History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 167

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 167

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On the 11th of September, 1882, a town health board was organized for the first time, Charles Nord- quist, M.D., being ehosen town physician and Francis Seeor health officer. In 1883 Dr. Nordquist was again chosen town-physician and C. Bayard Fish re- placed Francis Secor as health offieer.

Although in the main, the local and general elee- tions of the town have been harmonious and unat- tended by undue frietion, they have seldom failed to awaken interest, especially of late, and as a result a full vote has usually been polled, especially in presi- dential years. Our earliest ideas of the political lean- ings of the township are gathered from the result of the elections for governor of the state in 1822 and 1824. In the first mentioned year the election lasted for three days, but the vote polled was exceptionally small, aggregating but eighteen out of a population of more than three hundred persons. 1823 also proved to be an " off year," but six votes being polled in the election for members of the State legislature. In 1824 a total of twenty-eight was reached in the election for governor, De Witt Clinton receiving seven votes, Samnel Young nineteen, and Aaron and Steph- en Ward, each a single vote. Two years afterward the total fell to nineteen votes in the election for governor, Clinton receiving eleven and Rochester eight. In the election for governor in 1828 Van Buren received twenty-four and Thompson twenty votes, and the same year in the choice of presidential eletors Jacob Odell received twenty-four votes and John Odell twenty-one. In the next eighteen years the town-records are silent upon the subject of elee- tions, and it is not till 1846 that we have any further returns. In this year the town voted unanimously in favor of "No License," but by a vote ridiculously small, considering that the males of voting age numbered more than sixty, but six votes were east. That so little apparent interest was manifested in so important a question is explained by the fact that the town has always been opposed to liquor selling,-but one licensed inn having ever existed within the boundaries-so that there could have been no doubt as to the result and consequently the vote was light.

During the next decade the population increased

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by one hundred and four souls, the number of votes rising to eighty-two in the same time. The next ten years saw the population again increased by more than one hundred souls, aud the number of voters at the eud of this period (1865) was one hundred and nine. In 1875 the total of voters had falleu to one hundred and three, but the population had likewise decreased by twenty-eight.

In the general election of 1840 Scarsdale gave Van Buren a majority of eight, Harrison receiving twenty- five votes to his opponent's thirty-three. In the next presidential election Polk's majority over Clay was fifteen in Scarsdale. For the election of 1848 the returns are wanting, but in 1852 the town gave Scott twenty-four votes and Pierce twenty-nine. In 1856 the vote of Scarsdale was as follows: Fremont twenty ; Fillmore, thirteen ; Buchanan, twenty-seven. In 1860 the town gave the Fusion candidates thirty- six votes against thirty-one for Lincoln and Ham- lin, and the same year, in the gubernatorial contest, gave Morgan thirty-one votes, Kelly thirty-five and Brady one. In 1864 the presidential vote of the town stood for McClellau fifty-two votes and Lin- coln thirty-nine. For the elections of 1868 the re- turns are more complete. For president, Grant, the Republican candidate, received forty-six votes against Seymour's forty-one. For governor, Griswold (Re- publican) received forty-five votes and Hoffman (Democrat) forty-three. For Congress, Potter (Demo- crat) received forty-four votes and Haggerty (Repub- lican) forty-one. At the next general election the town went strongly Republican, giving Grant forty- eight votes for president against twenty-four for Gree- ley, and at the same time Dix (Republican) received fifty votes for governor and Kiernan but twenty-one. For congress Forman (Republican) received forty- seven votes and Cox (Democrat) twenty-four, and for Assembly Wright (Republican) received fifty-nine votes against eleven for Duscnberry (Democrat). In the election of 1876 Scarsdale gave Hayes sixty-four votes aud Tilden fifty-threc, and iu 1880 Garfield re- ceived seventy-four votes,-the largest vote given in the town for any candidate,-and Hancock fifty- five. In the last general election, 1884, Scarsdale was greatly stirred by the questions at stake and the fight was very bitter, though without any undue manifesta- tion of feeling. In the end the scale was turned by the independent vote, Cleveland receiving a majority of three over Blaine.

