History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 13

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

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. II > Part 13

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Girls,

BUYN.

Total.

1878

32.

2-5

1879.

342

251

1×80

334

243

647

35%

299

657

1882

370

313

683

1 ~~ 3

386

327

1884

340

:40

It remains to be stated that during ISS5. the building ereeted by Rev. Mr. Lynch in 1860, was greatly enlarged at a cost of about §20,000. The corner stone of this building was blessed on Sabbath July 5, 1885, with appropriate ceremonies. The building is three stories in height, and has a frontage of one hundred and twenty feet on St. Mary St. with a depth of fifty-thrce feet.

ST. ALOYSIUS' BOARDING ACADEMY FOR BOYS .- Before we come to St. Joseph's parochial school, we must speak of this educational institution of the Roman Catholics whose foundation preceded St. Joseph's in order of time.

After frequent solieitation to do so, the Sisters of C'ha- rity at last decided to undertake a boarding school for for boys so young as still to need woman's care. For this purpose the property now occupied by St. Aloy- sius' Academy on the corner of South Broadway and Vark Strect was purchased by them in November 1868. The cost of it was forty-two thousand dollars. The grounds comprise four and a half acres. Large additions have been made to the house. It has be- come the headquarters of a eontmunity of the Sisters of Charity. The first Superior of the school was Sister Ann Cecilia. The present Superior is Sister Mary Pins, who has been in charge sinee April 1871. The Academy is also the home of the sisters teaching in the parish school of St. Mary's. Including those in that charge, there is in the building a community of fourteen sisters. Besides sister Mary Pius, the Superior, the teachers and other ladies who reside in the building are sisters M. Symphorosa, Maric Stella, M. Clementia, Agnes Teresa, M. Serene, MI. Euphro- syne, M. Leonora, M. Hilary and Clara Vincent in charge of St. Aloysius, and MI. AArsenia, Agnes Loy- ola, M. Myra and Frances Clare in charge of the par- ish school. The information we have does not extend to the details of St. Aloysius' school, but we under- stand that the institution has been a sucecss.

ST. JOSEPH'S PARISH SCHOOL .- St. Joseph's par- ish was set off from St. Mary's in 1871. In June of that year, Rev. A. A. Lings, assistant at St. Mary's, was made pastor of the new parish. In July, Rev. Mr. Lings bought the lot at present occupied by St. Jo-

1 During The period of Slater Chrysostom's connection with the school she was ill for a long time. And it Is Interesting to note that during her Illness her place was supplied for a year and a half by Sister Ambrosia, who was subsequently put in charge of the Girls' Protectory al West- chester, and Is now Mother Superior of The Sisters of Charity In the ·livrese.

YONKERS.

sephi's church at the corner of Ashburton and Oak Hill (now St. Joseph) Avenues, and by the spring of 1872 the present building, designed for a school house, and since temporarily used in part for a church, was completed. St. Joseph's Parish school was opened in class rooms in its upper story, in Sept. 1872, with about three hundred pupils. We take the following statement verbatim from Mr. Cornell's pamphlet. It contains, presented from the Roman Catholic point of view, a history of some very important events which occurred in Yonkers between 1878 and 1881.

" Father Lings made the public claim that since his schools gave to the children of the district all the secular education they could get in the public schools, and at much less expense, and since he thus saved the district the great cost of new class rooms and more teachers, the school board should pay at least the small cost of his schools. He claimed to do for less than ten dollars per year what cost the district more than twenty-five dollars. After a good deal of discussion, the matter was brought before the annnal mecting of the district, held on October 8, 1878, nnder a resolution approving of hiring addi- tional class-rooms in St. Joseph's Church, at a nom- inal rent, whenever the board of education might think proper and under such conditions as the board should approve. By a misunderstanding among some of the voters, as to the question voted on, 33 votes in favor of the school were thrown away, and the votes stood :- For the resolution, 197: for appropriating $3000 for St. Joseph's School, 17 ; for trustees, 16 ; to- tal, 230. Against the resolution, 207.

"The resolution was declared lost, but this result being unsatisfactory, a special meeting of the district was called the following spring, to be held on the 10th of June, 1879, to vote on the question of estab- lishing a branch school in St. Joseph's Church under the school board. Much feeling and discussion were excited and the meeting was largely attended. The vote stood, for the branch school, 387, against it, 430, blank, 1.

