 1 & p. 10, col. 2.  

"New St. Catherine's [sic] School Ready for Classes Sept. 11
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Construction on Parochial School in North Pelham Progressing Rapidly; Father Hammer Preparing for Inspection Day.
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The new St. Catherine's Parochial School in North Pelham, now under construction, will be ready for occupancy by pupils at the Fall semester, Monday, September 11, according to the announcement of the Rev. Henry F. Hammer, administrator of the parish.  When the pupils return to resume their studies they will be amazed at the change in the educational facilities which the school will afford.  Gone is the small building with its four 'sliding wall' classrooms, and in its place will be an attractive eight-classroom building with school equipment of the most modern type; a spacious gymnasium-auditorium, and with adequate medical office space so necessary to the efficient education of children.

Father Hammer will soon announce a date for Inspection Day at which time parents of school children and other members of the church congregation may view the new school building.  

St. Catherine's School was first opened in 1917 [sic; opened in 1907], and since that time it has been conducted by the Sisters of St. Francis.  Because of its lack of space it has been only able to accommodate 135 pupils in the elementary grades but in spite of the handicap under which the school has been conducted, it has maintained an enviable academic record with the State Board of Regents.  The old school building has been remodeled and tied in with the new construction.

Ground for the new building was broken by the Rev. Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral on March 18, and on May 8, the Most Rev. Stephen J. Donahue, who was administrator of the Diocese of New York laid the cornerstone.

Father Hammer is making elaborate plans for the dedication of the new school building."

Source:  New St. Catherine's [sic] School Ready for Classes Sept. 11 -- Construction on Parochial School in North Pelham Progressing Rapidly; Father Hammer Preparing for Inspection Day, The Pelham Sun, Aug. 25, 1939, Vol. 29, No. 21, p. 1, cols. 5-6.

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Thursday, January 04, 2018

Celebrations of St. Catharine's 35th and 40th Anniversaries


On December 8, 1932, St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of North Pelham celebrated its "35th Anniversary."  On December 4, 1936, four years later, The Pelham Sun noted the Church would celebrate its "40th Birthday" on the following Tuesday (December 8, 1936).  What might explain these date discrepancies?

Unless The Pelham Sun (oddly) considered December 8, 1897, the day the Church was made a separate parish, a "birth day" with the one-year anniversary of its founding its second birthday, it would seem The Pelham Sun simply got it wrong.  Nothing would seem to explain the discrepancy.

December 8, 1932 was, indeed, the 35th anniversary of the day the Church was made a separate parish.  The celebration that day was nearly as much about Monsignor Francis P. McNichol as it was about the establishment of the Church as a separate parish.  Monsignor McNichol had been the only pastor the church congregation ever had had since the creation of the parish.  

Rev. Francis P. McNichol was born in Kingston, N. Y. and received his elementary education there.  He graduated from St. Vincent's College in Pennsylvania and the Grand Seminary at Montreal.  After ordination his first post was assistant director of Mount Loretto, a Catholic orphanage and school for children on Staten Island.

After thirteen years at the Mount Loretto orphanage and school, Rev. McNichol suffered "a breakdown."  He was transferred to the tiny parish in North Pelham for a "rest."  For nearly the rest of his life one of his favorite jokes was to tell how that "rest" turned out to be a harder job than his previous post.

Two local newspaper articles detailing the 35th Anniversary celebration and the supposed 40th Birthday of the Church in 1936 are transcribed below.  Each contains interesting and colorful historical facts about St. Catharine's and make for interesting reading for students of Pelham History.


"MONSIGNOR FRANCIS P. McNICHOL"  Source:  ST. CATHERINE'S
First PastorThe Pelham Sun, Dec. 9, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 38. p. 1, col. 3.
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH OBSERVES 35TH ANNIVERSARY
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Roman Catholic Church in North Pelham Was Founded December 8, 1907; Monsignor McNichol First Pastor.

The thirty-fifth anniversary of the founding of St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church in North Pelham was observed at Mass in the church yesterday.  The church, which was founded on December 8, 1907, has had but one pastor since its inception, the Very Rev. Francis P. McNichol, who is still active in its affairs.  Monsignor McNichol was congratulated on the anniversary by members of the parish.

