William Jay Bolton's Stained Glass Windows in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn

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William Jay Bolton was a son of the Reverend Robert Bolton, founder of Christ Church and owner of the Priory, built beginning in 1838.  His mother was Ann Jay.  The Priory, in Pelham Manor, has been known as The Priory, Bolton Priory, Pelham Priory, the Priory School for Girls, and Pelham Priory for Girls.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

William Jay Bolton was born in Bath, England.  He attended an evangelical school in Mill Hill near London and then attended Cambridge University.  In 1836, he and his family moved to Eastchester in Westchester County, New York.  In about 1838, the family moved to Pelham and began to build the Priory.  About 1839, famed author Washington Irving (a family friend), introduced William Jay Bolton to Samuel F. B. Morse.  He became a student of Morse at the National Academy of Design as he honed his skills as a talented artist.  According to one account:

"In 1841 Bolton went to Europe where he saw masterpieces of art, mostly in Italy. Here he did many drawings and sketches of these and bought art for the family home. In 1842 Bolton returned to Pelham where he earnestly began his work in stained glass. Here he had a small shop at the rear of a house near the "Pelham Priory," the Gothic Revival family home in Pelham. The equipment he had to work with was sparse. He had a muffle kiln, which was used for firing his work after he painted details on the coloured glass. Bolton's younger brother John (1818–1898) assisted him in making and designing stained glass."

Source:  "William Jay Bolton" in Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 19, 2017).

William Jay Bolton was an exceptional artist eventually admitted to the National Academy of Design.  He taught himself the art of stained glass by creating a few small panels for the windows of the Priory.  He later created for Christ Church a monumental stained glass masterwork entitled "Adoration of the Magi."  It was the first figural stained glass window created in America.  (See image later in this article.)  The "Adoration of the Magi" figural stained glass work was completed and in place by the time the church was consecrated on September 15, 1843.  This work preceded his master work, the extensive stained glass windows at the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, New York.

"Miriam and Jubal," Painted and Stained Glass Window by

William Jay Bolton with Assistance of His Brother, John

Bolton, Installed in Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, New York.

Source:  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, William Jay Bolton.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

William Jay Bolton moved to England in about the late 1840s where he opened a stained glass studio in Cambridge.  After the death of his first wife, he ceased his stained glass work and became an ordained minister in an Anglican Church in about 1853.  He was Vicar of Stratford East Church in London from 1866 to 1881.  He also was associated with St. James Church in Bath from 1881 to 1884.  He died in Bath in 1884.  See "William Jay Bolton" in Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 19, 2017).

William Jay Bolton's stained glass works in the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn are considered his masterworks.  The church, with its masterful Bolton windows, still stands at Montague and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn.  There are fifty windows in the series.  All were not only designed by William Jay Bolton, but also were personally executed by him.  Some believe he was assisted in the execution by a brother, John Bolton.  The church opened in 1847, although the Bolton stained glass windows reportedly were not complete at the time the church first opened.  According to one account, "neither the exact date of completion nor their original cost is recorded."

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of an extensive article published in 1933 about the Bolton windows.

"WILLIAM JAY BOLTON, A. N. A. 1816-1884"

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"Adoration of the Magi," America's First Figural Stained Glass Window.

Created by William Jay Bolton for Christ Church, Pelham Manor, NY.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Bolton Cottage Used by William Jay Bolton as a Stained Glass

Studio During the Mid-19th Century, Since Razed.  Source: Courtesy

of the Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:

Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"Art Treasures in Church Windows
Rare Examples of Stained Glass Adorn Windows of Brooklyn Heights Church
By Esther A. Coster

STAINED glass has always made a strong appeal to lovers of beauty, not only for the fascinating play of color but for the romance that still surrounds the art in its most glorious period.  Many of the secrets of the matters of the Middle Ages have been lost, although modern craftsmen have evolved beauties in glass with increasing skill.

One of the stories showing the value placed upon stained glass windows is that of the capture of Francis I at the battle of Pavia and the subsequent demand that part of the ransom should consist of a specified window of the Middle Ages are still treasured and their loss or injury considered a national calamity.
, 
In the Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity at Montague and Clinton Streets, Brooklyn, are some of the finest examples of stained glass windows in this country, and they are considered by art authorities to compare most favorable with the best of European glass.  These are all the work of one man, William Jay Bolton, who not only designed but personally executed the entire series of fifty windows.

