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Mamaroneck Town: A History of the "Gathering Place"
0 ► ► ► c) t, �'z>i::•<:»:.,...�:v:::�''�.,; oma•.�. � :>i..;e Am ? lj srow :.... . :... �*. y t *y � � .w 3 WN U UX a 4 ii i w x *s '4 "amaroneek ow": o4 *51story of "'7he Qatheving Place,"' 1661-1997 by Paula B. Lippsett, M.D. THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF TOWN GOVERNMENT .q i PREFACE by Supervisor Elaine Price Volunteers are the mainstay of local government.One is hard-pressed for a better example of the outstanding work and caliber of performance produced by a volunteer than Mamaroneck Town: A History of"The Gathering Place," by Paula Lippsett. This book is the first written history of the Unincorporated Area of the Town of Mamaroneck, compiled and written by Dr. Lippsett in less than a year. Dr. Lippsett, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the New York University School of Medicine,specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry. She was appointed Town Historian in September 1996. The realization that no one previously had given Town history a detailed look,nor had recognized the dynam- ic growth and development in the Unincorporated Area, gave impetus to this book. There were other factors, as well:the 300th anniversary of the first Town meeting would occur on April 2, 1997,and perhaps more than 100,000 visitors would be visiting Mamaroneck in August for the week of the PGA Tournament to be held at Winged Foot Golf Club. We are proud of our Town and this work brings our pride into focus. As always, numerous volunteers contribute to a successful process, and so throughout"The Gathering Place" you will see the names of our residents who provided Dr. Lippsett with anecdotal information,wrote for the book or provided illustrations. In addition, because the Town will be celebrating its 300th anniversary of government's beginnings on May 4, 1997, other projects that were undertaken will be mentioned here, both as a permanent record and because Dr. Lippsett was involved. A video documentary, Mamaroneck: The Town Where History Lives, has been filmed and edited by a local student Evan Friedman. The film is an oral history in which residents describe growing up and raising their fami- lies in Mamaroneck. The video was written by Evan Friedman,Jacqueline Friedman and Paula Lippsett. Alton S. Tobey, the internationally-known artist and long-time resident of the Town, graciously offered his expertise, time and talent to design a mural for the Courtroom at the Town Center. Historical, environmental and architectural features of the Town are highlighted. Students from various schools and religious organizations, Elizabeth Benton, Andrew Bray, Kristen Brescia, Dennis Dempsey, Rebecca Greenwald, Amy Lehr, David Morehouse and Jessica Terrone assisted by painting the design on canvas, which was then attached to the Courtroom wall. It has been a real pleasure for me to have been part of the process, and for the Town Board to support these undertakings. A historical record serves as an interconnecting link that binds generation to generation. May this document demonstrate the vitality of our community link. Elaine Price Supervisor Paul Ryan Deputy Supervisor Valerie Moore O'Keefe Councilwoman Barry Weprin Councilman Phyllis Witmer Councilwoman Publisher: Town of Mamaroneck Editor: Dianne Selditch Design: Victoria Baum © 1997,Town of Mamaroneck Ap111 1997 Mamaroneck, New York 10543 All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without permission of the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book would not bate been possible were it not for DEDICATION "the kindness of strangers," ° whom I now consider friends. History is a bridge from the past to the future I am grateful for Town Supervisor Elaine Price's enthusiasm for this project and for being the catalyst for the This book is dedicated to my parents, Town's celebration this year of the 300th anniversary of the first Town meeting. I also appreciate the support of Drs. Shirley and Herbert Lippsett, the Town Board and Town Administrator, Stephen Altieri, who always had the answers to my questions. Town my treasured past, Clerk Patricia De Cioccio was responsible for finding many hidden treasures filed away in the Town vault,and her who continue to enrich me love of the Town,its people,history and historical records was contagious. Her knowledge of computers was also invaluable. Town Councilwoman and personal friend, Phyllis Witmer, was responsible for the idea of thoroughly in the present researching and compiling a history of the Unincorporated Section of the Town into a book. She shared her exper- with knowledge to share with use,and devoted countless weekend hours. She wore many hats during this project,and examined the final man- my wondrous future, uscript with a fine-toothed comb as well as a finely sharpened pencil that was soon dulled. Bryan, Lesley and Glenna I am eternally grateful to the Larchmont Historical Society for all of its cooperation and assistance, most espe- cially to Village Historian Judith Spikes and to her invaluable book,Larcbmont,N.Y.: People and Places,Pre History to 1892, which became my "bible." Without her knowledge, resourcefulness and support, this project could not have been accomplished. Many thanks to architectural historian of the L.H.S., Nora Lucas, who took me by the hand and helped"plat"my course through the Westchester County Land Records Office,turned me on to old maps and helped me sort out the numerous puzzles and mysteries we uncovered—all this, while working on her own projects. L.H.S.Archivist Sandra Tashoff was always on the look-out for relevant Town information in the archives of both the Rye and Larchmont historical societies, and never tired of finding data for me. I also appreciate the Mamaroneck Historical Society for its help and information, especially-Village Historian Gloria Poccia Pritts, who Introduction took me on a grand tour of the Town she knows and loves so well. Many thanks to Donald March, president of the M.H.S.,for his cooperation,and to Bill Fraser for his wonderful postcards and records of the old historical soci- ety meetings. A very special thanks to Philip Reisman Sr.who inspired the title of this book and for the benefit of his expertise. I am most appreciative to Sgt.Paul Degenhardt(of the Town of Mamaroneck Police Department and When I moved into the Unincorporated Section of the Town in 1972, I was of the Friends of the Reservoir)for his interest in and enthusiasm for this project,as well as for his vast knowledge working full time as a physician at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. At the about the history of the Town. I was pleased to have had the opportunity to know former Town Historian Burton time,the Town only represented a place where I could hang my coat and have C. Meighan and hear his wonderful tales of the Town. Much appreciation also to Elizabeth Fuller and the my dry cleaning done. Once I had children, the Town broadened into a place Westchester Historical Society. for schools,ballet lessons, Little League and soccer fields,ice-skating rink,pool, A very special thanks to the experts who contributed chapters, as well as their time, to the book. This and playgrounds. In recent years,as my carpooling responsibilities diminished, I began writing medical fiction as a hobby,a pursuit that kept me close to home. book could not have been completed without the knowledge of many townsfolk,some of whom are noted in the i When Councilwoman Phyllis Witmer asked me n June of 1996 to research the Chapter Notes. Others who provided information include Bruce Allen,Mary Carlson, Richard Ciotti, Patricia Healy, Town's history, I didn't even know that Ri hbell me was named for a man Christine Helwig, Mary Ann Johnson, the Meighan family, William O'Gorman, Kathleen Brannigan Saxon,George Straub and Diana Teti. Much appreciation to Eleanor Lucas, Barbara MacDonald, Noreen O'Donnell, Peter called John Richbell,our founding father. Perciasepe, Phil Reisman Jr., Mary Ellen Singsen, Cathy Silberman, and Alton S. Tobey. Because of my prior lack of time and knowledge of the Town's special I particularly want to thank the members of the staff at the Town Center for all their help:Carol Acocella, attributes, I used to drive through the streets and see my surroundings in a one- Susan Bickerstaff, Eve Bocca, Carmine DeLuca, Mary Ellen Faulkner,Jill Fisher, Susie Guimaraes, Pamela Kaider, dimensional light. Fortunately, although it has taken a quarter of a century, I James Morris, Michael Orchanian, Lillian Robustelli, Susie Russell, Pat Samela, Arline Stefanisko and Marianne no longer do that. In fact, my family threatens to get me a bumper sticker for Ybarra. my car that reads, "I brake for sites of historical interest." I hope this book will Much appreciation to the editor, Dianne Selditch, for her expertise and interest, and to Victoria Baum, a convey some of the special features of the Town and that everyone will view Mamaroneck in the three dimensional technicolor it deserves. great copy editor; both of whom put everything aside to meet the deadline for this project. I am grateful to Julie Lipkin and to Laurence Lippsett for their help. A very special thanks to Jacqueline Friedman,who volunteered to pitch in with both hands and a lot of heart. Finally, a huge thank you to Alan Halperin for all his help, support and patience. Paula B. Lippsett History of the Unincorporated Section Chapter 28 Golf Clubs ....................................................................................................................................72 of the Town of Mamaroneck Chapter 29 Additional Features Sts.John And Paul Church ..................................................................................................74 BadgerSports Club................................................................................................................74 PART ONE - HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Honey Adams School Of Dancing 75 Chapter 1 What Does The Name Really Mean. Three Hundredth Anniversary Celebration..........................................................................75 Chapter 2 The Founder Of Mamaroneck ........................................ Chapter 30 Hometown Trivia..........................................................................................................................75 Chapter 3 The First Town Meeting Spellings Of Mamaroneck............................................................................................................77 Chapter 4 The First Town Supervisor ............................................................................................................6 Chapter 5 Lord Of The Manor........................................................................................................................7 APPENDIX Chapter6 Revolutionary War..........................................................................................................................8 Civil War List Of Soldiers ............................................................................................................78 Chapter 7 After The War..................................................................................................................................9 Medical Exemption List Of Civil War..........................................................................................79 Chapter 8 Civil War..................................................._. Neighborhoods And Dates Of Development ............................................................................80 1926 Change Of Names Of Streets..............................................................................................81 ListOf Supervisors........................................................................................................................82 PART TWO - DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNINCORPORATED SECTION CHAPTERNOTES................................................................................................................................................83 Chapter 9 Chatsworth Train Station And Land Development Company ..................................................13 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PHOTO CREDITS..........................................................................................................88 Chapter 10 Early Weaver Street Settlers..........................................................................................................15 Chapter 11 North Of The Train Station ........................................................................................................21 Chapter 12 South Of The Boston Post Road ................................................................................................31 Chapter 13 Development Around The Train Station ..................................................................................36 Chapter14 Between The Wars........................................................................................................................38 Chapter15 World War 11..................................................................................................................................39 Chapter 16 The New England Thruway ........................................................................................................40 Chapter 17 Northeastern Section Of The Town ..........................................................................................42 Chapter 18 The History Of Road Houses In The Town ..............................................................................48 iF � !I 1pMll� r PART THREE - A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TOWN Chapter19 Schools .......... .. .......................................................................................................................... 1 .> Chapter 20 Fire Department............................................................................................................................55 �: . �. Chapter21 Police Department........................................................................................................................58 Chapter22 Town Meetings..............................................................................................................................61 w Chapter 23 Commuters.............. 1� Chapter 24 The Hommocks Park Apartments " o Chapter25 Conservation................ .................................................................................................................65 Chapter26 Larchmont Reservoir ....................................................................................................................68 r , Chapter 27 Recreation...................................,. F .71 � ., Part One Historical Perspective Chapter 1 WHAT DOES THE NAME REALLY MEAN? amaroneck has the distinction of being one of the oldest settlements in Westchester County, having been ' purchased in 1661.(13' It also can claim that it has been inhabitVd by four different nations, or as former Town Historian William G. Fulcher used to say, it "has been under four flags." )This three hundred thir- . ty-six year history has provided numerous opportunities for misinterpreting the meaning of its name. The first inhabitants of the land, the Siwanoy Indians,were attracted to the salt marshes along the Long Island Sound in areas such as the present-day Hommocks and Premium areas.These Native Americans,whose totem was the wolf,belonged to the Mohican Tribe and spoke the Algonquin language. Siwanoy is variously translated as"salt UNINCORPORATED AREA people","people of the shell"and,more commonly,as"southerners."')They were essentially farmers,which meant Area 5.17 Sq.Miles they had a fixed abode, necessary for tending crops. Fishing and hunting were important, but secondary to their basic economy. The Siwanoy knew the value of the productive marshlands.(3)The proximity to the water afforded • ' • ' .' these Native Americans an abundant quantity of clams, oysters and fish, and the marsh grasses were used to make • nets and slings. Inland forests were laden with berries and nuts, as well as animals for hunting. • - ILLAGE OF NWNIARONECK The second nation to claim the area was the Netherlands. In 1640, the Dutch West India Company"purchased • ,: Area 2.33 Sq.Nlilen a tract of land comprising much of the present County of Westchester."(7)A paper dated Oct. 17, 1643, stated that • . ' "the Director General of the Dutch colonies of New Netherlands and his Council resolved to attack Chief •. , • Mamaronock and his tribe."(')Although some people assume that Mamaroneck was named for this Native American, • - • ' the assumption is wrong.Chief Mamaronock(incorrectly translated as"he who stands tall"), lived in the Croton area and not in this vicinity.(6) • The most commonly accepted translation of the Town's name is "where the fresh water falls into the salt." • Another more poetic variation is "the place where the sweet waters fall into the sea."()According to Nora Lucas, • ' the architectural historian of the Larchmont Historical Society, this phrase actually describes a rare natural occur- rence, "noted and commemorated by the Indians who first settled the area, in which the bed of the Mamaroneck River north of the Post Road bridge was originally crossed by a ledge of rocks,which created a fresh waterfall into V[ILAGEOFLARCFflv10NT the salt water of the inlet from the Harbor and Long Island Sound."() Unfortunately, however, "time, blasting and Area 1.08 Sq.Miles a succession of dams, have obliterated the original ledge of rocks, but the remains of the reef can still be seen."d) According to Philip Reisman Sr.of the Larchmont Historical Society,who has studied local Native American his- tory, the geology has nothing to do with the word "Mamaroneck." It is merely an example of folklore which over the years has been accepted as local history, and even has been taught as such in the schools. Rather, he says, it is a phrase extracted from a mundane 1664 surveyor's report that simply defined the western boundary between the colonies of New York and Connecticut. Mr. Reisman believes the phrase has been dressed up over the years to sound "aboriginal."The report, drawn up for the governor of New York and dated November, 1664, stated: "That ye Creeke or?).ver called Momoronock wch is reported to be about thirteen myles to ye east of West Chester, and a lyne drawee from ye eastpoint of Syde where ye fresh waterfalls into ye salt, at high water marke, north north- west to jv line of ye Massachusetts by ye western bounds of ye said Colony of Connecticut."51 It should be noted that in 1683 the boundary line between the colonies of Connecticut and New York was rene- THE TOWN OF MAMARONECK gotiated and changed to the Byram River. William III, the king of Great Britain (the third nation whose flag flew over Mamaroneck),confirmed this in 1700(5). "Mamaroneck" has also been translated as the "place of rolling stones." However, Edward F. DeLancey, who wrote a history of the Town in 1886,refutes this translation: `7 cannot find any authority. There are not rolling stones 1 anywhere about Mamaroneck,either in the river or the town, though both abound with rocks in situ, in the language of the geologists."(I) Douglas La Rue Smith, the historian of Winged Foot Golf Club,in his book Winged Foot Story, described aleg- i'll 0.1111,1411 end in which "Mamaroneck may have taken its name from someone named Mammy Roe, one of the early settlers in this area."(") Although no historical evidence can be found supporting this legend, Larchmont Village Historian ohn Richbell, a native of Hampshire, England became a merchant in Charlestown, Mass., in 1648, about the Judith Spikes recalls that Annette Noe,a kindergarten teacher at Murray Avenue School from 1959 to 1966,and other time that England vehemently enforced the Navigation Act of Charles the First. Many merchants were looking teachers at Murray Avenue School,would teach their young students to spell Mamaroneck phonetically,emphasiz- to circumnavigate these strict laws,which"took a great deal of profit from trading,"and so many took up smug- ing the middle syllable: Mama-RO-Neck. Perhaps these impressionable youngsters came to envision a female char- gling I'll. While trading with the West Indies, Richbell met two men in Barbados, Thomas Modiford and William acter to embody the name. Sharpe. In 1657, Richbell drew up an agreement with these new partners to locate a place between the Dutch in Numerous spellings of"Mamaroneck" have been found in the Town Minutes, deeds and other old Town doc- New Amsterdam and the English in Connecticut where they could set up a base for trade,in defiance of the English uments. A complete list can be found in Chapter 30. However, some of the most unusual ones are Mairnuck, navigation laws. Richbell was instructed that he should buy a small plantation near some navigable river or safe Mornuc, Merinak, Monorinck, Moworronock, Momorack, Mammarinikes and Memarioneck. "As many of our New harbor, and that the way to it be neither long nor difficult; that it be well-watered by some running stream or at York Indian terms and names represent an English spelling of a Dutch or French translation of an Indian sound, least by some fresh pond nearby; and that it be well-wooded, healthy high ground. we should never be surprised at any variety of spelling."I It was not until 1755 that the present spelling of Richbell found the perfect spot, and on Sept. 23, 1661, with the help of his interpreter Edward Griffen, �i6� he "Mamaroneck"was finally established.() traded the following items in exchange for land from the Siwanoy Indian Chiefs Wappaquewam and Mahatahan: Scarsdale historian Richard Lederer, in his encyclopedic Place Names of Westchester County, New York, faced 20 coats 12 bars of lead with so many conflicting "translations"of Mamaroneck, finally wrote, "The origin of the name is obscure."(") 100 fathom of wampum 2 firelockes 12 shirts 15 hoes After further investigation, Mr. Reisman has written:(� 10 pair of stockings 15 hatchets The Indians didn't bother to name places, which seemed important to the white men. The few 20 hands of powder 3 kettles names they did use were as ephemeral as the seasons.Anonymous sites and temporary place names Since the Native Americans believed that no human could own the land, and the sale of land was a foreign perfectly suited the need and convenience of the area's first inhabitants, but the Europeans were concept in their culture, the mostly seamen or farmers, with an Old World reverence for maps and charts. They wanted fixed- r Siwanoys most likely believed they place names. . . . had obtained the better deal. Mamaroneck became the permanent designation because that happened to be the first one to I Richbell's purchase, today known be entered on deeds and maps by a people to whom a place didn't really exist until it was on paper. , ' N� aF as the Town of Mamaroneck, con- Ink was the glue that made the name stick. sisted of three hooks of land (also MAMARONECK Mamaroneck's location, at the mouth of a river and the head of a harbor,probably inspired ,. M",A �tiR referred to as necks or peninsulas) J3P ) w •"`ym atAtDon NY our most persistent myth, still being heard (although sculpted out of pure fudge), that the name s" a tet.• �� that lay between the Mamaroneck Mamaroneck translates ever so poetically from the Siwanoy into "Where the Fresh Water Falls :i '; River to the east, and the "stony" Over,"etc. This folk etymology smacks more of Hiawatha than history. It first appeared in print in r,�a`W E "' river or "gravelly" brook of "Mr. the 1880s, by which time there were safely no more Siwanoy lefi to explain what Mamaroneck Pell's land" to the west. The "East ty a a. (houeuer it is spelled), actually meant. Located on a good canoe harbor, and handy to where the '1 t` Neck" is now known as Orienta, Sheldrake and Mamaroneck Rivers were crossed by the Sackerah Path (today's Boston Post Road), �� (t and the "Middle Neck" or "Great Neck" is now referred to as it was an ideal place for convening councils and holding pauwaus of Siwanoy cousins from asfar FWz� away as Quarropas (White Plains), Ship pam (New Rochelle) and Po-nin go (Rye). A rare 18th Larchmont Manor. The third neck century dictionary compiled by the Rev.David Zeisberger,a Moravian missionary, may have solved od ' 0 a was later sold and is now known as the mystery of the meaning of`Mamaroneck."In English and in Lenni Lenape, the dialect spoken Davenport Neck in New Rochelle. by the Siwancy, it provides authorityfor translation of`Mamaroneck"as `the place where he calls r �/ ;..,r '° The Indians also gave Richbell per- them together," `', '�� mission to "freely feed cattle or cut Mamaroneck, then means "Gathering Place,"appropriate enough for today's vital tri-munic- timber 20 miles northward from the r marked trees of the Necks."03) ipal community, but hardly as romantically satisfying as the fictitious "Where the Fresh Water, etc.," which we might wish it meant. On the other hand, tf it really did mean that, the Siwanoy :sl One month after Richbell bought name for our Town would give fits to a lip reader and would run right off the map and onto the <; 6 the land,Thomas Revell offered the margin,for we would be living today in . . . are you ready?. . . Kschieopectatpennium biskikn'k. Indians a higher price and pur- " >'S "j Rather than having to call out that station stop, a conductor would leap off the westbound before chased the same land. Richbell peti- �„;.K;y� y"` it even reached Larchmont. f` �` a � ,�s� tioned Governor Stuyvesant, Director General of the colonies of New Netherlands, and Richbell was And so we have our gathering place, beginning at the salt marshes and burgeoning outward these past three issued the land patent on May 6, hundred years. Town Map(c.1797)showing the Last Neck(also called East Neck)and the Great 1662. In 1664, Great Britain took Neck(Middle Neck)of John Richbell s purchase. control of the colonies and Richbell 2 3 could no longer smuggle goods. SCARSpAL e After receiving an English title to z �"���°�� MA IV O R OF 5 I,,/D6 � Chater 3 P� LAID his lands from British Governor THE FIRST TOWN MEETING 9 4 ' � z LAID N LAID Z Our Lovelace in 1668, Richbell D LAID LAID our r70our PIC , encouraged settlement on his Our our rD ✓ANN NSA7 NArf/ th 70 JOLo land. M/LL/AN NO/* N��py rNL a JAMLS- D/s„Wow JO N ;INIIARR/SOA/ Richbell laid out eight house lots, OrDer Morr DAv"IN .AmE PZ1fC/"Sr or "Great Lots," along the r {L(/,fO/NO rNQW,{ MN° 1-71-0 W Westchester Path(now known as This is the OAyI/r V rTV.VASow-fire the Boston Post Road), with a Book of Record for O CALCI OI NCV" � _ common strip of land running A,'.YLaa � N NLA7N two miles into the woods. Each momoronack n/A � torr lot was 20 1/2 rods wide and 80 in the year 1697 ,, uor,Y",rr rods deep (a rod is 16.5 feet).("' :17- "" 'rW&Xff" Six of the original lots were ur- I,/LCD's: /rig $ p ;.` 1�� A� chased by Jeremy Kanniffe, E s�y o Robert Pennoyer, John Bassett, hus began the first recording written in the Town Minute Book, during the first Town meeting of the free- Henry Disbrow,John Bloodgood holders of Mamaroneck on April 2, 1697.The men met that day in the home of John Richbell's widow, Ann. s p and John Westcott. James Mott The Town Minute Book has the distinction of being the oldest full collection of continuous) written public ApOLA'r 23 Y � J J O Y ✓ r,,f. �J.l EA =�' 4 who was Richbell's son-in-law, documents in the State of New York(').According to former Town Supervisor,Christine Helwig,the book serves"as ,r �; `uDEe LLN f^rH 9 Z °''o`�' was given another, and with his an original source of the social, economic, political and genealogical history of our Town from 1697 to 1881."(4) 5 �� wife, Mary, inherited 30 acres in Town Clerk Patricia DiCioccio, who has a deep concern for preserving the Town's history, is in charge of main- . e ' what is now Orienta. Finally, taining Town records. In 1992, she obtained funds from the Town Board to restore the deteriorating volume."' Richbell kept a lot for himself. Because of her efforts,the newly bound,foot-high red leather book now resides in the Town vault for another gen- 4 Qh (In 1735, the Pennoyer family eration to savor. 0 sold their property to Polycarpus � In 1979,Dr.Mary O'Connor English,a local resident,undertook the task of painstakingly transcribing and inter- Nelson. This area is known as Nelson Hill and can identified pretating these original records.This invaluable project was initiated by the Town Board to commemorate the 200th 7we o&M/A/S~AFA""" anniversary of our country's independence.("Dr. English's work Early Town Records of Mamaroneck, 1697-1881, III JCNVrcRN ra.- GZV"LOW"X 5IYE7r'H MAP Of by a historical marker on AW M•L OLNLALo4/LAIL DOAK IS OLD MAMA/POAIECK serves as a reference source.Dr.English credits early Mamaroneck government officials with conscientiously record- Or 7WQ&JANALL AWIS?M. SHOW/NG OWNERSN/P OfhbME Fenimore Road near the Boston Ir EvYrA Nor19 .D ASA AND LONG"O.P UPPER L07S- Post Road in the Village of in$their meetings and important documents. She wrote, "Their records were written in long-hand and noted every c4%M"Or mAxLaA"""OwLsmL AWRCN I-= Mamaroneck) detail whether significant or not."(1) There are many indications that According to the records of the first Town meeting,the following officials were elektd"and recorded,although sc_. C Or rCCT •SCALL Or CMAM6 Richbell's settlers complained incorrectly spelled, for all eternity: about him, and problems arose Samuell palmer cbozen Suprevizer[supervisor], also written as suprovizar in some places Town map showing John Richbell's `Great Lots"subdivision. Lots begin at the Post Road from his business transactions. Earl colonial Capt.Jeams mott-aseser[assessor] to the south and end at Griffen Avenue to the North. Y maps were more descriptive than precise, wreak- Henery disbrow-colecter and sumeier[surveyor], also written as suruayer ing havoc on future generations William Palmer-eLected ConstaBell[constable] and Cleark[clerk] forced to rely on "natural"reference points such as marked trees that may have disappeared over the years.Judith At a later meeting,officials created the positions of fens vewaror vieuer(fence viewer—one who sees that the Spikes states that when Richbell sold the "West Neck"to a Dutchman named Steenwyck, the property was disput- fences are erected and maintained)and pouender(pounder—one who impounds animals). ed by Thomas Pell because two widely separated creeks, both known by the name, "Gravelly" Brook, were spec- ified in deeds as the boundary.According to Scarsdale historian, Richard Lederer, "Pell thought his land ran to Pine The Town census of 1698 recorded 77 people living in the Town and descendants of some of these families Brook and Richbell thought his ran to Stephenson Brook.05) In 1671, the Court of Assizes assigned Robert Ryder, still reside in the area.(')Prominent family names on the list include: Henry Disbrow,John and Eleazer Gedney(who Surveyor General of the province,to settle the dispute,and in 1677,Ryder divided the land down the middle. Pell's married a Richbell daughter), Thomas Hatfield, Caleb Heathcote, James Mott, Polycarpus Nelson, Samuel, portion became part of New Rochelle and Steenwyck's became part of the Town of Mamaroneck, a division that Nehemiah, Obadiah, Silvanus, Solomon and William Palmer, Robert Pennoyer and Ann Richbell. would cause problems in the 18th century. The early settlers made their living at farming, fishing, milling and lumbering, working together and helping In 1668, Richbell's wife,Ann, received title to much of his land. Richbell died in 1684 and is buried in the Mott one another.(") Each man in Town was expected to help build roads a certain number of days a year. Many issues family cemetery, located between the West Basin of Mamaroneck Harbor and Rushmore Avenue. Although that concerned these early agrarian settlers have carried over to modern-day Mamaroneck(''. For example,the fence- Richbell's tombstone disappeared more than a hundred years ago,a granite monument,with a bronze tablet affixed viewer had to check fences to make sure they were about 4 1/2 feet high.Today's zoning codes,according to Town to it describing his acquisition,was erected in 1961 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Richbell's Purchase. Supervisor Elaine Price,require that fences be 4 feet high at the front and side,and 5 feet high at the rear.(')In 1765, the Town resolved that no one could take oysters or clams from Mamaroneck Harbor during certain months,under penalty of 40 shillings. Since 1925, a public health law forbids anyone, at any time, from taking oysters and clams 4 5 from Mamaroneck Harbor.(") By 1700, Palmer owned 580 acres of the "Middle Neck,"320 acres south of the Post Road and 260 acres north. In Colonial days, each member of the community had an individual mark to identify his own animals, which According to Nora Lucas, those are "nearly the same boundaries as the Incorporated Village of Larchmont today.""' were not allowed to run free. `No Horses to be turne'd out as Commoners without hopples nor Sheep without Fetters, Ironically, two years after Palmer's arrival to the area, Caleb Heathcote (pronounced "heth cut") also moved to Hogs not to run in Common unless ring'd and Yoakd,"(5)The nuisance created by hogs running wild necessitated Mamaroneck and in 1698 purchased the "East Neck"property owned by Ann Richbell. With his holdings including the election of a "hog howard,"and the fine for hogs found on the highway was increased to 75 cents. To elimi- much of Mamaroneck and all of Scarsdale, Heathcote was now the lord of the Manor of Scarsdale, and once again nate troublesome crows, the Town paid a bounty of 6 cents for each crow killed between the months of April and established an Anglican parish. However, in 1704 he arranged with Palmer to authorize Palmer's home as a "place December, and the sum of 3 cents for each crow egg.Geese were also impounded if found running loose.Another for Quaker worship under the Act of William and Mary."(". interesting law required residents to "take up the Rams from the Yoas(Ewes/. If any person refuse upon such notice The 1700 census showed the Town's population to be only 84, with most residents living on the "East Neck" to take and keepe their rams from going with the yoas, that it shall be lawfull for anyone to geld such rams if they around the present-day Village of Mamaroneck.(" Until they built their own grist mill at the mouth of the Premium are met with in the flock."to Rivera) the Palmers traveled by water or by horse to this part of Town to bring their wheat to the mill. Samuel The Town also elected an "Overseer of the Poor," and money was allocated to the needy. The last person to Palmer died in 1716, and in his will he divided his portion of the Town in equal parts to his four sons, with shares fill this position was J. Bloomer,who held it until 1921.As a link to the past, the Bloomer home still stands at 1011 both south of the Westchester Path(salt marsh)and north of it(drier land). Son Sylvanus inherited the mill and son Old White Plains Road. While records indicate that family members lived there from the early 1800s until 1965, the Nehemiah inherited the land around the present-day site of the Larchmont Reservoir (see Larchmont Reservoir- Chapter 26). Bloomers served in many capacities as town officials, beginning as early as 1711 with John Bloomer. According to William S. Hadaway, in the Introduction to Mamaroneck Through The Years, written by William G. Fulcher: Remgs- Og Mamaroneck grew slowly.In 1710, nearly 50 years after the settlement, the census records only ,4 � h _ Chapter 5 .i,any G 84 persons.Few communities, however, can show a bigher quality of leadership among its citizens - � - LORD OF THE MANOR from the time of John Richbell down to present day. The traditions of the English founders are still in evidence to the careful observer and the preservation of the relatively large number of ancient n the Village of Mamaroneck, a street called Heathcote Avenue, only four blocks long, is another link with the burial plots is a distinct credit to the community, past. Mr. Fulcher elaborated: The people in this little settlement of Mamaroneck were composed from distinct groups, each Caleb Heathcote was born in Derbyshire,England,in 1666,and came to New York City in 1692.113'He was quite bringing with them their own distinct traditions and characteristics. The growth of the settlement ambitious and,as a member of the Governor's Council,received the title"Honorable."During the French and Indian was steady and healthful. The first settlers were nearly all people from Connecticut, and Dissenters Wars(1689 to 1763), he served as a colonel in the Westchester Militia.04) He was also a justice of the peace in the in religion who afterward became Presbyterians. They were intelligent, sturdy, enterprising and Westchester Court, and although he lived in Mamaroneck,was mayor of New York City in 1711, the same time his pious people. They bad the true Puritan sternness of morals and devotion to duty.'O') brother Gilbert was Lord Mayor of London. Mr. Fulcher described the Town Minute Book as a "wonderful treasure house." In its pages, he said, "can be In 1698, Heathcote purchased 1,000 acres of Ann Richbell's property for 600 British pounds. The tract was found the history of our country in miniature."() known as the "East Neck" section of Richbell's purchase, excluding the 30 acres that were given to James Mott, Richbell's son-in-law. Heathcote's purchase included the land"running northward 20 miles into the woods,"and he named his acquisition the "Manor of Scarsdale"after the area in Derbyshire where he was born.(15) His royal patent was dated 170113) and, according to Richard Lederer, he was known as the richest man in the colonies. According to Heathcote's property assessment, his Manor included the current Towns of Mamaroneck, Scarsdale and parts of Cha ter 4 White Plains, North Castle and New Castle.(i6) In the Town of Mamaroneck, his manor included much of today's ,60IN? POW P Unincorporated Section, from Weaver Street towards Old White Plains Road, bounded by Griffen Avenue to the THE FIRST TOWN SUPERVISOR North. It is unclear exactly how much land he owned, but apparently he had jurisdiction over the area. According to Shonnard and Spooner, in their book History of Westchester County, "Although Heathcote's proprietary interest n 1675, Richbell leased his "Middle Neck" to his brother Robert, who was living in England, and then to a in the town lots of Mamaroneck was confined to his personal ownership of two of them, he was always regarded Thomas Kelland of Boston.(')When Richbell died in 1684, none of his original property remained in his name. by the settlers there as the controlling spirit of the place,and he gave much attention to the promotion of its devel- In 1700, Samuel Palmer, who had been elected the Town's first Supervisor in 1697, obtained the remainder of opment and welfare."05) the leases on the Middle Neck, and in 1722 the Palmer family obtained full title to the land.(') His property includ- Heathcote established a grist and a saw mill on the Mamaroneck River. As indicated by Richbell, each of the ed the area we now know as the Incorporated Village of Larchmont. original owners of the eight "Great Lots" had an eighth of a share of the undivided two miles of common land The Palmer family were Quakers. Samuel's father had lived in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, but moved (which extended to the present-day Griffen Avenue). According to Richard Lederer, in 1706, Heathcote "induced in 1666,seeking freedom from religious intolerance by the British-ruled government.The family first settled in West the others to divide up the commonage."(")The subdivision was haphazard and did not follow exactro lutes P PertY Chester(now the Bronx), an area originally owned by the Dutch, who had established religious tolerance in their behind each lot. These subdivisions later were resold, causing additional boundary-line confusion for future gen- coloniestZ). However, in 1696, the British Royal Governor of New York appointed a young man named Caleb erations. Heathcote as mayor of West Chester. When Heathcote established an Anglican parish there, Samuel Palmer relo- Heathcote built himself a large brick manor house above the harbor in 1702 on what is still known as Heathcote cated to Mamaroneck. Palmer's house, which was torn down in the 1800s, had been built on the site of the Hill, and commuted to New York City by boat.( ) The house had a chimney at each end, and outbuildings that present Larchmont Public Library. The family s political prominence was not limited to Town Supervisor Samuel., included slave quarters.Committed to religious and educational endeavors, he founded the Trinity Church parish in his son William was appointed the first clerk and constable. New York and St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in Mamaroneck, holding the first services in his home in 1704.