From the above it will be observed that Scarsdale has come out on the winning side in all but three of the presidential contests there recorded, whence it has been said-as of many other towns also, however,- " As Scarsdale goes, so goes the country."

MILITARY HISTORY .- Although the scene of uo battle or famous military exploit during the Revolu- tion, Scarsdale was situated in the midst of the tract known as the " Neutral Ground," which was the scene of many a dark and inhuman deed at the hands

of the prowling "Cow Boys " or "Skinners," as the guerrilla bands of the British and Americans re- spectively, were called, and so the town of Scarsdale came in for a full share of their depredations. Many of the inhabitants were Tories. It is stated that only three families in the town were in favor of the patriot cause, and although this may not be strictly true, it sufficiently indicates the drift of feeling in the town- ship. What few patriots there were suffered severely for their patriotism. The Varian family, who occu- pied what is now known as " Wayside Cottage," after enduring for some time the importunate demauds of the guerrillas fled to Connecticut for refuge, not re- turning till the end of the war ; while Caleb Tomp- kins was obliged to leave his home and flee for his life, before the British. In the "Spy," Cooper treats of this time and locality with great force and interest, but of less romantic and more matter-of-fact details there is great lack. In regard to the troops furnished by the town of Scarsdale, Baird in his "History of Ryc," says, "New York was required by the Conti- nental Congress to contribute her quota of three thousand men. Four regiments were raised in the province. The call for soldiers was promptly re- sponded to by this town (Rye). Three companies were formed, mostly within the limits of Rye, which as yet included Harrison and the White Plains. These companies were embraced in the 'Second Battalion of Westchester County.' The second com- pany included the men from Scarsdale, White Plains and Brown's Point. The number furnished by Scars- dale is unknown, but the name of James Verian (Varian) appears as first-lieutenant of the company. Of him, we find that during the war, he rendered ser- vice under the Colonial flag, and his possessions were despoiled by the human wolves infesting this part of Westchester County during the war, and who were known as 'Skinners ' and 'Cowboys.' For twenty years prior to his decease he was a helpless paralytic, caused by exposure in the patriotic cause."

Michael Varian, a brother, likewise moved to Scarsdale in 1775 and took an active part on the patriotic side, but returned to New York at the close of the war. At one time during this troublesome period Judge Caleb Tompkins, who had rendered him- self obnoxious to the Royalists, and whose residence formerly occupied the site where now stands the house of Charles Butler, was obliged to gather together what he could of his household goods into an ox-cart and flee before the advance of the British. When he ar- rived at the swamp just northeast of the village of White Plains he was so closely pursued that he aban- doned his cattle, sending them on into the woods near Kensico, while he himself descended into the swamp and hid in the water, his head only above the surface. In this way he managed to escape from his pursuers and afterwards was able to return to his home. Scars- dale was the scene of the movements of the patriot and royal troops prior to the battle of White Plains,

RESIDENCE OF C. W. DICKEL, SCARSDALE, N. Y.

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as well as again when the British were commanded by General Howe.

It is said that the old Fish house was occupied by Sir William Howe for some time as his headquarters, and that near by are the graves of several of his officers who fell in service. It is probable that the British army was for some time within the limits of Scarsdale previous to the battle of White Plains, for they moved but slowly after their landing near New Rochelle. Speaking of this battle, Baird says, " Meanwhile the enemy had advanced from Scarsdale, and after a skirmish near the present village of Hart's Corners, a little more than a mile south of the lines, had arrived in view of the American forces."

Still another account is as follows: On the 21st the British removed and encamped on New Rochelle Heights, north of the village and on both sides of the road leading to Scarsdale. This camp was broken up on the 25th, and the army moved forward to a position upon the high grounds of Scarsdale, on the site of the late John Bennet's farm, and there remained till the morning of the 28th of October. Then they moved from camp in two columns, the right under command of General Clinton and the left under that of General de Heister, and coming in sight of the Americans by 10 A.M., there followed the battle of White Plains.