His method was one essentially his own, being closely akin to the old Flemish manner with the design painted and fired into ground or colored glass, using the strong simple colors of the great artificers of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth centuries.  His colors are clear, strong and exceedingly brilliant.  His leads are so placed that they enhance rather than interrupt the drawing, and his shadows distributed with full understanding of the effect of light shining through rather than of realistic lines.

These windows are placed along the sides of the church, one set below and one above the gallery, in both sides of the clerestory, and in the choir loft.  The climax of the series is the huge chancel window of many panels, representing the 'Glorification of Christ,' often called 'The Ascension.'

The windows portray history as given in the Bible, the clearstory, giving Old Testament scenes beginning with Adam driven out of Eden.  Above the gallery the series is continued with the life of Christ, the original crayon drawing of the Babe for 'Adoration' being one of the treasured possessions of the church.  Below the gallery the windows deal with the genealogy of Jesus, closing with 'Joseph-Mary-Christ.'  The Tree of Jesse serves as a connecting thought in all.  In the choir are the four writers of the Gospels.

The windows as well as the church building were due to the foresight, devotion and generosity of Edgar John Bartow, one of the wealthy men of his time whose dream was to build and equip a beautiful church which should be free in every sense.  The Gothic design with its flamboyant stone tracery for the windows was the work of Minard Lafever.  His design was more simple than the donor at first desired, but the building, formally opened in 1847, remains today essentially as Lafever left it.  Unfortunately financial reverses prevented the complete fulfillment of Mr. Bartow's dream.

The windows were not completed when the church was opened, and neither the exact date of completion nor their original cost is recorded.  However, some indication of the difficulty in replacing Bolton's work is found in a recent accident to one of the choir loft windows.  Boys casting stones at pigeons pierced one of the windows through both the exterior protecting glass and the precious inner color.  A piece that happened to be the head of one of the Apostles was shattered.  The best expert available was engaged and at a cost of much study, considerable time, and $40 the small piece was restored as closely as possible to its original appearance.

The late Otto Heinigke, one of the leading stained glass workers of his time, said in January, 1906, of these windows:  'There is nothing in this wide country so worthy of our effort at preservation as this valuable work of one of our pioneers, based as it is on the best traditions of a most influential phase of the art, the Flemish style of glass painting.  Let us pray for the quality of courage that this man displayed when he dared to do such work.'

In the vestibule is a window of more modern date and type, but even the veriest amateur must at a glance note unfavorably the contrast in color and craftsmanship with the Bolton glass.

These windows of Holy Trinity belong in a class of which only four outstanding examples exist, and which are described as 'shrines of the glass lover.'  These are in Sainte Chapelle in Paris, Fairford near Oxford, Egmontiers and Sainte Foye at Conches.  Holy Trinity's windows are catalogued by foreign critics
-----
(Continued on page 17)

Art Treasures in Church Windows
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(Continued from page 7)

among the art treasures worthy of attention by visitors to this country, and are listed as one of the worthwhile 'sights' of New York City.

The artist Bolton was grandson of an Englishman  who settled in Georgia and became a prosperous planter.  His father was a clergyman who lived for some years in England where William was born, in 1816.  The family returned to American in 1843 and erected Bolton Priory at Pelham, Westchester County.  There, anticipating the William Morris movement, they developed art and handicrafts.  William turned his attention to stained glass and executed some of the windows in Bolton Priory.  These and the Holy Trinity windows are the chief examples of his work in America, as he established a glass studio in Cambridge, England, soon after the Trinity windows were completed.  There he restored the windows in King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

Dr. Robert L. Dickinson, one of the enthusiastic admirers of the work of Bolton and Lafever and to whom the church owes the collection of photographs and drawings of the windows, told of a visit he made to England to visit a daughter of Bolton, who though bedridden for many years recovered sufficiently to visit America to see the windows of which her modest father had never spoken.

