Laying of the Cornerstone of the First Manor Club Clubhouse on Thanksgiving Day in 1887

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The Manor Club, located at 1023 Esplanade in Pelham Manor, is a cultural, civic and social club for women. Although it had its beginnings in the 1870s, it was not organized formally until January 10, 1882. 

The precise origins of the club, unfortunately, are shrouded in the mist of time. Some believe that in 1878, only five years after the Pelham Manor and Huguenot Heights Association formed to develop the area, a few local residents began gathering socially in local homes. This group, with no organizational structure, is believed to have evolved into the Manor Club. See The Manor Club, THE HISTORY OF THE MANOR CLUB, p. 6 (Pelham Manor, NY: 1973).  See also Barr, Lockwood Anderson, 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 & Manour of Pelham Also The Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, pp. 160-61 (The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).

Despite such humble beginnings, what these early residents of Pelham Manor crafted has since become a social and cultural force in Pelham. 

The “Reorganization” of the Club in 1882 

On January 10, 1882, “the greater part of the residents” of Pelham Manor gathered at the home of Mr. E.E. Hitchcock.  See id.  Their purpose was to “reorganize” the Manor Club which, for some unknown reason, “had formally been disbanded at a meeting held December 9, 1881” according to the minutes of the January 10 meeting.  Id.  A history of the club published in 1973 says that during the “reorganizational” meeting: 

“a constitution and by-laws were drawn up and unanimously adopted. Mr. John H. Dey, temporary chairman of the meeting, appointed a committee to nominate the officers of the new club and said officers were elected by acclamation. This new constitution provided that the offices of vice president and treasurer must be filled by ladies.”  Id.  

Early meeting minutes suggest that the club held monthly meetings in various members’ homes. Entertainment included recitations, singing and – even as early as 1882 – simple plays such as “a serio-comic representation of Oscar Wilde’s Dream”.  Id.   

Efforts to Influence School Elections Prompted Creation of a Clubhouse 

There is a fascinating story about the origins of the Manor Club’s first clubhouse. According to William Barnett, a member of the original Club and an early Club historian, it seems that Pelham Manor residents were unhappy with their lack of influence in local school affairs.  They decided to acquire lands, erect a clubhouse and give all members a "freehold interest" in order to qualify all members (including women) to vote as property owners during school elections.  

It appears that residents of Pelhamville (the area north of the New Haven line) dominated school affairs. In the fall of 1882, residents of Pelham Manor supported one of their own, Mr. George H. Reynolds, as a candidate for the school board. At about this time, it was “suggested that lands be purchased under the auspices of the Club and freehold interest conveyed therein to each member, in this way qualifying all members (including the ladies) to vote at school elections.”  Id., p. 7.  

In effect, Pelham Manor residents had formed a plan to stuff the ballot box in school elections. To implement that plan, however, they needed a large number of landowners. Common ownership of land set aside for a new clubhouse seemed to be the perfect solution. According to a history of the Club prepared by Mrs. Earle E. Bradway: 

"In May 1883 the Club voted to purchase, for three hundred dollars, two lots of land on the Esplanade, numbers 161 and 162. In order to effectuate the object of the purchase, it was desirable that an incorporate institution should first take title to the land from Mrs. [Robert C.] Black and then convey undivided interests therein to the voters. Accordingly, Mr. Robert C. Black, Mr. John H. Dey, Mr. W.R. Lamberton, Mr. George H. Reynolds and Mr. G. Osmar Reynolds signed and filed articles of association under the provisions of an Act of the Legislature passed in 1875, and on the 28th day of May 1883 became incorporated under the name of the Manor Club. This incorporated club in June 1883 took title to the land referred to and carried out the intention of the purchase by conveying life interests to the several members of the old Manor Club.”  Id.

Example of One of Many Deeds Issued as Part of

the Manor Club's Scheme to Stuff the School Elections

Ballot Box.  (Page 01 of 02)  By This Deed the Manor

Club Conveyed to One of Its Members, Henry Dey,

"During the Term of his Natural Life, One Undivided

One-Hundredth Part" of Two Lots Owned by the Manor

Club.  Source:  Manor Club "Memory Book."

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Second Page of Deed Granted to Henry Dey as Part of

the Manor Club's Scheme to Stuff the School Elections

Ballot Box.  (Page 02 of 02)  Source:  Manor Club 

"Memory Book."  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge. 

At a meeting of the club held on June 7, 1883, members voted to build a permanent clubhouse.  Mrs. Robert C. Black, whose family founded the settlement and owned large swaths of land in the area, donated a lot on the Esplanade as the site for the new clubhouse.  

During the summer of 1887, the Club raised $10,000 by subscription to fund construction of the new clubhouse.  Club members selected Pelham resident F. Charles Merry as the architect. He designed a lovely shingle-style building with a large auditorium in the center and a deep “piazza” (porch) that surrounded nearly the entire building. 

