Raising Funds in the 1870s to Build a Bigger Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church on City Island

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Today's Trinity United Methodist Church located at 331 City Island Avenue on City Island in the Bronx was founded as Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in 1852.  It was one of the earliest churches built in the Town of Pelham.  I have written about the history of the church before.  See Tue., Sep. 27, 2016:  Brief History of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church Established in Pelham in 1852.  

"TRINITY M. E. CHURCH, CITY ISLAND, N. Y."

Post Card View of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church

Postmarked Oct. 22, 1904.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

By 1851, a group of City Islanders had raised sufficient funds to begin building a tiny chapel on donated land located near the present location of today's church.  The group completed construction of the tiny chapel in 1852.  First known as the "Union Chapel," the congregation joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and named their church "The Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church."  

By the 1870s, however, the population of Pelham had more than tripled to nearly 1,800 people with most living on City Island.  The congregation had grown as well and needed a larger church building.  

During 1877 and 1878, the congregation began raising funds and acquired the lot on which the church still stands.  By 1878, the church either owned the lot outright, "or the balance due on it [was] otherwise provided for."  The congregation wanted to build a beautiful, larger church building that, completely furnished, would cost about $6,000 (apparently including the cost of the lot).  

By the summer of 1878, the congregation had received pledges totaling more than $2,000 toward the cost of the new building.  They planned to commence work on the building once $5,000 had been raised.

One of the church-sponsored events to raise building funds that summer was held on July 4, 1878.  As part of the Town of Pelham's grand celebration of the Fourth of July that year (which included fireworks at Belden Point and a grand baseball game between the Vails and the Clam Diggers), the women of The Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church hosted a church social, picnic, and clam bake in the Scofield Orchard that once stood near the church parsonage.  

There is a detailed description of the planned event, though there appears to be no local newspaper write-up regarding how the event went.  Nevertheless, the event most assuredly took place as the weather in Pelham that July 4 was lovely.

The women of the church that Fourth of July offered a picnic and clam bake as well as "ice cream and other refreshments."  Indeed, the event was reminiscent of the sorts of events that the Bolton Family hosted in the early 1840s to help fund construction of Christ Church in Pelham Manor.  

The congregation's fund-raising and the work of the women of the church were successful.  Later in the year (1878), construction of the new church building began.  The new church, in which the congregation continues to worship to this day, opened the following year. 

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"City Island.

On Thursday, July 4th, the ladies of the M. E. Church of City Island propose holding a citizens' picnic and clam-bake, in the Scofield Orchard, near the church parsonage.  Proceeds for the benefit of the new church in contemplation.  Dinner, ice cream and other refreshments can be procured on the grounds.  If the day should prove stormy, the picnic will be held the next fair day.  It is to be hoped that the ladies will reap a large sum from this enterprise, thereby helping to forward the new church movement.  The old church is entirely too small for the congregations that meet in it from time to time.  The people of City Island have done nobly.  Thus far over $2,000 have been pledged, and it only remains for a few of the wealthy men on and near City Island to swell the amount so that the work can go on.  The lot is clear, or the balance due on it otherwise provided for, and when $5,000 has been pledged work will be begun and pushed forward to a rapid completion.  The congregation want to build a church that will cost, furnished comple[te], about $6,000.  The plans have been prepared and from the description given us, the building will be not only sufficiently commodious, but an ornament to the island. . . ."

Source:  City Island, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Jun. 28, 1878, Vol. IX, No. 458, p. 2, col. 5. 

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More Early References to Baseball Played in Pelham

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I continue to document every reference I find about baseball played in Pelham during the 19th century.  For some of the prior postings, see:

Wednesday, September 30, 2009:  Score of June 1, 1887 Baseball Game Between the Country Club and The Knickerbocker Club.

Friday, March 20, 2009:  Another Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham.

Monday, November 26, 2007: Box Score of a Baseball Game Played on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in July 1896.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007: Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897.

Friday, July 20, 2007: Account of Early Baseball in Pelham: Pelham vs. the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in 1897

Friday, November 10, 2006: The Location of Another Early Baseball Field in Pelham

Monday, October 9, 2006: Reminiscences of Val Miller Shed Light on Late 19th Century Baseball in Pelham and the Early Development of the Village of North Pelham

Thursday, March 23, 2006: Baseball Fields Opened on the Grounds of the Westchester Country Club in Pelham on April 4, 1884

Tuesday, January 31, 2006: Another Account of Baseball Played in Pelham in the 1880s Is Uncovered

Thursday, October 6, 2005: Does This Photograph Show Members of the "Pelham Manor Junior Base Ball Team"?

Thursday, September 15, 2005: Newspaper Item Published in 1942 Sheds Light on Baseball in 19th Century Pelham

Thursday, February 10, 2005: New Discoveries Regarding Baseball in 19th Century Pelham

Bell, Blake A., Baseball in Late 19th Century Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 17, Apr. 23, 2004, p. 8, col. 2.

I have located some other brief references that reflect a baseball game scheduled to played on City Island in Pelham on September 18, 1884.  The entire article containing the reference is transcribed below.

"PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND.

--The Pelhamville Club and the Beldonites will play a game of ball on the Island next Thursday.

--The Beldonites and the Mamaroneck Club played a game of ball on Thursday which was won by the former by a score of 27 to 14.

--The Muffers or Vails have disbanded and the best players have joined the Beldonites, making the nine of that club a great deal stronger.

-- A clam bake was held at Hawkins shipyard on Wednesday.  A number of men calling themselves the bum carpenters of New York were the participants.  A good time was had by all present.

--There were three picnic parties at Von Liehn's pavilion on Sunday from Harlem.  They had a glorious time and kept things lively until they left.  They have promised another visit.

--An evening entertainment will be given by the Bartow Association at Seacord's Hotel on the 16th inst.  It is under the management of Messrs. Hogan, Vicery and Monroe, and will doubtless be a fine affair.

--John Elliot caught a drum fish near Pelham Bridge on Monday weighing 58 1-2 pounds.  He landed him with an ordinary bass rod and line, but he was more than two hours in doing it.  This is the largest fish caught with a line about here for many years.

--There was a large chowder party at Captain Stringham's last Saturday.  They came in a large stage drawn by six horses and judging from the manner in which they hid away the chowder, the captain had his usual success in making it.

--A concert will be given in the Union Chapel, Pelhamville, on Tuesday evening next, for the benefit of the Church of the Redeemer, at which it is expected Mrs. Wynant and the Meiggs' Sisters will take part.  We predict success to the concert as the talent engaged are well known in this vicinity.

Browning has a pretty little bat in a cage at his saloon.  The cage is neatly covered with netting and hid by papers so that the contents cannot be seen.  Those desiring to see the little bat draws aside the covering in a moment proceeds to the bar and asks his friends to take a smile which they do.  All seem amused excepting the new investigator.  No one will tell the kind of a bat the cage contains, but it is surmised that it is quite a regular bat no at all lively."

Source:  Pelham and City Island, New Rochelle Pioneer, Sep. ?, 1884, p. ?, col. 5 (the newspaper did not include the date or page numbers on each page at the time; the page includes a weekly almanac for the week ending Saturday, September 21, 1884).

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