In her garret home Dr. Dickinson discovered the drawing of the baby for the 'Adoration' window, which had been lost for sixty years, and brought it back to become one of Holy Trinity's historic treasures.  

The Gethsemane window with its three panels is one of the designs that is planned especially to be viewed at a distance.  In this also in one of those 'asides' introduced as a personal link between the artist and the beholder.  Dr. Dickinson speaks of this as 'the dove, the spirit of peace, dropping down out of the dark toward the lonely figure that kneels in the central panel.'

Above the panels of every window is a marvelous rose window effect with each small inset of glass perfect in design and color and allied in significance with the window beneath.  In many of the windows the text in the Bible upon which the design is based is painted in the glass.

The entire interior of the church glows with the rich color that flows through the glass.  One's first impression is of a very limited palette of strong hues, but then the delicate shadings become evident and give an indescribable effect of harmony and peace."

Source:  Coster, Esther A., "Art Treasures in Church Windows -- Rare Examples of Stained Glass Adorn Windows of Brooklyn Heights Church" in The Eagle Magazine, pp. 7 & 17 Section G. of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Oct. 8, 1933 (Brooklyn, NY).  

Immediately below are black and white images of some of the Bolton windows that were published with the article above, on page 7 of The Eagle Magazine.  

NOTE:  Click on Images to Enlarge.

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I have written before about William Jay Bolton and his stained glass creations.  For a few of many examples, see:

Fri., May 08, 2015:  More About William Jay Bolton of Pelham: Creator of First Figured Stained Glass Windows in America.  

Wed., Sep. 24, 2014:  Where Was the Bolton Family Cottage Where Stained Glass Windows Were Created?

Tue., Oct. 09, 2007:  Biographical Data About William Jay Bolton of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 19, 2007:  The Harp of Pelham: A Book Published in 1844 by William Jay Bolton of Pelham Manor.

Mon., Apr. 4, 2005:  Art and Poetry of William Jay Bolton of Bolton Priory in Pelham.

Thu., Apr. 7, 2005:  Another Volume of William Jay Bolton's Sketches and Ruminations Located? 

Fri., Apr. 1, 2005:  The Earliest Newspaper in Pelham?

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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Early History of Christ Church from Newspaper Article Published in 1896

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On July 19, 1896, the New York Times published a lovely article about Christ Church in Pelham Manor.  The article appeared at an important time in the history of the church as it was transforming from a sleepy country church to an even more vibrant institution serving a community that was evolving into a family community led by commuters who worked in New York City but lived in Pelham Manor.  Indeed, the article noted that the "spirit of change of late years has reached Christ Church, much to the regret of some by whom the ideas of its founders are still dearly cherished."

In addition to providing information about the early history of the church, the article provides an important glimpse of what the church was like and what sorts of changes it was experiencing in 1896.  The article also provides what may be one more important clue regarding an interesting aspect of the history of the church regarding the creation of stained glass windows by William Jay Bolton.

In recent years there has been some confusion regarding precisely where a small cottage owned by the Bolton Family stood that was used by William Jay Bolton as a stained glass studio.  In 1935, Reginald Pelham Bolton authored an article with the best description of the location of the cottage.  He wrote:  

"The little building is now standing in which this remarkable work was conducted.  It is a small frame cottage on the east side of Pelham (or 'Shore') Road, about 400 feet north of its intersection with Pelhamdale avenue, within easy walking distance of the Priory.  It is built of materials which were in use about the beginning of the nineteenth century, and originally comprised only a living room, an attic bedroom, and a cellar.  At some early period of its existence another room was added at the rear of the building, provided with four windows and a side door, and connected by a doorway into the cottage cellar.  This room was the studio-workshop of William Jay Bolton.  The base of the chimney of the cottage is conveniently located in this room, and there is a space in front of the chimney where the footing or base of the 'muffle,' or melting furnace, can be traced on the floor. In the soil of the garden space around the workshop one may find fragments of the colored glass produced in the building."

