19th and Early 20th Century Newspaper Notices Relating to the Prospect Hill Village Association

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Prospect Hill Village was one of the two principal real estate developments from which today's Village of Pelham Manor evolved. The other, of course, was the Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association organized on June 3, 1873 by Silas H. Witherbee, Henry C. Stephens, Robert A. Mitchill, Charles J. Stephens, Charles F. Heywood and other local landowners.

On August 11, 1852, a man named William Bryson filed a development map entitled "Map of Prospect Hill Village, Town of Pelham, Westchester County, New York." The map encompassed a prime area described by Lockwood Barr as "on the crown of the ridge near the Boston Post Road, bounded by what are now Highland, Prospect, Esplanade, New Haven Branch, Washington and Old Split Rock Road."  Barr, Lockwood, A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as The Lordshipp & Mannour of Pelham Also the Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, p. 123 (Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).

Juxtaposition of Detail from Plate 35 of the 1868 Beers Atlas Showing

Prospect Hill (On Left) with a Satellite Image of the Same Area in Today's Pelham.


I have written previously about the history of Prospect Hill Village and the Prospect Hill Village Association.  See:

Bell, Blake, The Founding of "Prospect Hill Village" in the Early 1850s, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XV, Issue 25, Second Section, Jun. 23, 2006, p. 34, col. 1.

Wed., March 30, 2005:  Prospect Hill Village -- Yet Another Early Hamlet Within the Town of Pelham.

Mon., November 21, 2005:  Prospect Hill and Pelhamville Depicted on the 1868 Beers Atlas Map of Pelham:  Part I. 

Today's Historic Pelham Blog transcribes a number of important legal notices involving the Prospect Hill Village Association that appeared in New York City newspapers between 1852 and 1906.  A number of these notices were referenced in the 2006 article about Prospect Hill Village published in The Pelham Weekly.  Each notice below is transcribed in full and each is followed by a citation to its source.


July 26, 1851 Notice of Regular Meeting of Association and Advertisement of Sale of Lots

"Prospect Hill Village Association. -- The next regular meeting will be held at American Hall, corner of Grand-st. and Broadway, on MONDAY EVENING, July 28, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of receiving subscribers to acre and half acre plots.  This delightful spot requires no puffing, it only wants to be seen to be admired.  The public are invited to attend, get the prospectus of the Constitution free, and if they like it, join and get a good home at the agricultural price.  Full plots, 200 feet square, $2 per week; half plots, 100 feet front by 200 fee deep $1 per week.  For further information, apply to ALFRED S. PEACE, President, 161 Third-av., or of WM. PARKER, 192 Canal-st., Secretary."

Source:  Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Tribune, Vol. XI, No. 3205, July 26, 1851, p. 1, col. 1. 


August 6, 1851 Announcement of Visit to Prospect Hill in Special Train to View Lots

"Prospect Hill Village Association. -- The members and friends of this Society will meet at the Canal-st. Station at 11 o'clock on THURSDAY MORNING, August 7th, for the purpose of proceeding to Pelhamville Station, and from there to view land.  All persons desirous of accompanying the officers are requested to attend.  The books will be open for subscribers on the ground.  N.B.  The special train of cars will be in readiness.

ALFRED S. PEACE, President.

WM. PARKER, Sec'y."

Source:  Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Daily Tribune, Vol. XI, No. 3214, Aug. 6, 1851, p. 1, col. 1. 


September 8, 1851 Advertisement for Sale of Lots and Upcoming Meeting of Association

Prospect Hill Village Association!  One of the most desirable spots in Westchester County, has been secured for village purposes, to be divided into acrea and half-acre plots, and paid for by weekly installments.  A few more members will complete the required number.  Applications may be made at the next regular meeting to take place on MONDAY EVENING, Sept. 8, at American Hall, at 8 o'clock, corner of Broadway and Grand-st., or of ALFRED S. PEACE, President, No. 161 3d-av., or of WM. PARKER, 192 Canal-St., Secretary, where Prospectus and Constitution may be obtained free.

N.B. -- This Association is chartered by the State Legislature."

Source:  Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Daily Tribune, Vol. XI, No. 3242, Sep. 8, 1851, p. 1, col. 2.


October 6, 1851 Notice of Meeting of Association Urging Payment of Back Dues

Prospect Hill Village Association. -- The next regular Meeting of this Association will be held at American Hall, corner of Broadway and Grand-st., MONDAY EVENING, Oct. 6, at 8 o'clock.  Every member is requested to be present.  Those who have not paid up their back dues, please come up.  Room for a few more members.

WM. PARKER, Secretary,
No. 192 Canal-st."

Source:  Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Tribune, Vol. XI, No. 3266, Oct. 6, 1851, p. 2, col. 1.

 
January 6, 1852 Notice Seeking Bids for Grading Prospect Hill Lands

"PROSPECT HILL VILLAGE ASSOCIATION. -- Proposals will be received for grading the land of the Association until the 10th day of January, 1852.  Plans and specifications to be obtained of the President, with whom all proposals must be left, marked 'Estimates for grading Prospect Hill Village.'

ALFRED S. PEACE.  President, No. 151 3d-av.
WM. PARKER, Sec'y, No. 192 Canal-st."

Source:  Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Daily Tribune, Jan. 6, 1852, p. 2, col. 3.




May 4, 1852 Notice of Meeting of Association to Address "Business of Great Importance"

"Prospect Hill Village Association. -- A Special Meeting of this Association will be held TUESDAY EVENING, May 4, at No. 103 Bowery.  As business of great importance will be presented, members are particularly requested to attend.  By order.