('9) He also helped to establish the first(private)school in Mamaroneck in 1704 and arranged for a teacher,Joseph Cleator. 6 7 � n Heathcote died Feb. 28, 1721,and was buried outside Trinity Church in New York City. His wife died 15 years is the "oldest surviving structure on the Middle Neck."C'Mott also purchased the accompanying grist mill, which the later, leaving two daughters, Ann, wife of Lieutenant-Governor James Delancey, and Martha, wife of Dr. Lewis Palmer family had built at the mouth of the Premium River before 1741.111 A wealthy New York City merchant, Mott Johnston of New Jersey.(")The daughters sold random pieces of property,but the Manor remained intact until 1774, moved to the more peaceful countryside when the Revolutionary War began. He was also a "determined abolition- when, according to William Fulcher, "the tangle of ownership had become so great that the Colony of New York ist"and refused to use any products produced by slaves,including clothing made of cotton.The location of the Mott appointed Commissioners to arbitrarily assign rights. This mix-up of the Great Lots became the greatest real-estate Mill and homestead made it a prime target for raiding parties(") However, after surviving the war, the Motts later confusion in the State."(")According to Nora Lucas, "Heathcote's purchase seems to have included a substantial por- modernized and built a new larger mill called the tion of what is now the Unincorporated Section of the Town of Mamaroneck. It is unclear as to who finally pur- - Premium Mill.Their"Premium Flour became known chased the remaining property that forms the northeastern section of the Unincorporated Section of the Town of Po « world-wide. Mamaroneck."All that is recorded is that it was sold to "tenants and others."(19) The most feared and hated raids during this period tw Mr. Fulcher wrote: " were led by Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe of the When it is remembered that one hundred years had elapsed since the lots uere first laid out `a►��,� Queen's Rangers.') One noted fight, between (by Richbelll, some appreciation of the magnitude of the commissioners' work can be realized. The _ Simcoe's men and a patriot troop led by Lt. Col. average layman today can see some of the physical outlines of the Great Lots by locating the fami- `. Walton A. White, took place in 1777 along the Post ly cemeteries, which are in the rear of the home lots on the Post Road. The cemetery on Mt.Pleasant Road between New Rochelle and Mamaroneck. The Avenue, the Delancey plot on Palmer Avenue and the plot behind the High School are mute `"~" wounded were taken to the home of Dr. Nicholas reminders of the Great Lots of john Richbell on the Westchester Patb("). fiE l u _ Bailey on the Westchester Path, which then served a¥. as a hospital. (The Loyal Inn Restaurant and the Loyal Inn Bowling Alley later stood on the site of the . , Bailey home, which is now the site of a small shop- Chapter ping center on the Boston Post Road near the New x � � Rochelle border.) REVOLUTIONARY WAR _ Stories have been told of townsfolk forced to hide in " the marshes to avoid the plundering soldiers. AVPi �` en the Revolutionary War began,Westchester County was considered"neutral"or"debatable"ground.() Another legend surrounds "Godfrey's Cave."Although no known evidence substantiates the3� � �� Hground.()owever, since the Americans were headquartered north of Peekskill and the British were in New York story, a man named Godfrey who lived in City, the people of Westchester County—left without civil or military protection—were continually plun- deredby the Cowboys(royalists)and the Skinners(patriots).")According to Judith Spikes, this caused many shore Mamaroneck and was frustrated by the frequent pil- laging from both sides, spent the Revolutionary War dwellers to "abandon their rural farms and move to places of greater security in the interior of the county or far- hiding in a cave in the Saxon Woods area. A cave in they upstate. Mamaroneck reportedly connected underground to During the years 1776 to 1782, the Town of Mamaroneck had no civil government. Therefore, no meetings New Rochelle,a route traveled by Huguenots during were held nor minutes kept. Because the townsfolk were divided in their allegiance, either to the Crown or to the the Revolutionary War. Another report mentions a Continental Congress, no public gatherings were called. cave used by the Underground Railroad during the Local photographer William D. ds c.ea easing s.entrance to Civil War. None of these stories have been verified Mamaroneck was the site of the "first American blood"spilled in the county. On Aug. 28, 1776, patriot troops "Godfrey's Carne"in Saxon woods c.early 19oo's. killed William Lounsberry, a weaver, landowner and town officer, who was recruiting men for the "Queen's and it is unclear whether they refer to the same cave. American Rangers," a royalist regiment under Lt. Col. Robert Rogers.(6) However, around 1928, when long-time resident Emil Lanza (father of Joseph Lanza, the present Mayor of the Village of Mamaroneck) was a Boy Scout, he and The Heathcote family remained loyal to the Crown.Their home on Heathcote Hill burned down shortly before friends hiked in Saxon Woods. As they approached a section that bordered the Old White Plains Road near the the revolution.()This area was also the site of the "Battle of Heathcote Hill,"which took place Oct. 21, 1776, prior entrance to the Winged Foot Golf Club, they spotted a cave. The opening was about 2 feet wide and was formed to the "Battle of White Plains." In this Heathcote Hill skirmish, the Queen's Rangers, a loyalist regiment, was by two large stones.About 30 to 40 yards within the cave,the interior had collapsed.However,they found old mus- encamped on the hill.Their commander, Lt. Col. Rogers, had appropriated the schoolhouse by the harbor, located kets with bayonets there,which they gave to the American Legion.These artifacts were believed to have been from on the Old Post Road near present-day Orienta Avenue,()and sent the students home.The American troops,under the Revolutionary War. the command of Col.John Haslet and a Major Green, were made up of regiments from Delaware and Virginia. Although technically neutral, Mamaroneck, as well as the rest of Westchester County, witnessed first-hand the Although the Americans surprised the British, the British retained their position, even though they suffered many losses.(")A communal grave dug amid the surrounding apple orchard was uncovered years later,at the turn of 20th ravages of the Revolutionary War. century, when workers excavated the area along Munro Avenue to install water main lines. Historian Alvah French described the provisions prepared by some Mamaroneck inhabitants for British troops, Chapter 7 who were starving in Boston.o)Cattle were slaughtered and the meat was prepared for shipment from Indian Point. AFTER THE WAR However, the ship sank off the Scotch Caps soon after it left Mamaroneck Harbor,and although the crew was saved, the beef was lost.(10) Though most townsfolk sided with either the patriots or loyalists,a number of Quaker families abhorred blood- aleb Heathcote's daughter Ann was married to James Delancey, the chief justice and lieutenant-governor of shed and did not choose sides.James Mott, the great-great-grandson of John Richbell, lived near the Premium River New York. DeLancey's illustrious French family dated back to medieval times.A son john Peter was educat- in the house known as the "Mill House,"which still stands at 4 Pryer Manor Road. Most likely built around 1775, it Ced in England and served in the British army.After the war, in 1789, he inherited the Heathcote estates from 8 9 3 his mother and returned to the United States, building a new wooden home on Heathcote Hill on the site of his ing in the house, he needed trees to block the front side of his home from the dusty Post Road. His Scotch gar- grandfather's original brick home('")This was the home in which a daughter Susan Augusta married author James dener planted larch trees from Scotland, not because they were particularly attractive, but because they were fast- Fenimore Cooper on Jan. 1, 1811.(9) The couple lived in Mamaroneck until 1813, and then again from 1817 to growing. The "mont" probably refers to the small rise of land where the house sits, although historian Edward ° 1822.°"' Cooper,whose mother's maiden name was Fenimore, had moved from Cooperstown, N.Y., and Fenimore Delancey has suggested that Collins might have been acknowledging the fact that larch trees grow on the Scottish Road (which used to be called Grand Park Avenue during the 1800s) is named for him. In 1926, a street in hillside.05) Larchmont Gardens named Palmer Lane was changed to Cooper Lane, possibly after him. John Peter Delancey,a founder of the Parish of St.Thomas,served as Town Supervisor from 1798 to 1800 and again in 1814. His son William Heathcote Delancey,who married Frances Munro in 1820, became the first Bishop of Western New York.()Their son Edward Floyd Delancey wrote the History Of The Town Of Mamaroneck in 1886, Chapter 8 which is quoted many times in these chapters.The Heathcote Hill property remained in the Delancey family until 1897.(4)The family home was moved in 1900 from the hill to the northwest corner of Fenimore and the Boston Post THE CIVIL WAR Roads. It was sold at auction for$11,and now is the site of a restaurant and gasoline station. William DeLancey's wife, Frances, Ain noted in the first Town census,four black slaves and 73 white citizens lived in the Town of Mamaroneck was the daughter of Peter Jay Munro. In 1698. In the 1790 census, about 15 families owned slaves.(') During the Colonial period, slaves could be 1795, Munro purchased lands that had , /'� ound even in certain Quaker households, but at a meeting in 1767, the Purchase Friends issued the fol- belonged to Samuel Palmer. By 1828, he lowing statement: owned all of"Middle Neck" south of the If it is not consistent with Christianity to buy and sell our fellow men for slaves during their I Post Road,excluding the property on the ` lives and their posterity ajler them, then is it consistent with a Christian spirit to keep those in slav- western edge that belonged to the Mott family.(")He also owned much of Palmers ° ery ue still have in our possession by purchase,gift or otherwise.<o property above the Post Road. Munro's E In 1776,the New York Yearly Meeting of Quakers told local meetings to disown any members that had slaves.") ' ,... mother was the sister of Chief Justice JohnR According to Mary Ellen Singsen, a local expert on the Quakers,"By 1779, New York Friends, having freed their Jay, and Peter was born at the' Jay r i c" slaves, were developing methods ofrovidingPY payment for past service and education for the children of their Homestead in Rye in 1764. His father, '. x slaves."Apologies were required from ening members. The last slave owned by a Quaker was freed in 1779.(6) _ t Henry, was a Loyalist and eventually Among the original books of the Town, there is a small thin composition book called The Record of Slave returned to Edinburgh. Peter spent much Children Born in Mamaroneck, since 1799. Written in beautiful script, the document contains the names of slave of his childhood with his uncle and children, their dates of birth and the names of their owners and mothers.(3) An act of the legislature dated March accompanied him to Europe when John 29, 1799, "provided for the gradual abolition of slavery."(14) According to Judith Spikes,this new law had been pro- Jay was appointed ambassador to Spain. posed in an effort to"phase out"slavery by freeing any slave born after 1799 when he or she reached a certain age Peter became a lawyer in Aaron Burr's of maturity.These records were probably kept for that purpose. firm and built a home in Larchmont Manor called the Manor House,which still Another large, dusty volume called the Town Record Book, 1756-1878 contains indentures, bills of sale and stands at 18 Elm Ave.(Originally the house DeLancey House,Heathcote Hill, built c.1792. highway surveys.(3) It also holds the manumission documents of a number of slaves that were freed in the Town faced the Boston Post Road.) (from the Middle English word, manumit, to free from slavery). On April 8, 1801, the New York State Legislature passed a section of"An Act Concerning Slaves and Servants"(). A free black person was brought before the justices In 1800,Munro joined with a group of men,including John Peter Delancey,to form the Westchester Turnpike and the overseers of the poor,who had to certify that the person had"sufficient ability to provide for himself."(5) Corporation, chartered by New York State, which laid out a toll road along the Post Road from New York City to It was not until July 4, 1827, that New York State finally abolished slavery within its borders. Connecticut.("'The Old Post Road,which originally had been an Indian footpath about 18 inches wide,was grad- ually widened to allow travel by horse and then by stagecoach after 1722. Following the Revolutionary War, better were Quakers, lived in the area now known as Hickory Grove Drive in the Unincorporated Section.The area was roads were needed and the Post Road was widened and straightened. The companies installed tollgates,or pikes, named"Hickory Grove"by James'uncle Richard Mott,a Quaker preacher and the eldest son of the James Mott who _ at 10-mile intervals,which had to be turned by paying a fee.One Westchester Turnpike tollgate is said to have been owned the flour mill on the Premium River(')(The Molts were also related to the original Richbell family.)Richard . located on the East Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck Village, near the present site of the Toll Gate House built a cotton mill at the top of the Falls of the Sheldrake River to spin cotton into thread.The young couple man- the Boston Post Road near Orienta Avenue. Tolls were collected until 1867, when New York State provided free Restaurant.t'o Part of the original Post Road route can be followed along Mamaroneck's "Old Post Road,"south of aged the mill for only a year before it failed as a result of the wars in Europe. Ports there were being blockaded access(4) and crews and cargoes were seized.(")The couple returned to Lucretia's home in Philadelphia,where she became famous as both an abolitionist and a feminist. Lucretia became known as "the eloquent Quaker preacher of Three families united by marriage—Heathcote, Delancey and Munro—remain united to this day on the map Philadelphia,"rather than of Mamaroneck(9) of the Town of Mamaroneck. In close proximity in the Village of Mamaroneck are three streets—Heathcote, The Town Minute Book, 1697-1881 provides only a small glimpse into Town activities Burin the Civil War.For Delancey and Munro. P Y g P 8 example, each town in New York State was required to enlist a certain number of men for the Union army. When Munro died in 1833, his son Henry inherited his property. Unfortunately, Henry was a "poor manager" However,in most cases, bounties were needed to entice enlistees.To obtain bounties, bonds were floated to raise according to his sister, and the property was sold at auction in 1845(14) The property below the Post Road was capital. No record exists of Town meetings in Mamaroneck during the years 1863 and 1864, and the annual meet- bought by Edward Knight Collins, who owned a steamship line. Larchmont Avenue, between the Post Road and ing resumed in 1865.At the meeting the following year,Town Supervisor Louis Walsh was praised for having spent Palmer Avenue, was originally called Collins Avenue. the previous two years"attending the Meetings of the Board of Supervisors at White Plains,at great loss of time to Collins renovated the Manor House and called his estate"Larchmont."115'Apparently,when Munro was still liv- Himself and without any Compensation."The minutes of that session continue in Walsh's praise: "And Whereas He 10 11 has performed the arduous duties of Said Office with great fidelity and economy to the said Town, and has saved part Two to said Town a large amount of Money, by filling up the Quotia of Soldiers due to the Government of the United States.And Whereas said Walsh is entitled to the united thanks of the Inhabitants of the Said Town of Mamaroneck, Development of the and is Known to be the true friend of the Soldier and also to the Poor.""')Supervisor Walsh died suddenly in January 1867, and Jacob B. Humphrey was elected to succeed him. Unincorporated Section of the Town In 1886, historian Edward DeLancey was unable to locate the list of men who represented the Town of Mamaroneck in battle during the Civil War,and it was thought to be lost forever. However, the list has recently been located in Town files and is reproduced in the Appendix. As noted, many enlisted men were immigrants not resid- ing within the Town. It is likely that these men needed the money provided by the bounty.The Town Clerk's Office also has a record book listing the reasons that Mamaroneck men received medical exemptions during the Civil War. , This also can be found in the Appendix. Chapter 9 In her book Larchmont, N.Y. People and Places, Pre-History to 1892,Judith Spikes wrote, "During the presi- CHATSWORTH TRAIN STATION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY dential campaign of 1860, feeling in solidly Democratic Westchester County ran high against Lincoln and his entire new party of`Black Republicans' and`Abolitionists,' as the Republicans were derisively called."(") Some people in n the 1840s, residents commuting from the sound shore communities to New York City traveled by stage- the Town had different sentiments, as Ms. Spikes notes in her description of the annual meetings of the Tautog coach along muddy, bumpy, dusty, dirt roads in wintertime, and by steamboats in warm weather.() The Club.(")The club was organized about 1850 and was comprised of wealthy New York City businessmen who sum- Uadvent of the railroad finally modernized travel and ultimately helped to develop Westchester from farm- mered and fished along the Long [stand Shore(see Early Weaver Street Settlers -Chapter 10). The group stopped land to suburbs by the 1900s.(3) meeting during the Civil War because its members were divided in their political convictions.Fortunately,when the On Christmas Day 1848, a New York&New Haven Railroad steam engine running along a single track made Civil War ended,fences were mended and groups such as the Tautog Club resumed their fishing and socializing. its first trip through Larchmont and Mamaroneck on its way to New York City. Not everyone was pleased. Local farmers objected, concerned that the smoke would ruin their crops and the noise would frighten their livestock.() In 1853, the Chatsworth Land Company was formed and built a small, wooden train station on the hill south of the tracks, on the westbound side, approximately where Chatsworth and Railroad avenues are today. The little gingerbread-trimmed station "stood gauntlike in the unrelieved wildness of the Chatsworth Woods."(')The owners of the company—Thaddeus Davids,an ink manufacturer who owned the island in New Rochelle that is still named for him; George Jackson, who had an iron mine; and his partner,James Burnett—were sure that a railroad would stimulate growth and development of the land surrounding it.They bought 500 acres north of the Boston Post Road toward present-day Forest Avenue, along the route of present-day Chatsworth Avenue. They called the area "Chatsworth," after the country estate of the Duke of Devonshire, the brother of Queen Victoria, anticipating that the name would conjure up England's regal parks and gardens and arouse people's interest. In reality,the land was stony hills and thick forest.() William Bryson,a New Rochelle engineer,surveyed their property and carved his name and the company name into the "Rockingstone,"a boulder pushed to its site by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago(see the Rockingstone in Chapter 11). The carving indelibly placed the name,Chatsworth Land Company, in the history books.Although some lots were sold, few were settled on or developed.The company went out of business and the area north of the train tracks remained undeveloped woods until the early 1900s. New York&New Haven Railroad By the end of the Civil War in 1865, Edward Collins' shipping business (see After the War- Chapter 7) had experienced several disasters and gone bankrupt. Collins' estate was put up for auction and purchased by Thompson J.S. Flint. Flint divided the estate into building lots and called his development company the Larchmont Manor Company. Flint converted the original Munro Mansion, which had been part of Collins' "Larchmont"estate, into an inn for prospective buyers and called it the Manor House. Some waterfront property was reserved for use as a park for the future residents of the manor.() In contrast to the area north of the railroad tracks, the land to the south bordered on Long Island Sound, and after 1872 became a popular summer resort area for wealthy New Yorkers. The name of the Chatsworth train sta- tion was changed to Larchmont Manor, and the New Haven line finally offered service from Boston into the heart of New York City. Before 1873, commuters had had to transfer at Mount Vernon for the Harlem line to get to the city. As an added enticement for visitors, a horse trolley company was formed to meet travelers at the station and transport them to their homes or hotels along the shore.' A new double track between New Rochelle and Rye accommodated delays that local trains experienced when passing express trains forced them to temporarily switch off the track. By 1888, a four-track line was completed 12 13 3 ....ate.,-._, '" 1 ..s and Charles Peter Clark,the president of the New York&New Haven Railroad and a summer resident of Larchmont, built a station on the eastbound side of the tracks to serve as a showcase for the line.The brick and granite Gothic- style building replaced the little wooden train station that stood near the westbound track. According to Judith Spikes, "the , interior was finished with hard wood, ° °• ? highly polished,and the waiting room S RdDUCED�PERCENT- --� AP was adorned with an old-fashioned, �, ,• ^� � En fish-tiled fireplace the windows g p �o'�°`• _ were made of cathedral glass; the G4�` h. `'�r ' �' .SITIAT60,N V_llentrance • • _ ® F �_ i doors leading to the main entrance " `� r :` ;> ��� alorrns°frnaxII�e`k aruleru I�eUt weighed 800 pounds each; and the •• ��l, a `®- p� � � floor of the cellar was composed of 10lb - 1 '4 : _% "r�E'• f i feet of broken stone, showing that ity.� pan g°,v`'^°� •y O P .' - e �__ 7e•� { ' <� >�a ••� •�`•®,a9 .°ge�� was built to last for some time."(6) By yam . r i ®e s •°•i f *q' s /�` A �' the 1090s, 20 trains ran during the J^ i week between New York and 1 ¢®<s d. A�®- a®+'•q o�•• $mB�° �® •� .�� ���•••9 Larchmont Manor. (Unfortunately,this ... y �,, ••.� •'.° ' r" •• - stone edifice was torn down in the mid-1950s to accommodate the build- i ��yao r"�' P •�;,e•• ,'�,� .m ing of the New England Thruway.) l ��fN eb: `••r, ' •+s • 14 `'8 °�a'' • The original wooden train station P L • „. f<. -:.t'�!_ d , p•� ,,,• was renamed the Depot. In the 1880s and until it burned down in the 1890s, the Depot served as the first Chatsworth Train Station c.1853•Name changed to "Larcbmont Manor"c.1872. Larchmont post office, and the ticket c t"•s ; . '• �`� agent served as postmaster. Mail delivery in Larchmont was originally on a "come and get it" basis,(8) until home delivery began in 1919,(1)which coincided with the residential development that finally took hold in the land north of the train tracks in the forest along Chatsworth Avenue toward the"Rockingstone." .5 -0 WWWARWOW qp r ., 6f • • mss_ S�•. »,,.t y ":•'• • ,.�. Chapter 10 t - u I®i ID"3°'A+O <e� "e°®,a� �a R•�N�O'T''`- " .` ` EARLY WEAVER STREET SETTLERS x ��•d•a• ••rY'L • s J r �• ••• 4>•P�Lf4.,e.. 1 i _�" Fey_�rte,• •, _° , Tftm. '"`•t•=,. n contrast to the slow development of the area north of the train station,the area along Weaver Street had been • ••1e,•i 6 • well-traveled since the days of Native Americans. In fact, Weaver Street is immortalized as "one of the oldest of •w:a •P - ®• • e America's highways."According to journalist Phil Reisman III,weavers,who might have been French Huguenots •;. � from New Rochelle probably sold their wares along this route. The Huguenots were"industrious,earnest people — ? • . • .• • who were highly skilled in the art of weaving wool, silk, and linen." Some families built homes within the borders of Mamaroneck and set up their looms near the Boston Post Road, along the lower part of Weaver Street, "giving ' f` ` •`��"" # - it the name it has borne ever since." ,u ct.v xnexsuxcx t:. Weaver Street was also traveled by General Howe's troops during the Revolutionary War. They marched from Te=°"�'x••x t:•, \ Quaker it w to the Battle of White Plains. According to the "History and Legend" pamphlet _ _. _�- •'.� ; 4 _ Q e Ridge Road on the ay 8 J# _ *t9 =w about Bonnie Briar Country Club,a division of Howe's troops led by Sir Henry Clinton may have camped overnight - .yy� o`e.�.z•« ns E_°,° >t near the club's first tee en route to this famous battle, although documentation has not been found. Quakers As discussed in Chapter 4, Samuel Palmer,a Quaker who had purchased the original Middle Neck(Larchmont Manor area)from John Richbell in the early 1700s, owned all of present-day Larchmont Village and a large portion Map of Chatsworth c.1854.An unsuccessful land development scheme north and south of the Chatsworth of the Unincorporated Section of the Town of Mamaroneck. At his death in 1716, he gave each of his sons an equal train station share of his property, with a piece north and south of the Post Road. The sons each received comparable land: 14 15 marsh and salt meadow to the south and land more suitable for farming to the north. Most of Samuel's offsprings, together. By separating the genders, Quakers believed except those descended from his son Nehemiah, moved from the area after the Revolutionary War. Nehemiah's that women would be less overwhelmed by the men property was located along Weaver Street(), and, in 1754, he built the sawmill where the lower dam of the and encouraged to develop their own leaders.(') The j Larchmont Reservoir is today.(") When he died in 1760, his grandson Drake inherited the property and a grist mill - upstairs section was reserved for the blacks, a practice �r _ was built in 1774. Old Town maps of the 1860s indicate that J.B. Palmer had a cider mill along Weaver Street just of discrimination that appalled suffragist Susan B. T south of the reservoir. Many other Palmers are listed as owning farmland along Weaver Street into the 1900s,includ- Anthony, who attended Mamaroneck Preparative ing property on Cooper Lane, Meetings while teaching in New Rochelle.(',Zo The prac- ; which had been called , tice ended soon after. Palmer Lane until 1926. •..'t £LAVER STREET r, OWING SITE OF ®RITZ y - �{- £NCAMPM ENT', QUAKER RIDE£,� �R�'� DURING REVOLUTIONARY WAR, �, The original meeting house was purchased by In the mid 1800s, 1AMARON£CtC, ,�. Y, " Thomas Palmer,a descendant William W. Heaton, who remodeled it into aprivate – home in 1883 and moved the structure to Coventry who inherited the familial Court, 1006 Fenimore Road, below Cornell Street.()The property at the southern end next owner, W. H. Aldridge, used it as a gardener's cot- ce Weaver Street, was asue- tage in 1926.«" Present owner Catherine Medwick shell comb manufacturer in sful candy and tortoise- Silberman said her father purchased the property in 1956 The Friends Meeting House.Built on Post Road in she New York City, who traveled and reconverted it to a residence. It now reveals no evi- Mamaroneck c. 1739.Relocated to Weaver Street dence of its former incarnation as the second oldest near Griffen Avenue c.1768. to work by train.(3) He was meeting house of the Society of Friends in the County of known as Larchmont's first Westchester.(13) daily commuter, though he had to flag the train each day By 1815, a relatively large population of Quakers inhabited the(Quaker) ridge and they opened a school on to get it to stop at the the corner of Weaver Street and Quaker Ridge Road. Daniel Wolff, a trustee of the Mamaroneck Historical Society, Chatsworth station. He lived stated that"the Quakers built an elementary school on their Quaker Ridge property because they had come to doubt in a 40-room mansion that he - µ` the values instilled in the public schools."(") had built from an old inn x•, r. The Quakers were known for"their thrifty habits,industry,honesty and disciplined family lives,"which"earned which overlooked Weaver – -- --- -- -------- them the respect of fellow farmers in the agrarian community. . . . :t P g ty. . . . Their customs of equality and simplicity were Street near the Boston Post especially appropriate," and "repeatedly they were elected to town offices."18) Samuel Palmer was our first town Road (see Howell Park in Weaver Street, c. early 1900s. supervisor, elected April 2, 1697, and William Palmer served as clerk and constable. In the early 1700s, Nehemiah Chapter 11). The "Town School Palmer was constable and Obadiah Palmer was clerk. o> House,"now 84 Weaver St., was built in 1807 and stood across from the mansion. In 1713, a new family name, Griffen, emerged in the Town Minute Book and continued to appear in records In 1850, Thomas Palmer and Thaddeus Davids founded the Jolly Tautogs (the Native American word for of Town government into the early 1900s, as family members held numerous offices in Town government. The Blackfish),a club of wealthy New York City businessmen who enjoyed fishing and summering around Long Island Griffens (the name was derived from the Welsh Pen Gruffwara) were descendants of Edward Griffen, the inter- Sound. The gentlemen spent weekends fishing and picnicking on Palmer's property around the Hommocks area, preter John Richbell used when he purchased Mamaroneck from the Siwanoy Indian tribe in 1661 (see Founder of where Palmer had built a large pavilion. The group held annual regattas and costume parties, where guests were Mamaroneck–Chapter 2). At the annual Town meeting on April 2, 1713,John Griffen was elected assessor.() sewed "Palmer's cow"—"milk punch consisting of good Guernsey milk rum sugar and a little brandy or Edward Griffen was born in Wales and settled on Long Island. He gave 60 acres of land in Flushing to his son whiskey."') (Information about the Tautogs was gathered by Judith Spikes from a scrapbook belonging to Ellaao) John, who purchased Long Lot No. 6(in Richbell's original subdivision)from John Bloodgood on June 9, 1711, Howell, Palmer's niece, who later lived in the house until it was torn down in 1941. The scrapbook is in the pos- and gave the farmland to his sons John and Benjamin.(")The property was "two miles deep and one-quarter mile session of the Westchester Historical Society in Elmsford.) wide and ran from the Mamaroneck River across Winfield Avenue and the Old White Plains Road to the present The settlement of Weaver Street in the earl 1700s attracted other Griffen Avenue."(")A ma drawn in December 1853, "showed a new road on or near the line between the towns y Quaker families to the area. This prompted p the eventual dismantling of the original Quaker Meeting House,which had been built in 1739 on Sylvanus Palmer's of Scarsdale and Mamaroneck and leading from the White Plains and Mamaroneck Road to the New Rochelle."("' property on the Boston Post Road near Beach Avenue, where the Quaker Burial Ground stands today. The meet- Later known as Griffen Avenue,it ran along property owned by Daniel and John Griffen,John Morrell and William inghouse was relocated to the corner of Weaver Street and Griffen Avenue in 1768. The two-mile move to a 1.8- Cornell.(")It is a tribute to the Griffen family that the original house built by John Griffen in 1712 still stands today acre piece of property belonging to John Cornell and Benjamin Palmer cost 80 pounds. at 1154 Old White Plains Road,and was inhabited by his descendants until the death in 1919 of Louisa Griffen,the The Friends believed in individual conscience and a "light" that enables each person to act morally. The last family member of the homestead.(In 1920,her estate sold adjoining property,known today as Murdock Woods, Quakers were very egalitarian, supporting " to J.J. Murdock, "the last of the vaudeville czars."Y") Q ry ga � pporting equal rights for men and women and opposing slavery and warfare. In 1827, the group split into two groups, the evangelical Orthodox, whose final authority was the Scriptures, and The Cornells,another prominent Quaker family in the area,intermarried with the Griffen.('()John Cornwall of the Hicksites, who were followers of Elias Hicks and the doctrine of the inner light.(2) This division within the Port Washington began farming locally in 1723, and after his death, his son John changed the family name to Friends, who were known locally as the Mamaroneck Preparative Meeting, resulted in construction of a second Cornell. Farming remained an important livelihood for the next 150 years, until farmers began selling their land to meeting house next to the original Hicksite house at Weaver Street and Griffen Avenue. The second house was well-to-do New Yorkers who bought farmland to use as summer residences.rn In 1871, William Cornell sold 157 eventually relocated to 937 Post Road in Scarsdale and is now the home of its historical society. acres around the meeting house to William H. Stiles. By the 1880s, so few Quakers remained in the area that the Until 1881, the original meeting house was indicated on old maps as the Quaker Meeting House. There were meeting house and surrounding property were sold to William W. Heaton, who, as noted above, was responsible separate entrances for men and women and separate seating,except on Sundays when men and women worshiped for moving it to Fenimore Road.(-') 16 17 3 End of the Line cot—. Before completing our journey along the Weaver Street of the 1700s and 1800s, we must return once again to the southern portion of this highway.The Town School House was opened in 1808.An old newspaper article dated } r�CsHSLu RA Sept. 20, 1921, and written for the Larchmonter Times, recalls the experiences of students in the year 1860: R, Kg LAKE l �ne The old school house. . . was mastered by a teacher named Watson, who believed that to spare 8 the raw-hide was to weaken the flesh, and to be without the lash as a sign of authority was to gain J-0 - _ . = no respect Needless to say, and it is true the boys and girls putfrogs in hu ink well and a snake - in his rubber boot. They tied a cat by the tail t e school bell and locked the lordly master out of his school house at noontime, in order that they might indulge in a swim at high tide.Many were the days that the school bell rang out unheeded, while little Irene Lockwood (now Mrs. Town ' w _ Supervisor Burton),surrounded by a goodly number of admirers, arranged pins upon the railroad track and awaited the belated noon train to squash them into toy scissors.Many were the days that John F. Hunter(now Dr. Hunter of Mamaroneck and member of our present school board), and — — John and George Webber, along with the school champion huskie' George Lockwood, and a half dozen more girls and boys, after locking Mr. Watson out of school, sou ht the 685 Weaver Street, built c.1890. Goodliffe family home and former Monroe Nursery School. Hummocks swimming hole'as relief from the autocratic ruler and the hickory stick. There amidst Indian revelry, clams uere dug, baked ' and eaten after a refreshing dip in the briny hole. Once, only once, Watson thought he Ice Business wreaked vengeance upon his wayward scbol Around 1875,John Thomas Goodliffe bought the property around the lower dam of the present Larchmont ars.Just a few boys had played hookey from Reservoir. Born in Rutlandshire, England, he lived in New Rochelle, where he was a carpenter and builder. He the raw-hide lash to take a plunge in the swimming hole,'and the enraged master suc- bought the ice business operated by John C. Hopkins of Mamaroneck and built a five-story ice house. In the late ` 1800s,ice was a necessityand Goodliffe harvested large blocks from his frozen pond,stored it in the ice house and ceeded in stealing the youths'entire wardrobe " - g from the rocks. What the boys did transported it by horse-driven wagon to Larchmont Manor or shipped it in boxes of straw to far-away places. In y upon dis- 1901,at the age of 69,he fell 25 feet from a ladder in his ice house and died two weeks later from internal injuries.U81 covery of their loss was never disclosed nor - uere th He was survived by his wife, Mercy Staley, and five children: three girls and two boys. the names of e culprits. �,.. According to Catharine GoodhThe house standing at 102 Weaver St. was built inffe, a long-time resident of Mamaroneck, one of his sons,John Thomas Jr. con- 1876 and lived in by the Coriell family.(")The original tinued the ice business and also established a coal business, both of which became obsolete with modern family.(") structure, a white house covered with gingerbread Their moving company continued until about 1960.J.T.Jr. had seven children and they lived in the house at 685 trim, was selected by D.W. Griffith for a scene in his Coriell Home, 102 Weaver Street, built c.1876 Weaver St., later known as the Monroe Nursery School. The family prided itself on the fact that the home was built 1921 film"Orphans of the Storm."Muriel Bernier Nielsen who moved into the house in 1970,discovered the Coriell using only wooden pegs rather than nails.The children were John Thomas(born 1898), George(born 1900), who was the husband of Catharine Goodliffe, Frederick, Clifford, Edwin, Ida, and Adolph. (Some members of the i family bible and many old photographs in an old shed. She also found a sign that read "Rockledge Farm— Fresh Goodliffe family still reside in Mamaroneck.) Edwin, nicknamed "Biddy" by the family s housekeeper, was known Eggs."Unfortunately,she has not been able to locate the addresses of any remaining relatives of the Coriells.Norma Thompson who grew up down the block remembers the Coriell's barn. It stood between the Coriell's house and as the best ice skater in the area. Long-time residents such as Emil Lanza remember that everyone enjoyed watch- Grant's Greenhouse where her father was employed. ing Biddy skate at The Larchmont Gardens Lake. Unfortunately,and ironically, Edwin died at age 18 of an ice-relat- ed accident, as had his grandfather. While skating at Silver Lake in Harrison, Edwin was the tail in a game called Grant's Greenhouse was founded by an Englishman named George Grant,and has served this community since "Crack the Whip." He was accidentally flung off the end of the line of skaters and fell through the ice and its inception in 1886. Grant received special notice on April 11, 1891,when the Mamaroneck Paragraph newspa- drowned."') per noted that he was responsible for planting the trees and shrubs around the Mamaroneck School(probably the Present-day Town Center, which was built as the first high school in 1889). Water Company Grant's original greenhouse was set back behind his gingerbread-trimmed home and the present-day circular driveway was part of the Weaver Street route.Since the 1900s, the road has been straightened and widened a num- In the late 1880s, as the population in Larchmont Manor increased, "water supplied by cisterns and artesian ber of times.The present greenhouse was constructed in 1931 closer to Weaver Street,and the original home,with- wells became insufficient"and possibly polluted. Rather than pay$40,000 to the New Rochelle Water Company to out the trim, is now located behind it. All the flowers were grown in-house from seeds and displayed on rows of supply water to Larchmont Manor, Charles Murray in 1889 formed the Larchmont Water Company.(") Murray, who benches in the greenhouse. During World War II, when fewer people were buying flowers, the greenhouse was was involved with banking and the stock exchange,(") bought J.T. Goodliffe's ice lake and surrounding property used for raising chickens. and brought water to the Manor. The pipes were laid along the route of the present-day Murray Avenue. "So it was After Grant died his daughter Miriam continued the business. She died in 1950 and Norman son who that densely forested `Chatsworth' was finally opened by the laying of the pipe line."