Source:  Bolton, Reginald Pelham, WILLIAM JAY BOLTON - The Most Talented Member of the Gifted Bolton Family, The Pelham Sun, Apr. 12, 1935, p. 10, cols. 1-5 (reprinted through the courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society).  I have written about the location of this cottage before.  See Fri., May 08, 2015:  More About William Jay Bolton of Pelham: Creator of First Figured Stained Glass Windows in America; Wed., Sep. 24, 2014:  Where Was the Bolton Family Cottage Where Stained Glass Windows Were Created?

Bolton Cottage Used by William Jay Bolton as a Stained Glass

Studio During the Mid-19th Century, Since Razed. Source:

Courtesy of the Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The New York Times article published in 1896 provides an additional clue regarding the location of the cottage.  According to the article, the cottage was located in a portion of New Rochelle just beyond the Pelham Manor border once known as "Deveau Town."  This would be completely consistent with the description by Reginald Pelham Bolton quoted above saying the cottage was on the east side of Pelham Road (known as Shore Road within Pelham) about 400 feet north of the intersection of Pelhamdale Avenue and Shore Road.

The 1896 article is well worth a read by all who love Pelham history.

"CHRIST CHURCH, PELHAM MANOR." From Bolton's

History of Westchester County.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"CHRIST CHURCH RECTORY, PELHAM MANOR" From

Bolton's History of Westchester County.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"PELHAM MANOR'S CHURCH
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QUAINT EDIFICE THAT WAS BUILT BY THE REV. ROBERT BOLTON.
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Christ Church a Good Example of Early English Architecture -- Washington Irving Helped Place the Bricks in its Walls -- Its Stained-Glass Windows the First of Their Kind to be Manufactured in America.

PELHAM MANOR, N. Y., July 18. -- It is but little over half a century since Christ Protestant Episcopal Church was built, although from its massive, ivy-grown walls and quaint architecture one might imagine that it had stood 200 years or more.

Christ Church is at the junction of the Shore Road and Pelhamdale Avenue, a beautiful street leading past the old priory to the railway station.  The surroundings appear wild and romantic, and the effect made by the little church, with its chapel and parish house nestling among the trees, is extremely picturesque.

Christ Church was founded by the Rev. Robert Bolton of Savannah, Ga.  The church that was nearest to the locality over fifty years ago was over two miles away.  Meetings were first held at the priory, now owned by Mrs. Frederick Allen, who received it as a gift from her mother, the Duchess de Dino, to whom it was sold by Miss Adele Bolton.

The Rev. Mr. Bolton also built the present church edifice, and afterward deeded it to a parochial corporation.  

The first Wardens of Christ Church were Richard Morris and Henry Grenzaback [sic].  The Vestrymen were Isaac Roosevelt, George F. Mills, John Bolton, William J. Bolton, Peter V. King, Jacob Le Roy, Cornelius Winter Bolton, and Robert Bolton, Jr.

Much of the work of building and decorating the little church was done by the Rev. Robert Bolton and his brothers.  The beautiful windows of stained glass in the chancel, representing the adoration of the Magi, and the two small windows at the sides, patterned after windows in Salisbury Cathedral, were made in the little hamlet called Deveau Town.  They are said to be the first stained-glass windows that were manufactured in America.  They were done at the glassworks of the Rev. William Jay Bolton and the Rev. John Bolton.

The Boltons made the pulpit with a big sounding board and a communion table that took the place of an altar.  They even carved the corbels at the foot of the arches that support the roof.

The structure was built in the purest gothic style.  It is said to be similar to small country churches, to be found in certain parts of England.  The seating capacity is rather less than 200.

The transept is private property.  The end on the right is owned by the Rev. Robert Bolton's daughter, Miss Adele Bolton.  In it is the old communion table.  The other end of the transept is owned by the De Luze family.  The transept windows bear the Bolton coat of arms.

Along the walls are several memorial tablets for Boltons, Schuylers, and members of other prominent families.  There is also a tablet to Ann Griffin, that credits her with being a faithful and devoted nurse.

The church is quite unlike any other in Westchester County, or, for that matter, probably, in the United States.

The old style of architecture has been so carefully followed that it is difficult to realize that it is a comparatively modern structure.  Its picturesque features are only equaled by those of the priory that stands far back from the road in heavily wooded grounds that hide it from the view of passers by.