After this, Scarsdale was the scene of but few mili- tary movements, unless we except the uninterrupted ravages of the marauding parties, but in 1781 it is unimportantly mentioned in a letter from Captain Marquand to Sir Henry Clinton, dated July 15th. He says : "Waterbury (a British Captain) re-inforced by some militia arrived the 13th, at Van Hart's, at Scarsdale, a district between White Plains and Ma- maroneck." At this time the whole county was more or less occupied by the British, who were watching the movements of Washington on the hilly country fur- ther north. A few relics relating to this period which are now in possession of James McCabe, are some bullets and a cannon-ball found in the vicinity of his residence, as well as a silver ornament from the front of a cap-presumably that of a British officer.

During the second war with England, or the War of 1812, Scarsdale varied its peaceful routine little if at all. It furnished the State, however, with its War Governor, Daniel D. Tompkins, who so thoroughly identified himself with his work that the history of these times in New York is the history of his own life. Besides Governor Tompkins, Scarsdale furnished the country with another brave man, Colonel Jona- than Varian, a son of the James Varian who fought so well in the Revolution. At one time the peace of the town was threatened, when it was announced that the British forces would attempt a landing at Mamaro- neck, and many volunteered to repel the threatened attack. Among them was William S. Popham, who died June 18, 1885.

At the time of the outbreak of the Rebellion there

were eighty-one persons in the town returned as liable for military duty, of whom twenty-four were members of various regiments of the National Guard as follows : belonging to the Seventh Regiment, three; to the Fifty-first, one; to the Seventy-first, two; and to the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regiment, seventeen ; while one is enrolled quarter-master. There are no accurate records of the exact number volunteering from the town of Scarsdale, and of those sent as sub- stitutes or drafted, but the most reliable figures give the number credited to Scarsdale during the Rebellion as follows : Serving in the army, thirty-cight, and in the navy, eleven. Fourteen of those credited to the army were enlisted as follows: Fifty-first Infantry, one ; Ninety-fifth Infantry, one; One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Infantry, four; One Hundred and Seventy-eighth Infantry, one; Fifth Artillery, one ; Second Kansas Regiment, one; Seventh Militia Regi- ment, one; and Navy, one. But one citizen of Scars- dale died in the war, he being a member of the Sixth Artillery.

CHURCHES .- According to Bolton, Scarsdale, under the Provincial government, constituted one of the seven districts of Rye parish in 1763, contributing twenty-five pounds four shillings and sixpence to the vestry tax and the poor of the parish. He further says: "The parochial clergy appear to have offi- ciated here at a very early period, as the Rev. Robert Jenney, writing to the Bishop of London in 1724, says : 'I officiate eight times per annum at Mamaro- neck for Scarsdale and Fox's Meadows.' In 1727 there were thirty persons in Scarsdale upon whom the parochial tax was levied. Mr. Wetmore, writing to the Gospel Society in 1744, observes : 'I have a consider- able congregation at the White Plains and Scarsdale, above seven miles west of the parish church, which I also attend once in two months." By far the oldest religious organization actually settled in the town is the Society of Friends, who have had a meeting- house of their own here for more than a century, but their history is chiefly connected with Mamaroneck, where they held their first meeting in the county in 1702. In six years they had built a meeting-house in Mamaroneck, and we find that a " monthly meet- ing " was appointed to be held there in April, 1725, by order of the " Yearly Mceting" of Friends in Flushing, L. I., at that time the centre of the sect in the colonies. In 1728 the Mamaroneck meeting was constituted a " Preparative " meeting, and in 1739 a new meeting-house was erected. The records in the possession of the Scarsdale mecting are very volu- minous, but scarcely refer to the Society as it exists here, being chiefly occupied with the past. The meeting-house was moved "to a central location " between the years 1768-1770, and this probably refers to the first meeting-house in Scarsdale. This meet- ing-house dated from about this time, being set down on the site of the present structure upon a map " of the White Plains constituting part of Scarsdale,"

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bearing the date 1779. Two buildings are now used by the Society-one by the Orthodox Friends and the other by the Hicksites, both being of comparatively recent construction, occupying the site of the former venerable structure. The house and church is a plain frame building of two stories, about forty feet square, with a porch in front iuto which open the doors. Both meeting-houses are quite unpretending, of the plainest type of architecture, and painted in quiet drab colors quite devoid of ornamentation. They stand in the far southeastern corner of the town, at the junction of Lincoln and Griffin Avenues, and are surrounded by a small grove of handsome trees. According to the census of 1845 the Society possessed two buildings valued at one thousand one hundred and fifty dollars, and twenty years later the value of the buildings and lot was put at three thousand dol- lars. At the latter date the seating capacity of the buildings was three hundred and eighty, and the usual attendance seventy persons.