('5) g Thompson, 18 19 3 h •. >.. , $325 for the small piece of land. Lengthy discussion during 1940 resulted in an agreement by the County to acquire title to the "w entire Chapel plot, do the blasting herein above described, and after retaining the small parcel it wanted, then to convey the balance of the Chapel property to the Town. The reason for the low price was the County's obligation to pay for the considerable blasting to remove all the rock on the westerly side of`New Weaver Street,"some of it on land of the Chapel, making all of its remaining land usable level groundC�3). __- Supervisor Bert C. McCullough wrote a letter stating the Town's intent to maintain the chapel property as a park. A stone tablet on the property now marks its place in history. AM MIN Chapter 11 NORTH OF THE 'TRAIN STATION ' The New York Legislature created Mamaroneck as a town on March 7, 1788.x')As explained by former Town Supervisor George Burchell, today"The Town of Mamaroneck,like`all Gaul,'is divided into three parts:one, the entire Village of Larchmont;two,an unincorporated area;and three,a part of the Village of Mamaroneck, the rest of that village being in the Town of Rye."This three-part division occurred in the 1890s to meet the grow- k� ` < '" a x` ,. ,� a, �- ing demand for municipal services that the town could not provide. By definition at the time a town could only provide"basic government functions such as organizing and supervising elections,administering judicial functions, and constructing and maintaining highways."�2) Weaver Street Chapel, Weaver Street, built c.1877. During the Gay Nineties, parts of the Town of Mamaroneck that were situated closest to the water thrived. Larchmont Manor,with its beautiful beaches along Long Island Sound,had become well-known as a summer resort for families of wealthy businessmen from New York City, and people were beginning to live there year-round. A large part of the Town's population lived northeast of the Manor near Mamaroneck Harbor, the commercial center began working for Ms. Grant in 1927, bought the business from the estate. Lorraine Roxbury now owns this 111- of Town,where fishing,shipping,and manufacturing could be found'). The people in these two areas needed ade- year-0Id establishment. quate water supply, sewage disposal, garbage collection, sidewalks, and improved street lighting, police and fire Finally, one other building of note in the late 1800s used to be found along Weaver Street. Its history was best protection.(2) described by former Town Historian Burton C. Meighan, whose parents first met at the Weaver Street Chapel: In 1891, residents of Larchmont Manor obtained a charter from the Legislature under which they incorporated In about 1870, a group organized and built a chapel for religious services on a piece of high their section of town into a village. In order to comply with a law requiring incorporated villages to have at least ground of rock at the corner of Weaver Street and Palmer Avenue. In 1897, the members decided 300 inhabitants per square mile, the boundaries of the newly created Larchmont Village were expanded beyond to incorporate. While most of its members were Methodists, I was told that the omissions of any Larchmont Manor's 288 acres.The additional property ran "parallel with and including the railroad and depot, to a church affiliation in the certificate of incorporation was deliberate. There was the intention to point this side of Weaver Street and running thence southerly to the Post Road joining the easterly(Manor) park line and following the line to the Sound."(4) avoid supervision by the Methodist diocese of New York City. Four years later, residents of the most developed and populated sections of the Towns of Mamaroneck and Rye By the time the Chapel was completely destroyed byfire in 1926 attendance had dropped con- voted to incorporate as the Village of Mamaroneck.(') (The Mamaroneck River serves as the boundary separating siderably. Autos were becoming common. The Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church had been the Towns of Mamaroneck and Rye.) organized in 1914. Consequently Protestant Christians of the Weaver Street area were able easily to go to either Larchmont Village or to the Methodist Church in Mamaroneck. The decision was not While residents of the two villages were now able to receive municipal services,not enough people resided in the remainder of the Town of Mamaroneck—the Unincorporated Section—to be included in either village. After to rebuild. World War I, the Unincorporated Section of the Town grew sufficiently that"the State Legislature granted the Town A part of the then-vacant parcel was acquired by the County to eliminate a curve of the orig- government the local powers to provide local services it had heretofore granted to the Villages by charter. And so incl Weaver Street around the Chapel. If one were to travel south on Weaver Street after crossing today, we find the Town and Villages existing side by side, performing similar services to their respective popula- the bridge over the railroad, take the right hand fork(a part of old Weaver Street), and pause there, tions all within the Town."(` the driver can at that point look across Palmer Avenue and still discern "Old Weaver Street." The Unincorporated Section is commonly referred to as "the Town," and it is this geographical area that is The path of the `New Weaver Street" through the Chapel Property had required blasting showcased in this book. Legally,the Unincorporated Section and the Villages constitute the Town as a political and through the hill of rock. This blasting left a residue of rock on each side of`New Weaver Street" governmental subdivision of New York State.(')Other distinctions are provided by the U.S. Post Office:Much of the obscuring the view of drivers approaching the intersection with Palmer Avenue. The county want- Unincorporated Section of the Town receives its mail via the Larchmont Post Office and thereby has a Larchmont ed to remove this obscuring ledge of rock on the west side of`New Weaver Street"and acquire a address. small additional part of the Chapel property at the intersection with Palmer Avenue. It would pay 20 21 3 i Another Go at Development promise of a daily wage of 75 cents. Many of them began living in barracks-like accommodations in the area now According to architectural historian Nora Lucas, "development patterns in the Unincorporated Section of the bordered by Edgewood Avenue and Lookout Circle, between Chatsworth and Murray Avenues. From 1900 and into Town were dominated by residential subdivisions that date from 1900 and later. By the time the Unincorporated World War I, 120 families resided in these unheated,wood-framed dwellings that were no more than packing cases Section began its fast-paced expansion,the subdivision was the established convention for real-estate growth.Many covered with tarpaper. The area became known as "Shantytown"or "Squatters Town."I The rent for each family subdivisions provide clues to historic development patterns in that they reflect tracts of land such as farms and was one dollar a year and the land was owned by Jack Burnett, the grandson of James Burnett,who was an orig- estates that were in individual ownership for long periods of time."(5) Ms. Lucas explains that in certain areas "his- inal partner in the Chatsworth Land Company of 1853. During World War 1,most families left and the property was toric road patterns have been maintained and this type of development pattern lends itself to the `district' form, in condemned.The Hillside Holding Co. acquired it and, according to Burton Meighan, a new residential subdivision which entire neighborhoods can be documented as a cohesive entity"(5). !! was planned. A newspaper article in the Mamaroneck Paragraph dated Oct. 1, 1892, noted early attempts to lure the city's Carl Carpino,whose family emigrated from Calabria,Italy,was born in Shantytown in 1908 and is now a retired working class to the Town: captain of the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department. He recalls that the families used coal stoves, planted veg- Many small investors have looked with longing eyes on Larchmont Manor and have attempt- etable gardens, built fences from twigs or sticks and had small chicken coops. One of Mr. Carpino's daily chores ed to buy cheap sites there on which to build their homes.But this has often been rendered impos- was to carry six pails to a well to get fresh water for his family. The women washed their clothes on rocks by a Bible, owing to the fact that large holders uere only willing to part with their property as a whole stream, and in winter had to break through the ice. Ashes from coal furnaces were used as a bleach to whiten and not in lots. clothes.(9) The stream, at the intersection of Edgewood and North Chatsworth avenues, has been paved over, but the well still stands at North Chatsworth and Lookout Circle.Mr.Carpino fondly recalls his trips to the Rockingstone, The Long Island Sound Land and Improvement Company of New York, with the object of rem- where the children would sit and rock on top of the huge magical boulder,so perfectly balanced it could lean from edying this, recently purchased the Thomas Robinson estate, and small investors are now able to side to side. Picnics in the Larchmont Woods gave the area its nickname, "Tin Kettle Hill."() buy lots there at what must appear to residents of Larchmont the ridiculously low figure of$150 and over.Messrs.Livingston&Judson, who are said to be the largest stockholders in the above com- pany, state that they have placed the selling figures of their lots very low, so as to bring them with- Goat Hill in easy reach of mechanics and others. . . .It is about one fifth to a quarter of a mile from the rail- When Carl Carpino's family left Shantytown, the family moved to an apartment at Chatsworth and Myrtle road station. Lots a mile to a mile and a half from the depot on the other side of the track cannot avenues (later changed to Myrtle Boulevard) above the stores owned by Peter Reinstein. Reinstein owned the be bought for less than ten times $150. This is a point that will no doubt be appreciated by the Larchmont Hotel across the street(see Road Houses-Chapter 18).Mr.Carpino's niece,Mary Carpino Fiorito,recalls mechanic who wishes to have a pleasant home near the city at a reasonable cost. that Myrtle Avenue was a dirt road, and the taxi station was located downstairs from their apartment. In 1920 her grandfather, Frank Carpino, purchased property on a hill that was situated between present-day North Chatsworth The Robinson farm property, which was already noted on a Town map in 1868, bordered on Weaver Street. and Madison avenues. The address of their house, which stood where the#2 Washington Square Apartments are today,was 11 Washington St.Frank Carpino also planted vegetable gardens and raised chickens roosters and oats. ti The 31 acres extended to Myrtle Boulevard and included the present-day Hillcrest and Edgewood avenues, as far g p p g g 8 as Judson Street. Despite the offer of free trips from Grand Central Terminal to mechanics and other prospective The animals were kept where the #1 Washington Square Apartments stand today. Mrs. Fiorito fondly recalls the buyers, once again few people came. Even by 1907, only 11 houses could be found in this subdivision, four of fresh eggs they ate and the children who came on school trips to visit the animals. Cousin Caroline Bruno Anderson which were built on Myrtle Avenue(later changed to Myrtle Boulevard)and seven around Edgewood Avenue°). recalls visiting her grandfather's beautiful hill known as Goat Hill. The children picked bouquets of violets and enjoyed eating the fruit from cherry and mulberry trees. Frank Carpino's grandson, Arthur Bruno, who owned the After the laying of the pipes for the Larchmont Water Company in 1889,William Murray(Charles Murray's son) Larchmont Tavern,said that New Rochelle Hospital bought the milk from Goat Hill for babies who were allergic to bought the area now known as Chatsworth Heights from the Chatsworth Land Company.The area included a strip cow's milk.Their goat cheese also was sold to grocery stores.(10)Mrs. Fiorito said her father, Michael,sold the prop- between Murray Avenue and Chatsworth,bordered by Forest Avenue and Edgewood.Although some houses were erty in 1953 to Douglas La Salla, and the Washington Square Apartments were built on the site. built on speculation after 1894, there was minimal settlement there until after 1910. Westchester Foundry Company At the turn of the century, m Sur y, morree roads were being built In 1907, the Westchester Foundry was built in the area now bordered by Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and rLester Place. Here iron was used to make sash weights. Around the turn of the century, in the Village of Larchmont as well as the area near the g ry, a copper mine is report- in to have existed in the vicinity of present-day Lafayette Road and Huguenot Drive.(32) railroad station in the Town.Michael DeCicco,who had emigrated from Italy, became a prominent contractor in the area. He excavated and laid the foundations for Lumber Town many construction sites and wells,including Beechmont The area above the railroad tracks and along North Chatsworth and Rockingstone avenues, known as Lake in New Rochelle.According to his nephew,Alfred Larchmont Woods, was the site of a lumber camp before the turn of the century. A local newspaper reported that 4 . DeCicco of Larchmont, "those were horse and scoop "through this thickly forested section a profitable lumber business was carried on by Mathew Ireland and Jesse B. may. days, before electricity and trucks."Alfred's father tend- Palmer." Palmer was a descendant of the original Palmer family. Ireland built coke ovens on what would become ed the company's horses, which were kept in a stable Rockingstone Avenue, chopping his fuel from the near and abundant supply of fallen trees.() Apparently many f Franklin Avenue. Often the crews were extras in D.W. wooden buildings constructed in New York City during that time were made from this timber; the logs also pro- vided ties for the railroad. area.t8� Paul Marraffino, who lived in the house at 150 Rockingstone Ave.,stated that his home was purchased by his Many of the laborers for these crews were immigrants grandfather, Michele, in 1911. The house, unheated and uninsulated, was originally home to the foreman of the Michael DeCicco, contractor(standing)c.early 1900s. who only recently had arrived from Italy, seeking the lumber company. According to Mr. Marraffino: 22 23 Large granite and gneiss boulders were strewn on the land in this area and were used in the went to Murray and we all graduated from Mamaroneck High School, as did two of mygrandchil- foundation, chimney and pillars on the porch.All the roads were dirt and mud season was often dren. I was a cheerleader there and so was my daughter, Terry Rainaldi. Terry later coached the as bad as ice season, It might have been on some somber day that a tired soul painted the inscrip- cheerleaders and now her daughter, Kristen, is coaching them(three generations of cheerleaders). tion on the fireplace mantel, "We like all dogs, most flowers and some people." My mother was active in the Woman's Club of Larchmont and I was president of the group The completion of cutting the most valuable trees in Larchmont Woods allowed this area to from 1970 to 72.I will be a member for 50 years this year. move to residential growth. There were two stone pillars[similar to those at Larchmont Gardens]at Another three generations of us in Larchmont are with Helen Adams School o Dancing[see the beginning of Rockingstone Avenue, where the blinker light is now, proclaiming Larchmont f g Woods. The road was very steep and during that time[1930s]the pillars were taken down and the Helen Adams-Chapter 291.1 started with 'Honey"Adams in 1920 in her first class, which was held road was widened and lowered. The stone retaining wall for our house and the one across the street at 54 Edgewood Ave,at the home of Mrs.Edwards, when 1 was four years old. The recital took place were added as part of the improvement." on the lawn in front of the Merritt house on Weaver Street. Years later 1 assisted Honey.My daugh- ter and granddaughter also started ballet at age 4, and Terry assisted Honey's successor, Patricia Healy. (ss) These woods abounded with muskrats, pigeons and deer and became a weekend retreat for avid hunters. Still My parents were both swimmers and met on Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn and taught me to visible on certain streets around Chatsworth and Rockingstone avenues are small,stone houses,some of which were swim at Manor Beach. When the Manor became more populated, and people from the originally only one-story high. These are thought to have served in the early 1900s as hunting lodges which were Unincorporated Section were no longer allowed to swim there, I swam at Larchmont Sports Club, later turned into two-story dwellings. where Badger Sports Club is today[see Additional Features - Chapter 291. All in all, I have had a Local historian and realtor Philip Severin moved to Larchmont in 1899, where he lived until his death in 1986. great life in Larchmont. In a newspaper article written for the Larchmont Times on Oct. 27, 1949, he described conditions in Larchmont at the turn of the century: "Life was at a slower pace then, no traffic lights were needed to control traffic, which was at a safe tempo until the horseless carriage came to frighten and cause a runaway horse to give notice of the com- Everyday life changed with the explosive popularity of the automobile. In Westchester County in 1922,one car ing present faster auto age." was registered for every 7.2 persons; by 1930, one car was registered for every 3.7 persons. This gave Westchester County "the highest per capita ratio of automobile owners in the nation."( ) It is interesting to note, however, that Larchmont Woods those who delivered vegetables, milk, ice and coal still drove horse-drawn carts. The `20s saw a tremendous building boom in this area.According to Jane McMahon in Marilyn Weigold's book In 1909 land developer Clifford B.,Harmon,owner of Wood Harmon Co.,finally opened up the woods for res- Westchester County: The Past Hundred Years 1883-1983, "The sparkle and razzmatazz of the whole nation was con- fidential development. However, it was not until after World War I and the increased affordability of the automo- centrated in the Westchester County of the 1920s. It was a time of growth,glitter and excitement with thousands of bile that young white-collar workers and their families could live farther out of New York City.The automobile rev- new residents eWestto the olution stimulated settlement in the Larchmont Woods even though it was no longer quite so wooded. To enjoy a moving pot of gold at the end of the parkway."Long-time resident Jane Bevier Trenholm was picnic in the woods, these early residents had to travel some distance to undeveloped areas around Rouken Glen, a year old when her family moved to 99 North Chatsworth Avenue in the Woods of Larchmont shortly after World the Larchmont Reservoir or even up a dirt road called Rockland Avenue to the forests along Fenimore Road. War I. At that time, her street was a dirt road and few other homes had been built in the neighborhood. She vivid- ly recalls the heightened activity that later took place during the `20s: "One of my earliest memories, a nostalgic Syrilda Carrabine Helgren, a longtime resident, shared these recollections: sound even today, is that you never went outside without hearing hammering because they were building all the In 1916, when I was 15 months old, we moved from Brooklyn to a house that was designed by time. There was always a house within earshot being built." Gustav Stickley at 80 Ridge Road. We were pioneers in the Woods of Larchmont. Our house was one Anna Tiebout Reisman, another long-time resident who moved into the area in 1919, when she was 2 years of only eight houses at that time, this side of the railroad tracks!When I was nine, we moved to 668 old, also remembers the construction: Forest Ave. which was a dirt road and had only three houses at the time. I've lived in the latter house for 71 years! Sometime in the mid-1920's, sewer lines were connected in our neighborhood in Larchmont Woods.It was summertime.I remember the sounds of drilling and blasting as they dug up the street My dad, Dr. Oscar Carrabine, was one of the first orthodontists in New York City, opening his in front of our house making a long trench.It sounded like what we heard about World War L The practice in 1902. He had many famous patients—children of Jay Gould, Felix Warburg and battle-like explosions stirred our imaginations. The excavated street provided a setting where we President Theodore Roosevelt.My dad's hobby was performing and reading Shakespeare, so while could act out what seemed to us like exciting drama, and t e made the most of it. When the work- in Larchmont, he and my mother were active in an amateur theatrical group called "The men went home for the day, we clambered in and out o the trenches,going Mummers."They had performances in St.John's Episcopal Church and in our own home on Ridge f g g `over the top,"firing broomstick rifles and throwing make-believe hand grenades—playing games of war. We didn't Road, which had a 50 foot-long family room in which my dad put a stage at one end(the curtain know then what la ahead o us as our generation grew hooks are still there!) and they could seat 250 people. My dad gave a girl in the neighborhood, y f g g up and came of age in World War II. Claire Wemlinger,herfirstpart in a one-actplay, "The Mayor and the Manicure." She later became the movie star Claire Trevor. The Palmer Hospital Dad was active in the community. He was on the Board of Education for six years and was In the early 1900s, the entire Town of Mamaroneck held benefits to raise money for a proposed Palmer President of the Board in 1933 and gave a bust of Shakespeare to the high school, but it was later Hospital. In light of the epidemic of acute anterior poliomyelitis, the Town Minutes of Aug. 8, 1916, addressed the stolen.He was also a founder of the Orienta Beach Club in 1924 and in the 1930s, until his death immediate need for a temporary hospital to be located on the Post Road near Orienta to help deal with the out- in 1947, he wrote a weekly column for the Larchmont Times called "Gems From Genius,"My dad break.The temporary hospital was later disbanded and its assets were transferred to develop a larger medical facil- felt people should exercise their minds, as well as their bodies, and gave helpful quotes in his col- ity, United Hospital in Port Chester; no hospital was ever built in the Town. umn, similar to the back page of today's Forbes magazine. Ironically, another epidemic, the influenza outbreak of 1918, stimulated local growth because many families I went to Murray Avenue School for first grade when it opened in 1922.My two children also chose to move to the suburbs rather than remain in crowded cities. 24 25 4 The Rockingstone explained that "although the homes were idealistically conceived for the masses, they were built primarily by the The Rockingstone, which had balanced so perfectly that it leaned middle class. . .and they will be found mostly in areas around cities where the first suburban expansion took place. from side to side, finally came to rest during the heyday of In larger cities they will be found in areas serviced at the turn of the century by commuter railroads and street cars." ount for some of the Stickley homes that Mr. Stubblebine has identified in Larchmont Woods, such Larchmont Woods and would rock no more. The 11-foot-high This might acc boulder, located on Rockingstone Avenue near Spruce and as 80 Ridge Road and 256 Rockingstone Ave.,which was built in 1910. Other Stickley homes in the area are local - Springdale roads, reportedly weighs 150 tons. It is known as an ed at 294 Weaver St. (built in 1910), 24 Summit Ave. (1914)and 52 E. Brookside Drive (1914).(11) "erratic"because it was transported from its original site by Ice Age Like Stickley's furniture, a Craftsman Home had "refinement of design and quality of construction and finish." �. glaciers. Rocking on the stone"was quite a sport in the first part of Such a home usually took full advantage of its site and was built using materials found nearby or native to the the century,as was chestnuting in the woods around it,"according region. Exposed structural elements were designed to be decorative and the use of various natural materials lent to Mabel Wood Smith, who moved to the area in 1906. different textures to the house. Visual interest was enhanced by entranceways, terraces, pergolas, and recessed The hill above the Rockingstone is the highest point near the porches.The interior of the homes emphasized form and function. Sound shore in Westchester Zarcbmont Gardens h County. Now referred According to The Daily Argus of Nov. 28, 1976, Clifford B. Harmon, a real-estate developer, chose "Larchmont Y to as Hannah's Gardens" as the name of his new 140-acre development to "cash in on the prestige of the village," which was Peak, in Colo- already well-known.According to the newspaper, Harmon,who also developed Larchmont Woods, "developed the nial days it was former Van Cortlandt farm on the Hudson River, which was called the Village of Harmon, in the early part of the called Rattle- century. He gave up his real-estate schemes at the outbreak of World War I, when he entered the service as an avi- ator. vi- snake Hill or at r. t with considerable flyingexperience prior to the war,he had flown over his"Woods of Larchmont" ~ w 1 9 trailin an advertising banners the prototype of those that now ass over ocean beaches. The o A crack p Chestnut Hill. project in 190 g g p ype P According to Harmon Trophy, named for him, is presented each year to a leader in airplane development.""" Harmon Drive in Man sitting on the Rockingstone c.1915. historian Larchmont Gardens was also named after the developer. W i 1 1 i a m Larchmont Gardens consisted of homes and a park surrounding the man-made Larchmont Gardens Lake. Rockingstone and vicinity c. early 1900s. Fulcher, the Originally a swampy area, the lake was excavated one summer by 80 to 100 men using picks and axes. The soil stone may have and stones were carried away by horse and wagon.Joseph Rigano, a longtime Mamaroneck resident who worked represented the western boundary of John Richbell's original eight great lots, each of which were a quarter mile as a water boy during summer vacations, recalled bringing water to the men and to the horses from nearby farm wide and fronted on the Westchester Path. wells. Sadly, the force of modern times caused the Rockingstone to stop rocking: When Rockingstone Avenue was Stone pillars were constructed at the entrance to the Gardens to beautify it with a"gateway of artistic design."(i5) resurfaced with concrete in the 1920s, the area was dynamited to build sewers and grade the surface. "The vibra- A$6,000 stone clubhouse was built at the top of the Sheldrake Falls on Hickory Grove Drive,and membership was tions destroyed the delicate balance of the rocking mechanism,"reported the Daily Times, "and the great stone set- free to anyone who purchased property in Larchmont Gardens.")The top of the Falls also was the site of the Motts tied into its present immovable position."(") Spool Cotton Mill,built around 1790(see After the War-Chapter 7). Historian Edward DeLancey noted that the mill was still standing in 1886. However, the business eventually failed because of trade embargoes caused by war in Gustav Stickley Europe.(29) The house at 80 Ridge Road, where Syrilda Two factors influenced development of this area which began in 1911. The first was acquisition of land on the Carrabine Helgren lived as a young child, is far side of Larchmont Gardens Lake by Westchester County to build the proposed Pelham-Port Chester Parkway. In not the only house in Larchmont Woods s the early days of the automobile, people wanted to live near parkways for the convenience and the view, and"the designed by architect Gustav Stickley(1858- =, °+ developers of Larchmont Gardens advertised proudly that their houses would overlook the new parkway."""These 1942), a man also well-known for his furni- roads were actually designed as beautiful "ways through parks" and wound around hills and over creeks, passing ture designs. According to Ray Stubblebine, t N; j m~ under picturesque stone bridges.Trees and flowering shrubs along the route afforded a relaxing and scenic ride.(") an expert on Gustav Stickley, Larchmont has An article headlined"New Railroad Means Boom,"in the Aug. 26, 1911, Larchmontet=Times described the pro- several examples of Stickley's Arts & Crafts P posed building of the New York, Westchester&Boston Railway as a potential second boon to the area. According style of architecture, which he popularized to the article, "The territory served by the New York, Westchester& Boston Railway forms one of the most desir- during the first two decades of this century. i able and rapidly growing residential sections in and adjacent to New York City."This suburban railroad was to pro- Stickley published descriptions and drawings vide "access to those relatively rural areas expected to be part of the twentieth century land boom."(') However, of homes in his magazine, The Craftsman, the line was not extended to Larchmont until the 1920s after a station was built on Harmon Drive to accommodate beginning in 1901. "Subscribers could send -- it.(This is the site of the present-day Girl Scout House.)A newspaper article in the Dec. 10, 1925, Larchmont Times, away for a set of plans for one house from headlined "Garden Sites Are In Demand," stated the following: "The building of a new station on the Boston & the series per year, free of charge," Westchester Railroad, which is extending its line to Mamaroneck, the building of a new clubhouse near the new Stubblebine said. These plans offered aver- station, and the building of the new parkway by the State Parkway commission on Harmon Drive and Lakeside age American families "beauty, simplicity, Drive,are having a stimulating effect on sales in this fast-growing neighborhood,says George A. Powers, realtor of utility and organic harmony."Mr. Stubblebine 80 Ridge Road.House designed by Gustav Stickley c.1911. Larchmont." 26 27 s Rouken Glen Sheldrake Falls and Larchmont Gardens Clubhouse, (.1911. The 1926 brochure advertising Rouken Glen states the following: Among the wooded hills of Larchmont, within view of Long Island Sound, there is a restrict- ed(25) residential community of unusual type -Rouken Glen. Mr. C.W. Moody, who planned this colony, chose this location because he felt that its rolling hills,fine old trees and interesting rock " A DO YOU KNOW formations combine to form an ideal setting for a harmonious development of individual homes. cs� L A R C H M O N T . The charm of Rouken Glen lies in the beauttful views, Ij e quiet wooded roads, the bridle paths and lakes which surround It, the preservation of its wooded, rocky slopes and the character of the houses which have been built there.According to the topography of the land, the property is divid- :: <-_ _ ed into eight sections, each section embodying the type of architecture best suited to its surround- 4"���""°".,.T°""°k"e"°�HOUSE. `""C""'°"', ings. The houses are so placed and landscaped as to further emphasize the natural beauty of the .r rocks and foliage. Early view of Larchmont Gardens Lake Residents of Rouken Glen are afforded mile on mile of country roads and bridle paths, where they may walk or ride without coming into contact with public highways, not only in the Glen itself, but in the wooded hills surrounding it on every side. Rouken Glen will have more than ninety houses, ranging in cost from $25,000 to $100,000. Four have been built and are now occupied. The building and landscaping are being carefully The Pelham-Port Chester Parkway was never built. Years later, in the mid-1950s, the New England Thruway controlled,so that only houses suitable to the architectural development of the various sections will was built along the proposed route of the Parkway(see Between the Wars-Chapter 14,and New England Thruway be approved. -Chapter 16). ff you are seeking a location combining the privacy and restfulness of fine country surround- The Gardens'original stone clubhouse was sold as a residence in 1924 to Ida M. Parent and still stands at 110 ings with the comfort and satisfaction of city conveniences,you will choose the site for your home Hickory Grove Drive. A new clubhouse was designed by Charles Mink and Otto R. Eggers, who also designed the in Rouken Glen." Weaver Street Firehouse. Estimated to cost $25,000, the clubhouse was designed as a 1 1/2- story, white-shingle colonial of the "farmhouse" variety, with green shutters and a green roof. A verandah faced the lake, where ice 9 \ �. `v /',lane skating was popular.(","I The building was originally next to the Harmon Drive train station, but now is two doors 9 Qoc o ''' � ,�,`.ti.o° ok�� down. Located at 112 Harmon Drive, it functioned as a community center and tennis club for the neighborhood and was even the site for children's dancing classes.(') In 1940, it was converted to a residence. In the 1920s, some additional modifications tooklace in Larchmont Gardens. Wildlife that had existed in the �oukn p a,sto ur an area since the days of the Native Americans was still present. To ensure the animals' continued existence the ercRmont ver(Street Larchmont Gardens Association formally requested"the Weaver Street Police Department to throw a guard around :_ the wildlife[muskrats,squirrels,etc.]and keep out hunters, trappers, trespassers and other offenders against the lit- tleQ. animals."(21) �� e Q 9° C Howell Park Q �. 4. '� �tvJ Q. H )k— A wv... urray nue The property now known as Howell Park was originally the homestead of Thomas Palmer, who in the mid- Q -. Q h Gntranre Q_ 1800s converted an old Weaver Street inn into a 40-room mansion(see Early Weaver Street Settlers-Chapter 10). Palmer added a third story to the inn, which had been built sometime between 1776 and 1842. Many well-known \ arclzmont Station ec oo/' 4 ' 19th century authors were entertained in the 20-by-40-foot ballroom,and a stage was added to one end of the room Q ¢ to accommodate private theatrical performances.Guests were also entertained in a large drawing room,where food ` 4 ° was served via a staircase leading up from the kitchen.(T) In 1906, Howell Park was subdivided from Palmer's estate which had been inherited by one of his descendants, \� �. Q_ -Q� .�. m t zdye Celia A. Howell, and included the surrounding farm, a barn and additional outbuildings. Little development occurred there at that time. By 1913, the Howell Realty Company owned the property. Nora Lucas has noted that, Map of Rouken Glen Development and vicinity(.1925. "Land surveyor Fletcher Herdt took advantage of the area's natural topography to draw a curvilinear layout within a relatively small parcel that created a neighborhood with all the best characteristics of a wooded suburban retreat." The original Palmer-Howell mansion continued as the residence of Miss Ella Howell, Palmer's niece. It was torn Rouken Glen is located on one of the Town's highest points. According to Nora Lucas, who is conducting a cz4> Cultural Resource Survey of the Larchmont postal district for the Larchmont Historical Society, Rouken Glen "was down in 1941 and the property was incorporated into the Howell Park Development. Homes in this neighbor- developed at the height of America's fascination with English-inspired architecture. Its aristocratic if inaccurate hood illustrate an "eclectic mix of Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and French Norman Revival that characterized name created from the Old English words for castle and valley, is stillsynonymous in Larchmont with the English the era of the European Revivalist architecture of the `Period House' in America."(2o One street in this neighbor- ' ,(2„ g Y, g Tudor.' Ms. Lucas noted that the characteristic house type "came to be known as the `stock-broker Tudor'in the hood, Carleon, was originally named Caerleon after the legendary home of King Arthur. heady and exuberant years preceding the Crash."(26) 28 29 s - - ML She added that"although the term`Moody-built'still possesses a cachet in Larchmont circles,extensive research In 1927, much of the estate was subdivided into separate lots to be has yielded frustratingly little information about either C.W. Moody or his development company, or the architects sold as house sites.Joseph Mercadante had streets platted and,with sug- who designed the homes of Rouken Glen."(24) gestions from his daughters, named them after a variety of interesting fig- ures: Homer The last section to be developed in Rouken Glen was the "Bonnie Briar" area, in 1930. The name of Mr. Avenue and Byron Lane were named for famous poets; fre- 4 Moody's wife, Althea, most probably inspired the street name, Althea Lane. quent royal visitors were remembered in Orsini Drive, named for Prince Virginio Orsini, whose relatives were Papal Guards at the Vatican; and Dimitri Place,named for Prince Dimitri,nephew of the Tsar and the eldest Maple Hill Subdivision -Larchmont's Y�JOum Camelot son of the Tsar's brother Grand Duke Alexander. Dante Avenue,was, of by Eleanor Lucas, Mary McGahan and Nora Lucas course named for Mr. Mercadante whose soubriquet was Dante. Maple x x Hill Drive was named after the estate's historical place name, in use, [The history of the Mercadante Estate best illustrates the evolution of the Town's farmland into an estate and according to Dorothy Mercadante Sammis, when the Mercadantes pur- finally into a residential subdivision. Eleanor Lucas and Mary McGahan are trustees of the Larchmont Historical F Society and Nora Lucas is its architectural historian) chased the property, and possibly coined during Palmer's tenure. According to local subdivision maps filed in the Westchester County "► ° Newspaper accounts dated 1894 report the purchase by Ex-Sen.Thomas W. Palmer of Michigan[no relation to Land Record Office, much of the Mercadante estate was subdivided in :< the Town's earliest settlers]of the Lockwood farm on Weaver Street, and of his plans to develop the property into 1927 as Maple Hill, listing Maple Gardens, Inc. as proprietor. The L- an elegant summer home with a colonial mansion cottages for employees, a winding drive with ornate entrances } g gg shaped property included Maple Hill Drive on the south,Orsini Drive on from Weaver Street and views of Long Island Sound.A member of the Michigan Senate in 1878, he served as a U.S. the west and Colonial Avenue on the north; the northeastern corner of ` Senator from 1883 to 1890, after which he served as minister to Spain. the Mercadante estate remained a private residence. In 1944, the remain- The Palmer family moved into the house in 1895. Palmer spent a reported $30,000 on his new house—a sum der of the estate was subdivided as Byron Estates (Map 5818) and the Dante Avenue(looking from Weaver Street twice that spent on St.John's Episcopal Church in the Village, constructed at the same time. main house was presumably demolished at that time. A gate house on before paving)c.1929. Palmer died June 1, 1913, after a two-year illness resulting from an auto accident. His New York Times obituary Byron Lane survives. stated that he was a resident of Detroit and makes no mention of his tenure in Larchmont. His widow, Mrs. Lizzie Joseph and Mary Mercadante moved to a home on the grounds of the Westchester Country Club in 1941.Mary, Merrill Palmer, died three years later, on July 16, 1916, at always in delicate health, predeceased her husband, who died in 1973 at the age of 88. her home in Great Neck, Long Island,according to The Victoria Mercadante was married in 1943 in Seattle, Wash., to Captain Frank Brookfield. After the war, they New York Times dated July 30. moved to a house on the grounds of the Westchester Country Club and then to Howell Park in Larchmont.Victoria, Albert and Hannah Stieglitz purchased the proper- Y — ' a well-known Larchmont realtor with Merritt Associates for 35 years, died April 14, 1996. ty through a series of transactions: from Lizzie MerrillDorothy Mercadante was married to Julius Forstmann, whose family owned Forstmann Woolen Company, in Palmer in 1910;from George P. and Bertha R. Davis m 1936 at St. Augustine's Church in Larchmont. With their six children, they lived on an estate called Broadfield in 1911, 1912, and 1915; and from Louis Strauss in 1912 : Greenwich.After her husband's death,she married Jesse Sammis, a family friend, and now lives in Greenwich. She It is not known whether the family used it as a summer has chronicled her life in a wonderful book,Harvest of Dreams,which is available at the archives of the Larchmont or full-time residence. Stieglitz died in 1936 at his Park g1 11 sm V, Historical Society. Avenue residence in Manhattan. Prior to a career as a .