BENJAMIN L. HANNAH, Rec. Sec."

Source: Prospect Hill Village Association, New-York Tribune,  Vol. XII, No. 3,446, May 4, 1852, p. 3, col. 2.


April 1, 1854 Notice that Members in Arrears Will Forfeit Their Lots to the Association

"NOTICE. -- PROSPECT HILL VILLAGE ASSOCIATION. -- All members of this Association, over twelve weeks in arrears for dues, are hereby notified, that their lots will be forfeited to the Association, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and By-Laws of said Association, unless the same is paid within six weeks from the date of this notice.  The books may be found at the office of the Financial Secretary, No. 1 Ann-st., from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. daily; or at the house of THOMAS SPOTTEN, No. 116 Bowery, from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M., until further notice.  By order of the Trustees, OSCAR F. BENJAMIN, Financial Secretary.

NEW-YORK, March 18, 1854."

Source:  Notice - Prospect Hill Association, New-York Daily Times, Apr. 1, 1854, p. 3, col. 6.


1906 Legal Notice Regarding Action to Affix Seal to Unsealed Deed Filed in 1854


"LEGAL NOTICES.
------
SUPREME COURT.  NEW YORK COUNTY. -- 

In the matter of the petition of DANIEL F. TIEMANN.

To Prospect Hill Village Association:

Gentlemen:  Please take notice that upon the petition of Daniel F. Tiemann, duly verified April 30, 1906, and the affidavit of Thomas Kilvert thereto annexed, duly verified the 30th day of April, 1906, filed in the office of the Clerk of New York County, May first, 1906, and upon all the proceedings in this matter a motion will be made at Special Term, Part One, of this Court, to be held at the County Court House, in the City of New York, on the first Monday of July, 1906, at 10:30 A.M., for an order of this Court appointing the Register of Westchester County, State of New York, as a suitable person to complete the execution of an unexecuted trust imposed upon William Dally as a trustee for the Prospect Hill Village Association, to the extent of directing him to affix a seal to the execution and attestation clause of a certain deed of conveyance of real estate from said William Dally as said trustee to Philip Bruckman, recorded as an unsealed deed in said Register Office, Liber of Deeds 288, Page 450, Sep. 29, 1854, and to amend the said record to conform to his said act of affixing such seal.

This notice of motion is published and served pursuant to an order of this Court made by Hon. Joseph E. Newburger, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, duly entered in the foregoing entitled matter in the Clerk's office of New York County on the first day of May, 1906.  Yours, etc.

PORTER & KILVERT,
Petitioner's Attorneys,
No. 154 Nassau Street.  New York.
Dated New York, May first, 1906."

Source:  Legal Notices - Supreme Court New York County - In the Matter of the Petition of Daniel F. Tiemann, N.Y. Times, June 9, 1906, p. 7, col. 5.

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Prospect Hill Village -- Yet Another Early Hamlet Within the Town of Pelham

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During the early to mid-19th century, several small hamlets sprang up within the Town of Pelham in addition to the main population center on City Island. Each of the hamlets was considered somewhat distant -- and isolated from -- most of the others. They included Pelham Bridge, Bartow-on-the-Sound, Pelham Priory (the area around Bolton Priory), Prospect Hill Village, Pelham Manor and Pelhamville.

Little has been written about Prospect Hill Village. Today's posting will provide some background information on that little hamlet.

Prospect Hill Village was one of the two principal real estate developments from which today's Village of Pelham Manor evolved. The other, of course, was the Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association organized on June 3, 1873 by Silas H. Witherbee, Henry C. Stephens, Robert A. Mitchill, Charles J. Stephens, Charles F. Heywood and other local landowners.

On August 11, 1852, a man named William Bryson filed a development map entitled "Map of Prospect Hill Village, Town of Pelham, Westchester County, New York." The map encompassed a prime area described by Lockwood Barr as "on the crown of the ridge near the Boston Post Road, bounded by what are now Highland, Prospect, Esplanade, New Haven Branch, Washington and Old Split Rock Road." Barr, Lockwood, A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as The Lordshipp & Mannour of Pelham Also the Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, p. 123 (Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).

Although many questions remain, more information about the Prospect Hill Village development recently has come to light. There is a brief but information-filled advertisement and notice relating to the development that appeared in the September 15, 1854 issue of the New York Daily Times (the predecessor to today's New York Times). The text and an image of the notice appear immediately below:

"LOTS FOR SALE. - A very few desirable acre and half-acre lots, beautifully situated on Prospect Hill, in the town of Pelham, Westchester Co., N. Y. They are situated on the turnpike-road, between New-York and New-Rochelle, and conveniently to three stations on the New-Haven Railroad - Mount Vernon, Pelhamville and New-Rochelle. Apply to AMOS JUDSON, Real Estate Agent, Mount Vernon; WM DALLY, on the premises, of THOMAS SPOTTEN, No. 118 Bowery New-York.
PROSPECT HILL VILLAGE ASSOCIATION
The members of the above association are requested to attend a meeting to be held at the Westchester House, corner of Bowery and Broome at, MONDAY EVENING, Sept. 18, at 7 1/2 o'clock P M Punctual attendance is requested as business of importance will be brought before the meeting. By order of the Board of Directors.
JOHN HARBUTTS, Secretary."

This one small notice that seems to be one of the few published by the "Prospect Hill Village Association." Its content suggests that a group of New York City based real estate speculators were the principals behind efforts to develop Prospect Hill Village in Pelham. Each little tidbit of information -- like the name John Harbutts (Secretary) will allow more followup research and, perhaps, will shed even more light on this small piece of Pelham history.

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