The Laying of the Cornerstone of the First Clubhouse in 1887

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1887, a crowd gathered for the laying of the cornerstone of the Manor House, the new clubhouse. The Order of Exercises for the ceremony suggests that those who participated believed that they were shaping the history of their village – three of the speakers addressed the following topics: “History of Pelham Manor”, “The Early History of The Manor Club”, and “The Later History of The Manor Club”.  See Order of Exercises at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Manor House at Pelham Manor, N.Y., on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1887 At 10 o’clock, A.M. (Handbill in Memory Book of the Manor Club). Construction proceeded smoothly and the new clubhouse opened in June 1888.

A brief announcement of the cornerstone laying appeared in one New York City newspaper.  The reference read as follows:

"SUBURBAN NEWS. . . . 

New York.

A NEW CLUB-HOUSE AT PELHAM.

The Manor Club of Pelham Manor, in Westchester County, is erecting a very picturesque and substantial club-house to be called the Manor House, from plans furnished by Mr. F. Carles Merry.  The material is the rough stone found upon the place, and it has been treated in a simple but very effective manner.  The Club subscribed $10,000 for building purposes during the summer, and broke ground this fall.  Yesterday the corner-stone was laid by Mrs. Robert C. Black with appropriate ceremonies."

Source:  SUBURBAN NEWS. . . . New York.  A NEW CLUB-HOUSE AT PELHAM, The Evening Post [NY, NY], Nov. 25, 1887, p. 3, col. 5.  

Immediately below is the program entitled "ORDER OF EXERCISES" provided at the laying of the cornerstone of the Manor Club clubhouse on November 24, 1887.  Below the image I have transcribed the text of the program.

"ORDER OF EXERCISES AT THE LAYING OF THE

Corner-Stone of the Manor House, At PELHAM MANOR,

N.Y. ON THANKSGIVING DAY, NOV. 24, 1887, At

10 O'Clock, A.M."  Source:  Manor Club "Memory Book."

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"ORDER OF EXERCISES AT THE LAYING OF THE Corner-Stone of the Manor House, At PELHAM MANOR, N.Y. ON THANKSGIVING DAY, NOV. 24, 1887, At 10 O'Clock, A.M.
-----

1.  INVOCATION, by the Rev. Charles Higbee, Rector of Christ Church.
2.  CONGRATULATORY REMARKS,.....Mr. Henry W. Taft, President.
3.  SINGING,
4.  HISTORY OF PELHAM MANOR,.......Mr. David M. Johnson.
5.  THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MANOR CLUB,.......Rev. Henry Randall Waite.
6.  SINGING,
7.  THE LATER HISTORY OF THE MANOR CLUB,.......Mr. Wm. E. Barnett.

[NOTE. -- Should the weather prove stormy or chilly, the proceedings up to this point will take place at the residence of Mr. Dey -- the procession thence proceeding to the site of the Manor House for the purpose of laying the corner-stone.  The architect, Mr. F. Carles Merry, will supervise any arrangements necessary at the building.)

LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE.
-----

8.  ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONTENTS, WITH ANY PARTICULARS, Mr. Robert C. Black.
9.  LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE,.......Mrs. Robert C. Black.
10.  POEM,............Mr. Wm. Allen Smith.
11.  SINGING,
12.  VOLUNTEER REMARKS, as may be invited by the President.
13.  THE LORD'S PRAYER, AND BENEDICTION, Rev. D. N. Freeland, Pastor of the Huguenot Memorial Church.

Mr. Charles F. Roper and Mr. Wm. Allen Smith have kindly consented to take charge of the singing.  

All former and present members of the Club, any residents of the Manor, and all to whom this Order of Exercises is addressed, are cordially invited to be present on this occasion.

By order of the Board of Directors,

ROBERT C. BLACK,   )
                                     }  Committee.
JOHN H. DEY              )

PELHAM MANOR, 
NEW YORK, Nov. 21st, 1887."

The new Manor House that opened in June 1888 was two stories in height plus a basement.  The building was eighty feet by sixty-five feet.  On the first floor was the "Main Room," 30 x 32 feet with a stage that was sixteen feet deep and with an inglenook (a fireplace corner) on the south side of the room, 7 x 16 feet.   The first floor also included a billiard room, 16 x 28 feet, a card room, 16 x 20 feet, and:  a gentleman's dressing room, a "green room," kitchen, and pantries.  The second floor included a ladies' dressing room, a stage dressing room and gallery.  In the basement there was a bowling alley.  See COUNTY NEWS, The Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Jun. 23, 1888, Vol. XLIV, No. 12, p. 3, cols. 3-4.  

Conclusion

Though the original Manor House of the Manor Club was razed to make room for today's clubhouse opened in 1922, the original Manor House cornerstone laid by Mrs. Robert C. Black on November 24, 1887 with its time capsule contents remains part of the building today.