`.. _ stockbroker and partner in the New York Stock �z r Exchange firm of Halle & Stieglitz, he had been in the r ,, Kayser Estate textile importing business. As a final note, an estate owned by the Kayser family was located on Weaver Street between the Mercadante On Dec. 1, 1919, Albert Stieglitz sold a large estate estate and Colonial Avenue. All that remains of the five-acre property is the main house at 325 Weaver St. and its in the Town of Mamaroneck to Joseph Mercadante of a -.. _.w_ . . .. surrounding property, the stone wall on the corner of Weaver Street and Colonial Avenue and a caretaker's cottage 375 Park Ave. in New York City. "Villa Dante".Home of Joseph and MaryMercadante. on Colonial Avenue. Mrs. Kayser had worked for Hill Publishing Company before opening restaurants in New York The Mercadante family's move out of New York Weaver Street c.1920. City. The family lived there from the late teens until the late 1930s. The property was later subdivided and the Y Colonial Estates and Colonial Gardens neighborhoods were developed in 1950. was prompted by the desire of Joseph's wife, Mary, to raise her family in the suburbs,and by the death,in the flu epidemic of 1918,of her brother-in-law Nashi,a beloved family member and associate of Joseph's in the shipping business. The Mercadantes altered the clapboard house, known at the time of the purchase as Maple Hill, into a stucco- Chapter 12 covered Italian villa and renamed it "Villa Dante."The family consisted of Joseph, his wife, Mary, Dorothy,born in SOUTH OF THE BOSTON POST ROAD 1910, and Victoria, born in 1914. Although we do not know the exact date of the transformation, historic Sanborn Atlases indicate that the house was enlarged between 1923 and 1934 with the addition of porches on the south side and a new addition with a balcony on the northern elevation. The property included a large house, atwo-roomed doll house, greenhouse and stables and acres of beauti- mike the villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck, which border Long Island Sound, the Unincorporated fully landscaped grounds. Section of the Town has little direct access to the water because most of the land lies north of the Boston Post Road. A relatively smaller portion is situated south of the Post Road and provides the Unincorporated Private school, governesses, tennis court, chauffeur-driven limousine, royal visitors, membership in the Section with some waterfront property, water views and two outstanding conservation areas. The neighborhoods Larchmont Yacht Club and a Stradivarius violin for Dorothy were all part of life for the Mercadante family. It was our Camelot, somewhat tempered by the rise and fall of fortunes. 3 31 0 0 with property on the Sound include the Hommocks and Premium Point. (The latter is a private enclave of stately homes accessible only via a private road.) for more than 40 years. "The ancient tide mill,which stood near the house on the land-locked bay which made Mill Pond, and which James Mott continued to operate after the Revolution," was replaced in 1801 by the Premium A narrow corridor of land running south of the New England Thruway between the Village of Larchmont and Mill(4) the City of New Rochelle is also included in the Unincorporated Section of the Town. The Premium River and Premium Mill Pond, which run along the southern portion of this strip and then flow into the Sound, provide a The following information is excerpted from a document written by Town Councilwoman Phyllis Witmer: j beautiful waterscape. This area was not included in the original square-mile requirement when the Village of The Premium Mill, built and operated by James Mott and his three sons, Richard, Robert and Larchmont was incorporated. According to Judith Spikes, "Since the exact boundary between the Town of Samuel, was located half a mile south of the original grist mill. The Motts erected this large, new Mamaroneck and New Rochelle had aroused controversy since Colonial times, it is a plausible conjecture that the mill and dam, and expanded it to handle large exports of flour to Europe after the French incorporators chose a line well within the Town in order to avoid further boundary disputes."(o Revolution.As the new mill was located near the mouth of the bay, the tides provided more water power and greater water storage than had the dam at the old mill, The Premium Mill was said to The Hommocks be the largest flour mill in the country at the time.(s) The Hommocks area, located south of the Boston Post Road near Hommocks Road, is believed to have been This new venture was a huge success at first.But three important events proved disastrous. the named by sailors who sighted the grassy hillocks(or hummocks)along the marshy shore. It has had a colorful his- wars in 1806 and 1807 between Napoleon and England, embargoes and blockades on ports and tory over the past 300 years, and its remaining tidal wetlands continue to play an important role today. the War of 1812.By 1815, the properly had passed from the Motts to Isaac W. and William F. Coles.The mill never fully recovered from the effects of the wars. In addition, the Erie Canal had been Early Colonial maps identify the marshy area as "Dirty Swamp." "Dirty Swamp"was the swampy ground over built, and western New York State developed as the center of the milling industry. In 1843, Henry which the Road[Westchester Path, now called the Boston Post Road] passes near the east of the intersection of the P.Kellogg became owner of the mill,and held itfor40years. The mill was last used to grind barites, present Weaver Street.The swamp began some distance north of the Road and extended across it to the salt water. a crystalline mineral used in paint. In January or February 1883, the Premium Mill was aban- There was a little stream that ran from the swamp under the road in old times through a stone culvert called Dirty doned and eventually torn down.(') Swamp Bridge."M The boundary line between the Town of Mamaroneck and New Rochelle runs down the mid- In the late 1700s, Daniel Barker owned land in the area known as Barker's Hommocks. (Barker gave the Town dle of the Premium Mill Pond. The Premium Mill was located at the Mamaroneck end of the mill the land to build the Weaver Street School House in 1807.)Thomas Palmer bought shorefront land in the Hommocks dam, and the dam connected with the New Rochelle shore. Access to and from the mill was by a in the mid-1800s and built a pavilion on the Hommocks where his club, The Ancient Order of Tautogs, enjoyed private road in Mamaroneck, which ran over the old mill dam at Pryer's and along the beach to weekend picnics (see Quakers in Chapter 10, and Road Houses - Chapter 18). School children in the late 1800s the Premium Mill.(5)(The road from the New Rochelle end of the dam to the Boston Post Road, now enjoyed dips in the Hommocks swimming hole. In'the Town Minutes of June 21, 1917, a dressing area was con- known as Premium Point Road, was built by Coles in 1829.) sidered because of the large number of boys who "were in the habit of bathing in the creek at Hommocks." By the late 1890s, large homes had been built along the shore, one of which was part of the Thomas Palmer Pryer Manor estate inherited by his Howell heirs.By 1929,more homes had been built along the southwestern end of Hommocks In 1839,John Pryer a merchant born in New York City in 1802,purchased 150 acres in this Road. Residents in the area concerned about adequate fire protection requested permission to form a fire compa- area. The neighborhood known today as Pryer Manor was formed from the lands of the estate of ny, to be called the Hommocks Hose Company,as noted in the Town Minutes of April 1906. However, this did not John Pryer, who died in 1887(map#886 filed in Westchester County, 1888). The estate lay south come to pass. of the Boston Post Road from approximately what is now the Dillon Road locality to the Mill Pond, In 1947, the Town acquired about 17 1/2 acres in the Hommocks area through tax lien foreclosures. About and also included all of Pryer Lane(Village of Larchmont)to the Long Island Sound border two-thirds of the property was marshy and covered with water at extreme high tide (see Conservation - Chapter 25). In 1953, a parcel of roughly 5 1/2 acres lying along Hommocks Road was sold at public auction. (This area was reacquired by the Town in 1964 as part of the Burger Tract.)The remaining 12 or so acres had been subject A newspaper article from the Larchmont Times, dated June 25, 1925, and headlined, "Pryer Manor Growing to filling since about 1950. Although The Town Board formally dedicated the area for recreational use in 1957, in Fast, offers an interesting glimpse of Pryer Manor: 1958 it was still being filled with Town incinerator residue and rubbish burned on the site. By the end of 1964, When the property was divided among the different Pryer heirs, that portion which was devel- approximately eight acres had been filled to a height of five to six feet."' oiled as Pryer Lane[in the Village of Larchmond developed quite rapidly, as it was easy of access Under the administration of Supervisor Peter F. Kane, a Hommocks Study Committee was formed in 1964 by and very simple to develop.Beauttful homes were built on both sides of this charming lane but the the Town Board, the two Village Boards and the School Board to determine how the Hommocks land might be property on the westside of the Premium River was never touched. In fact it could not be reached developed. "The attention of the Committee was primarily focused upon:one,the request of the Board of Education as there was no bridge across the Premium River. for use of a portion of the Hommocks area for a new middle school, and two, a recommendation that a portion of About three years ago, The Pryer Manor Company, after long negotiations, succeeded in pur- this area be considered for a new Town Hall."(8) chasing the 40 acres of land on the west side of the Premium River tom the Pryer family]and Hommocks School opened in September 1968 on 5.4 acres sold to the School District by the Town. It lies north employed the firm of George Howe, Inc. to develop the property along high-class residential lines. of the 121/2-acre Hommocks athletic field,which is owned by the Town,though the Town Recreation Department The veryfirst thing necessary was the construction of a bridge over the Premium River lbetween and the Board of Education share in its use(see Recreation-Chapter 27, and Conservation-Chapter 25). the river and Mill Pond]connecting theproperty by road with Larchmont Manor.A beautiful con- crete bridge was constructed in record time.(9) Then followed the development of beautiful roads Premium River and Premium Mill Pond and winding lanes thru the property, connecting same with Premium River Road[Pryer Manor Road and Dillon Road]running into the Post Road. Then came the building of homes. As noted in Chapter 5, the original Palmer family built a grist mill on the Premium River before 1741.John One of the particularly interesting and desirable features of Pryer Man or is the fact that every Richbell's great-great-grandson,James Mott, was living on the property in 1776, and continued to operate the mill purchaser of a building site receives a perpetual right of use of the beautiful bathing beach known 32 33 y a 203 as Pryer Manor Beach toff Point Road in the Village of Larchmontl,facing on the open Sound.1101 The waters at this point are unusually clear and clean. R �, ; Councilwoman Witmer continues: "of `10&r& 'Pr.ryerr ��. oc.° , {� ® "�r c Today, one refers to Pryer Manor mainly as the lands surrounding Pryer Manor Road(a small b e* f� Maps from Bromley's Atlas portion of Dillon Road being included),Pheasant Run,Dogwood Lane, Wildwood Circle and Pryer p. 5 \ F cc o a�� 1914. �. Lane.From its earliest recorded history until today,portions of the locality have been governed by three municipalities: the Town, the Village of Larcbmont and New Rochelle. During November q da L i a e G,p S14 The Pryer Manor Area 1962, neighbors living on Pryer Manor Road(from the stone pillars at its entranceway to the inter- WO'`w ✓ec Ttiesection with Dogwood lane),Pheasant Run,Dogwood Lane, Dogwood Place and t71dwood Circle Zoo formed the Pryer Manor Association. The association was incorporated in April 1963 and remains n/I ` ' active today. in the 1960s, local officials and residents realized that some of ourgreatest assets were slipping est �tj Q y - away. The concept of preserving the Premium River, marshes and Mill Pond to `safeguard the com- �+;` munity's few remaining natural areas and to supplement recreation facilities"was proposed")[See Conservation - Chapter 251. The Dillon Park Area Dillon Park EB zoo ,4� Long-time resident Bryan Doherty shared his recollections of the early history of this neighborhood: r � ® � ;;I, ,�• � = A neighborhood was developed in the Town in the heights to the north and west of Pryer Manor. Bounded by Premium River Road(known today as Dillon Road),Parkland Avenue,Locust Terrace sa 4; s q and Edgewater Place, the area came to be known as Dillon Park(Map#1245,filed in 19041. The section apparently was so named because it was adjacent to a 16,000-square-foot baseballfield NEW R OCH E L L E Pi 'I ® °' S- � - 6 ' � �� and picnic grounds owned at that time by Michael f Dillon, a realtor and prominent athlete of the 8r_ " - _ 9 day who later was to become the first mayor of New Rochelle. ro LARC H M O N T I a f o" „'w' '� a Premium River Road was a 50-foot-wide street as far as Edgewater Place and then curved on scale I` ARFq p N ;,5 A y y { c a right angle in what was little more than a right-of-way to the Pryer properties. T �: F r• �, The baseball and picnic grounds ultimately were sold in 191 7for$12,750 to Michael Doherty T N G I S L A N D S O U N D o { e M'�� ' j .Q� lite writers grandfatberl, a builder who constructed about 10 homes on the Mamaroneck portions a Rs F of Chester Place and Moran Place(o Dillon Road). One o the homes on Chester was advertised �v 0 y� 3 S° t as a `Swiss chalet with a water view."There were few houses and very few tall trees to block the view of what was then mostly salt meadow below and the Premium Mill Pond. �yy V l; The Chester Place neighborhood was known as Hazelhurst Park and some old-timers to this zz e " day still call it Hazelhurst.Doherty, who was in the building business with his two sons Eugene and p &9a Sidney, built the Avonmore Apartments located at the corner of Dillon Road and the Boston Post a Road. < W p $ � 4 b e� ,ra Doberty built more homes on the southerly portion of Premium River Road on property pur-chased from the Pryer estate. Each house was a different style, which thankfully avoided a Levittoum-type development.Premium River Road ran into Gaillard Place,a private road on which Doherty built his last hous�a Mediterranean-style building—in 1930 just before the Great s Depression brought the building industry to a virtual halt. The Gaillard Place house remained in p�� s Doherty family hands until 1987. C < N - Although located in the Town, the Dillon Park and Chester Place neighborhoods carried New c N� Rochelle postal addresses.Doherty bad petitioned the Larchmont Village board of trustees in 1925 of N E� to annex the area.According to a copy of the petition, the move included the consent of`a major-Uy of the Town of Mamaroneck Board." The `annexation"attempt was unsuccessful and residents continued to list their residence as "New Rochelle."This caused residents some problems in registering children for school or various Town recreational activities, as they were repeatedly challenged to `prove"they lived in the Town. 34 35 Individuals periodically made attempts to change the postal address with no success until 1975.A determined Dillon Park and Hazelhurst Taxpayers Association (with the assistance of Town Supervisor Christine Helwig) was finally able to persuade the United States Postal Service to revise its delivery maps so that the area was given a Larchmont postal address. Children attend the Chatsworth Grade School as well as other Town Schools, and the simple change in postal address made life easier for them when dealing udth administrators who sometimes were new or unfamil- Around the Larchmont iar with the area, train station before the area was redeveloped c.1920. law-A a ong-time resident Dick Murphy, who has been nicknamed "Larchmont's Unofficial Watchdog," moved to 27 - Edgewood Ave. in 1919 when he was 2 years old. He shares his recollections of the accomplishments made - during the administration of former Supervisor George W. Burton Sr.: George Burton Sr. was Town Supervisorfrom 1916-1933, and while my recollection doesn't go community, after all, the station would be # back to 1916, it does go back within a few years of that. The Burtons lived on Edgewood Road later changed to Edgewood Avenue, and the Murphys lived across the street. As I look back over a traveler . commuter's first impression of 4} many years, his time as supervisor was the most productive and forward-looking: The man had Larchmont.Citizens had complained about the "unprepossessing appearance of the vision. Today we are all enjoying the results of accomplishments during his stewardship. # region around the station and agitated for He cleared all the wry unsightly area around the railroad station, and acquired all the land a Town park, etc."') Peter Reinstein's in that area including Memorial Park.Some houses that originally stood on Myrtle Boulevard need- Larchmont Hotel,which had stood next to ed to be moved and were relocated to Cabot Road or Thompson Street. The houses were put on the train station from the late 1800s, had IN heavy timbers that had been lathered with brown soap. The houses, which had ropes attached to been boarded up since Prohibition. By them, then slid along the timbers. The other end of the rope was tied to a horse and as the animal removing old tenements and old stores circled around a pole, the rope was tightened, thereby pulling along each house. and building a park, Burton aimed to MINIM Clearing the unsightly area made it possible for the construction of Chatsworth Gardens and make the area safer and more convenient Larchmont Hills Apartments.Supervisor Burton had zoning laws passed which made it possible for for pedestrians and vehicles, and to enhance its beauty. such an attractive residential area to be built in the Unincorporated Area.(In April 1921, the Town Apartment buildings initially were discouraged in Larchmont. However, when the Albee Court Apartments adopted a building code and in June 1922 it adopted its zoning ordinance.f3l He also had water were built in Larchmont Village "to please the person who did not wish to own a home and disliked the ordinary and sewer facilities installed in the mid 1920s, which increased the value of the land for develop- apartment, high type of residents were drawn to it," and the venture was a success. This led to more suburban ment of our wonderful community and helped to eliminate cesspools.An ordinance was passed by apartments. which the residents had to hook their houses to the main sewer lines by a certain date or else their In 1925, architect E.D. Parmelee designed an apartment on land acquired from the Hillside Holding water supply would be turned off. (During the 1930s and 1940s, when many people were convert- Corporation. The apartments on Chatsworth and Myrtle avenues were built as a result of a change in the Town's ing from coal to oil-burning furnaces, there were lots of ashes to get rid of. The ashes were dumped zoning laws. Located in a business zone, the property was rezoned to "Residence B," permitting apartments.(2' into the cesspools, which were eventually filled in and capped off with dirt.) Parmelee(who also designed the Chatsworth Gardens Apartments built in 1928)selected Spanish-style architecture Besides all the forward-looking things he developed, he was a wonderful gentleman and there for the new"Larchmont Hills"Apartment. One backer of the scheme, Herbert M. Williams, a Larchmont real-estate are lots of fond memories of all the boys, along with his own son, who made up the Scotch Hill operator, stated that "the condition of the building situation in New York and the abundance of capital makes the gang.(41 He played baseball with us, took us for rides in his Model T Ford touring car and never financing of the entire project a matter of no great difficulty." The apartments were considered to be in a prime missed taking us to Taylor's Ice Cream Store.(')It was ice cream cones for everybody many happy location because of their proximity to the Station Plaza Park, the new Town Park, Memorial Park,and the proposed memories for a boy growing up in a wonderful community. Pelham Port Chester Parkway. "Lying between these two park areas,the apartment house group will virtually be in a park by itself, free from an unattractive commercial district," the Larchmont Times declared.(') A As noted in Chapter 11, "growth came swiftly to the southern part of the county, the area closest to New York cross the street,on the southern side of Myrtle Avenue where the New England Thruway is today,the HillsideArcade was built in 1925. It was remodeled from two old frame houses that were covered with stucco and com- City. In 1920, the fastest growth in real-estate development was experienced in Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, Pelham, bined into one combination store and office budding, also in the Spanish style. Several "high class shops" were Harrison and Eastchester in that order."(o According to St.Clair Richard, editor of The Sound View News, Supervisor selected(, in order to attract people from all over thcounty (see New England Thruway - Chapter 16). Finally, Burton deserves "the `hats off in gratitude for laying the foundations of the Town of Mamaroneck as it is today." Chatsworth, Murray and Myrtle avenues were all widened to 80 feet to facilitate automobile and pedestrian traffic The Town sought to "clean up the sore spot in Larchmont's front yard."(') Supervisor Burton understood the in the area. (Myrtle Avenue was renamed Myrtle Boulevard in 1926.) train station's importance to the Town, and wanted the surrounding area to be inviting and representative of the 36 37 b nce the United States entered World War II in 1941, the economy began its recovery. Long-time resident Prohibition Charles Lange recalls school-age projects during the war:scrap-metal collections, victory gardens and war- n Jan. 16, 1920, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted enforcing prohibition, and the law 0 bond competitions. "One hour each week in school was spent knitting squares to sew into afghans for the was not repealed until 1933. According to historian Marilyn Weigold, "Prohibition was flouted with zest in soldiers. Somehow, the boys' squares always turned out more unevenly than the girls." Mr. Lange also recalls the Westchester County.Those with the money and desire to imbibe were never inconvenienced. Speakeasies endless lines of freight trains filled with tanks and other military equipment. He remembers participating in local air flourished throughout the county.""'A well-known"speak"in Larchmont was Abe Levine's at 1890 Palmer Ave.(see raid drills and watching the soldiers drill at nearby Fort Slocum. "One of the lovely things about the war to a child Road Houses-Chapter 18).Another place frequented by people in Town was Chick Conte's on Fifth Avenue,where was the gasoline rationing . . .There were hardly any cars and a child could bicycle anywhere—the Post Road, the Atlas Party Rental Store stands today.(7) Larchmont Avenue— the streets were almost mine." To reduce heating costs, the high school and junior high In 1919,the Volstead Act tried to enforce Prohibition,')and some drinking establishments were affected by the schools were consolidated into one building, with students attending split sessions. laws. Peter Reinstein's Saloon had been a popular stop for salesmen and commuters, with its prime location next John Coughlin,another long-time resident,remembers soldiers being stationed in the old Longines Building on to the train station. However, by 1919, this establishment was forced to close(see Road Houses-Chapter 18). the corner of Madison Avenue and Myrtle Boulevard and watching them drill on Myrtle Boulevard. In 1924 seven truckloads of liquor valued at$100,000 were overtaken by the Mamaroneck police on the Boston Winged Foot Golf Club also was utilized during the War.A Nov. 21, 1941, newspaper article reported that "all between Mamaroneck and Larchmont. The liquor had been brought in by boat and loaded onto trucks the stirring details of a battle for an ammunition dump,including the possibility that,a company of paratroopers will Post Road near the shore Long Island Mamaroneck Sound.() be dropped on the objective, will be staged by the Eighth Regiment, New York Guard at Winged Foot Golf Club. Actual battle conditions will be simulated through the use of smoke screens and other chemical warfare agents.The soldiers will be supplied with blank ammunition and troops will be fed from Fort Slocum field kitchens under actu- The Great Depression al battle conditions." The Great Depression brought change to the Town. A Larchmont Aid Society was created to provide confi- Elkan Park dential assistance to families in need. So many people were forced to sell their homes that the Town enacted a rul- After the War, Westchester encountered "an unprecedented demand for housing." The County "was on the ing prohibiting people from putting "For Sale" signs on their property, lest the whole town appear to be for sale. verge of a population explosion.""' However, land was in short supply, especially in southern Westchester. Many Some houses remained empty for two to three years, to the delight of neighborhood children who played in empty returning veterans were living in furnished rooms, above garages or with in-laws. Ten Larchmont veterans who yards and explored empty houses through unlocked cellar doors. faced these problems and sought to build their own homes founded the Larchmont Veteran's Building Corporation in 1946.Joining with 34 other veterans, they each invested$600 for working capital and pooled their housing ben- The 1929 Crash came shortly after the Chatsworth Gardens Apartments had been built, and only a few units had been rented by the time of the Depression. To encourage prospective tenants, realtors kept the lights on in efits under the GI Bill to obtain a $500,000 construction loan.(2) unoccupied apartments to give the illusion that people lived there. After two failed attempts to obtain land, the group bought 5 1/2 acres of rocky land above To help deal with growing unemployment,the federal government established the Temporary Emergency Relief T Administration in 1932. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Public Works Administration in 1933 and the Palmer Avenue from Benno and Madelon Elkan, Works Progress Administration in 1935, and"Westchester County officials were imaginative in finding`make work' long-time Larchmont residents whose daughter also g had been in military service. Benno Elkan was a jobs."(4) In 1932, the Larchmont Gardens Association faced losing its grand clubhouse and grounds by foreclosure native of Germany who came to the United States in 1 sale. The Town of Mamaroneck considered acquiring the property for a park. A WPA project was undertaken in 1906 to open a branch office of a Frankfurt metals .. 1936, employing 20 men to dredge the lake. company. After World War I, he became chairman The Depression also affected construction of the proposed Pelham-Port Chester Parkway,designed to enhance of International Minerals and Metals Corporation. the Larchmont Gardens area. If state or federal road funds had been available in the 1930s, the construction would He was a governor of the Commodity Exchange of ' have provided work for many of the County's unemployed residents. However, without "outside money, New York and was also an advisor to the U.S. gov- Westchester could not proceed with such an ambitious highway proposal."The County could no longer afford to emment during World War II.(4) go ahead with the construction, and in 1943, the County sold its parkway land to the state (see New England Later, the Elkans returned the veterans' money, Thruway-Chapter 16).(8' essentially donating the $42,000 tract. As a result, The Larchmont Gardens area was also the train station site for the New York, Westchester& Boston Railroad the development, which the veterans originally had Company. Commuters favored this line during the Depression because tickets cost about half as much as those on named "Foxhole Acres,"was renamed Elkan Park. The community of Elkan Park c.1948. the New Haven Line<o However, in order to reduce costs, the company closed the line on Dec. 31, 1937(see The Although the veterans had thought to build sin- gle-family homes, cost and land limitations prompted them to build "cluster housing." "In this, Elkan Park was a Commuter-Chapter 23) forerunner of an architectural concept that would become popular some two decades later.The 12 Elkan Park build- ings, containing a total of 50 two-or three-bedroom homes, made excellent use of the rocky and difficult terrain upon which they are located. Although attached, each house is separate in every sense of the word, with private ownership and separate heat and facilities."(Z) The Colonial-style buildings were designed without charge by Larchmont architect Gerald J. O'Reilly. As the 1 38 J� 39 4 _. 4 only Attached House District in the Town, the project required rezoning.The Town also built a 600-foot road with Gardens Lake and its surrounding park to the State. In 1958, the New England Thruway opened. It was, "in a sense, utility main. The project was completed in August 1947, and the Elkan Park Association succeeded the original the realization of the County Park Commission's dream of a Pelham-Port Chester Parkway."(') However, Mr. building corporation. O'Gorman points out, "the Thruway engineers had to straighten the roadbed to make a proposed 35-mile-an-hour A flagpole was erected in Elkan Circle with a dedication plaque that reads: "Elkan Park—A community planned parkway accommodate a 65-mile-an-hour road for commercial traffic. and developed by World War II veterans with the help of others who shared their beliefs—March 30,1948."In 1960, Mr. O'Gorman recollected the days before the Thruway was built: when Benno Elkan died,the Association redeveloped Elkan Circle as a monument to Benno Elkan.The redesigned 100-by-40-foot park area now includes two memorial benches and a new plaque that reads: "If you seek a monu- ment to this man, look about you." In 1969, Mrs. Elkan established a Capital Improvement Fund, and a chestnut by blooming tulips in the Spring, one heard the sound of a rooster crowing from the chicken coop tree was later planted in her memory. near Harmon Drive and Weaver Street, and passed a productive victory garden on Harmon Drive. The community's ride in the lace is summed u in a newspaper article b Judith Spikes: Six houses stood on Harmon Drive on the side opposite the Girl Scout House, toward Weaver Street. n' P P PY J p Some were later relocated to nearby Laurel Avenue.Before the Thruway,Harmon Drive looked out In the early days of Elkan Park, with every house occupied by a working husband, a stay-at- on Larchmont Gardens Lake, and Lakeside Drive continued around the water.In 1953, I was told home wife and at least one small child, the sense of community was particularly strong. The fam- by the engineers that our home and property would be "required for Thruway Construction,"so my ilies worked together to landscape the property, and the 50 wives formed their own chapter of the family sadly sat tight and did not put any work into our house.In 1956, the same engineer told us Garden Club. They purchased household items in bulk,from toilet paper and light bulbs to grass that "no part of that land will be needed for the Thruway or its approaches."The letter went on to seed.'r"Today, although the original families are no longer living in Elkan Park, and the present say that, "we take this means to correct the impression given you in March of 1953." residents are not necessarily veterans, the "community within a community"continues to bring In addition to its effect on Larchmont Gardens, the Thruway drastically altered the area around Myrtle pride to its residents in `an area that is more than just a neighborhood. Conceived in cooperation and maintained by those who believe in community effort, Elkan Park is a housing development Boulevard. The granite train station, pride of many townsfolk, was destroyed, as was part of Station Plaza Park. with a heard'{ Stores along Chatsworth Avenue and Myrtle Boulevard were razed, including the Hillside Arcade, which had been built in 1925 to enhance the area. Long-time residents fondly remember stores on Myrtle Boulevard. Palmer's Cider Mill,which had existed since sP4 3 y F, the early 1900s, El Patio Tavern, Bill Kann's Liquor Store, the Taxi Station, and others all met the bulldozer for the � r sake of progress.Many African-Americans lived along Myrtle Boulevard and they, too were uprooted,as was their church the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church which had existed for nearly 40 years on Byron Place ° �" m .._��"P. � _�. e ,. _ . _ _- w a °. e m ° - �' P P�• T� near Myrtle Boulevard. In 1954,construction of the Thruway began and the congregation was forced to relocate to 29 Valley Place in New Rochelle. It is interesting to note that the marshy land near the Thruway entrance was also he narrow, winding Old Boston Post Road became obsolete after the early 1900s as automobiles increased in number.Following World War II,the present Boston Post Road was unable to handle high-speed and high- volume commercial traffic. The shoreline communities were experiencing increased traffic jams, accidents Aerial view of Town prior to New England Thruway construction in 1954. and noise. Bill O'Gorman, who moved to Revere Road in Larchmont Gardens in 1949, shares his recollections of that period: Early in the 50s came the news that there was to los be an important superhighway that would run MAMARONECK through our community. This road was to take the place of the Boston Post Road,for commercial traf- ' vZ p a K fic. The straining of relations with the communist " f Soviet Union in the Cold War, the threat of atomic a c attack, the need to evacuate a large urban area, the demise of the freight section of the railroads, k the need for commercial trucking in a fast post- Z,6 war economy—these were all factors in the neces- ' sity of a superhighway from New York City to the v x suburbs and beyond. r.z The result was the New England Thruway, which would carve a path through the Unincorporated Section of the I Town of Mamaroneck. Although the route for the Pelham- r Port Chester Parkway had been laid out by 1928,only one L portion had been built in the Town by 1930: the grade sep- aration bridge near Memorial Park, which carries Murray R Fo Avenue over the non-existent highway.(', s) The County t• finally sold land for the Pelham-Port Chester Parkway to New York State, and the Town sold part of Larchmont - Map of Larchmont Gardens c.1914(prior to changes _ v created by the New England Thruway). 40 41 destroyed,filled with dirt from the Thruway excavation.The Carlton House Apartments were later built on this site. The Grand Park Scheme In 1869,Andrew Wilson Jr.,a land developer from Ohio,purchased farmland in Rye and subdivided it into lots Blind Joe"Project for residential development. He was responsible for the planning of Rye Park,West Rye and a portion of Glen Dale. by Jacqueline Friedman According to Jan Kelsey, former director of the Rye Historical Society, Wilson was known as Rye's first real-estate developer and tried to create "the `romantic suburbs,' a late 19th century ideal characterized by curving roads and In 1960, the Larchmont Lions Club led an effort to construct a newsstand for "Blind Joe" Sugrue at the corner natural landscapes that epitomized the peacefulness and easy pace of the country." He also developed proper- of North Chatsworth Avenue and Myrtle Boulevard. Mr. Sugrue's previous newsstand had been located near the ty in New Jersey and Staten Island. However,his greatest scheme,which according to Ms. Kelsey became"his even- train station, across the street from the stairway leading to the westbound platform. When the stand and the train Nal undoing," was a "rural city"for a thousand families in Mamaroneck called "Grand Park," a name chosen in a station were removed to make way for the Thruway, the Thruway Authority agreed to donate land for the new contest that offered$1,000 for the best title for the new community. stand. Many contractors donated their time and supplied materials at cost or below. All in all, many people cooperated to keep Joe in business.To ensure that Joe had a steady income, the local --i .• � �:.3u+1�,- -c..-.r..cz��_- HFM{ICATE MANAR. Lions' members also took turns buying a weekly carton of cigarettes. •: r ` �-- In the late 1980s, the Lions Club donated the building to the Town. First used as an information booth, it has I : been used by Town Police since 1994 as an outpost (see Police Department - Chapter p 21).) A sign honoring the 40 Lions Club hangs on the wall, a reminder of what people can do when they work together.�4� d Y JJJ i. ♦ €'- . I a _ ✓ .; ([' n/ t $/tI �JMA r� /I/;i EY h -IN � � '. rt �•�� ° .r rrs✓ v sr '/za 1J % ���by ;�.. ° . .,� , -... ., a. ra' .air' P✓' J i as `- - 33 -1 r viousl mentioned the lands that constitute the Unincorporated Section of the Town were owned inLl �as\1 �\ �, 051P! spe y Samuel Palmer and Caleb Heathcote. According to old maps and records, "�L \r n a U the early 1700s by two men, S almer's property(north of the Boston Post Road)encompassed the land between the New Rochelle bor- der to the west and Weaver Street to the east. The area around Larchmont Gardens was probably Palmer land as .� well. The remainder of the Unincorporated Section of the Town of Mamaroneck was essentially part of Caleb ' " Tshe:.`° .wM �: : ^ ' 0 RI Heathcote's original manor: It extended from Weaver Street to the west, as far north as present-day Griffen Avenued � and as far east as Saxon Woods just beyond Old White Plains Road. I�1�' V 'Y�� �^ TV. Pic,.' Old White Plains Road ;' ^•: �� ` gSTERColk Weaver Street, the western border of Heathcote's section, is one of the oldest highways in America, as is Old - ° �, "J _� CJ 1• t Grand Park White Plains Road to the east,which dates from Colonial times.Old White Plains Road was once described as the r � oTti Subdivision Map, - "•` � �t-1-��� � �PL4TS SMO L "wagon road winding down from `The White Plains' to the Village of Mamaroneck and tidewater. Ancient gnarled filed in 1874. 1: .... �.. ..' ` .w / �°•��'�' apple trees, as well as newer ones, may still be found,and even in the thick overgrowth of woods one can be sur- prised in springtime to confront a show of pink apple blossoms, sprung from some forgotten stock."Cz' During the early 1800s, the area surrounding Old White Plains Road was mostly undeveloped meadows and woodlands. By the 1860s, a number of large estates and farms, some with stables and riding greens, could be found. In his "Grand Park Brochure," which advertised an auction to sell lots on the 2,000 acres he had acquired, Wilson urged prospective buyers to leave the overcrowded, unhealthy city and sleep in the country, a decision he One of the oldest houses in Town still stands at 1154 Old White Plains Road. As discussed in Chapter 10, it claimed would increase one's longevity by 15%. He assured buyers that "no portion of the state enjoys a greater was built in 1712 as the Griffen Homestead. The last family member to live in the house, Louisa Griffen, died in immunity from malarial or local diseases than Westchester," and that "a more salubrious, agreeable climate cannot 1919. Legend has it that George Washington watered his horse at the Griffen' rain barrel on his way to the Battle now be found near New York."Around the present site of Winged Foot Golf Club,he planned a"university town," of White Plains. No proof exists of the story, other than the rain barreP). complete with circular boulevards, a hotel, a seminary for young ladies, a park and a college including a chapel In the early 1900s,Gano Dunn, later chairman of the internationally known J.G.White Engineering company, and a stone dormitory. He stated that he had been in discussion with the "General Theological Seminary, Trinity would visit his Griffen aunt and play in the surrounding meadow.There he built a small water-wheel at the stream, School and Collegiate Branch of the Columbia College to establish a model university in New York, analogous to sparking an interest in hydroplants and turbines that served him well in his professional life.() the English Oxford."