Additional interest is attached to Christ Church and the priory from the fact that the place was dear to Washington Irving.  He used to visit the Boltons and took a keen interest in the building of the quaint church, and assisted in the work by offering valuable suggestions.

He put in place the bricks over the doorway of the priory that bear the date 1838.  His visits to Pelham were happy occasions for the children, and are still vividly remembered by persons now living, who met him there.

Beside the church is a little memorial chapel to Miss Nanette Bolton, Principal of the Priory School, that was very famous in its day.  The chapel was built by persons graduated from the school.  It corresponds in style to the church edifice.  It is now used by the Sunday School of the parish.  The font in the church is also a memorial to Miss Bolton.  It was the gift of the Duchess de Dino.

The parish also owns a building fronting on the Shore Road, that was built originally for a parochial school that was supported by the Boltons.  It was afterward made into a rectory, and is now used as a parish house.  The entrance is by a heavily studded door under a Norman arch, that is considered a fine example of its kind.

When the church was founded the country seats in Pelham Bay Park were tenanted.  Among the communicants were Lorillards, Edgars, Le Roys, Bartows, Brinkerhoffs, Kings, and Roosevelts.

The spirit of change of late years has reached Christ Church, much to the regret of some by whom the ideas of its founders are still dearly cherished.  The sounding board has been removed from the pulpit, and an altar has taken the place of the little communion table.  A rectory has been purchased across the road fromm the church, and other innovations have been made from time to time.

The Rev. Charles Higbee, who was the active rector of the church for twenty years, and is now rector emeritus, gave up the pastorate in 1893, and is now traveling in Europe.  Te. Rev. A. F. Tenney is the present rector.

Most of the old families that once worshipped in the church are gone, and in their place has come a new element, composed of families attracted to the locality by its beauty and exclusiveness.  

The church possesses communion plate given by Mrs. C. L. Spencer, daughter of Peter Lorillard, and a chalice given by Georgianna C. Pell, daughter of Duncan C. Pell.  The altar and cross are the gifts of Stephen Van Cortlandt.  The bell, in a little turret over the front gable, was the gift of Lydig Suydam.  The bell hangs exposed to the weather, and it is rung by a cord that goes down through a hole in the roof.  The bell and turret are in themselves characteristic and distinguishing features of the church."

Source:  PELHAM MANOR'S CHURCH -- QUAINT EDIFICE THAT WAS BUILT BY THE REV. ROBERT BOLTON, N.Y. Times, Jul. 19, 1896, p. 16, col. 5 (NOTE:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).

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I have written about the history of Christ Church, an institution the history of which is integrally intertwined with that of the Priory, on numerous occasions.  Below are a few of the many articles on the topic.

Thu., Dec. 31, 2015:  Laying of the Cornerstone of the Parish House at Christ Church on June 10, 1928.

Thu., Nov. 12, 2015:  Charles Higbee, Eighth Rector of Christ Church in Pelham Manor, 1871-1893.

Tue., Oct. 27, 2015:  The Ghostly Gardener of Bolton Priory: A Pelham Apparition.

Tue., Oct. 20, 2015:  Address Delivered by Reverend Robert Bolton on April 28, 1843 at the Laying of the Foundation Stone of Christ Church.

Thu., Oct. 15, 2015:  The Creation of Christ Church and its Consecration on September 15, 1843.  

Tue., Sep. 29, 2015:  Christ Church's 80th Anniversary Sermon by Rev. J. McVickar Haight on November 18, 1923.

Fri., Nov. 21, 2014:  Another Advertisement for Fair Held in 1842 to Fund Construction of Christ Church.

Fri., Aug. 29, 2014:  Announcement of Two-Day Fair in Pelham in 1842 to Raise Money to Build Christ Church.

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

Fri., Dec. 25, 2009:  1906 Christmas Day Celebration at Christ Church in Pelham.

Fri., Aug. 14, 2009:  The Consecration of the Nanette Bolton Memorial Chapel at Christ Church in Pelham Manor on April 28, 1887.  

I also have written extensively about members of the Bolton Family and the home they built known as the Priory, Bolton Priory, and Pelham Priory.  See, e.g.:  

Mon., Apr. 04, 2016:  Granddaughter of Robert Bolton Remembered a Cave and Native American Remains on the Priory Estate.