Image of the Manor Club's "Manor House" Taken as a Detail

from an Engraved Membership Certificate (No. 11) Issued to

Mr. Robert C. Black on February 24, 1888.  Source:  Manor

Club "Memory Book."  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Photograph of the Manor Club's "Manor House" Published

in 1892.  Source:  Manor Club "Memory Book."  NOTE:

Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

I have written about the Manor Club and its history on a number of occasions.  See, e.g.:  

Bell, Blake A., Early History of the Manor Club, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 20, May 14, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.

Tue., Dec. 13, 2005:  The Manor Club's First Clubhouse Built in 1887-1888. 

Wed., Dec. 28, 2005:  The Mystery of the "Manor Club Girl" That Set Pelham Tongues Wagging in 1913. 

Fri., Aug. 4, 2006:  Early Images of the Original and Current Clubhouse Structures of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor, New York.

Mon., Feb. 15, 2010:  Early History of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor.

Thu., Sep. 25, 2014:  The Manor Club's Celebration of its Golden Anniversary in 1932.

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Pelham Reacted to Rumors of the Establishment of a Cholera Hospital on Hunter's Island in 1892

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In 1892, the world was in the midst of what has come to be known as the "Fifth Cholera Pandemic."  The cholera outbreak is believed to have begun years earlier in India, but it spread throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.  During the pandemic "Cholera claimed 200,000 lives in Russia between 1893 and 1894; and 90,000 in Japan between 1887 and 1889."  See Fifth Cholera Pandemic (1881-96), Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia (visited Mar. 8, 2015).   

For many Americans, the disease they knew as "Asiatic Cholera" seemed a distant threat, until early September, 1892.  On September 1, newspapers in the region reported that a ship had arrived in New York Harbor containing passengers afflicted with the dreaded disease.  See, e.g., THE CHOLERA SCARE -- THE PRESENCE OF AN INFECTED SHIP IN NEW YORK HARBOR, The Rome Daily Sentinel [Rome, NY], Sep. 1, 1892, Vol. XI, No. 6192, p. 1, col. 5.  Suddenly the danger was no longer a distant threat.

The Federal government considered suspending immigration and even postponing the upcoming World's Fair.  Quarantine laws were dusted off and used to hold ships in the lower harbor.  President Benjamin Harrison, who was visiting New York at the time, cut his visit short and returned to Washington "post haste to consult with his cabinet concerning measures advisable to repel the threatened invasion of cholera."

By autumn, 1892, New York City was fighting the "grim grip" of the dreaded disease known as cholera.  Nearly 2,000 afflicted patients were quarantined on detained ships that had arrived with infected passengers and on quarantine islands established in the lower bay.  Conditions for the afflicted were shockingly bad.  The New York region grew increasingly fearful of what was viewed as a plague that put millions at risk.  Quarantined cholera patients were floating in ships and were crowded onto islands only miles away from suburban settlements including the Town of Pelham.   

Reports in Westchester County newspapers recounted the deadly statistics as the disease took its toll.  See IN CHOLERA'S GRIM GRIP -- The Plague Continues to Flourish in New York Harbor -- FOUR DEATHS AND TEN NEW CASES -- The Victims and the Suspects Are Isolated on Swinburne Island in the Lower Bay -- Not a Case Has Yet Reached the City -- Dr. Depew Released, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 9, 1892, Vol. I, No. 137, p. 1, col. 2 (stating "The city is yet free from cholera.  Distressing as ever, however, is the condition of affairs among the 1,500 unfortunate kept on the detained ships and the quarantine islands in the lower bay.").  Fear spread throughout the region that the scourge could spread.  Indeed, the New Jersey state board of health decided to create a sea patrol to ensure that no one could escape from quarantined ships to the shores of that state.  See To Keep It Out of New Jersey, Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Sep. 9, 1892, Vol. I, No. 137, p. 1, col. 2.

Fear of the deadly disease reigned supreme during September, 1892.  Rumors abounded, including one that was reported in a number of newspapers:  the New York City Board of Health had received permission from the New York City Department of Public Parks to use the facilities on Hunter's Island as a hospital for cholera patients.

It was as if a bomb had exploded in Pelham.  The Town hired a local attorney, William Robert Lamberton, to address the issue.  On September 2, 1892, Lamberton wrote the New York City Board of Health to remind it that Hunter's Island was part of the Town of Pelham, not part of New York City.  Lamberton emphasized that although New York City owned the land, it had no civil jurisdiction over the land except for limited police power necessary to protect its property interest.  Lamberton conveyed in no uncertain terms that the Board of Health of the Town of Pelham would never permit a hospital for cholera patients anywhere within the boundaries of the Town of Pelham including Hunter's Island.

The New York City Board of Health responded promptly.  It stated simply that "the Board of Health of this city has never had any intention of locating a hospital for cholera patients within the limits of Pelham Bay Park, and has not given any serious consideration to that location for such a purpose."  

Apparently, the rumors of the establishment of a hospital for cholera patients on Hunter's Island were untrue.  Yet, the local press made clear that without regard to the reply of the New York City Board of Health, the region would be watching vigilantly and would be ready to take action to stop any attempt to house cholera patients in the area.