(The archives of Trinity School and the General Theological Seminary do, in fact, have refer- Another old house in the area still stands at 1011 Old White Plains Road. As noted in Chapter 3, the Bloomer ences to Wilson and Mamaroneck.)Wilson promised a new steamboat landing and a new railroad depot to facili- family was involved in Town government from the early 1700s until the 1920s. Members of the family moved into tate commuting to the city. "If one railroad does not suffice,we can build two,or a dozen. If 20 train per day are this house in the early 1800s and their descendants remained until 1965. insufficient, the demand will soon find 100 to supply it," he proclaimed. Wilson had learned a great deal of information about the area,and his brochure was extremely detailed,vivid- ly describing Mamaroneck's history and geography. His dream was as grand as its name. Ms. Kelsey notes that a 43 42 _- - 4 newspaper article of the day stated that"reliable authority denies that the name of Mamaroneck is to be altered by of Champlain, Ohio. Rye City newspapers tell tales of disorderly workers and a work stoppage in August due to special act of the Legislature to Wilsonville." "financial embarrassment." [According to Jan Kelsey, Wilson's "earlier land sales on Staten Island had been made without first obtaining clear title."The great expense of another land development in New Jersey and the purchase The Aftermath of"Wilsonville" and improvement of Grand Park left him bankrupt.] Wilson attempted suicide on Sept. 19, 1870, and died several days later. by Nora Lucas Although T.R. Hawley's 200 acres were only a small portion of the 2,000-acre overall scheme, after Wilson's This large area in the northern section of the Town,including what is now Winged Foot Golf Club, had a live- death Hawley took over the development of Grand Park and continued to act as developer for the property,a pro- ly, if somewhat uncertain history in the late 19th century. Both the Town of Mamaroneck and Winged Foot would ject that never succeeded. It was Hawley, in fact, who filed Wilson's Grand Park map in 1874—four years after be very different today if Wilson's development scheme for an "Oxford of America"had been a success. Wilson's death and two years after the General Theological Seminary had severed its relationship with the Of Wilson's assembled 2,000 acres, his First Subdivision of Grand Park was in Mamaroneck Village and includ- Mamaroneck land.Apparently Hawley was attempting to clarify the title and sell more lots,but it is unclear whether ed what is now the land between the railroad on the north, Mount Pleasant Avenue on the east, the Post Road on inertia or deceit caused him to record, and thereby maintain the impression, that the seminary was associated with the South and Fenimore Road on the west.A second subdivision, also in 1870, was called the Waverly Subdivision Grand Park. of Grand Park and occupied the area north of the railroad and south and west of the Sheldrake River, roughly east As late as 1892, the Mamaroneck Paragraph was publishing notices of arrears for the Great Central Subdivision of Rockland Avenue(Maps#460 and#594). As these subdivisions survive with intact street and lot plans, it is pos- of Grand Park. As Wilson's typical transaction involved payment over time, it seems that some of the northern sec- sible that most of Wilson's early sales went toward property south of the railroad tracks. Cion of the property reverted to the original owners after his death. For more than 25 years after Wilson's death, at The vast majority of the land in Wilson's Grand Park scheme, however, was located north of the Sheldrake least some of the property was in litigation and much of it in tax arrears. Hawley D. Clapp became head of the syn- River in the northern section of what is now the Unincorporated Section of the Town.The property was unevenly dicate developing the property, but could not provide warrantee deeds, according to the New Rochelle Pioneer. bisected by what is now Fenimore Road, although then it was called Grand Park Avenue. Its northern boundary Settlements between property owners and Clapp's heirs were not reached until 1897, and from the newspaper was south of Griffen Avenue and on the east its historic boundary appears to correlate with that of Winged Foot account, it seems as though the property mentioned was the land south of the railroad. The numerous transactions Golf Club,although south of 1050 Old White Plains Road the land included part of what is now Saxon Woods Park, associated with Grand Park have not all been sorted out.This project will provide fodder for local historians for years. extending to the south of Grand Street. To the west, the boundary was Rockland Avenue, extending northward through Larchmont Ridge toward Fenimore and veering west to include a portion of what is now Bonnie Briar Altonwood Country Club. A map drawn in 1870 and titled the "Great Central Subdivision of Grand Park" illustrates the prop erty,complete with the General Theological Seminary Grounds of the Episcopal Church of the United States(which by Nora Lucas was to occupy part of the property now known as Bonnie Briar Country Club). Grand Park had a place in Mamaroneck's History, at least in name, through the early 20th century. By 1872, The myriad of transactions made by Wilson in 1869 and 1870 to quickly assimilate his 2,000 acres has not yet soon after its conception, the large subdivision of Grand Park was platted on the Beers Map, although most of the been fully sorted out. However, it seems that Wilson bought land from Thomas Nelson, Thomas R. Hawley and roads were never built. [Wilson had planned three large cross streets, Wesleyan Avenue, Hawley Place and Wilson wife, Augusta, and Hawley D. Clapp and wife, Hulda H., Sarah McIntyre and William Meyers. Of special note is Avenue, but all that remain today are two small streets called Wesleyan Avenue and Wilson Lane.] On that Beers Map, the "Hawley" house was listed in the ownership of W.W. Thompson. By 1881, most of the streets and lots property he purchased in 1869 from T.R. Hawley and his wife,approximately 200 acres off what is now Old White within the original Great Central Subdivision of Grand Park were clearly shown on the Bromley Map and the Plains Road. Included in Wilson's purchase was their house and interior belongings,which the brochure advertised "Hawley/Thompson"house appears on a large lot, with no owner or name attributed. Eleven years later the 1892 as the building for the community's future Female Seminary. The house also served as the headquarters and real- Bien Atlas illustrates a greatly reduced Grand Park(only 450 acres)associated with the "Altonwood Stock Farm"of estate office for Grand Park. S.W. Parker. The 1901 Bromley lists S.W. Parker as owner of Altonwood and as a primary owner(though not the In addition,Wilson obtained land from Mamaroneck scion Edward Floyd Delancey,an heir of Caleb Heathcote, sole owner)of most of the property associated with Grand Park. By 1911, both house and subdivision were cited to build the southern stretch of Grand Park Avenue,now roughly Fenimore Road south of Palmer Avenue.Historical as Altonwood with Walter S. Bennett as trustee—the name Grand Park did not even appear on the map because records from the Union Theological Seminary verify Wilson's boast that Mamaroneck could have been the "Oxford Grand Park Avenue had been changed to Fenimore Road. In 1914, Altonwood Park was owned by the of America." It seems that Edward F. Delancey and Edward Haight, both interested property owners from Mamaroneck Heights Company,which sold 280 acres to C.C. Lewis in 1922. Finally, Lewis turned the property over Mamaroneck,were on the Union Theological Seminary's committee to study relocating from New York to the sub- to the Winged Foot Holding Company and in M3, the Winged Foot Club was opened.13' Today, all that survives urbs. The Seminary decided in favor of purchasing two parcels of land from Wilson in Grand Park. One 25-acre of the Great Central Subdivision of Grand Park is that name used on the northernmost section of Fenimore Road. parcel was located on what is now a part of Bonnie Briar Country Club; another 30-acre-parcel farther south was Another mystery associated with the property is yet to be resolved. Historic maps show that in 1867 a house bounded by Grand Street on the south and extended northward between Grand Park Avenue(now Fenimore Road) with no owner listed was located west of Old White Plains Road,roughly where the drive for 1010 Old White Plains and Rockland Avenue, roughly to the current site of Oxford Road. This probably included the original Baldwin Road is now located. By 1868, the house was owned by T.R. Hawley,the man who sold to Wilson,and was called property as well as part of Larchmont Ridge. To further his dream, Wilson subdivided the area between the two "Altonwood." Altonwood Place was a small street near the Hawley house and platted on the Great Central parcels to the west of Grand Park Avenue into six-to-12-acre lots, and named it "Oxford Park." Subdivision map. However, the name Altonwood, in reference to a house, does not appear on a map until 1892, In a deed dated Oct. 15, 1870, the Seminary agreed to take title to the land, provided it could raise enough when S.W. Parker (probably Samuel Webber Parker) was listed as the proprietor of the Altonwood Stock Farm. capital for construction of buildings within five years. By July of 1872, however, the land was surrendered to T.R. Stone posts with the name Altonwood still survive on the grounds of Winged Foot Golf Club. The property Hawley, Wilson's successor. [Minutes from the Seminary archives indicated that some members did not wish to remained in the family until 1911, when a Parker heir, Webber S. Parker, sold it to William Bennett.") Local tradi- move the Seminary out of the city,and so the half-million dollars necessary to erect buildings could not be raised.] tion has it that the property was the home of Alton Brooks Parker,a New York State Judge who ran as a Democratic After an elaborate opening reception on New Year's Day, 1870, at the Hawley Mansion, land sales boomed, Presidential candidate in 1904 and lost to Theodore Roosevelt. Parker, however, was born in 1852 and only a with more than$300,000 in sales recorded by August.Wilson's confidence was grander than his pocketbook, how- schoolboy in Cortlandt, N.Y., at the time the place-name Altonwood first appeared on a Mamaroneck map. A ever, and convoluted transactions may have proved to be his undoing. As he contracted for property to be pur- Democrat,he graduated from Albany Law School in 1872 and moved to Ulster County to begin a career in law and chased on time,he simultaneously sold or assigned with registered deeds many land contracts to a James Armstrong Politics.He appears to have remained in the Albany area at least through his service as Chief of the Court of Appeals 44 45 a from 1897 until his 1904 campaign for president, and possibly until 1912, when he became head of his New York ner in the New York Stock Exchange firm of Asiel and Company,was also listed as an owner of this 350-acre estate, law firm. At his death in 1926, he maintained a summer home in Esopus, N.Y., in Ulster County, near Kingston. which had several cottages, a three-hole golf course, apple orchard and a hothouse for plants. The family enter- Westchester County Land Records offer no proof of his ever having owned property in Mamaroneck. tained many world-famous musicians on the estate,as well as Ralph Waldo Emerson.Sidney Prince died in the sum- As Alton B. Parker's father was a farmer in Cortland, N.Y., nearly 200 miles from Mamaroneck, it is unlikely mer of 1929.to that the family held property in Mamaroneck. Land records show no Parker association with the Mamaroneck prop- In the mid-20s, 100 acres of land were sold to the Saxon Woods Reservation(6) and later, Owen Mandeville, a erty until 1887 when Samuel W. Parker acquired the property from Dora Galarraga Mestre, whose husband had local businessman and town official, purchased portions of the property for development, leaving intact the origi- acquired it from William W.Thompson in 1877.(Thompson was listed as owner on the 1872 map.)Thompson had nal 27-room Prince house. George and Virginia Lynch bought the house and two acres in May 1953, and started acquired the land from Augusta and Thomas Hawley, to whom the property seems to have reverted after Wilson's the Saxon Woods Country School, a nursery school which has served the community for 44 years.Their daughter, death. All these deeds refer to the Grand Park Map which was not platted until 1870, after the first appearance of joAnn Lynch Towle, continues to run the school and a summer day camp. the name "Altonwood." As discussed in Chapter 11, it appears that a great deal of farmland in "Palmer's portion" was bought shortly It is possible that S.W. Parker either preserved the historic name because of the stone posts on the property or after the turn of the century, when residential subdivisions began; by the 1950s, most of the land had been Bevel- simply resurrected an historic name from the earlier map.A small street adjacent to the house was called Altonwood oped.By contrast,despite some early developments,residential subdivision of"Heathcote's manor portion"did not Place on the Great Central Subdivision of Grand Park. flourish until the second half of the century, with the newest neighborhoods off Fenimore Road emerging within Alton B. Parker died leaving a married daughter Mrs. Charles Mercer Hall and two Hall grandchildren. No the past 10 years. Parker relatives were sited as survivors in his New York Times obituary,and this researcher has been unable to link An early residential subdivision in "Heathcote's manor portion" was Fenimore Cooper Park which started Samuel Webber Parker(or Charles W. Parker, to whom he sold the land in 1890) to Alton B. Parker. development in 1923.(7) It included houses around Glencoe Pass, the area now known as Dudley Lane, and con- tinued toward Avon Road and Winged Foot Drive. Baldwin Place In 1928, the Larchmont Ridge Section was developed along Dundee, Avon and Oxford roads. On maps dat- ing from the Andrew Wilson Jr. Grand Park Subdivision in 1870, an Oxford Avenue laid out in this area connected In 1911, when Walter Bennett still owned the Altonwood property,the property on Grand Street(now known Rockland Avenue to Grand Park Avenue(present-day Fenimore Road). "Oxford" may be associated with Wilson's and the western section was developed as"Hilltop Farm"by its owner, Mrs.J.S. Bennett.(8)By 1914, "Hilltop Farm" dream to transform this area into the "Oxford University Town of America." Building started along Durham and Ormond in 1931 and continued to York in 1936 and 1948. Across Fenimore Road, the development of the Country was owned by George E. Baldwin, who operated his business, George E. Baldwin&Co. Orchid Growers, on the Road area began in 1954. as Baldwin Place, near the Mamaroneck Village border)that had been owned by J.H. McLaughlin was subdivided, 12.7-acre property. In 1922, the greenhouses burned down, as described in the Dec. 14, 1922 Larcbmont Times: In three hours flames destroyed the life work of George E. Baldwin, internationally known Murdock Woods orchid grower Thousands of rare orchid plants,gathered by Mr.Baldwin from many parts of the onslaught of fire and smoke. John J. Murdock, the "last of the vaudeville czars," was the board chairman of RKO-Pathe Pictures. Born in world, drooped their beautiful heads and died before the combined The big tragedy of his career as a floriculturist, houever, was the destruction of 100,000 orchid � Scotland in 1863, he began as a stage electrician and later became a theater owner in Chicago. He then moved to Larcbmont Manor and assisted Edward F. Albee Sr.,a vaudeville impresario and grandfather of the playwright. A seedlings, all of them rare and irreplaceable,for they represented many years of experimentation and study. By the inter-breeding and cross-breeding of widely different members of the orchid 1920 deed indicates that Murdock purchased property between Griffen Avenue and Old White Plains Road that had family—a work which be loved and to which be bad devoted all the best years of his life— belonged to Louisa Griffen. Mr. Baldwin bad developed many priceless blooms of unique form, beauty and delicacy.All died According to former resident Ann Calarco,her father, Perry Stanton, ran a stable for Mr. Murdock from 1938 to in the fire.It takes five years to develop an orchid from the original seed. The Mamaroneck man's 1942. It was located off Griffen Avenue,site of the present neighborhood of Murdock Woods.The stable was actu- loss is, therefore, incalculable. ally an experimental laboratory for cancer research.For five years,veterinarians from New York City traveled to the The property it encompassed is now known as Jason Lane and Baldwin Place. stable and injected the horses with serum from cancer patients, hoping to develop a vaccine against cancer. The Mamaroneck Village Historian Gloria Poccia Pritts(who lived on Colonial Avenue near Murray Avenue School lab, however,was later moved out of the country when animal experimentation was curtailed in the United States. in 1923, when only two houses existed on the block), recalls picnicking in the Baldwin meadows with her sister During the Depression, a WPA project was developed to create walls along the beds of the streams near Split Tree Road to open the area for development.(")The first wave of development started after World War It, with sin- Lucy and their church group. Their father, Oreste Poccia, was the mason who laid the cornerstone for the club- 0„ house at Winged Foot Golf Club,and their cousins Anthony Poccia 8c Sons developed the neighborhood on Poccia gle-family homes built on large, well-landscaped lots along Murdock Road and the upper part of Salem Drive. The second wave took place between 1966 and 1976, when the lower part of Salem Drive was opened. Circle. McLaughlin also owned 7.5 acres around Fenimore Road at the Mamaroneck Village border. A quarry on the property called R.Faillace Brothers'Quarry and Stone Crushing Plant provided employment for many Italian immi- Cross County Parkway grants. The first building in the area to use stones from the quarry was 236 Mamaroneck Ave.The quarry site was In 1926, Westchester County purchased land in the Town of Mamaroneck for a proposed Cross County located in the residential area now known as South Ridge Road and Baldwin Place.(8) Parkway.With the onset of the Depression,the building of the road was postponed.By the time the country recov- ered from World War II, automobile traffic had increased to such a degree that the proposed parkway would no longer suffice. In 1962, the Town was able to acquire 54 acres that the County then considered surplus(9)and con- Estates to Residential Subdivisions vert it to conservation areas, now known as the Leatherstocking Trail and Sheldrake River Trails(see Conservation As mentioned above,the northeastern portion of the Town along Old White Plains Road was developed as sin- -Chapter 25). gle-family residences on large, estate-like or farm lots until about 1934.(5) The Prince Estate, where Saxon Woods The release of the County lands opened up development in the surrounding area. In 1962, developer Tony Country School now stands at 2 Fairway Drive, is one example. Known as the Burtis Farm until purchased by Vileno began building houses on Hidden Green(i5) Lane. Mr. Vileno an ardent olfer, vacillated between the re- Theodore Prince in 1911, the Greek Revival house may have been built in the mid-1800s.(5) Sidney Prince, a part- 47 g g p 47 46 • a sent name of the street and "Golf Lane."0o Around 1905 the business was sold to T.D. Healy,and the property was later sold to Charles Burnstein,a Brooklyn Ironically, one of the last areas to be developed was one of the first areas traveled nearly 300 years ago. lawyer. On Oct. 28, 1911, the inn was destroyed by fire. The cause was unknown, although it was the fourth fire Between the 1970s and 1980s, the area east of Old White Plains Road bordering Saxon Woods was developed from there in the span of a few years. No guests were present at the time.The building's value was reported at$15,000. the property of old estates. These include the vicinity around Prince Willow Drive and Marbourne Street. Another restaurant on that site was the Post Lodge, which burned in 1977. Developments in this area have included the names Saxon Glen,Enclave and Marbourne Meadows. Streets off the The Town also needed accommodations near the Larchmont Train Station. The Larchmont Hotel was purchased Old White Plains Road, such as Wagon Wheel Road, Gate House Lane, Carriage House Lane, Barn Wall Lane and about 1893 by Peter and Babette Reinstein, who had emigrated from Germany.(30) By 1899, Pete Reinstein's Lager Stonewall Lane allude to a bygone era. Beer Saloon, located approximately where the commuter parking lot is today, offered drinks at its long mahogany Finally, in 1985, the Fenbrook Partnership acquired 40 acres of land from the Beringer estate."�The Beringers bar, and lodging.(3,") Weary commuters and salesmen, arriving after a long day in the city, could relax with fine had owned the property off Fenimore Road for nearly 50 years. To date, about 20 to 25 homes have been built in beer,ales and spirits. Commuters also could enjoy bowling in a wing attached to the main building. Long-time res- Fenbrook along Evergreen Lane, Boulder Circle and Fenbrook Drive. ident"Uncle Carl"Carpino recalls setting bowling pins at Reinstein's for 5 cents a day.There was also a dance floor, with a separate entrance for the ladies. By 1919, with the enforcement of Prohibition, Reinstein's lost much of its clientele.The building was boarded Chapter 18 up in the 1920s and razed in 1925, falling victim to Town Supervisor George Burton's project to beautify the area THE HISTORY OF ROAD HOUSES IN THE TOWN around the train station. The Loyal Inn,a well-known road house that enjoyed a large portion of the passing automobile trade,was also destroyed by fire in 1929.') Located on the Boston Post Road near the New Rochelle border, the place had been by Jacqueline Friedman known by a variety of names, including Ferncroft, Arrowhead and Indian Head Inn. At the turn of the century, it is listed on local maps as the Robin Hood Inn. oad houses were common along the Boston Post Road at the turn of the century, and frequented by weary The Loyal Inn was a rendezvous spot for many national and international figures. After the fire, it was rebuilt travelers and townsfolk alike. in the 1930s as an Italian restaurant but keeping its name and retaining the same atmosphere. A familiar watering hole in the 30s and 40s, it was the scene-of frequent appearances by Lou Gehrig. Orchestra leader Jimmy Saporita The Blossom Heath Inn was located on the Boston Post Road where the Village Square Shopping Center is and his Little Saps provided a musical backdrop for the gay chatter that characterized the room.This restaurant,too, today. It was "one of the best-known road houses in the New York vicinity and the mecca for many city motorists burned in December of 1955. After that, the Loyal Inn Bowling Alley stood on the site until 1993, when a small who journeyed there regularly to have one of the meals for which the place was famous."c") It had five wings, all shopping center replaced it. built at different times. The name "Loyal Inn" has historical roots. The original house belonged to Dr. Nicholas Bailey during the The Inn was a local landmark.(") In the 1870s, it was the home of Jacob Cox and in the 1890s, it belonged to Revolutionary War. His home was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers after Simcoe's Raid in 1777. In 1936,his- Dr. Walter Fleming, who owned land in that vicinity torian William G. Fulcher wrote, "Standing just a few rods to the east of the house was the 20th milestone of the extending from Palmer Avenue to the Boston Post Boston Post Road. The house stood about where the present Loyal Inn now stands. It was occupied by Mrs. Margaret Disbrow, her children and her grandchildren from 1835 till 1904.1,01) Road. Around 1899 his son, Charles P. Fleming, opened the inn for the first time as a hostelry. Daniel Barker's(32) home became the Red Lion Inn.('," The inn, which stood at 1289 Boston Post Road, where f the Castro Convertible Showroom is now locat- Y """""1,111t Lo" NN Y, ed, attracted people from miles around. The restaurant dated from the turn of the century _ and served food grown on the premises. The owners raised pigs, which were housed in pens 9 behind the establishment. In the early `20s, a o _ F _ s blossom i-lealb Lin opt[Soso m I'osl Roci<i c.early 1900s. Peter Reinstein's Larchmont Hotel Past Lodge on Boston Post Road, c. mid 1900s. near train station, c.1893. , .., Loyal Inn Restaurant on Boston Post Roadit Revolutionary liar landmark, burned in 1929. „. I.CYH-li'1N,S0�•I'OPi POST ROAb,BL'T,N£WAOCHELLEfi LV[CHMONT N.Y, - ,. t gam' t`' 'fI :�'' ` 48 49 a - severe storm caused a tree to break through the roof of Part Three ree 1ot�un'Vit t, ui rtCrd 6V Hiro prod uccr Sc the dining room. , _; 1)pi �.SS as �,,,a 11111. A Closer Look At The Town Later, in the 1930s,the inn was renovated,reopening INN as the Larcbmont Casino, which provided a summerLION showcase for the Jimmy Lunsford Jazz Band. When the K�— - .. - •— J building later underwent remodeling, problems arose ��� J with trade unions. The architect refused to deal with the 4 w �,: - Boston Post Roan union and the union set up picket lines. On opening � � I d rch rrt ori t `� Chapter 19 night,union members, carrying lit torches, stood in fronts. yhew"lo k • of the car of each of the 650 arriving guests and managed \— SCHOOLS to dissuade them from coming in. "The demise of the Larchmont Casino came soon after that."(5) Abe Levine's Larcbmont Lodge was located at 1890 Advertisement for Red Lion Inn on Boston Post Road, c.1900. efore the Revolutionary War, New York State did not provide for a public system of education.(" A bill had Palmer Ave.in Larchmont Village,the site of the present- been proposed in the New York Assembly in 1691 "to appoint a schoolmaster for the educating and instruct- day Fleet Bank. Built in 1900 by Michael DeCicco, who Bing of children and youth,to read and write in English in every town in the province."()However, no action built many roads in the Town,the gabled house was run was taken on it, leaving the responsibility of education to individuals or religious organizations. by the DeCicco family as a restaurant and railroad work- Abe Levine's Larchmont Lodge(formerly called Much of the information on the early history of the Town schools('5)was compiled by Mamaroneck High School ers' hostel. Mr. DeCicco also hosted the first meeting of "Chatsworth House")on Palmer Avenue. c.1920. student James Hamilton in 1941 for a report titled:"A History of the Mamaroneck School System,"for which he won Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party.(21) Next, Abe first prize in the Swope Award Contest. Mr. Hamilton, who is presently living in Massachusetts, obtained a great Levine's wife owned the building and called it deal of data from the Town records, and has given permission to reproduce his report, much of which follows: "Chatsworth House." During Prohibition, Abe Levine's was known as a speakeasy(9) and a com- Caleb Heathcote began a school in Rye in 1704 and John Cleator was appointed schoolmaster, receiving 15 muter bar.By the `30s and`40s,it became known as ' pounds a year(see Lord Of The Manor-Chapter 5). Later the school operated for four months in Rye,four months the "Stork Club" or "21 Club" of Westchester, fre- in Mamaroneck and four in Bedford. Schools were private, as public education was not yet mandated. The first „t� si . . actual school building in Mamaroneck was built before 1733 and also was used for Town meetings. In addition to quented by young married couples. The club served fine food and attracted people from New its importance as a school and Town meeting place,the schoolhouse played a significant role in the Revolutionary War: Colonel Robert Rogers took possession of it and made it his temporary headquarters (see Revolutionary War York City.Very often the New Yorkers would arrive - Chapter 6). The school was probably located on the north side of what is now the Old Boston Post Road and in limos, dressed "to the nines." Long-time resident Orienta Avenue on land belonging to Daniel Barker. Barker's own home was located almost half a mile down the Jane Trenholm remembers that the Larchmont crowd often appeared quite shabby in comparison. M1. ' Old Post Road(see Barker's Hommocks-Chapter 12).John Peter DeLancey later owned the schoolhouse land. Last Although the appeared Larchmq Lodge was located comparison. the +' mention of the schoolhouse was in the Town Minutes noting a Town meeting held there April 12, 1807. Shortly Village, it was frequented d many people in the thereafter,two public schools were built in the Town and the "grandfather"of Mamaroneck's schools passed out of Town, and its owner, Abe Levine, lived in one of use. the first houses built on Forest Avenue. Levine ran In 1795, a New York State law provided for the establishment and maintenance of schools and a share of the the landmark restaurant until 1960, catering to the public moneys. Citizens in the Town lost little time in starting a school system. In the early days, parents paid for elite of Westchester and often serving as many as 300 diners an evening.(4) books and a portion of the tuition to help supplement the tax monies. Between 1848 and 1873, "the dog tax of 50 The building that now houses Carl's Restaurant was erected in 1924 as an Italian grocery store and apartment. cents per animal was used for school expenses."()In 1796, Ten years later, the store was replaced with a bar, whose sign read Myrtle Tavern, denoting its spot on Myrtle the freeholders of the Town met and agreed to create Boulevard just east of Chatsworth Avenue across from the Larchmont train station.This landmark restaurant received two school districts in the Town, Districts#1 and#2. its current name from former owner Carl Danneggar,who served German food as the house speciality. Although Walter's is located in the Village of Mamaroneck across from Mamaroneck High School, its place as Weaver Street Scbool-District#2 ~ a roadhouse serves to complete this chapter and bring us to the present day.This historic hot dog stand is still fre- The first public school in Mamaroneck,the Weaver quented by many in the surrounding area. Originally opened in 1919 on the Boston Post Road near Richbell Road, Street School, was originally called the Town School the stand relocated in 1928 to its present site on Palmer Avenue.to House. Built on land purchased from Daniel Barker in y 1799(at a different site than the one he sold for the pri- The building was designed by the original owner Walter Warrington,with help from Asian friends thus explain- ing the pagoda shape.Two sculpted carp tip the ends of the roof,and Siamese dragons sit on its edges. In back of vate school),the one-room school was first mentioned l, as a completed structure in a record of a Town meet- 01 1 the stand, an amusement park once attracted people arriving by trolley car. _ �� ing held there in 1808. Other rooms were added later. �� ,� �� Walter's gained a spot on the Westchester County Inventory List of Historic places in 1991.(7) Its origin is close- Water came from the Howell's well across the street, ly aligned to the automobile age. According to David Gebhard, an authority on drive-ins, "The rapid speed of the but later a well was dug on the property. The walls automobile meant that the drive-in facility had to be visually grasped by the occupants quickly and indelibly." A were made of gray clapboards; a stove was located in leaver Street School(originally called `Town School House'). catchy sign, or the shape of the building itself was important to attract motorists('). the center of the main room; and on each side were First public school, built 1807. Converted to a residence in 1925(84 leaver Street). 51 „ 50 a i two rows of double desks. A bell summoned the children to school,with attendance averaging about 50 pupils and brought closure to one of Mamaroneck's best-known landmarks of the 19th century. Its memory is preserved int e increasing to 63 by 1881. Younger students met in a back room, and one requirement for promotion was a knowl- school bell, now located in St.vito's Church. edge of long division. The most outstanding figure at the Weaver Street School was teacher Harris Sniffin, who was loved by his stu- The Rockland Avenue School-District#3 dents and the community and who later was transferred to the high school as the grammar department teacher. n er�his leadership,the school ranked high in the county,although irregular attendance by the students interfered For a time during the 1830s and 1840s,a third school district near Rockland Avenue and the Post Road accom- U d r a who lived far from the other two schools. The Rockland Avenue School was men- with their advancement. The Weaver Street School continued to function as a primary school until the Murrayy . moria Avenue School opened in 1922. In 1925, Mamaroneck's oldest school building was sold, stuccoed and converted ab uathe school. Sometime before and 84 passed on of meeexistinge as held there in 1840, but little else is known to a residence that still stands at 84 Weaver St. I Later,a private school was operated by Pamela Dougherty in her Rockland Avenue home.The house,no longer The Depot Scbools -District#1 standing, was located opposite the playground of old Central School, the present Town Center. About the time of the Civil War, Dougherty's school ceased. In 1814, Rockland Avenue was selected as the dividing line between the Weaver Street School Quaker Ridge Scbool-New Rochelle District#3 = _y _ District #2 and the Depot School District #1. The -- m� Depot School received its name because of its prox- During the Civil War period, Mamaroneck shared a joint district with New Rochelle and Scarsdale on Weaver imity to the Mamaroneck Station. The property, pur- Street near the Scarsdale boundary0) Originally, the Quaker Meeting house also functioned as a schoolhouse for chased for one cent from the Westchester County local residents(see Quakers in Chapter 10). However, in 1863, the need for a new school arose and a building was Manufacturing Society, was located on a triangular erected at the northeast corner of Quaker Ridge Road and Weaver Street at the junction of the Towns of piece of land bordered by Mamaroneck and Mt. Mamaroneck, New Rochelle and Scarsdale. The school was described as "a bleak one-room frame building," and ��� i� Pleasant avenues.The first mention of the completed for two years the "students sat on plain benches around a stove,"until desks with attached seats were purchased.() school is in 1819 when a special Town meeting was Around 1894,the building was moved to the south side of Quaker Ridge Road overlooking present-day Pinebrook held "at the School House near Sheldrake Bridge." Boulevard.(8) "In 1899, residents of Mamaroneck and Scarsdale separated themselves from New Rochelle School " y Afterwards,Town officials decided to alternate Town District#3 and became School District#2 of Scarsdale." ` meetings between the two school houses, a practice At the turn of the 20th century, the area on the "Ridge" was still isolated from the rest of the Town of that only lasted until 1856 (see Town Meetings - Mamaroneck, which was the nearest center for post office, railroad, church,shopping and telephone service.The Chapter 22). surrounding area was woods, fields and a few farms. Living two miles from the center of town and traveling by Early Depot School.Mamaroneck and Mt.Pleasant avenues, By 1855, the Depot School had outgrown its horse and carriage, these families had to depend on one another. c. 1819. original 15-by-20-foot,one-room building.(10)A larger, single-room clapboard structure, 30-by-40 feet, was The Griffen Avenue School- then erected on the triangular property, facing south toward the harbor. Later the school was raised, and a lower Scarsdale District#2 s installed upstairs, and an out- level, also a single room, was built underneath. In 1880, a lengthwise partition war. L A new schoolhouse was Built for side staircase was added on at a later date.Here,too,a stove was in the center of the room with two rows of desks Mir Scarsdale School District #2 in 1901 on on each side. Griffen Avenue on property donated by + isY�ai L1� During the 1880s, the school population grew and the Depot School became very crowded, with as many as "' Bradford Rhodes. The stone building was 70 to 80 pupils in class downstairs.(From 1885 to 1888,the overflow of primary students attended school in a small a one-room stricture for all eight grades, - land office across the street on the east side of Mamaroneck Avenue.)When the Town's high school was complet- with rows of individual desks facing a ed in 1889, the Depot School and its "annex"were raised platform where the teacher sat. By closed. A teacher, Mr. Samuel J. Preston, became 40 1903, 45 pupils attended the school. The principal of the new Town high school. In addi- school was enlarged in 1934 and again in tion to his academic duties, he was told to bring 1944. No longer needed after the comple- chairs and books to the new school.By 1890,the tion of the Quaker Ridge School on Weaver ^' Depot School building was being leased to Street in 1946,it temporarily"accommodat- �� t Damon and Yale for auction rooms and later it ed two kindergarten and two first-grade ,;,,`•� �: G classes when the increase in pupils proved was used as a private kindergarten. In � �-*� - - _ ;. , .. September, 1895, the school reopened for pri- - - too large for the new elementary school."(9) mary grades and shared the premises with the (In recent years,it has served as storage for Griffen Avenue School c.1901. kindergarten, remaining open until theF 1, golf carts at the Quaker Ridge Golf Club on Now part of Quaker Ridge Golf Club. f r i ,, Griffen Avenue.) In 1929, the Board of Mamaroneck Avenue School was built in 1909. Education of Mamaroneck"asked Scarsdale District#2 to cede all of the school district lying within the limits of the The old building was still standing when the x property was sold in 1926, a transaction that ` �,. Town of Mamaroneck,except that portion east of Grand Park Avenue and Fenimore Road," now referred to as the "Mamaroneck Strip.'°(8) Later Depot School, built on same site in 1855• 53 52 • i, The First High School Union Free School District In his report, Hamilton noted that only elementary subjects Chatsworth Avenue School f= _ were taught in these early schools. Attendance was erratic, __ = he number In 1902, depending on a student's interest in learning or on tLarchmont School opened on Chatsworth Avenue in the Village of Larchmont, and was renamed the nue School in 1913. Additions were made in 1912, 1922 and 1930. Ruth A. Stewart served as the A of chores the child was responsible for at home."' Without a Chatsworth Ave high school, students could not prepare for college, and first principal. although teachers tutored college-bound students, the system Mamaroneck Avenue School o �. was entirely inadequate. To meet this important need, In 1909, the Mamaroneck Avenue School opened in the Village of Mamaroneck north of the railroad to help Mamaroneck School Districts #1 and #2 were consolidated in alleviate overcrowding at the Depot School. Additions were built in 1916 and 1928. Helen McLoughlin served as August of 1887 to form the Union Free School District No. 1. the first principal. The School Board resolved to "establish and maintain a high Murray Avenue School graded school therein at a centrally located position within convenient reach of the scholars thereof." A committee was The Murray Avenue School was built in 1922 to meet the needs of new families moving into the Unincorporated formed, which stated that "no better investment can be made Section of the Town following World War I. The original building had one playground and was surrounded by for the children of our district than to educate them thorough- woods and meadows."'Long-time residents recall spending lunch hour in the meadow behind the school(present- ly and well." Four and a half acres were purchased between day Daymon Terrace).Other playgrounds were later added,as well as sidewalks,which residents insisted were nec- the Post Road and Rockland Avenue. essary for the children's safety. Additions were built in 1926 and 1930, but it is interesting to note that the original First High School, opened Sept.9, 1889. Built in 1888, the Union Free School of the Town of assembly room is now the school library,thus accounting for the stage platform.The first principal was Miss Loretta Present-day Town Center(740 W Boston Post Road) Mamaroneck was designed by David Jardine, a summer resi- M. Hirschbeck, who served from 1922 until her retirement in 1958. dent of Larchmont Manor and a well-known architect in New New High School Building York City. The school had an oak stairway and balustrade carved by George Burger of Mamaroneck; local crafts- In 1925, the new high school was built on Palmer Avenue, at Shepherd's Field, a site owned by Charles D. men completed the masonry, plumbing and landscaping.The entire community was extremely proud of the build- Shepherd, to house grades seven through twelve. Six years later, a junior high school was built on the Post Road ing, and in 1891 the editor of the local newspaper, the Mamaroneck Paragraph, wrote that "the $50,000 school to accommodate seventh and eighth grade students. By 1932 ninth grade students were transferred to the junior round,,is a proclamation of the character and intelli- high school. To save on heating costs during World War II, the two schools were consolidated into one building building elevated on the hill, which can be seen for miles a gence of our citizens."According to historian Judith Spikes, "The outstanding physical plant and the high level of with students attending split sessions.After 1968, the junior high school(grades seven and eight)was moved to the 1890s."rn new Hommocks School, and the Palmer Avenue and Post Road buildings were connected by an addition to serve education offered within were widely credited as a prominent cause of the rapid growth of the area in the This first high school(later called Central School)opened on Sept.9, 1889,with 250 pupils.