But while on the eastern side of the town the So- ciety of Friends was slowly growing and becoming firmly established, the westeru side, and in fact all the rest of the town, had no religious organization of any kind. At odd times the services of the Episcopal Church were held in private residences by visiting clergy, and an occasional visitation was made by the rectors of neighboring churches, but beyond this there was nothing.

The Episcopal Church was incorporated September 3, 1849, under the name and style of "The Rector, Church Wardens aud Vestrymen of the Church of St. James the Less, in the township of Scarsdale," and steps were at once taken towards the building of a church edifice. Pending the completion of this, ser- vices were held for some months in the former resi- dence of Hon. Richard Morris, then occupied by William S. Popham, son of Major Popham of Revo- lutionary fame, at which the Rev. Dr. Morton, of Philadelphia, and others of the clergy officiated.

The corner-stone of the first church was laid on the 29th of June, 1850, by the Rt. Rev. W. R. Whit- tingham, D.D., bishop of Maryland. The conse- cration of the completed edifice took place on the 28th of June, 1851, the services being conducted by the Rt. Rev. W. H. De Lancey, bishop of Western New York, acting in the disability of the bishop of New York. The first wedding in the new church was celebrated on the 27th of May, 1852, and the first confirmation service took place on the 12th of September of the same year, seventeen per- sons receiving the rite.

Owing to the small population of the parish the building of the church had been no easy task, but all gave as they could, and heartily seconded thie efforts of the original movers, and the result was the posses- sion of a church building that proved a great blessing to all. To quote from a sermon of the present rector of the parish, Rev. Francis Chase, which was deliv-

ered the Sunday after the destruction of the church by fire : "Doubtless few churches have ever been erected into whose walls have been built more self- denial and sacrifice. Even children, I am told, used to go without their customary indulgences in order to have something to contribute toward the structure or its appropriate furniture. The poor gave freely of their labor, or else, to bring a money offering, de- prived themselves of things which they could ill have spared for any other cause. Seeing the goodwill and earnestness shown by the initiators of the enterprise, others outside became interested, and came forward with gifts and helpful deeds, so that a great many persons not immediately connected with this church had a substantial investment in it." In June, 1850, the grounds immediately surrounding the church, to the amount of about three and a quarter acres, were conveyed to the parish by William H. Popham in the form of a lease for a thousand years upon the follow- ing terms : " Yielding and paying therefor unto the said party of the first part and his heirs yearly and every year during the said time hereby granted the yearly rent or sum of one silver dime, lawful money of the United States of America, on the Festival of St. Philip and St. James in each and every year ; and, also, the parties of the second part, or their successors in office, shall not at any time during the continuance of the time hereby granted, let, underlet, assign, sell or convey the whole or any part of said premises to any person or persons, sole or corporate whatever, except the right or privilege of burial in said ground ; and upon the further condition that religious services in said church during said time shall be performed according to the form prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer, or the administration of the sacra- ments and other rites and ceremonies as prescribed in said book for the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America, aud of the doctrine and discipline therein set forth, and the canons of said church by a duly and regularly or- dained minister of said Protestant Episcopal Church, or by one allowed by the canons of said church to officiate, or by a duly ordained minister of the Church of England as now by law Established, and none other; provided always, nevertheless, that if the rent above reserved shall not be demanded by, or paid to, the said party of the first part, or his heirs on or before the Feast of St. Andrew in every year, after the same shall have been due, that then said parties of the second part shall forever thereafter be dis- charged from the payment of the same."