1849 Handbill Issued by the Board of Health of the City of New York.

Source:  Wikipedia.org.

Below is the text of an article that appeared in the September 10, 1892 issue of the New Rochelle Pioneer about the affair in early September.  The text is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

"NO CHOLERA HOSPITAL IN PELHAM BAY PARK.
-----

It was reported in the New York daily papers last week, that the Board of Health of that city had applied to the Department of Public Parks for permission to use Hunter's Island for the purposes of a hospital for cholera patients, and that such permission has been granted.

This report naturally created great excitement in the town of Pelham, and especially on City Island, which is only about half a mile distant from the site of the proposed hospital.

In response to the popular demand, Supervisor Pelll called a special meeting of the Health Board, and it was decided to strenuously resist any attempt on the part of the city to use Hunter's Island for any such dangerous prupose.  

As a result of the meeting, the following letter was sent to the New York Board of Health:

Law Offices of W. R. Lamberton, Post Building, 16 and 18, Exchange Place, New York.

September 2d, 1892.

GENTLEMEN.--The Board of Health of the town of Pelham having been informed through the press of your intention to establish one or more hospitals for cholera patients within the limits of Pelham Bay Park, have requested me to call your attention to the fact that while the city of New York has acquired the title to the lands within the park limits, it has acquired no civil jurisdiction (except a very limited one for police purposes) over the said lands.  The civil authority still remains in the town officers, the same as before the passage of the park act of 1884 and the subsequent acquisition of the land.  That is to say, the city is practically in the position of a private owner and subject in all respects to the power of the town Board of Health to prevent the creation or continuance of any nuisance or anything else detrimental to public health upon its property.

The town Board of Health therefore beg leave to notify you that the erection or maintenance of any hospital or other place for the reception of cholera patients will not be permitted within the limits of Pelham Bay Park, nor at any other point within the town, nor will the introduction of cholera patients into the town be permitted upon any pretext whatever.

The town Board does not intend any disrespect to your Board, but you must remember that it is the first duty of the local Board to protect its own people.  This they would certainly not do if they permitted the establishment of a pest house almost at the doors of a majority of the residents of the town.

Kindly inform me as to what action is taken by your Board upon this matter, and oblige, 

Yours truly,

W. R. LAMBERTON.

Counsel for the Board of Health of the Town of Pelham.

To the Board of Health of the City of New York.

In reply the following letter was received:

'W. R. Lamberton, Esq., 16 and 18, Exchange Place, New York City.'

SIR:  -- Yours of this date is received, and I am directed to say in reply that the Board of Health of this city has never had any intention of locating a hospital for cholera patients within the limits of Pelham Bay Park, and has not given any serious consideration to that location for such a purpose.

Yours respectfully,

EMMONS CLARK, Secretary.

It will be noticed that while Mr. Clark's letter is satisfactory so far as it goes, yet it says nothing about things the Board may do in the future.  Consequently the Pelham Board will keep a sharp lookout, and at the first sign of an attempt to locate a hospital on Hunter's Island, will take all necessary measures to prevent it.  On the issue it is safe to say that no project which would so seriously endanger the health and lives of the people of City Island, Pelham Manor, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon will be successful."

Source:  NO CHOLERA HOSPITAL IN PELHAM BAY PARK, New Rochelle Pioneer, Sep. 10, 1892, Vol. XXXIII, No. 23, p. 2, col. 1.

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More on the Early History of the Pelham and City Island Horse Railroad

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Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/.
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

For quite some time I have been working on the history of the "horse railroad" that once ran in the Town of Pelham from Bartow Station to the end of City Island.  Today's post adds additional research to the collection I have assembled so far.  At the end of this post is a list of links to earlier postings on the topic. 

Today's posting transcribes a newspaper article about the horse railroad that appeared in The Supplement to The Chronicle (of Mount Vernon, New York) on December 19, 1884.  A portion of the article deals with early efforts to organize the horse railroad.

"PELHAM AND CITY ISLAND.

Mr. W. B. Astor's new yacht, Nourmahal is in winter quarters, at City Island.

Last week, the Board of Supervisors appointed David Blizzard keeper of Pelham Bridge.

The newly organized Democratic Club of Pelham have engaged Mr. J. C. Deveaugh's hall, in which to hold their weekly meetings. 

Look out for announcement by poster, of pigeon shooting and other sports, at Secord's, Bartow, on Christmas Day.  Also on New Year's day.

There is to be some sport for marksmen with the fowling piece, on Christmas Day at Robert Brown's City Island.  It will include clay pigeon and glass ball shooting.

Last night, Mr. Von Leihn, of the Bell View Hotel, gave an invitation ball.  There was gatherered together one of the most brilliant assemblages ever seen on City Island.

'City Island Reader of the Chronicle' informed that we consign anonymous communications to the waste basket.  He should have signed his name; not for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

Can any of the City Island oystermen explain why it is that there is no market for East River oysters.  They continually complain that there is no market for their oysters, but do not tell us why.  Surely there must be a cause.  There are just as many oysters used now as there ever was.