(")Concerned about as the high school(grades nine through twelve). Hoyt D. Smith was named the first junior high school principal, the "complete education of the students—academically, artistically, musically and physically," the School Board and Albert E. Tuttle, the first high school principal. hired a librarian almost immediately, as well as teachers for music, domestic arts and physical training, and pur- Central School chased a piano for the new building rather than renting one. Local historian and realtor Philip Severin recalled two In 1965,a new Central Elementary School was built at Cargill Park on the site that formerly housed equipment large classrooms on the upper floor of the "Old Central School,"one for grades seven and eight, and the other for for the Town's public works department.Genevieve Phillips was principal.The Town Yard was moved to Maxwell grades nine through twelve.Eight-foot partition walls separated several smaller recitation rooms, and the first floor Avenue(see Recreation-Chapter 27). served grades one through six. At the turn of the century, about 500 students attended the school.'5) Hommocks School Judge Charles M.Baxter was valedictorian at his 1903 high school graduation. His class numbered 50 when he In 1968, Hommocks School was built for junior high school students, grades seven and eight, and George began,but only eight students received diplomas,and he was the only one to go to college.Judge Baxter described Brown served as its first principal(see Conservation-Chapter 25, and Recreation-Chapter 27). In the fall of 1996, a typical trip to school in those days sixth grade classes from Mamaroneck Avenue School and Murray Avenue School were moved to the Hommocks At the turn of the century,society s pace was slower and life,at least in retrospect, was less com- building to alleviate overcrowding in these elementary schools. plea. The Boston Post Road was a dirt road, and often on a school morning, clogged with bicycles and horse drawn-carriages. Children often trudged through the mud down the Post Road to the high school and the community worried about this.A campaign far a sidewalk enlisted the support of the children, who offered their pennies, and the Alumni Club of the high school, who made sig- nificant contributions. The campaign was a success and the Post Road got a sidewalk. Chapter 20 Information obtained from The History of the Schools in the Town of Mamaronecl �completes the story of the h of the first high school building illustrates the concept TOWN OF MAMARONECK FIRE DEPARTMENT development of the Town's schools.The changing function of"adaptive reuse."After 1905, the building was called Central School,and although it initially housed grades one through twelve, it converted to an elementary school in 1925 after the present high school was built on Palmer Avenue. With construction of a new Central School in 1965, the old building served as an annex for the over- n the early 1900s,the Town of Mamaroneck did not have its own fire department. Residents of the newly devel- crowded high school.Once Hommocks School was built in 1968,however,the annex was no longer necessary and oping Unincorporated Section of the Town complained that Village Fire Companies took too long to respond to the original building housed administrative offices of the school district until the Town of Mamaroneck bought the fires in their neighborhoods.George E.Mills Sr.,a charter member of the Volunteer Fire Department,explained: building in 1982(see Town Meetings-Chapter 22). "The Unincorporated Area, which had no firefighters of its own, was dependent on the Larchmont 1r11age Fire Department for protection. Village fire trucks could cross Larchmont 55 54 w t 1909, some mains and hydrants were installed and a huge water tower at the Winged Foot Golf Club pumped full by steam engine produced the pressure needed for fighting fires. Weaver Street Fire Co.No. 1. 1918. The Town Minutes note that a Fire District#2 in the Dillon Park section of the Town existed before 1913. In Formerly located on Edgewood Avenue. ' 1914, the Fire Department requested more hydrants to handle increased growth. In 1915, an auxiliary fire station -- — - was built in the Larchmont Woods area.This Chatsworth District#3 was located in a private garage that stored aux- iliary equipment. In 1916, the department requested a new alarm because the sound of the old "hammer-by-hand railroad dining wheel"did not carry well and was often confused with a New Haven Railroad whistle. Funds were allocated for an electric siren. In 1917, the Chatsworth Fire District and the Weaver Street Fire District were consol- idated, but the Dillon Park District remained separate. In 1918,telephone service was installed at the firehouse and new equipment was obtained. In 1919,the Weaver Street Firehouse received a better alarm system,which was sim- ilar to those used on U.S. warships. j e4,_. Mr. Murphy discussed new equipment and improvements made after 1918: An American La France pumper with hose bin and equipment for fire fighting was put into service. Matt Ireland and Pat Nolan were the first two paid men hired to take fire calls on the tele- phone, blow the fire whistle for the location call numbers and respond to the fire location by dri- ving the fire engine. They slept on the second floor of the building. The Police Department was set up on the main floor of the firehouse. Police Captain Decker had a desk and a couple of files there and that was the Police Department. Later the building was moved across the street to 11 Edgewood Ave., turned horizontally, and continued to be used as the Police Department until 1986.(Ironically, this new location was the site of the old Gallagher house that had burned down in 19071 In 1922,Charles F.Mink and Otto Eggers,architects from the firm of John Russell Pope,were selected to design a new firehouse to be located on the south side of Weaver Street from Edgewood to Hillcrest avenues. Mr. Mink boundaries only with the mayor'spermission. Town fire victims were out of luck if the mayor hap- lived on Brookside Drive in Larchmont Gardens and had designed the Daughters of the American Revolution build- pened to be away from the village and unavailable to grant that permission."(5) ing and the Greek ambassador's residence, both in Washington, D.C. According to Judith Spikes, he also designed When the Gallagher house at Edgewood Road(now Edgewood Avenue)burned down in 1906, the Town real- the American Battle Monument in France, Syracuse Memorial Hospital and others. Mr. Eggers later designed the ized it needed to organize its own department. According to Town Minutes, the Hommocks Fire Company was Larchmont Avenue Church in 1929. formed in April 1906, and the Weaver Street Fire Company#1 was formed in September 1907.The Town no longer With construction of the new firehouse, new equipment was again needed, as Mr. Murphy explained: had to depend on the Village or its mayor. Originally located in a shack on Weaver Street and Ferndale Place, the Weaver Street Company consisted of 35 men, a hand-drawn hose reel and 200 feet of hose.') Wben the present firehouse was built in 1923, a new American La France hook-and-ladder truck was purchased and two more paid men were added to the staff, making a total of four Those According to long-time resident Dick Murphy,who was a volunteer firefighter in active service between 1935 men put in 84 hours a week with alternating day and night duty. That situation was in effect for and 1961: a few years, and with my efforts and the efforts of a few members of the volunteer ranks, the Town The fire alarm bell on this structure, which was used as a firehouse, has been mounted on the Board was persuaded to front lawn of the present Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department on Weaver Street and Edgewood _ hire a couple of additional Avenue, and is dedicated to Town Supervisor George Burton Sr.,founder of the Fire Department paid men to cut back on and its captain from 1907-1914.In 1909, the Fire Company was moved to a two-sto ara e- the hours of duty. P Y 'y g g tYPe _ building on Edgewood Road. As the Unincorporated The original hand-drawn reel, which proved to be too slow, was replaced by a one-horse wagon. One early r ;� y�tH Section of the Town gradu- account said that each time the fire alarm sounded,anear-by estate would provide the horse.',' another account '�** ••••• ally built up after World n®� un �`,�ine� In11a To George E. Mills Sr. said: ""' "" t•• War], the fire department i..�. l'6:e., increased to 100 volun- At that time there was a law on the books giving volunteer firemen the right to commandeer G!ui�i any horse to draw the fire wagon and pay 85.00 to the owner. One time we hada re at the I m Leers and additional fire fire j A apparatus and equipment. Blossom Heath Inn and the horse dropped dead while drawing the hose wagon. * * Fire District #2 was locat- When the department was moved to Edgewood Road, the fire alarm was located at Supervisor ed in the Dillon Park Area Burton's home down the block, and Mrs.Burton assumed responsibilityfor summoning the volun- between Larcbmont Vil- teers. When afire was reported, she ran to the backyard where there was a sledge hammer sus- _ lage and New Rochelle. pended by a rope from a tripod.Mrs. Burton would release the sledge hammer, allowing it to fall _ •- The pumper in that area upon an iron rim that had been salvaged from a steam locomotive. Volunteers would run to the was located in Hannon's nearest"real"station, either the main station on Edgewood Road or one of the two substations locat- garage and was covered ed on Weaver Street and in the Woods of Larchmont c-11 In the beginning there were no water mains Weaver Street Fire House. c.1950. by all volunteers.','In later or fire hydrants and the firemen pumped water from cisterns or wells on the affected properties.In 57 R 56 Now-- years, the late `20s or early 30s, District#2 was abandoned and the area has been covered ever since from the Weaver Street Firehouse. Before World War II, residents often took walks and had picnics in the undeveloped woods s wy around Fenimore Road or near the Larchmont Reservoir because there were few houses in the area then. These outings often resulted in brush fires, as did the burning of leaves in the woods. I can V remember many a weekend we volunteers had to spend in those woods putting out brush fires. The . . Fire Department used Indian tanks to put out those fires. These were portable tanks that we attached to our backs with straps. They had short hoses and nozzles. We also used heavy brooms for beat out the fires. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, all expansion halted as there was no money!World War II followed and pulled us out of the Depression and further growth and expansion of the department took place as more people moved from New York City to the suburbs of Westchester, and the self-starter for the automobile was invented and women then learned to drive. In December of 1933, Weaver Street Fire Company#1 changed its name to the Town of Mamaroneck t Fire Department, and in 1936, �� r Governor Herbert Lehman signed a bill that incorporated the fire 1 department. According to Town Fire Inspector Peter Perciasepe, the a department created the first fire codes applicable to the Town of Mamaroneck in the mid-1930s. Town of Mamaroneck Police Department,formerly located at 11 Edgewood Avenue. The current administrative i _ ------- chain-of-command _chain-of-command for the Fire - -� ----- Department -_ R Department is the Town Board/Fire Commissioners, Fire Council and ��� ...... '' Edgewood Ave., and, as described by Mr. Murphy above, turned sideways. According to the Town Minutes, archi- "p"` " "" tects Eggers and Mink were involved in the renovation and alteration of the building, which included a rear addi- Fire Chief. The Volunteer Fire tion.(' Columns were added to the front and the police department remained at the site until moving to the Town Department is the Town's predom- - inant fighting force in fire suppres- Center in 1986.The original building is now a residence. 1 sion, although a paid staff assists Renovated Weaver Street Fire House. 1995, Police Chief Richard Rivera shared some information on the history of the Police Department of the the volunteers in fighting fires.The Unincorporated Section of the Town of Mamaroneck: staff also executes a veryimportant function by operating the fire apparatus and getting the equipment to the scene Although both the Villages of Mamaroneck and Larchmont each have their own departments, of an alarm. Presently there are 40 to 50 active volunteer firefighters who work in various professions and trades. the three police departments have worked closely with one another over the years. Finally,after seventy years of use, improvements needed to be made to the Town's firehouse.The tops of new fire trucks were scraping against garage doors that were too short, the electrical system was inadequate and the Originally the Town used Special Constables to enforce laws, but they did not patrol as police. floor in the sleeping quarters was sinking. In 1994, the Town Board expanded and modernized the firehouse, On August 1, 1920, the residents convinced the Town Board to hire peace officers and purchase a motorcycle for patrol. The Town Board also approved the purchase of un forms for the new patrol- increasing its size from 13,000 to 17,900 square feet. Renovations included a new truck bay, new electrical system yrZ . The earl Police plumbing improvements and installation of an elevator for the disabled.() (Headquarters were moved to a rented Y Department consisted of only seven officers who used bicycles, the motorcy- cle and foot power-for patrol duties. 4 garage on Fifth Avenue until work was completed in 1995.) In December, 1920, Officer Edward Decker was appointed as a special peace officer in the new Town of Mamaroneck Police Department, or as the department was more commonly known, the "Weaver Street Police. "Four months later, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and put in � .` charge of the department. By 1921, the special constable resigned and by 1922, the department owned one patrol car, two motorcycles and two bicycles.In 1925, there were about 20 officers in the department, with Captain Decker as the commanding officer. In 1935, the first chief of the Police department was Paul A. Merrick, who served for thirty years until his death in 1965. n 1909, the first Weaver Street Fire Department firehouse served as home to both the police and fire depart- One milestone in the Police profession was the introduction o the mobile, three-way radio or • ments.(') The building stood on the north side of Edgewood Avenue, approximately where the parking lot p p f f y .f communication between a police base station and officers patrolling in police vehicles. The "three entrance is today. When a new firehouse was built in 1923 on Weaver Street, the firemen moved out, leaving way"capability also enabled Officers atropin the original building to the police. By 1926, this small structure was moved to the south side of the street at 11 car."(Prior to this,police officers bad to use call-in in separate automobiles to communicate "car to boxes, located throughout the Tour, at regular I 58 59 :I intervals during their bicycle patrols to maintain contact with headquarters.A police officer could Chapter 22 also be found at a kiosk that used to be located in the middle of Myrtle Boulevard on the moms- TOWN MEETINGS ment side of the intersection with North Chatsworth ArenueJ The Town Police Department's mobile radio system went into operation in the late 1930s,following the Larchmont Police Department's lead, which set up its radio system in 1937. The Town police depended upon Larchmontpolice offi- he first Town meeting was held on April 2, 1697, at the home of Ann Richbell, the widow of the Town's service its radio equipment until two Town officers could complete a year-long radio school founder. For another 100 years, Town meetings were held annually, either at the homes of various towns- cers t to o sese Before qualong with the Federal Communications Commission as second-class radio Tfolk or at the original schoolhouse that stood at a site between the Old Post Road and present-day Orienta prn operators, they had to pass what was described as a very rigid F.C.C. examination. The Avenue. After construction of the Weaver Street School in 1808, meetings took place there until 1819, when the Mamaroneck Village police joined the airwaves toward the end of 1940 on the same radio fre- Depot School "near Sheldrake Bridge"was built. Meetings continued to be held annually, alternating between the quency used by the Town police.Larchmont police transmitted on a different frequency.However, two schoolhouses. This practice continued until 1856, except for the 1840 meeting, which was held at a private today all three departments share the same frequencies and are able to communicate with each school on Rockland Avenue. From 1856 to 1862, meetings were held in a room located above a store owned by other via radio. John J. Marshall o> No meetings were recorded during the Civil War years, 1863 to 1864; they resumed in 1865 at Town Hall,site of the original Methodist Church. The departments can also monitor radio transmissions and communicate with other sur- The Methodist Church was built in 1845 on High Street(now known as Prospect Avenue)near Mount Pleasant rounding police agencies, such as the New Rochelle and Westchester County police departments, Avenue in the Village of Mamaroneck,and served as such unti11859. Renamed Richbell Hall,it was rented for pub- thanks to the installation of the Mobile Radio District system in 1984. The department also gained lic functions until 1867, when the Town leased office space there. In 1878, a reading room was added,() and by the capability of communicating with other law enforcement agencies on state and nationwide 1879, the Town had purchased the building from the Methodists for $1,000 and rented space in the evenings to radio frequencies. . . . other organizations.Town Minutes of 1882 made note of purchases of a blackboard, keys and locks for the Town At the station at 11 Edgewood Ave.,prisoners were lodged in an area of the basement that con- Hall.(') In 1946,the Unincorporated Section of the Town deeded the Richbell Hall building to Mamaroneck Village, tamed two jail cells until they could be taken to the Westchester County Jail. The building also which in turn deeded it to the American Legion.The organization still uses the building as Post 90 American Legion Hall. For a number of years, the Town offices were housed a courtroom up until the early 1970s.[Tbe cells were added in 1927 and a shooting range was built in the back of the building. The courtroom was moved in the 1970s to a former home of located at 157 E. Boston Post Road near the rectory .1kDERGAFTEN AND TDWI HALL of St.Thomas'Episcopal Church. In 1940,the Town "AMARONECK " y the Severin family on the corner of Palmer Avenue and Weaver Street. Since 1986, the courtroom Hall building was renovated, and the original bell, has been located in the Town Center.] which had alerted both worshippers and then fire k In 1986, the department again moved its headquarters, this time into a newfaciliry located on department volunteers, (was moved to the the ground floor of the newly renovated Mamaroneck Town Center. It sported a new state-of-the- Mamaroneck Public Library. 1 ark room. across the street at hic d � installed ac os art radio console, larger cell block, intercom system, lounge and photograp The bell now is sta _ Mamaroneck's Village Hall a budding with its own There are presently 40 members in the department. Former Chief Paul Munch, who served g , g interesting history. The first use of the site was St. from 1989 t01993, was mainly responsible for the modernization of the department through com- Michael's Home for Girls, built in 1887 before the puterization of records and reports. The A.L.E.C.S.system,short for the Advanced Law Enforcement Village of Mamaroneck incorporated in 1895. It Computer System, was custom designed to meet the department's needs. The system also became a functioned as a residence for unwed, pregnant girls model adopted by other area police departments. After an initial department-wide training pro- until 1937. Here the girls were taught certain voca- gram, the system officially went into operation on July 21, 1989tional skills,such as sewing, mending and pressing. Old Town Hall,Prospect Avenue, c.early 1900s. Special features recently added to the department include an Enhanced 911 emergency telephone system in According to former Town and Village of Present-day Past 90 American Legion Hall. 1993,and the D.A.R.E.Program(Drug Abuse Resistance Education),which is offered to the schools under the direc- Mamaroneck Historian Burton C. Meighan, the tion of Officer Gerald McCarthy. Police officers also use a small building on Myrtle Boulevard that was donated by home had a few outbuildings. The building that today serves as the Village Hall was originally St. Michael's laun- the Larchmont Lions Club as a base for the "Park and Walk" Program. To assist commuters, officers patrol on foot dry,where the girls laundered fancy linens used during parties at large estates in Orienta. Long-time resident Judy Trenholm remembers that many families purchased beautiful hand-made, smocked dresses with matching panties near the train station and neighboring apartment houses during late afternoon and early everting.The crime rate in for their little girls, which were sewn by students at the home. Mr. Meighan recalled that as a young boy, he once the area has decreased significantly in the three years that the program has been in effect. asked his father about the girls who lived at the home. His father told him they were "wayward" girls, and when Records of old Town Minutes reveal how the business of policing the Town has changed over the last centu- Mr. Meighan asked what"wayward" meant, his father told him the girls were "non-conformists." ry. At a Town meeting in June of 1908, it was agreed that the constable could be equipped with"whatever is need- In 1967,a portion of the 19.4-acre Hommocks Complex Area was considered as a site for a new town hall,but ed for performance of duties regarding regulating automobile traffic."The speed limit was reduced and four billy this did not come to pass.As late as 1971,the Unincorporated Section of the Town did not have its own town hall, clubs, one pair of handcuffs,one pair of nippers, and two stop watches were ordered. so it rented office space from the Mamaroneck School District at the central administration offices at 740 W. Post In 1909, the Town offered a $25 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the person who Road. Over the years, due to increasing population, new schools were built and the original Union Free School continually broke street lamps on the Post Road by shooting or or throwing stones. Building, known then as the School-Town Center, was used to house administrative offices for the school district and the Town (see Schools - Chapter 19). This continued until 1982, when the school administration moved to • Finally, in an entry in the Town Minutes dated July 3, 1929, Captain Decker requested "extra men to handle newly renovated office space within Mamaroneck High School.The school board then considered asking the Village the exceptionally heavy traffic during the three-day National Golf Tournament."One can only imagine the intricate of Mamaroneck to rezone the land for commercial use,(') to utilize the site for housing for senior citizens or low- preparations that are necessary today to handle the anticipated 25,000 daily visitors to the Town this August when to moderate-income residents or simply to raze the building.(' the P.G.A. Championship is held at Winged Foot Golf Club. 61 60 'i j i Concerned citizen groups such as the Board of Trustees of the Larchmont Historical Society asked the School 1988, former Town Historian Burton C. Meighan, who was born in Mamaroneck in 1900, vividly recalled his boy- Board to "exhaust all possibilities for adaptive reuse of the building . . . before entertaining proposals for disposi- hood trips to New York City by steam engine: tion in any other way."to Then as now, the train entered the tunnel under Park Avenue at about 90th Street.By the time In 1982, Town Supervisor Leo Goldsmith led an effort to purchase the building from the school district for that our train entered the tunnel, all windows had been shut and the gas lights werthere were at e lit. The way $963,000. By August of 1984, plans were drawn for its renovation, during which time the Town rented temporary that the brakemangwould protecting the gas lightingfascinated The lobesnwere. e open an each t bottomger -Through that office space on Ward and Halstead avenues in the Village of Mamaroneck. In January 1986, during the administra- least two glass g protecting g g tion of Town Supervisor Dolores Battalia, the Town offices returned to their new home,followed two months later opening the brakemen lit the gas.He had a stick about two feet long that was forked with two metal by the courthouse, police department and recreation departments. After nearly 300 years, our Town government ends. One end had a slot to take the handle which turned on the gas. The other end had a small flame . . . the lit end of a taper. So with one twist of the wrist he would turn on the gas, and then finally had obtained a new, and hopefully, permanent home in the Town Center. with another twist his flame would light the gas.How quickly the brakeman did this almost with- out breaking his stride! CRE 47YON OF THE POSITION OF TOWN ADMINISTRATOR My mother would put me at the window seat. Exciting to an 11-year-old was the swirling In 1979, a committee of local residents, including a former Town Supervisor and former Town Council mem- smoke outside the window, and the echoed thunder of that steam engine. Then we came to a large ber, recommended that the Town hire a full-time professional manager to bring efficiency to Town government. open train yard many tracks wide, and finally stopped at a great train shed with a high arched In its report, the committee recognized that the business of local government had become increasingly com- roof with small smoke-smudged glass panes. I don't know of any station in this country that still plex. It required an administrator who would devote full time to the day-to-day operations of Town government, has such a high roof, but they exist in some cities in Europe. allowing elected officials more time to work with residents on policy issues. In 1981, the Town Board created the The situation was reversed on the ride home. The cars were lit when we boarded. When we got position of Town Administrator, and hired Stephen V. Altieri, who still holds the position. As chief administrative out of the tunnel into the sunlight, the brakeman would come through and turn off the gas lights. officer, the Town Administrator is responsible to the Supervisor and Town Board for the day-to-day management Some years later, I learned that the steam-engine smoke was vented through circular holes of the Town's operating departments. In addition,the Town Administrator prepares the annual town budget, makes about severs feet in diameter in the center strip on Park Avenue which we now see decorated dur- recommendations to the Board on a variety of matters and carries out the Board's policies. ing the Christmas Season. At the time of the construction of Grand Central Station 75 years ago, the use of steam engines ceased. The present third-rail system was then installed. The smokey train yard just north of the 42nd Street terminal was then covered over, and all of Park Avenue assumed its present attractiveness. The railroads former yard became valuable real Chapter 23 estate and was covered with buildings built over train track. The Pan Am Building and even the Waldorf Astoria at 50th Street are examples.") nr�� THE COMMUTER Mr. Meighan,whose wonderful stories have been reprinted in this book, passed away on Dec. 31, 1996,at the ccording to local resident and internationally known artist, Alton S. Tobey, "Westchester without the com- age of 96. His father and grandfather had also been lifelong residents of Mamaroneck. Mr. Meighan became Town muter train is improbable." Mr. Tobey immortalized the commuter in a mural featuring the histo of Historian in 1970 and waschairmanof the Mamaroneck Bicentennial Celebration. In 1976,when now State Senator Westchester County, which he painted in 1985 for the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains. Suzi Oppenheimer was Mayor of the Village of Mamaroneck, she appointed Mr. Meighan Mamaroneck Village Many young couples flocked to the Unincorporated Section of the Town, in part because its neighborhoods Historian.() She said he belonged to a time of "great civility and cordiality." Former Town Supervisor George provided easy walking access to the Larchmont train station. The Woods of Larchmont Neighborhood Association, Burchell called him a" man for all seasons who believed in decency, honesty, courtesy and his civic duty."(z) according to the Town Minutes of April 1917, asked the Town to plant shade trees along the walk between their development and the train station. During the 1950s, neighborhood children biked to "Walters," a store at the The "Bump and Wobble" Chatsworth Gardens Apartments where, N.Y - according to resident Carol Akin, the children As noted in Chapter 11, residents anxiously awaited and applauded the new railroad line that came through bought comic books and penny candy, and Larchmont in 1912. The electrically operated New York, Westchester& Boston Railroad, a subsidiary of the New commuters bought newspapers and maga- Haven Railroad, was named the "Boston-Westchester," but those who frequented it, called the line the "Bump & zines. Wobble," o) "Bump&Wiggle"or"Bump& Sway" because "each car not only bumped along the uneven roadbed As noted in Chapter 9, the first commuter like a hobby horse, but constantly swayed from side to side. People sensitive and subject to car sickness avoided it."As a feeder line on the Boston-New York City run,it stopped at"half areas"to serve residents who lived between trains that passed through Town in 1848 were steam en fines, which Thomas Palmer, railroad stations.The service encouraged development in rural areas during the teens, before automobiles became Larchmont'sg first daily commuter, had to flag a common means of transportation to train stations.() Although the monthly commute on the Boston-Westchester down at the Larchmont Train Station. The cost about half the price of the New Haven Line, its service was more limited. Local commuters traveled between New Rochelle and the Bronx transferring at 180th Street or 133rd Street for a subway into Manhattan.(")In the 1920s, trains were electrified sometime after 1910. In the line extended to Larchmont and another station was built in Larchmont Gardens. t3� Accordin to long-time y p y Larchmont Train Station and Station Plaza. g g-time residents commuters in the earl 1930s aid about $6 for a monthl commute on the c.1920s B&W and$12 on the New Haven Line.Those traveling during the Depression welcomed the cheaper fares, but by 1937 the Boston-Westchester line had been shut down. In 1938, the Girl Scouts rented the Harmon Drive train sta- 63 " 62 ; i, tion from the railroad,revamped the building and converted it to the Girl Scout House.They raised enough money ' undertaking. This momentum continues today. In 1995, the Hommocks Park Apartments received a First Honor Although an addition was built the tall windows of the station remain.An existing track for Recognition to purchase rt for$5,000. Award of Architectural Excellence from The American Institute of Architects, and a Westchester tunnel has been sealed off,with a portion leased from the railroad at$1-a- ear and used for storage.o� YMunicipal Planning Federation Award for Outstanding Planning Achievement. �I Chapter 24 � Chapter 25 THE HOMMOCKS PARK APARTMENTS V CONSERVATION By Town Supervisor Elaine Price by Town Councilwoman Phyllis Witmer n response to community concern over escalating drug and criminal activity at the Larchm Po ont Motel at Hommocks Road and the Boston Post Road,the Town Board in 1989,,underthe leadershipadershi of Supervisor Dolores he Town s natural environment includes woodlands,meadows,fields,freshwater and tidal wetands, marsh- Battalia negotiated the purchase of that property and effectively eliminated a long-standing standin blight. Prior to the e s streams and Several waterbodies flow into Long Island Soun • Pine Brook and the Premium Riverr T tried n numerous occasions to interest developers in the property, with little suc- bordering New Rochelle, the Sheldrake River and East Creek (and in the Village of Mamaroneck, the Town t edo T w had motel purchase, the o Pe P ra Mamaroneckeck River bordering Harrison, Rye and White Plains.) Open space in the Town serves several major ur- cess other than a fleeting Pian by developer to build a supermarket with a rooftop,tiered ga e After hearing many comments from the community and reviewing Westchester County's studies on the need poses:wildlife habitat,recreation,aesthetic values and flood control."Within the Unincorporated Area of the Town, for affordable rental housing, the Town Board became committed to developing necessary housing. In late 1989,a open space totals approximately 589 acres as follows: about 109 acres of Town-owned parks and conservation Housing Task Force(') and Housing Advisory Board,(3)comprised of real estate developers, planners, architects, areas, namely the Sheldrake River and Leatherstocking Trails, Hommocks and Premium Conservation Areas; the handsomely landscaped Memorial Park; the Gardens Lake; and the Hommocks Fields[all of which were formally I!I housing specialists, bankers and lawyers, were created to help formulate the most effective housing for this site. dedicated for parks and recreational use on Sept. 14, 19831; the 12.76-acre Larchmont Reservoir Conservation Area, The task force undertook a survey of Town employees about their housing interest and income levels, as autho- consisting of that portion of the Larchmont Reservoir James G.Johnson Jr. Conservancy lying within the Town" ; rized by the Town Board, and concluded its work in a Report of the Housing Demographics and Economic Work Winged Foot and Bonnie Briar golf courses;a 6.74-acre portion of the Hampshire Country Club;and about 40 acres m for Town employees ran ed between$22,000 and$42,000, Group Findings, [available at the Town office]. Income8 of undeveloped land(as of 1994)lying between the two golf courses.[') with dual-income families earning between $47,000 and $77,000. Among the 48 respondents,all were eligible for federal rent subsidies available to low-income families,or moderate-income families earning up to$50,000.The data also showed that only 32 of the 144 Town employees lived in the community, but of the 51 employees who History of Local Conservation responded, 48 said they would like to rent in Larchmont[Zip Code, 105381. "Conservation and environmental education for Larchmont and Mamaroneck began in 1948 when a group of hr ars under the administration of Supervisor Caroline Silverstone,the Town Board,Housing private citizens attempted to have Rockland Woods set aside for conservation purposes.Success came in 1961 with For the next three e P Y Pe P Po z New h <� con- York Ne t n financial structures with the a deeding of these lands to the Town f Mamaroneck n k tions and o a aro ec b Westchester Coun for arks recreation and con ' Advisory Board and Housing Task Force explored several housing op g y � parks, York State Housing Finance Agency, Westchester County, not-for-profit organizations, private developers, market servation purposes. In 1964,the Cross-County Land Study Committee recommended to the Town Council that these active housing lands be used for quiet walking and study, and that they be called the Sheldrake River and Leatherstocking Trails analysts and the Town's bond counsel. It became clear that the only way the Town could build attr and recoup land-acquisition costs was to develop a Housing Agency, with the Town acting as the financial guar- Conservation Area.o� antor.After a review of this financial structure state federal and county agencies and officials awarded rant monies In 1964, the Town Board also formed the Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) to direct the creation of of $840,000 to build the Hommocks Park Apartments. New York State approved the creation of the Housing nature trails at the Sheldrake-Leatherstocking oc and to 8 n Authority in July 1992,and the Town appointed a five-member board.(") involve the schools in this effort. To that end, the Under my administration as Town Supervisor,the New York City architectural firm Perkins&Eastman designed Town and the Board of Education hired Clifford an architecturally and aesthetically pleasing two-story, 53-unit New England-style building with cedar-shake shin- Emanuelson,a conservation educator,as a part-time gles, pitched roofs and peaks with lofts and individual garages.The construction firm Tri-Tech completed the pro- consultant to work with teachers Dr. Harry Simon ject in a little over a year. The apartments are distributed in seven buildings on a 1.8-acre site. Owing to its ideal and Sheldon Levine to lay out trails and develop location next to the Town's Hommocks Conservation Area,municipal swimming pool(soon-to-be-pools), ice-skat- curriculum for the high school and elementary ing rink, community room and athletic fields, proximity to a fairly substantial shopping area and ease of public schools. Also in 1964, the Town and the schools transportation,the Hommocks Park Apartments have been fully occupied since its opening at the end of 1994.The sponsored an adult education course, Introduction Housing Authority established seven tiers of preference and uses a lottery system within each tier to determine the to Conservation, coordinated by Mr. Emanuelson order in which an applicant's eligibility and financial information willbe evaluated by the authority.Tier IA appli- ; and Martha Munzer.(3) _. ... : cants,for example,are "unpaid active members of the Volunteer Fire Departments and Volunteer Ambulance Corps "Thomas Leddy, who started working for the of the Town and the Villages who have been in that status for at least two years prior to the date of submittal of Town in 1961, was engaged by the CAC as Ranger an application . . . ." ;Tier IB includes employees of the Town, the Villages and the School District; the remaining Custodian of the trails,and was later given charge of seven Tiers define other groups of individuals eligible for the rental lottery. the Community Beautification Program under the From the beginning of the Hommocks Park Apartment project through its completion, the Town Board, management of the CAC.(Mr. Leddy retired in 1991, Housing Advisory Board, Housing Task Force, Housing Authority and the public maintained enthusiasm about this having earned the position of Town Superintendent Sheldrake River and Leatherstocking Trails • 64 65 of Highways.)The CAC was responsible for advising the Town on all matters pertaining to the environment, such planning grants to local coastal governments for that purpose. Writing a local program meant that State policies as air and water pollution, land use, pest control, etc. It set up programs for leaf composting and for the recycling defined and adopted locally would have the force of State policy within a locality, and State and Federal actions of glass and newspapers."