"At this time the attendance in St. Joseph's parish school was three hundred and seventy-four. The school was discontinued at the end of June, 1879, but in September, 1881, it was reopened under the charge of the Sisters of Charity, for whose use Father Lings had bought the adjoining house and lot north of the school, and fitted it up at a cost of abont seven thousand dollars. The sisters have the boys' school as well as the girls', but in separate class rooms and with separate yards and entrances. Sister M. Stephen, of the Academy of St. Aloysius, who had for several years charge of St. Joseph's Sunday-school, was put in charge of the new house at St. Joseph's, where she now has six assistant teachers, besides the lay assist- anee in the school. In the autumn of 1882 the school numbered 203 boys and 281 girls; total, 484. In Jannary, 1883, the register was 530, and the average

attendance for the month 458." Sister Stephen's assistants are Sisters M. Esperanza, Rosa Lima, M. Joseph Berchmans, Marie Angele and Maria Clotilda."

PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES .- We know of none of these before the period of Lemuel Wells (1813-42). Mr. Wells himself, however, in 1840, two years only before his death, built two houses and founded two schools, one for boys and the other for girls, both of which after his death became noted. The seminary for boys was conducted in the building at 72 Locust Hill Avenue, which is now owned and occupied by Mr. John H. Hubbell. Its first principal was a Mr. Burrill, but it became chiefly prominent under the management of another, of whom we must give an account.

GEORGE W. FRANCIS, A.M., was born in Pitts- field, Mass., September 29, 1799. He was graduated at Williams College in 1826; then studied law and was licensed to the bar in 1829. During his study of law he tanght schools in Pittsfield, Mass., and Lansing- burgh, N. Y. After being admitted he did not prac- tice his profession, but devoted most of his time to teaching. He was principal of the high school in Troy, N. Y., in 1830 and 1831, and then taught a se- lect school in the same city till 1836. The follow- ing two years, till the fall of 1837, he spent in busi- ness. From 1837 to 1845 he again taught a select school in Troy. In 1845 he was induced to come to Yonkers to take charge of the boys' school of which we have spoken. He rented its building till 1847, and then bought it. Bringing to Yonkers ample ex- pericnec and large popularity as a teacher, he started his school here as a boarding and day-school, lim- iting his pupils to twenty of each class. The success of the school at once became and continned marked. The boarding department he maintained ten years and the day-school till 1860. In that year he finally retired from teaching. The school building he sold to Mr. Anson Baldwin in 1862. In after years he followed business for a timc. He was deputy clerk in the Yonkers village clerk's office in 1871 and 1872, and also for several years commissioner of com- mon schools.

Mr. Franeis still lives in Yonkers, at 29 Hawthorne Avenue, and is vice-president of the Yonkers Savings Bank. He is now about 87 years of age. He has been an instructor of a large number of youth, many of whom have become noted, and some of whom are very wealthy men. His advanced life has brought him experience of severe trials, but it has not been withont its bright side as well. An incident in his recent his- tory was of very substantial and timely service to this veteran teacher. On his 84th birth-day a number of his old pupils, now widely scattered over the country, on the proposition of warmly attached representa- tives of his former Yonkers school, sent him the snm of $1350 as a testimonial of their reverent respect and sincere estcem. No deed ever gave greater pleas- ure to Yonkers people. Their kindest regard will

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

follow Mr. Francis as long as he is spared as one of their historic men.

The seminary for girls stood on a lot some distance north from Ashburton Avenue, running through from North Broadway to the present Palisade Avenue. George W. Bleecker was the first manager of this school. A lady followed him. Neither succeeded, but the school like that of Mr. Francis, became noted under the management of another, of whom we must speak somewhat at length.

William C. Foote, A. M., was born in North Haven, Connecticut, November, 6, 1811, was prepared for college in New Haven, and was graduated at Yale in 1832. He studied in the New Haven seminary and was regularly licensed to the ministry in 1836. Utter physical prostration however compelled him to forego the profession to which he had devoted himself. In 1839 he was induced to take charge of a ladies' sem- inary at Newburgh, N. Y. and from thence in 1845 he came to Yonkers about the same time with Mr. Francis. Assuming the management of the girls' school here, he gave it the character of a boarding and day-school, and by dint of energy, soon raised it to a high reputation. His pupils ranged in age from ten to twenty years. They were taught in all the studies then deemed essential to a finished education for ladies, including French, music and painting. Mr. Foote employed many assistants in the various departments. Ile carried on the seminary for ten years, and then discontinued teaching for two years, during which he built his present residence at 235 Palisade Avenue. After this, he successfully con- ducted for about fifteen years a day-school in a building west of his residence, and fronting on North Broadway. At the end of this time he retired per- manently from the work of teaching. Mr. Foote is also one of the historic men of Yonkers, commands the highest respect of its citizens, and will continue to do so as long as he lives.