Mr. William Duryee is making extensive improvements to the property recently purchased by him on the west side of the Island.  Among other things, he is having two walls or breakwaters built out in the bay, extending about 100 feet from shore, one at the northern, the other at the southern boundary of his property.

H.B. Hiddon Post, 320, G.A.R. held an election for officers on Friday night with the following result:  Jerome Bell, C.; Geo. Banta, S.V.C.; Oswald Bergen, J.V.C.; Geo. E. Pinckney, O. of D.; John Secord, O.M.; Michael Egan, O. of G.; Wm. Miller, Sergt.; John H. Glasier, Chap.  The installation of the above elected officers will take place Friday evening, January 2nd.  The organization are making an earnest effort to secure a proper meeting room.  The matter is in the hands of a committee, we hope to be able to report favorably at an early date.

Last spring, the Pelham Park R. R. Co. and the City Island R. R. Co. were incorporated, for the purpose of building a railroad from Bartow to City Island.  The road was divided into two parts, the first-named company agreeing to build the part on the main land, and the City Island Company the part o nthe island, it being understood that the two roads should be consolidated after their completion.  Both companies readily obtained the consent of the commissioners of Highways to the construction of their roads, and the City Island Company also obtained the consent of a large majority of the property owners along its line.  The Pelham Park Company was, however, unable to obtain the consent of the requisite number of the property owners along its division of the road, and it accordingly appealed on Monday of last week to the General Term of the Supreme Court in Brooklyn, for the appointment of commissioners to determine whether its road was necessary and should be built, notwithstanding the objections of the property owners.  At the hearing the company was represented by W. R. Lamberton of Pelham Manor, and the property owners by Chas. D. Burrill of Bartow, Miller, Peckhouse & Dixon, of New York and others.  The opposition to the motion was based upon alleged defects in the moving papers and in the incorporation of the ocmpany, on the unconstitutionality of the statute under which the company was incorporated and on the law prohibiting the construction of a railroad in a public park.  The court reserved its decision at the time, but on the following day decided in favor of the company, and appointed Elisha Horton, of White Plains, Arthur Burns of Yonkers and Stephen D. Horton of Peeksill as Commissioners.  This decision, it would seem, finally settles the quiestion of a railroad to City Island, as there appears to be no doubt regarding its necessity.  City Island now contains over 1500 inhabitants and has the distinction of being the only place of its size in the United States without the convenience of a railroad, and this fact is all the more remarkable because fo the close proximity of the Island to New York City.  With the completion of the new road it is expected that the Island will have a regular 'boom,' and will become within a few years the most popular summer resort in the neighborhood of New York.  It has every advantage in the way of location, and all it now needs is a convenient means of a communication with the metropolis."

Source:  Pelham and City Island, Supplement to the Chronicle [of Mount Vernon, New York], Dec. 19, 1884, p. 1, col. 7.

Mon., May 3, 2010:  Efforts To Reorganize the Operators of the City Island Horse Railroad and Monorail in 1914.

Fri., April 30, 2010:  "Truly, An Illuminating Little Passage in the History of New-York!" - Efforts to Develop Shore Road Trolley Line in 1897.

Thu., April 29, 2010:  City Islanders Complain and Force the Operators of Their Horse Railroad to Agree to Replace Antiquated Cars in 1908.

Wed., April 28, 2010:  Efforts by the Pelham Park Horse Railroad to Expand and Develop a Trolley Car Line on Shore Road in 1897.

Tue., April 27, 2010:  New York City's Interborough Rapid Transit Company Sued to Foreclose a Mortgage on the Horse Railroad in 1911.

Mon., April 26, 2010:  Public Service Commission Couldn't Find Marshall's Corners in 1909.

Fri., March 5, 2010:  Construction of the City Island Horse Railroad in 1887.

Thu., March 4, 2010:  Beginnings of Horse Railroad - News from Pelham and City Island Published in 1884.

Wed., March 3, 2010:  1879 Advertisement for Robert J. Vickery's City Island Stage Line, A Predecessor to the City Island Horse Railroad.

Tue., March 2, 2010:  1901 Report Indicated that The Flynn Syndicate Planned to Buy the Pelham Bay Park & City Island Horse Car Line.

Mon., March 1, 2010:  Flynn Syndicate Buys the City Island Horse Car Line in 1907 to Incorporate It Into Electric Trolley Line.

Fri., February 26, 2010:  1913 Decision of Public Service Commission to Allow Reorganization of City Island Horse Railroad for Electrification.

Thu., February 25, 2010:  Photograph of Patrick Byrnes and Article About His Retirement of the City Island Horse Car in 1914.