() The CAC was also responsible for preparing an inventory of the Town's natural would have to be consistent"to the maximum extent practicable."The municipalities would be eligible for imple- resources.The latter were mapped by Mr. Emanuelson in 1975(revised in 1977). Clifford Emanuelson,who retired mentation grants. in 1986,was largely responsible for shaping and overseeing the exceptional environmental policy developed by the In 1982 and 1983, the Town and the Village of Larchmont applied for planning grants and decided to write a Town Board. single program for both communities to reflect their common interests. (The Village of Mamaroneck wrote its own In 1966, the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Nature Council began training volunteer conservation education aides, LWRP.) Both appointed members to a joint Coastal Zone Management Committee to draft a program, subject to and during the years 1965 to 1967, the CAC and Town Recreation Department recommended that the Town hire approval by both Boards. In addition, it was apparent by 1985 that both governments simultaneously had to adopt teachers Charles Marden Fitch,John Zappala and Stephen Wolff, and high school assistants, for a junior naturalist six local laws drafted by the Committee to implement the program. The co-chairmen, Shirley Tolley (Town) and summer program. The excellent program development resulted in a request by BOCES and the Federated Wallace Irwin Jr. (Village)were largely responsible for drafting the local waterfront program and necessary legisla- Conservationists of Westchester County for a teacher credit course to be coordinated by Sheldon Levine.The Town tion. One of those laws created the Coastal Zone Management Commission as a permanent management structure and the schools also sponsored a workshop for Westchester County school administrators. In 1971, Mamaroneck to implement the local revitalization program.The Town and Village Boards met on June 30, 1986,adopted the pro- High School added environmental studies, taught by Sally Kennelley, to its curriculum(3). gram(approved by the Secretary of State,Oct.28,1986),and passed the law creating the Coastal Zone Management By the 1970s, the modern environmental movement was born and with it came the augmented knowledge of Commission. The Coastal Zone includes the entire geographic area of the Unincorporated Area of the Town and the importance of wetlands as fish and wildlife habitats for water quality improvement,flood protection, and shore- the Village of Larchmont. line erosion control, for both aesthetic and recreation reasons. The `70s also saw passage of federal and state leg- "The CZMC is an appointed volunteer body consisting of five members from each municipality each serving islation calling for user restraint and appropriate management through local programs. for three years.A Chairman is appointed for one year alternately by the Town and Village.The members represent different geographic areas within the Town and Village, and bring special aptitudes, experience, expertise, insight and perspective to the Commission. The CZMC furthers the common interests of the two municipalities and the Conservation Advisory Commission Coastal Zone by monitoring and coordinating the implementation of the LWRP. The LWRP, written in conformance The five-member CAC formed in 1964 was expanded in January 1973 to a nine-member committee represent- with the coastal policies of New York State, is a living, long-term,wide-ranging land use commitment.The work of ing the Town and two Villages. In November 1973, the Town Council redesignated the committee as the the CZMC is accomplished in this context.""'As a result of the effectiveness of the CZMC,other environmental leg- Conservation Advisory Commission. the Council preserved the CAC's representation of the three governments but islation(i.e.,the Surface Water Erosion and Sediment Control Law in the Town and Waterfront Zoning in the Village) 1 I grants have been received b both municipalities. placed it on the same legal footing as a conservation advisory council"under applicable New York State law, eh- were adopted, and severa g a is y p gible to apply for certain state funds. Representatives of local organizations with nviromental concerns Local Involvement for Environment or L.I.F.E. Center, the Garden Clubs of Larchmont and Mamaroneck, the CONSERVATION League of NAREAS $ ATI Women Voters)attended meetings along with residents interested in specific issues. Five of its members met con- Sheldrake--Leatberstocking Conservation Area currently with the CAC as the Water Control Commission(which disbanded with the creation of the Coastal Zone Management Commission). CAC responsibilities included a summer conservation apprenticeship work/study pro- The Sheldrake-Leatherstocking Conservation Area comprises 55 acres of rocky,deciduous woodlands,of which gram,overseeing the care and maintenance of nine conservation areas(in the Town and two villages)and nine his- 13 acres are freshwater wetlands. It forms the main east-west axis of the larger, local Critical Environmental Area, toric cemeteries, water monitoring, street trees,recycling and environmental education. In 1971, the CAC instituted the Reservoir-Sheldrake-Leatherstocking Freshwater Wetland Complex. The Complex represents an extensive net- a recycling program for newspapers and newsprint. The Unincorporated Section of the Town and the Village of work of acreage that supports a good diversity of plant and animal species and functions as habitat corridors. The Larchmont were the first communities in Westchester to have a weekly recycling program. The CAC ceased func- Leatherstocking Trail,a two-mile, 30-acre trail stretching from New Rochelle to the Village of Mamaroneck,and the tioning in 1995.Today,the responsibilities of the CAC affecting the Town are handled by the Town's Environmental Sheldrake River Trails, a 23-acre woodland parcel, were designated in 1926 for the Cross County, which functions Coordinator, the Highway Department and the Coastal Zone Management Commission. as habitat corridors and Parkway. With the construction of the New England Thruway, a parkway was no longer needed and the Town,spurred on by its conservation-minded citizens,acquired the surplus land in 1962.According L.LF.E. Center to former Town Supervisor Christine Helwig: The Leatberstocktng Trail can be accessed via several streets which intersect the trail, includ- Local Involvement for Environment(L.I.F.E.)was formed in 1970 under the sponsorship of the Junior League ing the following roads: Rock Ridge, Old White Plains, Country,Fenimore,Avon and Winged Foot to preserve, protect, educate and enhance the Larchmont-Mamaroneck community as an environmental education Drive, Weaver Street,Bonnie Way, Pine Brook Boulevard in New Rochelle and from the Sheldrake organization and resource center for environmental education. It was incorporated and received not-for-profit sta- River Trails. The latter is accessed on either side of the stone bridge on the north side of Rockland tus in 1974. It is partially funded by the Town, the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck and the Board of Avenue between Highland Avenue and Winged Foot Lhzve co The areas are available for passive Education. More than half its support comes from private citizens and fund-raising events. Each year, more that recreation only. 3,500 school children, 162 pre-school children and many adults participate in its education programs,which feature guided nature walks led by trained naturalists. Hommocks Conservation Area Coastal Zone Management Commission The 8.09-acre Hommocks Conservation Area for passive recreation is adjacent to Hommocks School and A brief recountingof environmental affairs in the nation will Larchmont's Flint Park, and can be approached from "either end or in the middle of the woodland area along help explain the formation of the Coastal Zone "(o w and tidal wetlands 4.5 acres) p o e k Rad just past the Hommocks School soccer fields. It includes woods P Hommocks o ,l p Management Commission,CZMC.In 1972,the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act was enacted.This law allowed with well-rooted marsh grasses, which function as important wildlife habitats and, through their water-retention states to write their own coastal management programs, which New York State did in 1981 by enacting the New capacity,retard erosion in the tidal estuaries leading to Long Island Sound. "The late Ralph Burger, President of the York State Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act. Under that law, the State Department issued guide- Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company and The Agrion Foundation, owned the meadowland that is now part of the lines(including 44 State coastal policies)for writing a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program(LWRP),and offered Hommocks Conservation Area.Mrs. Burger,an ardent conservationist,sought to develop this land space into a nat- 66 67 a The small watercourse called the ural environment for plants, birds and animals, where inter-related communities could be studied and enjoyed. Sheldrake River is like a silver thread When the Burgers sold their home in 1964, the meadow(3:59 acres)and other adjacent lands(4 acres)were deed- running through the Conservancy's his- ed to the Town with the provision that no structure be built on it. In the 1950s, a variety of trees and shrubs were tory, and that of the Town. Draining a planted, with the assistance of junior high students, that today provide food and shelter for wildlife." (n The r � watershed whose upstream portions F; s Hommocks Conservation Area is part of the larger local Critical Environmental Area, The Hommocks Salt Marsh cover parts of Scarsdale and New Complex, a total of"17 acres at the head of Little Harbor Sound next to the outfalls from East and Gut Creeks . . . Rochelle, the river supplies the waters and some small adjacent habitat areas."(8) of Sheldrake Lake and the smaller Goodliffe Pond, where it enters the Premium Conservation Area Town. It then crosses Weaver Street and flows east and south down By the 1960s,our foresighted local officials,in particular, Town Supervisor Christine Helwig,along with a smallK: Brookside Drive and into Gardens Vyl V , but growing public,awakened the community to the realization that our greatest assets were slipping away.A plan x . Lake. Passing under Interstate-95, it to preserve the Premium River, marshes and Mill Pond to"safeguard the community's few remaining natural areast - enters the Village of Mamaroneck, and to supplement recreation facilities" was first detailed in the Comprehensive Master Plan for the Town of crossing Washingtonville to Columbus Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont(May 1966). The plan called for the acquisition and dedication of 13 acres Park, where it joins the larger in the Town (and nine acres in the Village of Larchmont, including the Village-owned "beach lot" with access at ' Mamaroneck River,which empties into Point Road).A study group was formed to"preserve the natural wetlands and improve the high area for the use of Mamaroneck Harbor and Long Island the community."Acquisition of lands contiguous to existing Town-owned property in the Premium River area began Sound. in earnest in 1969.0 Chipped arrowheads and other Larchmont Reseruoir Qohn T Goodliffe,seated). c.late 1800s. The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program's detailed description and study of problems and possible solu- tools found a few years ago on a spit tions in the Premium Conservation Area, coupled with the framework of State policies, formed the basis for local of land above Sheldrake Lake suggest this was a likely lookout point where prehistoric hunting bands watched for Critical Environmental Area designation and legislation designating some 40 acres as the Premium Salt Marsh deer and other game drinking in the stream below.The coming of the Europeans in the 1660s signaled more inten- Complex.This designation empowered the Town to"regulate land use and construction-related activities in or near sive uses of the area. After the Quakers, led by Samuel Palmer, took over Richbell's "middle neck" in 1696 and [the Complex]so as to limit flooding and erosion,protect freshwater wetlands and preserve open space."LWRP pol- began to clear the land for their farms,numerous mills were built, powered by Sheldrake waters. A sawmill and a icy states that the Complex "shall be protected, preserved, and where practicable, restored, so as to maintain" its grist mill, built in the 1750s by Samuel's son Nehemiah Palmer, stood where Goodliffe Pond's lower dam is now. viability as a habitat. Near where the Sheldrake crosses Weaver Street,still another Palmer ran a cider mill. On Nov. 15, 1987, after a six-year investigation of habitats, New York State identified the approximately 65- One of the main impulses for incorporating the Village of Larchmont was the need to obtain and finance a acre, tri-municipal(Town, Larchmont and New Rochelle) Premium River-Pine Brook Wetlands Complex0o) on the water supply for the growing Larchmont community; the waters of the Sheldrake, less than two miles inland from State coastal area map as one of seven Westchester County"significant coastal fish and wildlife habitats"under the the Sound, became the chosen source. Accelerating development and the demand for water for drinking, house- Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act. The designation stated, "The Premium River-Pine Brook hold use(including ice)and fire protection outstripped the capacity of the wells.This trend was foreseen by John Wetlands are located on Long Island Sound in the Town of Mamaroneck, City of New Rochelle and the Village of T. Goodliffe, an enterprising builder and real estate dealer, born in England and raised in New Rochelle. In 1876, Larchmont . . . . The fish and wildlife habitat area is approximately a 65 acre area including Pine Brook south of the Boston Post Road, the Premium River, Premium Mill Pond, the beach area lying on Premium Point, the north- mainly to supply the local market for ice, he built a dam on the Sheldrake west of Weaver Street, enlarging Nehemiah Palmer's little millpond to create a 6-acre body of water that is still called Goodliffe Pond. Ice was stored east portion of Echo Bay, Pryer Manor Marsh, a former wetland between Dillon Road and Emerson Avenue, salt min a sawdust-filled ice house to minimize melting, and transported to Larchmont by horse and wagon. Colonel marsh areas adjacent to the river and creek and small portions of an adjacent meadow . . . . Several Town(and Village) owned parklands, including the Premium Conservation Area, Woodbine Park, Kane Park and Lorenzen Augustine Gironda, who lived at the Reservoir from 1909 to 1912 when his father was ice foreman, recalled living Park, are part of the habitat area." The 10-acre Premium Conservation Area, for passive recreation only, can be above the stable at the reservoir house next to Goodliffe Pond. In its basement the remains of two horse stalls approached from Dillon Road. can still be seen.The ice business continued until electric refrigerators appeared in the 1920s. By the 1880s, Larchmont's need for more water had become obvious. A new Larchmont Water Company, led by Charles H. Murray, purchased Goodliffe Pond. Later it added two more water sources in New Rochelle— Sheldrake Pond(a smaller water body on the site of today's Sheldrake Lake)and further upstream, a swampy area which it dammed to create Carpenter's Pond. A few years later, it became clear that even this water source would Chapter 26 soon be inadequate;so, in 1893, the water company bought land surrounding Sheldrake Pond from several own- 11IE IARCHMONT RESERVOIR ers,mainly Martha H.Dickerman,and obtained the right to raise the water level of the pond by 24.3 feet.Excavation began around Sheldrake Pond in 1897 to enlarge its capacity. In 1900, the company, employing stonemasons By Wallace Irwin Jr. brought from Italy for the purpose, started construction on the big Upper Dam and spillway which, completed in 1903, still holds back the 22-acre waters of Sheldrake Lake. mong the many natural beauties of the Mamaroneck area,few can surpass the 60-acre expanse of land and The Village now had ample water,but friction over prices and service was constant. In 1922,the Village bought the company's entire property and established its own water department. But a new problem loomed: rising water water known as the Larchmont Reservoir James G.Johnson Jr.Conservancy. The Conservancy straddles the pollution from rapid development and motor traffic upstream.Chlorination, already in use, was not enough; soon ew Rochelle-Unincorporated Area boundary. For many decades, its 22-acre Sheldrake Lake was the water a more efficient filtering system would be needed.The answer was a new filter plant,athree-story,red brick struc- supply for the Village of Larchmont. Today, still owned by the Village but no longer a reservoir, the Conservancy ture flanked by concrete holding tanks that still stands east of Goodliffe Pond.Years in construction, and hailed as is permanently protected from development. It is a major resource for quiet recreation,wildlife habitat,nature study and flood control. 69 68 • G i I a state-of-the-art water treatment system, it was used from 1929 to 1975 to filter Sheldrake Lake water bound for Chapter 27 Larchmont's big water tank above the Mamaroneck Town Yard. By the late 1950s, however, with ceaseless devel- jtECRF,AT`ION opment of open space upstream, it was clear that a time would come when water from Sheldrake Lake would be too costly to treat for safe drinking. Luckily, an alternative source was near at hand. The Westchester Joint Water Works, which for many years had been supplying water to Mamaroneck and Harrison from New York City's huge reservoir system, had the foresight to construct in 1959, in cooperation with the Village, a new pump and chemi- r. James Kronenberger, who was appointed the first Superintendent of Recreation for the Town of cal feed station beside Goodliffe Pond. All that was needed was to connect Larchmont into that system. The pro- Mamaroneck on June 1, 1956,saw many projects undertaken by the Town while he was in office. ject was completed in August 1975. The old Filter Plant and the pipe leading to it from the lake were shut down, and Larchmonters began drinking New York water. The Reservoir was a reservoir no longer. The first was the expansion of Memorial Park,completed in 1961.Three concrete tennis courts were built with community. h c frte in o Earl in 1 7 the Village of Larchmont anticipating this change and identifying a new use for its reservoir prop- d,"a curb, allowing the courts to be flooded during the winter to provide ice skating Y 95 Y g � P 8 g Y g P F' o Wed Thruway was he New England Pe Pon 'but after t Y i h f i lying within h Town 12. 6 acres as a conservation area under i of the townsfolk enjoyed skating at the Larchmont Gardens Duck Po d,' g e designated the art o f t the o 7 de the aegis rtY, g P Y g ( ) gand a freezing.)Lights a n from f ee .) the d $ k pond, preventingg Id wash into the duck Po would d1 Conservation Advisory Commission. The Town then lured Clifford Emanuelson to design trails and bridges (see in 1958, salt from the Thruway Po comfort station to keep skater's warm were added to Memorial Park to enhance the community's skating pleasure. Conservation Chapter 25). By 1976, following his design, the Town's highway crew cut and wood-chipped a trail P all around Goodliffe Pond and built a foot bridge over the Sheldrake, where it emerges from the upper reservoir. At one end of Memorial Park, two underpasses below the bridge marked the sight of the proposed Pelham— ° The L.I.F.E. Center began to conduct nature walks around the pond. Thus, the first steps were taken toward con- Port Chester Parkway. ([This route was never built by the County, and the Town turned it into parkland.) Boards version of the Reservoir property into a nature conservancy.At this time, Sheldrake Lake also began to be used for were erected against the concrete walls of the underpass to be used.for practicing tennis. flood control in the Town. The Central School site once.housed the Town Yard, where equipment was stored in a garage. Prior to the Larchmont Village, however, was now deriving no benefit from its 61-acre property, on most of which it still school's construction,the Recreation Department had built a Little League diamond,complete with an outhouse,on had to pay real estate taxes to the City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle school district. Inevitably, some , the diamond was rebuilt nearer to the Palmer Avenue ' the same site. Once the school was completed, however, Larchmonters began to consider how to make money for the Village from this valuable asset, and in 1979, the entrance and three tennis courts were added to the property. Village Board decided to sell the property. Word of this decision came to the attention of leaders in the L.I.F.E. The concept of providing a year-round complex at the Hommocks evolved from the Master Park Plan and � Center,who convened a crucial series of meetings with community leaders to"Save Larchmont Reservoir." Under Program Study, titled Hommocks Complex Town of Mamaroneck Westchester, New York(1967), which considered gm the leadership fames G.JohnsonJr., the Friends of the Reservoir Inc. enlisted the support of the entire commu- Complex "represented one p ' Wiry, local real estate agents, the press and the Larchmont Planning Board for its cause. Friends also commis- "both natural and human requirements. The consultants believed that the Hommocks p pty sinned the Brandywine Conservancy to identify values the Reservoir property would serve if permanently preserved of the few balanced and compatible recreation, education and conservation complexes in the count that can be as open space. Its recommendations included nature study, recreation,education,wildlife sanctuary and flood con- geared to resident and student needs." trol. The Town dump was originally at the Hommocks. However,as the school population grew and a new middle After five years,the unrelenting persuasiveness of Jim Johnson and constant promotional activity by the Friends school was needed, the Town sold the property to the school board with the proviso that an indoor/outdoor pool be included for the community. The pool, with a removable bubble, was opened in April 1969, a year after n within h Village r min force asolution: Larchmont would retain ownership of the property,ded- icate installed the playground in back. and t the lage Boa d combined ed too p p perry, Hommocks School was built.The Town maintained the parking lot and fields and P Yg it "in perpetuity" as open space for appropriate public use and have the cooperation of the Town of Mamaroneck, supported by Friends of the Reservoir, in maintaining and operating it as a conservancy. At that time, the Town needed more tennis courts.Five additional courts were built behind Hommocks School, So, on Oct. 1 1984 the Village Board unanimously"irrevocably" the Reservoir property m r and 15 feet of surface were added behind the baseline and curb so that a grade beam could be installed to sup- g Y p PertY Pe Pe port a removable air structure. The air structure allowed for a controlled environment. By installing refrigeration tuity"as a"conservation area for activities appropriate to its natural setting and quiet beauty"–including nature study, units and removable hockey boards, the Town created a seasonal ice rink that opened Jan. 4, 1975. The structure, wildlife preservation,flood control and environmental and local history education. It was also to serve as a stand- however was still dependent on outside weather. by water supply in case of severe drought. Finally,the Board changed the name of the property to "The Larchmont Reservoir James G.Johnson Jr. Conservancy." Mr. Kronenberger started a sailing program in the late 1950s, which he operated until 1986. The Village of Friends of the Reservoir,("the only organization devoted solely to the Reservoir Conservancy,continues to play Mamaroneck provided a float at Harbor Island and Mr. Kronenrger, who worked for the Town Recreation a stewardshiprole on behalf of the Village and Town—and increasingly of late New Rochelle, as the latter's Department until his retirement in 1983,obtained donations of fiber ass sailboats from various com anies. The New g g Y York Herald Tribune featured the program on Aug. 27, 1961. involvement in the area increases. Over the years, the Friends, L.I.F.E. and the municipalities have cooperated in Under the direction of William Zimmermann, Superintendent of Recreation since 1983, the Town has respond- im important actions--budding a woodchip trail around the north end of Sheldrake Lake-, adapting a former arden- Po g P P g g er's potting shed(once part of a neighboring estate) to serve as a visitors'center and meeting place(expanded in ed to the desires of its residents by constructing a new tennis court, redesigning and constructing a playground at Memorial Park (also known as Myrtle Park) in 1986 and expanding the ice rink to a permanent structure in 1987 with aid from the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound); improving the Pine Brook Boulevard(" m er of 1989. In the summer of 1997, the Town will unveil a set of new outdoor pools, a toddler spray/wad- tennis in plans to renovate the tennis courtentrance t h trails- n installing in 1 n m fl control stem that governs the The Town has preliminary e ce o the t a s and nsta 989 a automated nod co tro s g attractive landscape desi p n'P g Y training of with an attrac p design.in 1 and a g Po release valve in the Sheldrake Lake dam.The latter project,conceived and developed by the Friends,was financed g P� Hommocks property, known as Carpino/Steffens Athletic Fields. Program activities have blossomed at the ice skat- in equal shares by them and by the Town. ing rink,the aquatic pools and at summer camps for resident children ages 3 to 12.Summer soccer and travel camps have been added to traditional music workshops, playground and preschool camp programs, and the ice rink has been converted to a roller rink for summer in-line roller skating. g,l 71 70 G Y .t. ��e�e d, m�v��� � � ,� T e P � � K L�� �� ®��� • j��w. Just as our founders were determined to create golf courses second to none,so were they dedicated to having �r gs a clubhouse of beauty and dignity.They selected the finest architect of the day,Mr.Charles Wendehack,who chose the style called"English Scholastic,"for Winged Foot.The building blocks of the edifice came right from the ground Winged Foot Golf Club of Winged Foot itself, and the cornerstone was laid on April 14, 1923. Win Mamaroneck and Westchester, is largely due to the great Winged F h to ama Foot's fame, i has brought e and the fame t +' by Douglas La Rue Smith, Winged Foot Golf Club Historian g g g Y 9 events that have been played here—four men's U.S.Open Championships(1929, 1959, 1974,and 1984),two Ladies 93 Opens(1957 and 1972), the U.S. Amateur(1940), the Walker Cup matches (1949) and the inaugural U.S. Seniors . Wen the Professional Golfers Association of America Championship comes to Mamaroneck's Winged Foot Open(1980). Only a few other clubs in America can boast such a record. Looking at the names of Winged Foot's GolfClub mthesummer of 1997,it will be returning to U.S.golfs most historic land,Westchester County. members and professional staff is like reading a"Who's Who in Golf."The late distinguished Joseph C. Dey, exec- or it was here in Westchester that golf was first played in the new world-1888 in Yonkers. Further, utive director of the USGA, 1934-1969,commissioner of the PGA, 1969-1974 and elected to World Golf Hall of Fame Westchester—often called"the golfingest county in America"—was the the site of the first PGA Championship held in 1983, said: 81 years ago, in 1916, at the Siwanoy Country Club, then located in Mount Vernon and later moved to Bronxville. The very name "Winged Foot"has a sort of magic for those who know the name from afar. To Both British Red Coats and Minute Men camped at Winged Foot at the time of the Battle of White Plains dur- them it stands for competitive golf at its highest level, a place where history was made.It is a steady ing the American Revolution,and in 1922,when the club was being built,coins of English and German troops were heartbeat of golfing pleasure and sportsmanship, where the game is the thing. Winged Foot is, in found by the workmen. [According to The New York Tribune, Indian bows arrows and tomahawks were w r also sum, a temple of the spirit of golf. unearthed during constnuction.] 4 C) More than seven decades have passed since that memorable da of June 16 1923 when Wine F Bonnie Brlar Country Club—The Family Club J d Foot's fir Y s s[ b foursome teed off, a milestone in the history of golf in America. Beginning in the late teens the club had been the After World War I real estate activity surged in the Town. According to real estate agent George Howe, "the dream of a band of golf-lovers at the New York Athletic Club, becoming reality under the inspired leadership of increase in the number of families moving into the area brought about a need for country and beach clubs. which Charles C. "Nibs"Nobles. For several years,members had encouraged the NYAC to have its own golf club,and cer- were then few in number." (1) tain properties were considered. In 1920, the idea was formally The Bonnie Briar County Club land had belonged to the Lyman Bill estate.Col.E. Lyman Bill,a successful pub- t 14submitted to the club board, but usher and one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, had owned a large piece of property on the east side of Weaver Street south of Griffen Avenue.Accordingto Mr. Howe the land was"gently rolling in character,with some >, was rejected. 8 Y 8 1 d. On June 28, 1921 „ +,. open fields and beautiful woodland. "° Col. Bill had a private club on his property, with tennis courts and a golf members met to elect a board of governors to advance the project, course. In the 1880s, according to Eugene Donovan, former vice-president of the Bonnie Briar Country Club, the g P 1 , « r'crisscross affair first and ninth fairways became the site of the first golf layout in the United States. It was a six-hole,c rs j culminating in a certificate of Y g Y ' incor ration on Au 5, 1921. with nothing of the lush grass we play today.One remnant of the old course remains, the long bunker crossing the g fairway some 50 yards in front of the ninth tee. A building with its gable end abutting the first fairway at the top �s Winged Foot Golf Club was now a ! legal entity[named for the symbol of the hill[and which no longer exists]was the old Golf House." f Col. Bill wanted to build a"palatial residence"on his estate but died before its completion. The Bonnie Briar o Mercury, the m ry, e ythical figure P , P Count Club was then organized in 1921 with the financial assistance of the Bill family.The first resident was the with the fleet feet, grace, wisdom Country g Y• P and happy guise]. Colonel's son Edward Lyman Bill who fin- fished construction of the clubhouse. Mr. �,•� � t k � � � The Westchester County site � � _ ' ,�«� �• _ r combined farm and private estates Donovan adds that "all of the rock and P with meadow, orchard, pasture stone and nearly all the timbers in the clubhouse came right off the land on and woodlands. The most pre- (erred land in the area was the which our course is built." present Winged Foot property, Legend has it that"somewhere near Clubhouse at Winged Foot Golf Club.Founded 1921 being the highest point in the first tee [of the current club], part of Mamaroneck. In those days, the British Army camped overnight on its , before our lofty trees grew so march to the Battle of White Plains. The high, Long Island Sound was visible from a number of spots on this land. Part of the site was originally calledtroo ps may have been an element of Sir ' a "Altonwood Park," and for 50 years had been a private estate. The name "Altonwood" still appears near the Old Henry Clinton's column,which is known White Plains Road entrance to the club(see Northeastern Section-Chapter 17). to have moved up Quaker Ridge Road to Golf was burgeoning across the country and the 1920s are remembered as the golden age of golf course archi- tecture. .Weaver Street and then on Mamaroneck R Whit Plains."(3) One m Road to e an most responsible for this trend was the man chosen to design our two courses—Albert W. � Tillinghast. Toward the end of his career, as "Tillie" looked back on his handiwork in both the game and profes- According to Mr. Donovan - Sion he loved,he said, "The Winged Foot courses were the finest I ever designed."His assessment is further proved "Devereux Emmett was chosen as the by the fact that to this day, both the West and East courses receive high rankings from major golf authorities and golf architect and he designed the basic publications around the world.5) current layout of the course.Other well- y Clubhouse at Bonnie Briar Country Club:Founded 1921. known golf course architects including 72 73 A. H. Tull,A.W. Tillinghast, Robert Trent and Geoffrey Cornish, along with innovative greens chairmen and super- Helen Adams School of Dancing intendents, who, from the 1930s to the present day, added finishing touches to the layout, drainage, tees, greens The Helen Adams School of Dancing evolved from a summer visit to relatives in the Unincorporated Section and bunkers. The golf course made excellent use of the hilly and low wetland areas surrounding a wooded interi- of the Town of Mamaroneck. Helen Adams,known around Town as"Honey,"was a young professional dancer vis- or where wildlife abounds." iting relatives on Edgewood Avenue,when a neighbor asked her to give lessons to two sisters."" By 1924, the sum- The original club had 150 members and the completed 18-hole golf course opened July 15, 1923. By 1924, mer classes became so popular that Miss Adams moved to Larchmont and opened her Edgewood Avenue school membership was full and numbering 450.According to the Daily Times of Oct. 1, 1925, the club was socially active full-time,teaching ballet, tap and ballroom dancing.The first recitals were held on the lawn of the Merritt home on during the 1920s, and was the first area club to hold weekly Saturday dances during the summer.The club staged Weaver Street, across from Grant's Flower Shop. Generations of children, often from the same family, have attend- an annual minstrel show and barn dance. Women attended teas, played bridge, played golf on Tuesdays and were ed Honey Adams' School, now owned by Patricia Bainton Healy, who studied at the School of American Ballet. encouraged to play in tournaments. Entertainment for the men included vaudeville performances.(2) (Lorna London, a former student of Ms. Adams who also attended the School of American Ballet, directs the Lorna Mr. Donovan states that "in the early years many trees were planted to line the fairways. Since the late `60s, London School of Ballet in the Village of Larchmont.) new trees were planted with much foresight and concern to blend their natural beauty with golfing strategy, and Ballroom dancing classes, which Ms. Adams conducted on Friday nights, have remained a big part of the quietly add to the natural beauty of the course." Bonnie Briar today attracts golfers from the Town and surround- Town's preteen social life. Donald P. Kay, 71 years old and living in Oregon, recalls with great fondness his days ing communities. Local children sled there in winter,and as part of an important habitat corridor,Audubon Society around 1934 at Honey Adams' ballroom class: "Friday nights were a big night in my youth. Usually a small group members and residents bird watch on the property, would have dinner at one of our homes and then off to Miss Adams—the boys all in blue serge suits and black shoes and the girls in pretty party dresses."«Although boys now wear gray flannels and blue blazers,the girls still wear party dresses and the all-important pair of white gloves. Mr. Kay recalls that in the `30s, boys also wore white gloves. " I'll never forget my first lesson under the watchful eyes of Miss Adams,and the first time I held a girl and tried to move to the music. Good thing I had on white gloves for I'm sure I had sweaty palms!" RThree-Hundred-Year Celebration On Sept. 23, 1961, residents of the Town of Mamaroneck celebrated the 300th anniversary of the purchase of by Jacqueline Friedman land by John Richbell from the Siwanoy Indians in 1661. The celebration lasted nine days and included fireworks, block parties and a parade attended by upwards of 20,000 people.Three hundred men grew beards reminiscent of Sts.John and Paul Church our founding fathers. Many of the bearded gents marched in the parade, along with 300 girls in period-style dress- es.At the"shave-it-off'contest held later,the fastest men received prizes of electric shavers.Other activities includ- ts. John and Paul is the only house of worship physically located within the boundaries of the Town of ed tours of historical sights,suppers,a visit by the historic Navy destroyer Bronson to Mamaroneck Harbor and his- Mamaroneck.Although the Town's residents come from various religious backgrounds,most congregations are toric exhibits at the Mamaroneck Artists Guild Barn.A historic tableaux of nine scenes was performed at the Junior housed within village boundaries of Larchmont and Mamaroneck. In 1949, Francis Cardinal Spellman, recog- High School, featuring a cast of 100 performers wearing magnificent period costumes. nizing the need for a church to serve the growing Catholic population, established Sts.John and Paul. For three The celebration culminated on Sept.24, 1961,with a 300th anniversary regatta held at Larchmont Yacht Club.(',') years, until the building was complete, masses were held in the Weaver Street Firehouse. The Freethinkers of America challenged the Town's right to allow the use of public property for religious purposes, however, the New York State Supreme Court upheld the Town's position. In early summer of 1952, the church on Weaver Street was completed and the congregation held its first service. Today, the church operates a grammar school for grades kindergarten through eighth grade, and public school students can attend its religious school through high school. The Church also has a youth group senior citizen group, choir and many community services. Badger Sports Club by Jacqueline Friedman The Badger Sports Club, training ground for gold medalists, Rick Carey, `84, Lea Loveless, `92 and Christine Teuscher, `96, began in the 1920s as a tennis and swim club. Long-time residents remember it as the Larchmont he longest name in the Town's history belongs to Makarshalalhasbaz Nelson. His father, Polycarpus Nelson, Sports Club, located along Rockland Avenue, a dirt road back then. People from the Unincorporated Section of the one of the earliest settlers in the community, bought property in 1725 on land situated approximately where Town originally swam at Manor Beach in Larchmont.As the population of Larchmont Village grew,only Manor res- today's Fenimore Road meets the Boston Post Road.The son's name is supposed to have been derived from idents were allowed to swim at the beach and Larchmont Woods residents joined the Larchmont Sports Club.The property was later known as the Rockland Ridge Club.When the club closed, the property remained empty for sev- his maternal ancestor Akabashka, an Indian witness to the purchase of Harrison by John Harrison in 1695.<16> eral years. In 1945, the late Jack Collins and Ruth Collins reopened the club as a children's summer camp. Today, the 10- All the Hatfields(of America's Hatfield&McCoy fame)descend from Thomas Hatfield and his brother Matthias, acre, all-sports center has a 50-by-20-yard swimming pool. Mrs. Collins continues to run the camp with her son who were both original settlers in Mamaroneck. A U.S. Navy destroyer is named after John Hatfield, who died in John, "an American record-holder in the butterfly, who was a national champion at Indiana University about 30 the War of 1812.125) years ago. Mr. Collins has coached three Olympic champions during the past four Summer Games, amassing fiver gold medals." (5) Eddie Foy Sr. and his brood of seven little Foys had a home in the Town of Mamaroneck on the north side of 74 75 y s l l the Boston Post Road at the New Rochelle border. A barn stood on the property,and the children enjoyed feeding a member of the club, donated the statue and dubbed it"Leo the Lion."The statue stood for nearly 70 years, with livestock and jumping in hay piles between rehearsals for what was one of the best family vaudeville routines in members tweaking his nose or pinching his tail for good luck. In April of 1993, Leo I was stolen. An artist in show business. Queens, named Raphael, was commissioned to make an exact replica. Leo II is tightly secured, complete with an electronic alarm device. Leo II is here to stay. 0 In 1922, Murray Avenue students were featured at work and at play in a film produced 7at the request of Higb Scbool Triufa President Warren Harding by Edgar B. Hatrick,head of the Motion Picture Division of Hearst Co. Hatrick's daugh- ter Gloria, who was in the first class to attend every grade at Murray Avenue, became a Mamaroneck High School Judge Baxter recalled that the debating club at the Town's first high school was called the Wappaquewam cheerleader and later married the actor Jimmy Stewart. Literary Society and debating was an intramural activity. He said that the school colors, orange-and-black, were rrr chosen at the turn of the century.A tie vote between orange-and-black and crimson-and-gray was overturned when In the mid-30s, Murray Avenue student Patty Coots asked her father, the lyricist J. Fred Coots, to write a song one girl switched her vote. for her to perform at a school musical. Thus"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"was performed for the first time on According to an old story, in the early years of Mamaroneck High School, a senior class raised money for a the stage at Murray Avenue School.