Thu., Mar. 31, 2016:  Adele Bolton, a Founder of Grace Episcopal Church and Administator of the Priory School for Girls.

Fri., May 08, 2015:  More About William Jay Bolton of Pelham: Creator of First Figured Stained Glass Windows in America. 

Fri., Mar. 20, 2015:  Fire in 1932 Devastated the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor.

Tue., Jun. 23, 2015:  Nanette Bolton of the Priory School for Girls in Pelham Manor.

Thu., Oct. 02, 2014:  Brief History of Grace Church on City Island in the Town of Pelham Published in 1886.

Wed., Sep. 24, 2014:  Where Was the Bolton Family Cottage Where Stained Glass Windows Were Created?

Thu., Sep. 04, 2014:  The Closing of the Pelham Priory School for Girls in 1882 and the Departure of Head Mistress Nanette Bolton for Europe.

Fri., Aug. 29, 2014:  Announcement of Two-Day Fair in Pelham in 1842 to Raise Money to Build Christ Church.

Wed., May 14, 2014:  Noted American Novelist Margaret Deland Attended Bolton Priory School in Pelham Manor. 

Thu., Sep. 03, 2009:  Advertisement for the Pelham Priory School Published in 1881. 

Thu., Aug. 13, 2009:  History of Bolton Priory Published in 1910.

Tue., Jan. 20, 2009:  An Account of the Rev. J. L. Ver Mehr Regarding His Brief Stint as an Instructor of French and Italian at Pelham Priory in 1843. 

Fri., Mar. 2, 2007:  A Brief Account by American Author Margaret Deland of Her Education at Pelham Priory in the 19th Century.

Thu., Dec. 14, 2006:  Items from Bolton Priory in the Collections of The Henry Luce III Center for the Study of American Culture, The New-York Historical Society.

Thu., Nov. 16, 2006:  Robert Bolton, Jr.'s Inscription to His Father Inside Book He Authored That Was Published in 1855.

Fri., Jul. 28, 2006: Image of Bolton Priory in the Town of Pelham Published in an 1859 Treatise on Landscape Gardening.

Wed., Jul. 26, 2006:  A Brief Account of Visits to Bolton Priory in the Early 1880s.

Wed., July 5, 2006: Bricks Laid by Washington Irving and Ivy from Kenilworth Castle at the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Wed., March 15, 2006: A Biography of Cornelius W. Bolton Published in 1899

Wed., March 1, 2006: 1909 Real Estate Advertisement Showing Bolton Priory

Wed., Feb. 22, 2006: Doll Depicting Nanette Bolton in the Collection of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham

Wed., Dec. 7, 2005: The Sale and Subdivision of the Bolton Priory Estate in the 1950s

Tue., Nov. 29, 2005: An Early, Interesting Photograph of Bolton Priory in the Village of Pelham Manor

Wed., Sep. 21, 2005: The Nanette Bolton Memorial Chapel Building at Christ Church in Pelham Manor

Tue., Aug. 23, 2005: Society Scandal: The "Strange" Story of Mrs. Adele Livingston Stevens Who Acquired the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Wed., Jul. 13, 2005: 11 Priory Lane: The Rose Cottage

Fri., Jun. 10, 2005: Pelham's Most Magnificent Wedding Gift: The Bolton Priory

Tue., May 3, 2005: Colonel Frederick Hobbes Allen, An Owner of Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Thu., Apr. 7, 2005: Another Volume of William Jay Bolton's Sketches and Ruminations Located?

Mon., Apr. 4, 2005: Art and Poetry of William Jay Bolton of Bolton Priory in Pelham

See also Bell, Blake A., A Brief History of Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No., 16, Apr. 16, 2004, p. 8, col. 2.

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Granddaughter of Robert Bolton Remembered a Cave and Native American Remains on the Priory Estate

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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."