Wed., February 24, 2010:  Attempted Suicide of City Island's Long-Time Horse Car Driver

Wed., February 3, 2010:  Early Information Published in 1885 About the Organization of the "City Island Railroad", a Horse Railroad from Bartow Station to City Island

Tue., February 2, 2010:  Information About the Pelham Park Railroad at its Outset

Fri., January 22, 2010:  1884 Account of Early Origins of Horse Railroad Between Bartow Station and City Island

Tue., September 1, 2009:  Pelham News on February 29, 1884 Including Talk of Constructing a New Horse Railroad from Bartow to City Island

Wed., December 2, 2009:  Accident on Horse-Car of the Pelham Park Railroad Line in 1889

Thu., December 31, 2009:  1887 Election of the Board of Directors of The City Island and Pelham Park Horse Railroad Company

Mon., January 4, 2010:  1888 Local News Account Describes Altercation on the Horse Railroad Running from Bartow Station to City Island.

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Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings.

Early History of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor

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Today's Manor Club, located at 1023 Esplanade in the Village of Pelham Manor, is a cultural, civic and social club for women. Although it had its beginnings in the 1870s, it was not organized formally until January 10, 1882. The clubhouse that stands today is not the original clubhouse. Today's clubhouse opened in 1922. On July 23, 1910, the New Rochelle Pioneer reprinted from the Pelham Sun a brief sketch of the early history of the Manor Club located in the Village of Pelham Manor.
I have written before about the Manor Club.  See, e.g.:

Bell, Blake A., Early History of the Manor Club, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 20, May 14, 2004, p. 12, col. 2.  

Tue., December 13, 2005:  The Manor Club's First Clubhouse Built in 1887-1888.

Wed., December 28, 2005:  The Mystery of the "Manor Club Girl" That Set Pelham Tongues Wagging in 1913.

Fri., August 4, 2006:  Early Images of the Original and Current Clubhouse Structures of the Manor Club in the Village of Pelham Manor, New York. 

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the above-referenced article describing the early history of the Club that appeared in the New Rochelle Pioneer.

Image of the Manor Club's First Clubhouse Published in 1892

"THE FINE OLD MANOR CLUB
-----
Pelham Manor Social Organization Nearly Forty Years Old.

The Manor Club, the subject of this sketch, is situated at the corner of Highland avenue and the Esplanade, Pelham Manor. 

The history of this successful Club dates back to the seventies, when a number of residents banded together and formed it.  Among the earliest workers were Thomas Dewitt and Henry W. Taft, brother of President Taft.  In these early days they met in the homes of the members, but so large became the membership that very few private residences could accommodate them all on festive occasions.

Hence the need for a building to be used exclusively as a club house.  Mrs. Robert C. Black donated the ground upon which the building stands, her condition being that no intoxicating liquors should ever be used at the club house.

In 1883 the Manor Club was duly incorporated by Messrs. Robert C. Black, George H. Reynolds, John H. Dey, G. Osmar Reynolds and W. R. Lamberton.  The objects for which the corporation was formed were as follows:  For social, musical, dramatic and literary purposes.

During Henry W. Taft's term as president of the club the club house was erected.  The membership totals about 150 at the present time, the annual fee being $12.  Once a month a ball is given and every Saturday night entertainments of music, dancing, etc. take place.

The club house has fine bowling alleys, billiard rooms, card room, and reading room.  Greatly enjoyed and much used are the four tennis courts erected upon the grounds. 

The present Board of Directors consists of:  W. K. Gillette (president), C. F. Roper (secretary), W. B. Randall (treasurer), Edgar C. Beecroft and J. F. Longley. 

The club is self-sustaining and is quite a factor in the social life of Pelham Manor.--Pelham Sun."

Source:  The Fine Old Manor Club, New Rochelle Pioneer, Jul. 23, 1910, p. 6, col. 1. 

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1884 Account of Early Origins of Horse Railroad Between Bartow Station and City Island

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During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a horse-drawn car line ran from the Bartow Station on the Branch Line to City Island.  An image of one of the horse-drawn cars taken from an early 20th century post card appears immediately below.

 Occasionally I have written about the "horse railroad" that once carried passengers between Bartow Station and City Island.  See, e.g.: 

Tue., September 1, 2009:  Pelham News on February 29, 1884 Including Talk of Constructing a New Horse Railroad from Bartow to City Island

Wed., December 2, 2009:  Accident on Horse-Car of the Pelham Park Railroad Line in 1889

 Thu., December 31, 2009:  1887 Election of the Board of Directors of The City Island and Pelham Park Horse Railroad Company

Mon., January 4, 2010:  1888 Local News Account Describes Altercation on the Horse Railroad Running from Bartow Station to City Island

The horse-drawn trolley car system was so successful in its early years that the Town of Pelham even contemplated building another such line in early 1890 that would have run essentially along the route later taken by the electric trolley known as the Pelham Manor Trolley that inspired Fontaine Fox to create the Toonerville Trolley.  See Mon., February 6, 2006:  Plans to Create a Horse-Drawn Trolley Car System in Pelham in Early 1890.