(12•13•17) Other songs he is known for are "Love Letters in the Sand"and "Dream school gift and debated between providing a pool for the school or gold-leafing its dome.The latter won. A Little Dream Of Me."(29) An early high school publication was called The Spy, perhaps named after James Fenimore Cooper's book of *** the same name, which he wrote from stories accumulated while living in this area. A spy was supposed to have hidden in the chimney of the old Disbrow house during the Revolutionary War. The chimney still remains as part Ozzie Nelson lived in Larchmont in the 1920s before tying the knot with Harriet and becoming the"first father" of the old Washington Arms Restaurant, located on the corner of the Boston Post Road and Orienta Avenue. The of television.Nelson was attending law school in New Jersey during the day while performing nightly with his band Senior Annual or yearbook began around 1927, but the book's name was changed to 7-be Mabiscan, an acronym at Glen Island Casino. (6) Senior Mamaroneck High School Annual, about 1935. In the 1940s, the football team beat New Rochelle's and students formed a conga line,dancing throughout the Zane Grey's widow is reported to have lived at 24 Wildwood Road during the 1930s.(30) center of Larchmont and stopping traffic. Lou Gehrig lived in the Stonecrest Apartments at 21 North Chatsworth Avenue and frequented the Loyal Inn Restaurant, often dining with Ed Barrow,former general manager for the New York Yankees.(') HOW IS THE NAME REALLY SPELLED? Early Spellings Of The Name "Mamaroneck" Bernadette Castro's father opened a showroom of his famous convertible sofas in 1949. Miss Castro, who was raised in the area, became well-known for television commercials that depicted how easily a child could open a convertible sofa and convert it to a bed.(5) Ms.Castro currently serves as New York State Commissioner of the Office Momoneck Mamoronack Mamaronack of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Mammaranock Mamamarinick Momaronek Momraneck Momoraneck Momorrunoc The Gish sisters, Lillian and Dorothy, once lived at 529 Weaver Street in one of the Town's oldest houses,built Mameroneck Marrowneck Moraneck in 1810. The Gish sisters fell in love with the area while filming movies such as "Way Down East" and "Orphans Monorinck MamoranickMairnck Of The Storm" for David W. Griffith at his studio on Flagler Drive in Mamaroneck. Marnock Mamaranock Maroneck Momoronock Mamorineck Mammaroneck During the 1940s and 1950s, Comedians Jackie Gleason and Herb Shriner were frequent guests of Mae Rose Mamoranak Momomaroneck Momoronok Youngstein and her Hollywood-director husband at their home at 211 Hommocks Road. The house, built in 1892 Mairnock Mamoroneck Mamara Neck and called the"Howell Cottage,"was originally part of the Thomas Palmer estate that passed to his Howell heirs.(28) Marianeck Mamarneck Mamar Neck r x r j Momaronak Momarneck Maraneck Billy Van Heusen, tight-end and punter for the Denver Broncos, was a sixth-grade student at Murray Avenue Mairneck Momoroneck Memarioneck School when he kicked a football over the roof of the school building. M0 maronack Mamarinek Momoneck Momaroneck Merrinack Mammaronock The Sheldrake River was named after a European duck unknown in our hemisphere, which early English set- Moworronock Momraneck Momraneck tlers thought they had seen in the area. What they probably saw was a Hooded Merganser, a fish-eating duck that Mammarenock Momaronak Mammaraneck is similarly colored and still sometimes called"sheldrake." The duck is common on Sheldrake Lake and other near- Momoronack Momar Ma m arae ck by waters.(32) Mamaronuck Momorack Mammarinikes Merrimac Momoranack Murnuc Winged Foot Golf Club's "Leo the Lion," a bronze leonine figure, adorns the clubhouse portico.ti3) The con- MeMarrimac ck struction firm that built the clubhouse was Smith& Leo, Inc., and one of its principals, Norton Leo, who was also 76 77 r APPENDIX CIVIL WAR MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS The men claimed exemptions upon the grounds tbat.• CIVM WAR ENLISTMENTS "My first finger on right hand being crooked." NAME AGE BIRTHPLACE OCCUPATION "I am an alien and not a citizen of the United States." William Newman 21 Phila, Pa Carpenter "I am a member of the Society of Friends conscientiously opposed to bearing arms." Arthur Bennett 39 Ireland Casman Henry C. Burkman 21 Germany Confectioner A. E. Boyd Mamaroneck "I am near-sighted and my eyes are very weak." William H. Fisher to: a pain around m hart and near m left lung and I am trubled ` m not able to undergo military du owing p y Y Joseph Lake 21 `I a g �' �' g P Liverpool, Eng g Salesman Hiram Graye with piles." James C. Robertson 33 New York, N.Y Sailmaker Robert Masters 27 New York, N.Y. Bookkee er "I fell two years ago thirty feet and hurt my breast very badly. I have had a running sore on it for two years P which is still not better. I am not a healthy man. I had the Typhoid Fever very bad and I have never been Henry Edward 34 France Carpenter well since." William A. Sickels Henry Dutueil 23 FranceClerk "I have a pain in the side and general health very poor." i E. Thiefaut George Mills Mamaroneck Q) j P "I am subject to files and rheumatism." P.V. Halley 18 Ireland Clerk James Coyne 21 Ireland Paper Staining "My right eye is weak and fills with water." The physician went on to attest that 'he cannot see good, and Herrman Boileau 25 Germany Machinist that he is cross eyed and the sun or wind affects his eyes so that it is very difficult for him to see which ren- ders him unfit for military duty, and that the right shoulder bone has been broke twice so that it never fully Y Clerk healed good so to be sound, in consequence of which for a large part of the time he has been unable to raise James McGovern 23 Ireland Painter with the right arm six lbs. weight." William A. C. Seaman Mamaroneck Richard E. Seaman Mamaroneck "I am not able to undergo military operation owing to the Kidney complaint and owing to a pain in the chest Charles W. Wells the least exposure I take cold and it makes me very deaf." John Regensburger 43 Bavaria, Germany Masoner "I am fifty two years old." Thomas J. Coles Mamaroneck Patrick McTiernan Johann Heinrichshofer 21 Germany Clerk George R. Baxter Mamaroneck John Wilson 22 New Haven, Conn. Clerk A. Gidon 21 Belgigae Carpenter James Dougherty 22 Springfield, Mass. Counterman i Jacob Hall Mamaroneck Sidney Smith Eugene Scott 21 Independence, Mo. 78 79 CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENTS STREET NAME CHANGES A partial chronological list of the neighborhood subdivisions of the Unincorporated Section of the Town of According to the Town Minutes, a number of street names were changed in the Unincorporated Section of Town Mamaroneck, courtesy of research compiled by Nora Lucas: at a Town meeting held in July of 1926: 1900-1904 Dillon Park Area 1907 Westchester Foundry Co. OLD NAME NEW NAME { 1907 Larchmont Heights 1908 Chatsworth Park Beach Avenue Baldwin Avenue 1910 Larchmont Woods Beech Street Plymouth Road 1910-12 Chatsworth Heights Cedar Street Cabot Road 1911 Larchmont Gardens 1913 Howell Park Chestnut Street Hawthorne Avenue 1923 Fenimore Cooper Park(Section A) Chatsworth Avenue North Chatsworth Avenue 1923,'24,'27 Larchmont Hills Cherry Avenue Ellsworth Road 1924 Harimo (Barnum Road area) Edgewood Pl. (Larchmont Gardens) Barnum Road 1925 Colonial Park 1925 Oakwood Edgewood Place Emerson Road Edgewood Road&Ave. Edgewood Avenue � 1925 Rockland Knolls Edgewood Terrace Overlook Terrace 1925,'28,'30 Rouken Glen 1927 Spanish Gardens Garden Road Garden Road East &West 1928 Lawrence Hills Hazel Street Heath Road (later became Leafy Lane) 1928 Larchmont Ridge Highland Place (Colonial Pk.) Hudson Place 1937 Rockcliffe Estate Highland v g d A enue Mountain Avenue 1941 Cottage Circle Highland Road (Colonial Pk.) Holly Avenue 1944 Byron Estates 1946 Hickory Grove Drive Hickory Grove Drive East &West Elkan Park 1950 Colonial Estates Hillside Road Crescent Road 1950 Colonial Gardens Locust Road Mardon Road 1954-57 Part of Pryer Manor Rd & Pheasant Run Locust Avenue Winthrop Avenue 1954 Glen Rock Estates Monroe Avenue Madison Avenue 1950s Murdock Woods Area Palmer Lane Cooper Avenue 1962 Fenimore Cooper Park (Section G) Premium River Road Dillon Road 1970s-1980s New developments east of Old White Plains Rd. 1985 Fenbrook Development Senate Terrace (American Legion name) Daymon Terrace Summit Avenue Crest Avenue Myrtle Place (Myrtle Blvd.to Edgewood Ave) Taylor Place Myrtle Place (West end of Town) Byron Place Walnut Road Seton Road Willow Road Fulton Road (later became Revere Rd) Myrtle Blvd. (Madison Ave. to end of street) Myrtle Boulevard i 80 81 y s ( I TOWN SUPERVISORS CHAPTER NOTES 1697 Samuel Palmer 1833-34 Monmouth Lyon PART ONE found in Larchmont,N.Y.:People and Places,Pre-History to 1892, 1698-99, 1702 James Mott 1835-42 James H. Guion Chapter 1-What Does the Name Really Mean? written by Judith Spikes. 1707-8 Henry Disbrow 1843-45 Benjamin M. Brown 1 Fulcher.Mamaroneck Tbrough 7-be Years(M77y).p.7. Chapter S- Lord of the Manor 2 Brown.Mamaroneck, 1661-1961. p.7. 1710-11 Samuel Palmer 1846 Stephen C. Griffen 3 Spikes.Larchmont,N.Y. p. 2. Heathcote appears as a street name in the Bronx,Mamaroneck ily and Scarsdale. 1712-14 Nehemiah Palmer 4 Reisman Philip, Sr. "Ink Made Indian Name Stick," Da 1847-49 Benjamin M. Brown Times, 12/12/75. 13 Shonnard and Spooner. History of Westchester County.p. 178. 1715-16 Silvanus Palmer 1 ibid.p. 179. 1850 James H. Guion 5 Fulcher.M=p. 8. 1717 Josiah Quinby 6 Brown. p. 8. 15 ibid.p. 181. 1851 Charles W. Hopkins 7 Fulcher.Mamaroneck From Colonial Times(MFM.p. 1. 16 Lucas. Mamaroneck Historical Overview.p. 4. 1718 John Griffen 1852 Louis Walsh 8 Lucas. village of Mamaroneck Cultural Resource Survey 17 Fulcher. "The Story of the Great Lots of John Richbell in -2 Henrywler (MGRS). . 1. 1669." Quarterly Bulletin of the Old Town of Mamaroneck 171 0 P 9 rY o Westchester County. . 52. Historical Society.Vol. 1.9-23-51. p. 5. 1721-22 Silvanus Palmer 1853 Zachariah Voorhees 9 French. History f ty P 10 Smith. Winged Foot Story. p. 18. 18 Lederer. "Notes on the Manor of Scarsdale." g rS 1723 Henry Fowler 1854 Louis Walsh 11 Information courtesy of Philip Reisman Sr.The Mohicans are 19 Lucas. "Larchmont Historical Overview." LCRS. 1995. 1724 Silvanus Palmer 1855-58 John Morrell a distinctly different tribe from the Mahicans that lived in 20 The Mamaroneck Woman's Club at 504 Cortland Ave. is the Connecticut's Thames River Valley.At that time,Siwanoys were site of Caleb Heathcote's original house. 1725-26 Henry Fowler 1859-60 William L. Barker the southernmost member of the Wappinger Confederation,a 1727-42 Silvanus Palmer 1861 Louis Walsh loose union of clans extending into Dutchess County. Chapter 6-Revolutionary War 1743 Underhill Budd 12 Lederer. Place Names of Westchester County. 3 Brown.Mamaroneck. p. 14. 1862-64 Jonas D. Hill 13 Yonkers became a patroonship in 1636, Pelham Manor was 5 Spikes.Larchmont,N.Y. p. 23. 1744 Nehemiah Palmer settled in 1654 and Rye in 1660. 6 Shonnard. History of Westchester County. p. 348. ],865-66 Louis Walsh 1745-47 Underhill Budd 7 French. History of Westchester County. 1867 Jacob B. Humphrey Chapter 2-Mamaroneck's Founding Father 8 Brown. Mamaroneck.p. 16. 1748-58 John Stevenson 11 Fulcher. M77Y. p.8-9. 9 Fulcher. MFCT p. 21. 1868 Schureman Halsted Dec. 1758 John Townsend 12 Lederer. "The Manor of Scarsdale." 1985. 10 ibid.p-30- 1759-6o Reuben Bloomer 1869-70 Thomas L. Rushmore 13 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y. p. 7. 11 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.p. 30. 15 Lederer. "The Manor of Scarsdale." 1985. 12 Vivid accounts of these incidents can be found in Larchmont, 1761-70 John Townsend 1871 James J. Burnet 16 In the early 1700s, Griffen's descendants settled in the area N.Y.:People and Places,Pre-History to 1892,by Judith Spikes. 1771-75 William Sutton 1872-76 Charles H. Birney now called"Griffen Avenue." 1776 Reuben Bloomer 1877-1892 Matthias Banta Chapter 3-First Town Meeting Chapter 7-CRS.Aftethe War 1783-93 Gilbert Budd 4 Lucas. LCRS. 1893-1901 Charles M. Bax[er 1 English. Early Records . . .p.viii. Because of the 9 Fulcher. MFCT p. 21. 1794-97 Benjamin Griffen Revolutionary War, no entries were recorded from April, 1776 to 1904-1915 John H. McArdle December of 1783• 12 Lucas. Mamaroneck Cultural Resource Survey. p. 5. 1798-1800 John P. DeLancey 2 "Preserving the Past." Daily Times, 4-5-92. 13 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y p. 45. 1916-1933 George W. Burton 3 Quarterly Bulletin of the Old Town of Mamaroneck Historical 14 ibid.p. 46-47. 1801-2 Edward Merritt Society. 9-23-51. p 7. 15 ibid.p. 57. 1803-6 Aaron Palmer 1934-1942 Bert G. McCullogh 4 English. v. 16 Westchester County Historian.vol. 57. p. 18. � P• 1807-13 John Pinkney 1943-1956 Owen A. Mandeville 5 ibid.Town Minutes. p. 186. 6 ibid.p.163. Chapter 8-The Civil War 1814 John Peter DeLance 1956-1965 George D. Burchell J y 7 Fulcher. MTTY.p. 4. 1 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.p. 34. 1815 Monmouth Lyon 1966-1968 Peter Kane 8 ibid.p.6. 2 Singsen,Mary Ellen. "Quakers in Scarsdale." p. 17. 11 Brown. Mamaroneck.p. 15. 3 English,Mary. Early Town Records of Mamaroneck. p.xii. 1816 Aaron Palmer 1969-1975 Christine K. Helwig 12 Fulcher. MTTY.p. 11. 4 ibid.Town Minutes.p. 111, 149. 1817-19 John Pinkney 1976-1979 Joseph p' ose h F. Vandernoot 5 ibid. 95. 1820-24 John B. UnderhillChapter 4-First Town Supervisor 6 Montgomery, Bella. "Quakers of Westchester."p.92. 1980-1984 Leo Goldsmith Jr. 1 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.p.8. 7 ibid.p.93• 1825-27 Aaron Palmer 2 ibid.p.9. 8 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y. p. 37. 1984-1989 Dolores A. Battalia 1828 John Morrill 3 Lucas, Nora. Larchmont Cultural Resource Survey. 9 Fulcher. MFCT.p. 32. 1829 Edwin Post 1990-1993 Caroline Silverstone 4 Fulcher.MRCT.p.25. 10 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y. p.61. Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.p.16. 11 ibid. .62.According to Judith Spikes, "the Statement of - Price 5 p P , 1830 Henry Munro 1994 Elaine P c p 6 ibid. 13. Bonded Debt of the Town for 1875 inexplicably includes 1831-31 James H. Guion A detailed account of the early Palmer family history can be $7,618.98 due on Bounty Bond Issued by the County Treasurer" 83 82 tv G 12 English. Early Town Records of Mamaroneck. p. 281. 28 The houses at 529 Weaver Street and 805 Weaver Street prob- 25 Brochure for Rouken Glen.According to Nora Lucas,the 13 Lucas, Nora. Larchmont Cultural Resource Survey. ably date from the early 1800s, indicating early settlements in this word"restricted" meant that non-domestic animals could not be Chapter 14-Between the Wars 14 Scharf. History of Westchester County.p. 667. area. A musket ball was uncovered in the yard at 529 Weaver St. kept on the property and the following were prohibited:livery Thanks to Chris Lovely and another was dug up one block south of that house.Another stables,factories,boarding houses,slaughterhouses smith shops, 1 Weigold. WC.p.114. PART TWO early house in the area still stands at 142 Rockland Ave. and was etc. 2 ibid.p. 117. built about 1785. 26 Lucas,Nora. "Notes on Neighborhoods for 1995 L.H.S. House 3 Larchmont Times,9-15-32.The Larchmont Gardens Chapter 9-Chatsworth Train Station and Land 29 Sgt.Paul Degenhardt of the Town of Mamaroneck Police Tour." Association of the 1920s was initially a developers association Development Company Department noted that some residents along the reservoir side of 27 Fulcher.MT7Y,p. 37-38• and then became a quasi-civic association and men's club. 1 "Uncle Sam"Takes Possession of his New Home."Larchmont Bonnie Way still report uncovering sawdust when digging in their 28 Weigold. Westchester County.p. 109. Information courtesy of Ned Ryan. Times, 5-21-25 backyards. 29 Fulcher.MFCT.p.31. 4 Weigold. W.C.p. 113. 2 "Muddy Stagecoach Road. . .", Daily Times,9-18-61. 30 Information courtesy of Dick Murphy,whose father handled 5 Weigold. "Pioneering in Parks and Parkways."p. 26. 3 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.pp. 50-55. Chapter 11-North o the Train Station Mrs.Ka ser's financial affairs. p f y 6 Daily Times,9-18-61. 4 Spikes. p.67. Thanks to Alfred De Cicco,Carl Carpino,William Carpino and 31 Information courtesy of Carl Carpino. 7 Information courtesy of long-time resident Chris Lovely. 5 Weigold. Westchester County. p. 19. other members of the Carpino&Bruno families,Madeline 32 Information courtesy of Sgt.Paul Degenhardt of the Town of g Weigold,Marilyn E., Pioneering In Parks and Parkways: 6 Spikes,Judith. "Larchmont in the 1890s: An Armchair Tour," Feinglass,Syrilda Helgren, Eleanor Lucas, Paul Marraffino, Mary Mamaroneck Police Department. Westchester County,N.Y., 1895-1945,Public Works Historical written for L.H.S. and Woman's Club, 1996. McGahan,Anna Reisman, Christina Niklaus Sharpe, Berdie Stein, 33 Ms.Adams,a descendent ofohn Adams,taught ballet,to 7 Spikes, Larchmont,N.Y. p.65. Ray Stubblebine,Jane Trenholm and Susan Vieser. J P' Society,Chicago, 1980, p. 26. and ballroom in Larchmont until her death in 1977. 8 Fulcher,M77Y.p.38&Daily Times, 6-9-77.The present 1 The Residents Guide to the Town of Mamaroneck.6-96, p. 4. 34 Information courtesy of Jane Trenholm. Chapter 15-World War H Larchmont Post Office was built in 1937.The first Mamaroneck 2 Burchell,George. Sound View News, 2-24-91. Post Office was opened in 1812 on the Post Road. In 1900, 3 Robinson. "Larchmont Woods Once A Picnic Ground." Thanks to Howard Acheson,Gaff Kelly and Charles Lange. Chapter 12-South o the Boston Post Road streets that had sidewalks received free carrier service. In 1917, Larchmonter Times,9-8-21. p f 1 Weigold. W.C.p. re. the Town board was against consolidating with the New Rochelle Thanks to Bryan Doherty and Phyllis Wittner 2 Elkan Park Brochure.p. 1-2. 8a g There is an unconfirmed report of a horse-rendering factory that 1 Larchmont Mamaroneck Conservation Areas and Parks.Life Post Office because of the inconvenience to residents.The pre- may have been situated in this area in the early 1900s, No evi- 3 ibid.p.5. Information courtesy of Elkan Park Association sent post office on Mt. Pleasant Avenue was built in 1935. dence has been found to date to support this. Center, Nov. '95. President Howard Acheson and Gail Kelly,Park Historian. Telephone service began in the Town of Mamaroneck in 1898. 4 Spikes. Larchmont,N.Y.p. 101,104. 2 ibid' 4 Spikes. "Elkan Park Celebrates Fifty Years of Memories." 5 Lucas,Nora. "Larchmont Cultural Resources Survey." p. 2. 3 7he Larchmont Mamaroneck Coastline.League of Women Daily Times, 11-18-96. Voters. 1989. 5 Original members who were instrumental in creating the Chapter 10-Early Weaver Street Settlers 6 Lucas, Nora. Notes on Neighborhoods for the 1995 L.H.S. 4 Scharf. History of Westchester County.p.876. community include Ben Brush,Albert Kohler and John Merritt. Catherine Goodliffe and family, Jackson Muriel Thanks to Cathe y>In a g J House Tour." Rochelle. 6 Spikes,Neilson,Trudy Neuhof, Lorraine Roxbury and Norma Thompson. 7 Spikes,Judith. "Work in Progress," p.7. Cyrus Field Judson 5 S ,La&Hadaway. Historical Landmarks of New 1 Reisman, Phil. "Weaver Street: Historic Pathway" Daily lived in Ardsley,and was the grandson of Cyrus West Field,who rchmont,N.Y.p. 104. Chapter 16-The New England Thruway Times, 5-7-79. promoted the first transatlantic telegraph cable. 7 "Hommocks Conservation Walkbook." Town of Mamaroneck to Carol Akin,William DiBicarri, Claudia Heller and 2 Spikes, Larchmont,N.Y.p.16,17, Map p.18. 8 Ryan,Jim. "Era Ends As Building Comes Down." Daily Conservation Advisory Commission. 1979,and"Mamaroneck William O'Gorman. Thanks to First Union Bank. 3 Spikes, Larchmont,N.Y. ,p.62. Times,6-9-77. From Colonial Times Through The First Century of the Republic." 1 Weigold. "Pioneering in Parks and Parkways."p. 25. 4 Spikes,Larchmont,N.Y, 63• 8 Hommock Complex Town of Mamaroneck, Westchester,N.Y. 2 ibid. 32. p' p. 9 Severin, Philip. Larchmont Times, 10-27-49. p• Pikes. "Notes for the L.H.S.Exhibit in Village Hall. 1983. 5 Singsen,Mary Ellen. "Quakers in Scarsdale."p. 14. 10 Bruno,Arthur. "Recollections." Larchmont Official Planning Associates West Hempstead,N.Y. 1967. 7 Singsen. p. 19. Centennial Edition.p.84-5. Information courtesy of Josephine 9 An early example of inter-municipal cooperation occurred in 3 S4 The Lions Club is a local service club organization founded 8 Singsen. p. 15. Bruno Mastocciolo, Carl Carpino's niece. 1955 when an agreement was drawn between the Town and in Larchmont in 1926 and based on the principles of giving back 9 English. Early Town Records.p. 156, 157, 161. 11 Spikes,Larchmont,N.Y. p. 53• New Rochelle for the latter to acquire the Pryer Manor Bridge to the community and helping people in need. Information 12 Spikes,bine, Ra Information for an exhibition resented b (also known as the Red Bridge)as a public bridge,and for both obtained courtesy of Lions Club members,John Coughlin and 10 Brown. "Griffen,Gedney, Purdy and Palmer Lines Still y p y municipalities to equally share the cost of repair and reconstruc- Gene Fulton,and the Lions Club Scrapbook. Represented In Area." Daily Times, 9-22-61. the Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc.6-28-92 thru 10-31-92. tion as needed. The bridge was reconstructed in 1991. 11 Family of Griffen(Mamaroneck Historical Society). p.49. 13 Rigano,Joseph. "Recollections." Book Of Views.Larchmont 10 Research in the 1960s qualified this broad statement! 12 Singsen. p 18. Gardens Company. p. 2. 11 Comprehensive Master Plan for the Town of Mamaroneck and Chapter A Northeastern Section it the Town 13 Montgomery, "Quakers of Westchester." p.93• 14"What's In A Name/Harmon Drive." Daily Times, 9-24-85. Village of Larchmont,May 1966. Thanks to Ann Caz,Al Laura Namara, Jan Kelsey,Daniel 15 Larchmonter=Times 8-19-11.The Larchmonter=Times was Levitt,Barbara Lutz,Alberta McNamara, David Myles,Elaine 14 Wolfe,Daniel, "Friendly Village Aptly Named." Daily Times,9 Prager,Susan Schulman,Karen Spicer,Kristina Southwell,JoAnn -7-81 after in the early 1900s;the Larchmont Times was published Chapter 13-Development Around the Train Station Lynch Towle and Tony Weiner. Thanks to the Rye Historical fter 1923. 15 Daily Times, 4-27-83• Thanks to Dick Murphy Society. 16 Larchmonter=Times, 6-24-11. 16 English. p. 123. 1 "Plans Underway to Beautify Station Surroundings." Larchmont 1 Lucas. Larchmont Cultural Resource Survey.p. 1. 17 Spikes, Soundview News,.9-24-93. 17"Rockingstone: Hasn't Moved in 30 Years."Daily Times, 3 23 Times,6-7-23• 2 Duhig,Stanley. "The Griffen Homestead."The Westchester 18"Goodliffe Obituary." New Rochelle Pioneer, 5-11-01 63.18 Spikes,Judith. "Elementary School Slide Tour."p. 3. 2 "Big Apartments Planned."Larchmont Times, 12-17-25. Historian,Vol-38. Oct.-Dec. 1962,p. 102. 19 Daily Times 12-18-37. "Crack the Whip"was outlawed at 3 "Who was George W. Burton?" Soundview News,May 25, 3 Smith. The Winged Foot Story.p. 19. Larchmont Gardens Lake In the 1930s. 19 Spikes,Judith. ibid.p. 2.The Bronx River Parkway was the 1995Spikes.Larchmont,N.Y. 1001fu .first parkway built in the world and the Hutchinson River g y 4 "Alton Parker." The Keynoter,Vo1.81,#2. Summer 1981. 20 S P p 100-1. Parkway was the second. 4 Scotch Hill is the name of the neighborhood around Myrtle 5 Lucas. LCRS.p. 2. 21 Spikes. 65. ?„ Boulevard,the Railroad and the foot of Preston Street. P P• 20 Reisman, Phil. "Remember the Bump&Wobble. Daily 6 Oppenheimer,Winfried. "A Princely Family."Daily Times, 22 Daily Times, 3-28-70. Times, 5-14-79. 5 Taylor's Ice Cream Store was in front of Gironda's Garage,at 11-27-75. 23 The Sound View News, 10-12-90. 21 Larchmont Times, 12-24-25. the site of the present-day Roll of Honor Monument on Myrtle 7 Lucas, LCRS.p.7. 25 Robinson,Sue. "Larchmont Had Water Famine Years Ago." Boulevard and Murray Avenue. g 22 "Larchmont Gardens Club to Start Clubhouse Soon." 8 ibid.p. 5. Larchmonter Times,8-11-21. Larchmont Times, 8-6-25. _ Jane Mc Mahon,"Westchester from the Roaring Twenties to 26 Singsen. 17. V J Day." Westchester County: 7Y.re Past Hundred Yeas 1883- 9 Emmanuelson,Clifford,Christine Helwig,&Mary Ann 8 P 23 Larchmont Times, 10-1-25. 1983,Marilyn E.Weigold, Ph.D.p. 110. Johnson."Conservation Advisory Committee of the Town of 27 Silberman,Cathy. Notes for the annual meeting of the 24 Lucas, Nora. 7be Larchmont Historical Society 1996 Holiday 7 I'Larchmont Has Much to Offer to Prospective Homeseeker." Mamaroneck."p.73• Mamaroneck Historical Society,June 21, 1988. p. 2. House Tour. The Larchmont Times,April 23, 1925. 10 Spikes. "Last Vaudeville Czar"Daily Times, 4-27-83. 85 84 11 Lucas. LCRS.p.6. 9 Hansen,Harry. Scarsdale,From Colonial Manor to Modern Mason,Mary Anne Johnson and James G.Johnson Jr. 12 Smith,DouglasLa ed Foot Stog ry'p'Rue. Win 19• Community.New York: Harper&Bros., 1954. monthly commute is$141. 6 The 25-by-11-foot oil painting,which was glued to the 2 James Johnson,the Friends'outstanding leader and first presi- 13 After 1901,the Mamaroneck end of Grand Park Avenue was 10 Gotham and Emily Chapman Seaman bought the well-built Courthouse wall,depicts important battles,events and ole in called Fenimore Road. school building as their home,and neighboring farmers helped P anPo people dent,is now president emeritus. Edgar Lehman succeeded him move it over the railroad tracks n neighboring Waverly Ave. The family County history,including contemporary politicians who are as president in 1990 and still holds that office.No fewer than 14 Information courtesy of Joseph Haywood. shown riding in a railroad car. 15 In golf jargon,this means a"blind green." lived in it even after Mrs.Seaman's death in 1898. Recently,the g three former Town Supervisors have held high positions in the 16 Information courtesy of local resident,Caesar Pitassy. Mamaroneck Historical Society relocated the house to the Boston organization:Christine K.Helwig,honorary chair;Joseph F. Post Road where it is being converted to its original likeness. Chapter 24-The Horrocks Park Apartments Vandernoot,Chairman•,and the late Leo Goldsmith,Board mem- 17 Information courtesy of Stuart McMillan,a member of the 12 Mr.Hamilton's school history ends with the opening of the 1 Town Supervisor Price served as Councilwoman from 1988- ber. The present chahum n,Lee H.Bloom,and a former Board partnership. Town's high school,which"brought to a close the successful 1993 and was elected Supervisor in 1994. member,Thomas R.Amlicke,are both former Town Councilmen. 18 Kelsey,Jan. "Andrew Wilson,Rye's First Real Estate struggle for a good school system that would meet the needs of 2 Housing Task Force members were:Dolores Battalia,Mary Developer." The Rye Historical Society Newsletter. Spring, `95. the growing community." Joyce Beringer,Mary Regina Carlson,G.David Frankel,Nomura 14 Hamilton,John. Swope Award Report. Jacobson,Joel Negrin,Robert Plaut and Margaret Shultz. Chapter 28-Golf Quos Chapter 18-Road Houses in the Town 15 Mr.Hamilton's report does not include the information on the 3 The Housing Advisory Board included David Bogdanoff, Thanks to Eugene Donovan and Neil Rubin. 1 "Bud Morley Remembers:Larchmont in the'20s."Larchmont Scarsdale schools that Mamaroneck students attended. Carlton Dukess,Eugene Grant and Robert M.Immerman. 1 Howe,George. "The Growth of Larchmont and Vicinity." Historical Society Newsletter.March 1992. 4 Housing Authority Board members included Mary Regina Exposition Press.Chapter VI. 2 "Loyal Inn Ruined By Early Moming Fire . . ."Larchmont Chapter 20-Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department Carlson,Jeffrey L.Marston,Susan Sidal,Barry A.Weprin and Paul 2 Daily Times, 10-1-25. A.Winick,Chairman. Times, 1-10-29. 1 Dunn,Art."600 Local Vols..."Daily Times. 3 "Bonnie Briar History and Legend." 3 Larchmont Times, 1-2949. 2 Mills,George. "Recollections." Larchmont Village U.S. 4 Winged Foot St 7be Got(, 7be People, 7be Friendly Trees, 4 Ryan,Jim. "Larchmont Lodge Coming Down."Daily Times,6- Bicentennial Booklet.1975. Chapter 25 Conservation g O1y, f N.Y. y 1_� 1 Town of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont Local Winged Foot Golf Club,Inc.,Mamk, . 1984• 5"From Casino to Castro."Daily Times,4-14-82. 3 Groh,Lynn. "Last Charter Member Is First In Dedication." Waterfront Revitalization Program,amended 1994. 5 Famous non-professional golfers who have played at Winged Daily 7Ymes. 6 "Walters Hot Dogs Now History." Soundvlew News,7-26-91. 2 Lifeline.LIFE Center(Local Involvement for Environment). Foot include:Bing Crosby,President Dwight D Eisenhower,and 4 Meek,Michael. "Expansion Needed,Firefighters Say."Daily Fall 1974. England's Duke of Windsor and his brother,Duke of York. 7 Wrightson,Karolyn. "Hot Dogs Pave Walter's Way. . ." Times,4-8-93. Daily 7Ymes,7-31-91. 3 Mary Anne Johnson, "History of Conservation-Environmental 5 From"Last Charter Member."Daily Times. Education Program Development,Larchmont and Mamaroneck, 9 Weigold. Westchester County.p. 115. 6 Hannon's Garage was located approximately where the pre- NY" Chapter 29-Additional Features 10 "Blossom Heath Inn Destroyed."Larchmonter Times, 10-28 sent da Au 'e's Restaurant stands on the Boston Post Road near Thanks to Ruth Collins and Patricia Healy. 11. Y 4 From the required Annual Reports of the Town of the New Rochelle border. Mamaroneck-Village of Larchmont Coastal Zone Management Information on Sts.John and Paul obtained from"Twenty-five 11 "Larchmont of Fifty Years Ago. . . "Larchmont Times, 10-27- Commission. These reports provide a complete overview of the Years 1949-1974,Church of Sts.John and Paul." 49. Chapter 21-Town o Mamaroneck Police Department role of the CZMC and may be obtained at the Town's 14 Gordon,Myles. "New Management Hopes to Restore Past p f p Y 1 "Helen Adams Dies,Taught Dance Here."Daily Times,2-5- Splendor at Carl's Restaurant."Daily Times. 1 'Meyers,Ina. "Police Headquarters Was Never A Home." Conservation Department. 77 29 R Jim. "Era Ends As"DailyComes Down."Dat Daily Times'7-25-95 5 According to the LWRP,the Complex(totaling about 520 2 Letter to Patricia Healy form Donald P.Kay.June 1, 1994. ' Budding Daily 2 Town Minutes.June, 1908.p. 129. acres)includes the Larchmont Reservoir,sections of the 77mes,6-9-77. 3 Dail Times September, 21-23, 1961. Sheldrake River and its two branches,Bonnie Briar and Winged y P 30 Information courtesy of Kathleen Brannigan Saxon. Foot golf courses,the Sheldrake-Leatherstocking Conservation 4 "Land,Water Events Mark Mamaroneck's 300th Year."N.Y. ti M T 22 ter - own Meetings 31 William G.Futcher,Mamaroneck Through The Years, The ChapArea,connecting watercourses and ponds,the Badger Sports Herald Tribune,9-24-61. Larchmont Times,Publishers, 1936. 1 "American Legion Clubhouse. . . "Daily Times,8-26-75. Club,Gardens Lake and the small Revere Road Conservation 32 Daniel Barker was a descendant of the original Daniel Barker 2 Town Minutes.1878.p.86. Area next to the Village of Mamaroneck border. 5 "Larchmont,Where Gold Medals Flower."Daily Times,8-18 96. from colonial times(see Hommocks-Chapter 12). 3 Town Minutes. May 31, 1882.p. 156. 6 Larchmont Mamaroneck Conservation Areas and Parks, 4 Bauer,Mary. "School-Town Center: To Sell Or Not To Sell." L.I.F.E.Center, 1995. pARr THM Daily 77mes. 7 Horrocks Conservation Area Wa/kbook.Town of Chapter 30-Hometown Trlvia Chapter 19-Schools 5 "Historic In What Way?"Daily Times, 11-14-80 Mamaroneck Conservation Advisory Commission. 1979. 26 Bolton. A History of the County of Westchester. p.494. Thanks to Bill Cotiadis,Bob Caldwell,Joan Giampoli,Walter 6 Spikes,Judith. "Old School Deserves Creative Reuse."Daily 8 A complete description and discussion may be found in the 25 McKeman,Maureen. "Hatfields Helped Settle County." Ludwig,Laura Nassau,Penny Wolff,Scarsdale Historical Society, Times, 11-9-80. Town ofMamaroneck-village of Larchmont Local Waterfront Reporter Dispatch,8-21-51. Scarsdale Public Library.Information about James Hamilton's 7 Hamilton,James. Swope Award Report, 1941. ` Revitalization Program. 17 Sound View News,5-11-95. report,courtesy of Diana Teti,School Board District Clerk. 9 On Aug. 2, 1966,Westchester County gave the Town Block Information regarding Scarsdale schools was obtained courtesy of Chapter 23-The Commuter 504,Lot 478,which contained an abandoned pump house. 12 Alumni Memories,Murray Avenue School Mamaroneck resident Laura Nassau. 1 Meighan,Bunton C. Mamaroneck Historical Society Meeting. 10 Recognizing the need for the public to support the concepts 13 Oral Histories. 1 Baird,Charles W. History Of Rye.New York: A.D.R. May 26 1988. of the LWRP and its efforts in the Premium area,the Premium 1 Larchmont Historical Society Newsletter. March 1992. Randolph&Co. 1871. River-Pine Brook Preservation Association(PPPA)was fomied in 5 "From Casino to Castro."Daily Times,4-14-82. P 2 Casio,Lynn. "Service Set to Honor Meighan."Daily Tyres, 1- , 2 Journal of New 1986 under the auspices of the L.LF.E.Center.Incorporated as a York Assembly, 1691-1743.p•7. 3-97.Gloria Poccia Pritts succeeded Burton Meighan as Town t 28 House Calls.Larchmont Historical Society. 1993•p•89. 3 Lucas,Eleanor, LoGiudice,M Joyce Historian McGahano and served from 1989 to 1996. She currently not-for-profit in 1989,the PPPA is dedicated to preserve,protect J Y Y continues and monitor the fragile Premium River-Pine Brook Wetlands 29 Vespe,Gloria, "Memories Of Murray Avenue School." The Papazian,Joan Pappalardo,Ned Paulsen&Gloria Pritts.7be her position as historian for the Village of Mamaroneck. Complex as a passive recreation site and flood control area,and Sound View News,5-I1-95. History of the Schools in the Town of Mamaroneck 1985. 3Reisman,Phil. "Remember The Bump&Wobble."Daily Times, to encourage and support tri-municipal cooperation. 30 Information courtesy of Jane Gorman 4 Vespe,Gloria, "Memories of Murray Avenue School." 5-14-79.The Heathcote Station is now the home of the Soundview News, 5-11-95. Scarsdale Ambulance Corps located on the comer of Heathcote y 31 Information courtesy of Trudy Neuhof. Chapter 26-The Larcbmont Reservoir 5 School District Information and Town Minutes. and Weaver Street. t 32 Information courtesy of Wallace Irwin Jr.of the Friends of the 1 The community leaders involved in Save Larchmont Reservoir 7 Spikes,Judith. "Old School Deserves Creative Reuse."Daily 4 "Look To Commuter. . ."Daily 7Ymes,9-8-61• Reservoir. Tyres, 11-9-80. included former Town Supervisors Christine Helwig and Joseph 5 Weigold,Marilyn."On The Sound Side."The Westchester.July Vandemoot,Edgar and Elisabeth Lehman,Lawrence Lowy, 33 Information courtesy of Douglas La Rue Smith 8 Miller,Marjorie. Quaker Ridge-A Brief History of Scarsdale 1976.p.73.The annual commutation charge on the New Haven SuzanneCarpe nter,Elizabeth Stem,Robert Barrett,Dr.C.Alan Schbol District#2. 1965. Railroad in 18 6 was 0 increasing to 7 b 187 .The 1 7 965 5 $5 , g $ 5 y 3 99 86 87 I w i f BIBLIOGRAPHY PHOTO CREDITS BOOKS Cover photo of duck pond by Tip Bliss. Bolton,Robert,Jr.A History of the County of Westchester from Page 3:Fulcher,Wm. G.Mamaroneck From Colonial its First Settlement to the Present Time.New York: 1848. Times,p.7(drawn by Edward DeLancey). Bromley, G. U.Atlas of Westchester County,N.Y.,Vol. 1,New Page 4:Scharf,J.Thomas.History of Westchester County, ; York:G.W.Bromley&Co., 1914• p. 140(genealogical data by Theresa Hall Bristol). English, Mary O'Connor, Ed. Early Town Records of Page 9:Photo courtesy of William Fraser j Mamaroneck, 1697-1881.Mamaroneck: 1979. Page 10:Fulcher,Wm.G.Mamaroneck 7brougb The French, Alvah. History of Westchester County, Vol. II. New Years.p.30 York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1925. Page 14:Map of Chatsworth, filed in County Land Records Fulcher, William Gershom. Mamaroneck Through the Years. Office, 1857(drawn by William Bryson). t Larchmont:The Larchmont Times, 1936. Page 15: ibid. Fulcher,William Gershom.Mamaroneck from Colonial limes Page 16:Postcard courtesy of William Fraser Through the First Century of the Republic. Mamaroneck: The Page 17:"Club Dial"magazine American Revolution Bicentennial Committee, 1976. Page 18:Photo courtesy of Catherine Goodliffe and Hansen, Harry, Scarsdale, From Colonial Manor to Modern Friends of the Reservoir Community.New York:Harper&Bros., 1954. Page 19:Photo courtesy of Muriel Bernier Nielsen Hultz,Helen Lorraine. Scarsdale Story:A Heritage History. Lederer, Richard, Jr. Place Names of Westchester County. Page 20:Photo courtesy of Larchmont Historical Society Harrison: Harbor Hill Books, 1978. Page 22:Photo courtesy of Alfred DeCicco Lister, Walter, Ed. Larchmont Official Centennial Edition. Page 26(top):Photo courtesy of Larchmont Historical Larchmont:Harvey Rubin Publishing, 1991. Society(Photographer-Irene Seff) Scharf, Thomas J., Ed. History of Westchester County, 1843- Page 26(center):Photo courtesy of William Fraser 1898.Philadelphia:L.E.Preston&Co., 1886. Page 26(bottom)Photo courtesy of Syrilda Carrabine Seacord, Morgan H. and Hadaway, Wm. S. New Rochelle: Helgren Historical Landmarks of New Rochelle. New Rochelle Trust Co., Page 28:Postcard courtesy of Dick Murphy 1938. I Page 28:Photo courtesy of Larchmont Historical Society Shonnard, Frederic and Spooner, Walter W. History of Page 29:Rouken Glen Brochure,courtesy of Susan Vieser Westchester County.New York: N.Y.Historical Co., 1900. Page 30: Photo courtesy of Larchmont Historical Society Spikes,Judith Doolin.Larcbmont,NY.-People and Places Pre- Page 31:Photo courtesy of L.H.S. History to 1892.Larchmont: Fountain Square Books, 1991 Page 34: Bromley, G.W.Atlas of Westchester County,NY Smith, Douglas LaRue. Winged Foot Story, The Golf, The 1914. People, The Friendly Tees.Mamaroneck: Western Publishing Co., page 37:Photos courtesy of Anthony Librandi Inc., 1984. Weigold, Marilyn E., Ed. Westchester County: 7be Past 100 Page 39:Photos courtesy of Gail Kelly Years 1883-1983.Valhalla: Westchester Historical Society, 1984. Page 40:Bromley,G.W.Atlas of Westchester County, 1914. i Page 41:Photo courtesy of First Union Bank, Larchmont BOOKLETS,ESSAYS,PAMPHLETS,and SURVEYS Page 43:Map on file in County Land Records Office 1874. Brown,Helen Warren,Hist.Ed.Mamaroneck, 1661-1961: A Courtesy of Larchmont Historical Society Panorama of Her First Three Centuries.Mamaroneck: 1961. Pages 48,49, 50:Road house photos courtesy of William Lederer,Richard,Jr. "Manor Of Scarsdale" 1985. Fraser,Dick Murphy and Kathleen Brannigan Saxon. Lucas, Eleanor, Mary LoGiudice, Mary McGahan, Joyce Pages 49, 50:Loyal Inn and Red Lion postcards from Papazian, Joan Pappalardo, Ned Paulsen, Gloria Pritts. 7be Larchmont,NY.• The Way It Was.Picture Postcards of Old History of the Schools in the Town of Mamaroneck.1985 Larcbmont.James H.Levi and Constance A. Levi. 1990 Lucas,Nora."LarchmontPa Cultural Resources Survey,Historical 8e 51:Photo courtesy of James Hamilton Overview,Draft"September 1995. Page 52: ibid Lucas, Nora. "Village Of Mamaroneck Cultural Resource Page 53: Hultz,Helen Lorraine, Scarsdale Story:A Heritage Survey, Historical Overview."July 1995. History.p.974. Miller, Marjorie. Quaker Ridge-A Brief History of Scarsdale Page 54:Mamaroneck School District 1 School District#2. 1965. Page 56:Courtesy of L.H.S. Montgomery, Bella R. "The Quakers of Westchester" Page 57:Courtesy of L.H.S. Westchester Historian,Vol.46:Fall 1970,pp.89-93. Page 58:Courtesy of Town of Mamaroneck Fire Singsen, Mary Ellen. "Quakers in Scarsdale" Westchester Department Historian,Vol. 54:Winter 1978,pp. 13-20. Pae 59:Photo courtesy of Town Police Department Weigold, Marilyn. "Pioneering in Parks and Parkways: g Westchester County, N.Y. 1895-1945" Finays in Public Works Page 61:Photo courtesyof William Fraser History, #9, Chicago: Public Works Historical Society, February Page 62: Postcard courtesy of Dick Murphy 1980. Page 65:Town Conservation Department Page 69:Photo courtesy of Catherine Goodliffe NEWSPAPERS Page 72:Photo courtesy of Winged Foot Golf Club The Daily Argus, The Daily 77mes, 7be Herald Dibune, The Page 73: Photo courtesy of Bonnie Briar Country Club Larchmonter=Times, 7be Larchmont Times, 7be Mamaroneck Page 78:Beers Atlas, 1868. Paragraph, New Rochelle Pioneer, 7be Standard Star, The Sound View News 88 -------------------------- z L }! r i $yy . �a t t _ O� Z u� m _ n ~FOUNDED 1661