On Wednesday, May 21, 1930, Pelhamites gathered on the grounds of The Priory in Pelham Manor to attend a Garden Tea sponsored by the Women's Guild of Christ Church.  The Garden Tea may have been sponsored by the Women's Guild, but it was hosted by the then-owners of The Priory, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H. Allen.  Significantly, one of the women who served as a hostess during the event was Miss Arabella Bolton, a granddaughter of the founder of Christ Church and original owner of The Priory.  Arabella Bolton had lived on the Priory estate in the "Rose Cottage" (located today at 11 Priory Lane) for 25 years and then moved nearby to a bungalow also located on land once part of the estate.  

During the Garden Tea, Arabella Bolton regaled many of the guests with stories of the early days of The Priory.  A few of the more significant and most unusual of the stories were included in an account of the Garden Tea that appeared in a local newspaper several days later.  

Jay Bolton Said to Be the Architect Today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum

The architect of today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, built shortly before Robert Bolton, Jr. published "A Guide to New Rochelle" in 1842, is not known.  Some have argued that famed architect Minard Lafever designed the structure.  Although some of the decorative elements incorporated into the structure may be found in some of Lafever's five so-called "pattern books," there is no other known evidence to support the assertion that he was the architect.  Others have argued that one of Rev. Robert Bolton's five sons, William Jay Bolton who was both an artist and an architect, was the architect of the Bartow-Pell Mansion.

It is interesting that the account of the Garden Tea at which Arabella Bolton served as a hostess notes that Jay Bolton, one of her uncles, was the architect of the Bartow-Pell Mansion.  Admittedly, the article does not attribute the assertion to Arabella Bolton.  It merely states that "Jay Bolton who married Catherine Schuyler, was an architect as well as an artist and designed the Bartow Mansion which is now the home of the International Garden Club of America."

Hermit's Cave on the Grounds of The Priory

Arabella Bolton told an interesting story about The Priory grounds involving what she called "Hermit's Cave."  As I have written recently, there once was a small pond fed by a spring on the grounds of The Priory.  The Bolton family built a small stone spring house on the edge of the pond.  See Tue., Feb. 23, 2016:  Native American Legends of Pelham's "Rising Sun Rock" and "The Living Water" Spring.  

According to Arabella Bolton, a short distance from the stone spring house was a cave that the boys in Reverend Bolton's family named "Hermit's Cave."  Believing that it would not be proper for a cave named "Hermit's Cave" to be without a hermit, the Bolton boys created a stuffed figure dressed as a hermit.  They gave him spectacles and a book to hold and seated him in the cave's entrance.  According to Miss Bolton, in later years the cave was "destroyed by blasting."

An "Indian Grave" on the Grounds of The Priory

Also according to Arabella Bolton, the Bolton boys were involved in another venture.  They concocted a fanciful legend "of an Indian killed beneath one of the fine old trees in the Priory."  Not content merely to recount the story, they decided to give the story "a convincing background."  Thus, the boys "went to an Indian burial plot in the vicinity and removed the bones of an old warrior, interring them under the tree."

There is no record of where the boys buried the human remains on the grounds of The Priory.  Somewhere near The Priory today may rest disturbed human remains removed by the Bolton boys from a nearby Native American burial.

Detail from 1914 Map Showing the Lake on the Priory Estate

and a Yellow Reference on the North Shore of the Lake Indicating

the Location of the Small Stone Spring House Built Above St.

Mary's Spring.  From the Description, it Appears the Cave

Would Have Been Slightly "Below" the Spring House in This

Map Detail.  Source: Bromley, G.W., "Pelham. New Rochelle."

in Atlas of Westchester County, N.Y. Pocket, Desk, and Automobile

Edition, Vol. I, p. 132 (NY, NY: G. W. Bromley & Co., 1914).

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

The Priory by William Rickarby Miller (1818-1893).

Watercolor on Paper, 1856. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"PELHAM
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PARTY HELD AT BOLTON PRIORY
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Garden Tea Sponsored By Woman's Guild at Famous Gardens
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HOSTESS IS PRESENT
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Granddaughter of Man Who Founded Garden Serves As Hostess
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The Bolton Priory, one of the most picturesque and historic places in Westchester County, Wednesday afternoon was the scene of a garden tea given by the Woman's Guild of Christ's Church.  Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Allen, who now own the estate, opened the gardens for the occasion.  One of the hostesses of the day was Miss Arabella Bolton, whose grandfather built the first Christ's Church and was its rector.  