Today's Historic Pelham blog posting transcribes a brief description of the early origins of the horse railroad that ran between Bartow Station and City Island.  The account appeared in an issue of the New-Rochelle Pioneer published in December 1884.

"--A short time ago the Pelham Park R. R. Co., and the City Island R. R. Co., was incorporated for the purpose of building a railroad from Bartow to City Island.  For the sake of greater convenience in legal matters the road was divided into two parts, the first named company agreeing to build the part on the main land, and the City Island Company the part on the Island, it being understood that the two roads should be consolidated after their completion.  Both companies readily obtained the consents of the Commissioners of Highways to the construction of their roads, and the City Island Company also obtained the consents of a large majority of the property owners along its line.  The Pelham Park Company was, however, unable to obtain the consents of the requisite number of the property owners along its division of the road, and it accordingly appealed on Monday last to the General Term of the Supreme Court, in Brooklyn, for the appointment of Commissioners to determine whether its road was necessary and should be built notwithstanding the objections of the property owners.  At the hearing the company was represented by W. R. Lamberton, of Pelham Manor, and the property owners by Chas. D. Burrill of Bartow, Miller, Peekhouse & Dixon, of New York and others.  The opposition to the motion was based upon alleged defects in the moving papers and in the incorporation of the company, on the unconstitutionality of the statute under which the company was incorporated, and on the law prohibiting the construction of a railroad in a public park.  Various other objections were also made.  The court reserved its decision at the time, but on the following day decided in favor of the company, and appointed Elisha Horton, Arthur J. Burns and Stephen D. Horton as Commissioners.  This decision, it would seem, finally settles the question of a railroad to City Island, as there appears to be no doubt in regards to its necessity.  City Island now contains over 1500 inhabitants, and has the distinction of being the only place of its size in the United States without the convenience of a railroad, and this fact is the more remarkable because of the close proximity of the Island to New York City.  With the completion of the new road it is expected that the Island will have a regular 'boom,' and will become within a few years the most popular summer resort in the neighborhood of New York.  It has every advantage in the way of location; and all it now needs is a convenient means of communication with the metropolis."

Source:  [Untitled], New-Rochelle Pioneer, Dec. ?, 1884, p. ?, col. 2 (newspaper page fragment contains no issue date or page number, but text references on the page make clear it was published between Dec. 1, 1884 and Dec. 14, 1884; digital copy of page fragment in files of the author).

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Pelham to New York City in 1888: "You Should Pay Taxes"!

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In 1888, the Town of Pelham was feeling economic pain.  It was buckling under bonded debt. Additionally, the City of New York had recently acquired 1,700 acres within the Town of Pelham to form Pelham Bay Park and successfully lobbied legislators to enact legislation exempting it from the payment of property taxes to the Town of Pelham.  Town Supervisor W. R. Lamberton cried foul and wrote to New York City Mayor Abram S. Hewitt pleading for the City to rectify the situation.  A brief article about the letter appeared in the February 5, 1888 issue of The Sun published in New York City.  The article is quoted below.

"Rough on Pelham, But Must We Pay for It?

The City of New York insisted that if it had got to buy 1,700 acres of the town of Pelham for a park that it didn't want, at least it should not be compelled to pay taxes to the town of Pelham on the land.  It got this condition enacted into the law. 

Now W. R. Lamberton writes to Mayor Hewitt asking him to support a bill introduced in the Assembly providing for the continued taxation at the present assessed value new parks laid out outside of the city.  He puts his plea on the ground that otherwise the tax rate of Pelham, which town has only 1,300 acres left, will be raised to six per cent, and that will bankrupt the town, which has already a flourishing bonded debt. 

Mr. Lamberton does not say that the city is responsible for the unfortunate condition of the town, but he says that the city is rich, or, as he puts it:

'Do you think it right to aid in oppressing the poor fishermen of City Island and the day laborers of Pelhamville, and in destroying the values of their little homes merely to save New York 1-800 of 1 percent, in the New York city tax rate?'

The 1,700 acres are assessed at $500,000, and the rest of Pelham $700,000.  Mr. Lamberton says that the town never encouraged the park scheme."

Source:  Rough on Pelham, But Must We Pay for It?, The Sun [New York, NY], Feb. 5, 1888, p. 11, col. 6.

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Accident on Horse-Car of the Pelham Park Railroad Line in 1889

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During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a horse-drawn car line ran from the Bartow Station on the Branch Line to City Island.  An image of one of the horse-drawn cars taken from an early 20th century post card appears immediately below.

A surprisingly serious accident involving the horse-drawn car occurred in 1889.  There were allegations that the operator had been drinking, but an investigation concluded that he had merely driven the trolley recklessly.  An article about the accident appeared in the April 8, 1889 issue of the New-York Daily Tribune.  The article is quoted below, followed by a citation to its source.

"INJURED BY A CAR TIPPING OVER.
------
AN ACCIDENT THAT DISABLED SEVERAL OF A PARTY OF FISHERMEN FROM THIS CITY.