Monsignor McNichol was born in Kingston, N. Y., and received his elementary education there.  He is a graduate of St. Vincent's College in Pennsylvania and the Grand Seminary at Montreal.  After ordination his first post was assistant director of Mount Loretto, a Catholic orphanage and school for children on Staten Island.

After thirteen years at the school he suffered a breakdown and was assigned to a small parish in Pelham for a rest.  One of his favorite hobbies is to tell how that 'rest' proved to be a harder job than his previous post.

Pelham was originally part of St. Gabriel's Parish of New Rochelle.  The first Catholic church in Pelham was built in 1896 by the Rev. John Kellner.  On December 8, 1897, Pelham was made a parish and Father McNichol became its priest.  

In 1899 land was purchased and the present rectory was built.  The convent was erected in 1906.  On December 8, 1906, the Sisters of St. Francis assumed the new building and in February, 1907, St. Catherine's School was opened.

The present church building was erected in 1908 and on November 8, 1909, it was dedicated by his Excellency Archbishop Aversa, Papal Delegate to Cuba and Porto Rico.

In 1912 Father McNichol received the title of Monsignor from Pope Pius X 'in recognition of distinguished service.'"

Source:  ST. CATHERINE'S CHURCH OBSERVES 35TH ANNIVERSARY -- Roman Catholic Church in North Pelham Was Founded December 8, 1907; Monsignor McNichol First Pastor, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 9, 1932, Vol. 23, No. 38. p. 1, col. 3.

"40th Birthday Of St. Catherine's Parish In North Pelham On Tuesday
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St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Parish in North Pelham will be 40 years old on Tuesday.  The church has grown from a small parish to one of the largest in this vicinity.  No official observance of the anniversary has been planned.  The Rev. Francis P. McNichol is pastor.  The Rev. Vincent De Paul Mulry and The Rev. Arthur A. Campbell are assistants.

Pelham was originally included in the parish of Saint Gabriel's Church of New Rochelle.  In 1896 the local church was built under the direction of the Rev. John Kellner.  On December 8, 1897, Pelham was made a parish and the Rev. Francis P. McNichol was appointed pastor.  When he came to Pelham it was a small edifice, capable of seating only a small number of people.  There was no school, no rectory nor convent.  He proceeded to build up the parish and the result can be seen in the present collection of buildings.

In 1899 land was purchased and the present rectory was built.  In 1903, the school building situated alongside the church was erected.  The convent was erected in 1906 and the sisters of St. Francis took possession on December 8, 1906.  In February 1907, Saint Catherine's School was opened.  It consists of eight grades usual in elementary school and its graduates are entitled to admission to any high school.  It is conducted under the program of the State Board of Regents.  The Sisters are regularly graduated teachers with state diplomas.

In 1908 the present church was erected and on November 8, 1909 it was dedicated  by His Excellency Archbishop Aversa, Papal Delegate to Cuba and Porto Rico.  Two archbishops and many prominent clergymen and laymen were present.

In 1912 Father McNichol received the title of Monsignor from the Holy Father, Pope Pius X in recog-"  [NOTE:  Article erroneously ends at this point with no continuation in the paper.]

Source:  40th Birthday Of St. Catherine's Parish In North Pelham On Tuesday, The Pelham Sun, Dec. 4, 1936, Vol. 27, No. 35, p. 1, cols. 7-8.


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I have written regarding the history of Saint Catharine's on numerous occasions.  For a few examples, see:

Fri., Dec. 08, 2017:  St. Catharine's Rev. Father McNichol Was Honored in 1909.

Wed., Apr. 09, 2014:  Brief History of St. Catharine's Parish Published in 1927.

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

Thu., Sep. 13, 2007:  Dedication of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham in 1896.

Wed., Sep. 12, 2007:  Announcement of Planned Construction of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in Pelhamville in 1895.


Tue., Dec. 06, 2005:  The Origins of St. Catharine's Roman Catholic Church in the Village of Pelham, New York.

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