The church is situated upon a slight eminence, a quarter of a mile from the Bronx River and the Har- lem Railroad, and about the same distance from the old Boston turnpike, in a convenient location, while to the south and west of the building is the portion of the grounds set apart as the parish burying-place. Bolton gives the following concise and interesting de- scription of the first church edifice: "The style of

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the building is early English, or first pointed, accord- ing to Riskman's Nomenclature. It is constructed of native stone, with dressings of the white dolomitic marble, and consists of a uave, chancel, with sacristy attached, and porch. The nave, which is 50 feet by 24 feet in the clear, with sittings for about 211, is di- vided into four bays, the flank walls of which are pierced with couplets, excepting the first bay from the west end, on the south side, which contains a door leading to the porch. The roof is opeu, with rafters diagonally traced. The pulpit is in the northeast corner of the nave. A font of the largest size (2 fcet 6 inches across the bowl) stands in the southeast cor- ner of the nave. It is circular, supported on a cen- tral octagonal stem, surrounded by four detached pil- lars of white marble, and was presented by the sisters of the first rector of the parish. The seats areopeu and entirely free of any charge for rent or use-the church being supported by voluntary contributions at the offertory. The organ, presented by a member of the vestry, is situated at the west end of the nave. The chancel, 20 feet by 16 feet, in the clear, is separated from the nave by the chancel arch. The choir is raised two steps above the uave and has two stalls on the sonth side. On the north it opens, by a door, into the sacristy. The sanctuary, elevated above the choir by two steps, is about 8 feet in depth, containing an altar 6 feet by three feet, on a foot pace, a credence- shelf on the south side and bishop's seat on the north. The chancel is lighted by a triplet of richly-stained glass, the middle lancet of which contains a cross within the Vesica piscis ; the sonth, a dove and font ; and the north, a paten and chalice. The rest of the glass (exeepting the west end of the nave, which is richly grisailed, and the southern windows of the ehancel, which have colored borders) is plain enam- eled. The whole of the stained glass was manufac- tnred by Mr. John Bolton, of Pelham. Over the cen- tral lancet, in the chancel, and in the middle of the west gable, are triangular, trifoliated lights, with col- ored glass." Frank Wills, of New York, was the architeet, and the cost of the entire edifice is put by Mr. Bolton as about five thousand dollars ; but this is probably too small, as much labor and material were contributed by individnals which are probably uot included in the above estimate. The following de- scription of the communion service is likewise taken from Bolton's "History of Westchester :" "The eommnuion service, presented on the day of consecra- tion, consists of the following articles : A flagon, in- scribed ' The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin ; ' two silver chalices, each having the following inscription : 'I will receive the cnp of Salvation ;' a pateu, with the legend 'I will offer unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving ;' and a silver alms-basin." The bishop's ehair, bearing on the back the symbol of the episcopal office-the bishop's mitre-was the gift of the builder, Henry Cornell, while the altar- cloth and linen, as well as the service-books, were

likewise preseuted by friends. The triplet, which lighted the chancel, was subsequently filled with beautiful, stained-glass windows, in memory of Miss Cornelia H. Guion.

The central lancet contained a representation of the Saviour holdiug in his arms the Sacramental Loaf. The glass of the left lancet represented St. Philip, and that of the right, St. James the Less. The large bell, cast by Mencely, of Troy, was a present to the par- ish, and, as it was found to be too large for the small belfry at the summit of the west gable, it was put in position near the porch, upon the ground. On October 15, 1864, William Sutley Lang, a resident of the par- ish, communicated to the vestry the offer of a chapel, to be attached to the church. This offer was promptly accepted, and the chapel, being a memorial of the lately-deceased wife of the donor, was erected shortly thereafter. The structure was to the north of the chancel and communicated directly with the sacristy. It was lighted by a couplet at the east end, facing which was the entrance-door and the reading-desk. In the north wall, and facing the entrance to the sac- risty, was cut a tablet to the memory of Susan Bailey Lang. This edifice contained sittings for abont thirty-three persons, and was chiefly used for the Suuday-school and for week-day services.

On the evening of Palm Sunday, April 2, 1882, the beautiful little church was almost totally destroyed by fire,-owing apparently to a defective fine,-and the chapel and almost all the furnishings were in- volved in the general destruction. The ruin was nearly complete, nothing but a small portion of the walls remaining.

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 167

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354