A curious accident occurred yesterday on the Pelham Park Railroad, which runs between Bartow Station and City Island, resulting in several passengers being severely injured.  The 7 o'clock train yesterday morning on the Harlem River Branch Railroad had eight passenger cars, which were heavily loaded, most of the passengers being bound for City Island for a day's fishing.  The train reached Bartow Station at about 7:30, when the several hundred passengers, all of whom carried fishing-rods and baskets, got off to take the horse-cars from Bartow to City Island.  Six ordinary horse cars and two large flat cars, used for carrying freight, were at the station ready to convey the fishermen to their destination.

From fifty to sixty passengers got on the flat cars, which started first and were drawn by teams of horses.  Most of the passengers on the flat cars had to stand up.  The first flat car, which was driven by Terry Ferguson, while rounding the sharp curve within a short distance of the City Island Bridge, was overturned.  The passengers were thrown in every direction.  While some escaped without injury, several were severely hurt and many were more or less cut and bruised.  After considerable difficulty the following persons were rescued from under the car:  Jacob Hafelfinger, No. 444 West Thirty-eighth-st., New-York, injured internally; John Hass, No. 266 East Seventy-eighth-st., cut over the left eye and face badly bruised; Louis Loine, No. 138 East Third-st., right eye badly cut and face bruised; Frederick Kaliski, No. 513 Ninth-ave., face and head badly bruised; Charles Grotz, No. 511 Ninth-ave., left eye badly cut and contusions about the face.

All the persons injured were able to return to their homes in this city on the 5:37 train in the afternoon, with the exception of Hafelfinger, who remained at the hotel, his injuries being of a serious character.  President W. R. Lamberton and Superintendent Underhill arrived at the scene soon after the accident occurred, and did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the injured.  Those officers said that they had made a hurried investigation and had found that although Ferguson might have been guilty of reckless driving, he was not under the influence of liquor, as had been reported."

Source:  Injured by a Car Tipping Over, New-York Daily Tribune, Apr. 8, 1889, p. 7, col. 3.

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Obituary of William Robert Lamberton of Pelham Published in 1894

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In 1894, The Scotch-Irish Society of America published an obituary as a memorial to William Robert Lamberton of Pelham. The item read as follows:

"WILLIAM ROBERT LAMBERTON.

-----

AT Saybrook, Conn., died on Thursday, August 9, Willie Robert Lamberton, in the thirty-third year of his age.

Willie Robert Lamberton was the only child of the late Col. W. H. Lamberton, of Carlisle, Pa., and Mrs. Constance M. Lamberton-Miller, of this city. The funeral ceremonies took place at Grace Church, Old Saybrook, Conn., on the morning of August 10, 1894, and his remains rest in the family plot at Woodlawn, New York City. He died of consumption.

From his extreme youth he gave evidence of a strong mind and great will power. He rapidly developed a legal mind of the highest order, and attracted the attention and love of the late Charles O'Conor, whose mantle seemed to have fallen upon him and who bequeathed to him his private library. He was as a son in the latter years of the life of that great master in jurisprudence. His father, Col. William Harkness Lamberton, was on Gov. Porter's staff when twenty years old. He was in Florida when the war broke out. The Lamberton family is a very old one, and Willie Robert Lamberton is directly descended from William de Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrew's (Scotland), 1297. The ancient Coat of Arms are: 'Arms-Argent, three escollop shells, table, crest, stag's head at gaze, St. Andrew's cross between the Attires. Motto: Volonte de Dieu."

His first important action in a brief life of great activity was the organization, completion, and successful operation of the Pelham Park Railroad Company, of which he as President until affliction compelled him to retire to the position of Vice President about a year since; he was prominent in a number of railway cases in which large amounts were involved; he was the youngest street railway President in the United States at the English Annual Convention of the New York State Street Railway Association, held at Rochester, N. Y., September 16, 1890, and whose likeness appears in a group of the Association and friends photographed on that day; he was a prominent and influential man in the interests of the town of Pelham, Westchester County, N. Y., where his advice and opinions were much sought after and successfully followed; he was frequently importuned to accept proposed offfcial positions in vari- [Page 210 / Page 211] ous societies; he was a member of the Country, New York Athletic, and Pelham Manor Clubs. His kindness to the poor, from whom he never withheld possible assistance, was proverbial.

At the very threshhold of a brilliant and most promising life he passed away from amongst men at the village of Saybrook, Conn., where he was temporarily residing, on the morning of August 9, at nine o'clock.

His private life was that of devotion to home and to his mother; latterly, to her inculcations of the truth, touching imperishable honors, and of which he gave evidence that he had assuredly secured -- a blessed immortality.

J.B.M."

Source: The Scotch-Irish in America -- Proceedings and Addresses of the Sixth Congress, at Des Moines, IA., June 7-10, 1894, pp. 210-11 (Nashville, TN: Barbee & Smith, Agents 1894) (Published by order of The Scotch-Irish Society of America).

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