The party had been postponed from Monday because of the weather and though the early part of the afternoon was ideal for it, the guests who lingered were obliged to seek shelter in the little college when rain began to fall about 5:30 o'clock.

The exact date is not recorded in which the church and the little cottage which still stands on the Priory grounds, were built.  The Rev. Robert Bolton, grandfather of Miss Arabella who still resides on the estate, built them and organized the parish.  He had five sons and eight daughters and the beauty of the Priory bespeaks the love the family gave to it.  Down beyond the rock garden there is a pond and a little stone spring house and a short distance further on there used to be a cave, Miss Bolton says, and there the sons of the Rev. Mr. Bolton had placed an old hermit.  Hermit's Cave without a hermit would be a disappointment they thought, and to make it complete they stuffed a figure, gave him spectacles and a book to hold and seated him in the cave's entrance.

The cave was destroyed by blasting some years ago.

Has Indian Grave

Another interesting thing on the Priory grounds is the Indian grave beneath a large spreading tree.  Two of the Bolton boys wrote a book of poetry which included several subjects connected with the early history of Pelham Manor.  One they conceived as history that might have been -- the story of an Indian killed beneath one of the fine old trees in the Priory -- and to give it a convincing background they went to an Indian burial plot in the vicinity and removed the bones of an old warrior, interring them under the tree.

The little cottage in which the Bolton family first lived was open to the guests at the tea Wednesday.  It has been furnished by Mr. and Mrs. Allen in the true style of the period, with Franklin stoves, a rare old American bed carved with eagles, and interesting antique pieces, each one of which would bear description.  Miss Arabella Bolton occupied the cottage for 25 years but now resides in a new bungalow near it.

The estate covers 36 acres and the beautiful home now the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Allen was used for many years as a young ladies seminary when the famous school for girls was conducted by Miss Nannette Bolton after her parents had returned to England.  The stained glass windows were painted with the Bolton coats of arms by Jay Bolton, one of the sons who was an artist, and there is much handsome carving in the house, which was brought over from Italy.  The finest pieces are two mantels.

The Rev. Robert Bolton had one son who assisted him in Christ's Church and later built Grace Church on City Island and was also the rector of the Church of the Redeemer in North Pelham when it was built.  He was the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton.

Jay Bolton who married Catherine Schuyler, was an architect as well as an artist and designed the Bartow Mansion which is now the home of the International Garden Club of America.

Mr. and Mrs. Allen who now own the Priory have the same affection for it which its first owners felt, because Mrs. Allen's mother attended Miss Bolton's school and spent much of her time there afterwards.  

The affair drew many people of the Pelhams and adjacent places but there was no confusion of numbers because of the wide stretch of lawns and gardens over which they were at liberty to walk.  The pond with its white swans, the rock garden with its sundial in the center, the graceful wisteria arbor and the beautiful expanse of grounds beyond were a delight to the guests of Christ's Church Guild who attended the tea.  Tea was served in the upper garden back of the Bolton cottage, where chairs and tables were arranged in informal groups.

Mrs. D. C. Borden was chairman of the committee in charge of the pleasant affair and the proceeds will be devoted to the church work carried on by the Woman's Guild.

Those who were asked to assist in receiving were, Mrs. J. McVicar Haight, Mrs. J. Harvey Ruffin, Mrs. Lyman Gray, Mrs. Alfred Scott, and Mrs. Schuyler Mills.  Some of them, however, were unable to be present until quite late owing to the County meeting of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Episcopal Church held yesterday at Mount Kisko.

The committee assisting Mrs. Borden in the other arrangements included Miss Arabella Bolton, Miss Gertrude Schuyler, Mrs. Raymond Smith, Mrs. F. D. Lackey, [remainder illegible]."

Source:  PELHAM -- PARTY HELD AT BOLTON PRIORY -- Garden Tea Sponsored By Woman's Guild at Famous Gardens -- HOSTESS IS PRESENT -- Granddaughter of Man Who Founded Garden Serves As Hostess, The Daily Argus [Mt. Vernon, NY], May 23, 1930, p. 20, col. 3.  

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