After Mr. Foote left the girls' school in 1855, a gen- tleman who had been at the head of the New York City Rutgers Female Institute, took charge of it, intending to continue it on Mr. Foote's plan. His effort however was not a snecess. Then Prof. Nathaniel W. Starr took the house and ocenpied it until 1867 with a boys' school. After his departure, the building was used as a boarding-house. Passing through numerous hands, and being greatly enlarged, it finally became known, and obtained considerable popularity under the name of " The Peabody House." After awhile, however, this lost its snecess. Recently the whole property has been sold and the building demolished. Soon no one will be found to remember the former appearance of the site.

Many of the prominent ladies of Yonkers received their education from Mr. Foote and his teachers in that carly school. The school of Rev. Montgomery R. Hooper, may be considered its successor. An account of this will be given further on.

In addition to these schools founded by Mr. Wells, and made eminent through the names of Mr. Francis and Mr. Foote, there is linked with the past the mem- ory of another, which, during most of its history, had a wide reputation as a boarding and day-school and was the educator of a large number of boys, several of whom, both in Yonkers and elsewhere, are now notable men. This school was conducted in the buildings at the corner of South Broadway and Hud- son St. It was founded in 1854, and its successive principals were three in number, viz: Mr. Washing- ton Hasbrouck (now principal of the State Normal School of New Jersey at Trenton), Mr. Moses N. Wisewell, and Mr. Benjamin Mason, the last of whom conducted it for many years, and with whom it came to an end. Its discontinnance was one of the results of the financial stringency of the period ending with the year 1880. Mr. Mason, a graduate of the New York University of the class of 1843, a gentleman of good social standing and exten- sive influence, and a good disciplinarian and teacher, conducted it with fine success and growing reputation. It was known during his time as the " Yonkers Col- legiate and Military Institute." Mr. Mason was an enthusiast in his work, employed excellent assistants, and spared neither money nor toil upon his boys. In despite of all this, however, his school declined within the period named, and finally after heroic struggles to save it, he was compelled to give it up. 'And his own end was very sad. After teaching in other places for a time, he was filling an engagement in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when as a boarder in the Milwaukee Ilotel, he perished in the conflagration by which that building was destroyed on the night of the 10th of January, 1882.

In addition to these more prominent private schools of the past there have been many attempts to main- tain such schools, some of which have been more -uc- cessful and enduring, and others of very short dura- tion. Perhaps among them all, that of Miss Emily A. Rice, whose boarding and day school was located on Locust Hill Avenne, but is now conducted at Ocean Grove, N. J., was the foremost. We recall some local schools for small children, boys or girls or both, of a closely select character, formed and main- tained by groups of families, which combined for their support. These schools were not intended to attract public notice and need not be catalogued here, We pass now to the private schools still in ex- istence. They are as follows :

REV. MR. HOOPER'S ACADEMY .- This is now the oldest private school in the city. Rey. Montgomery R. Hooper, A. M., is a native of Monmouth County, N. J., was graduated at the College of New Jersey in the class of 1860, and immediately afterwards ap- pointed teacher of Latin, Greek and Mathematics, in Newark Academy, at Newark, N. J. In that position he taught five years, during the latter part of the time holding to the academy the relation of Vice-Principal

YONKERS.

and senior teacher. He left his post in Newark to assume a similar one in Prof. Samuel A. Farrand's Collegiate Academy, in New York City. From this academy he was invited to his present field of labor by a written eall, signed by a number of the most prominent citizens of Yonkers. ITis school, as already stated, may be regarded as the lineal successor of tlie school which originally gained its reputation under Mr. Foote. Prof. Nathaniel W. Starr, having left it in 1867, Charles B. Goodsell, A.M., one of his assist- ants, at once started with some of its pupils, a sehool of his own. But Mr. Goodsell died in the same year and it was upon his death that Mr. Hooper was in- vited to Yonkers to succeed him. He began his Yonkers work in a building on the west side of North Broadway, a little north of Wells Avenue. It has been recently torn down. At the beginning of his first term he had seventeen pupils. Rev. Mr. Hooper is a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church and a scholar of high order. His career as a teacher of twenty-six years, eighteen of which have been spent in Yonkers, has been a great success. His academy prepares boys for any college or scientific school, or for West Point or the Naval Academy. It has all departments from the primary to the aead- emic and has had upon its rolls in all four hundred and five pupils, of whom several have rewarded their teacher by winning distinetion in professions and in the other walks of life.

"THE YALE SCHOOL FOR BOYS."-This sehool was begun in 1877 by Theodore F. Leighton, A.B., a grad- uate of the Yale College elass of 1874. It is now car- ried on by Mr. and Mrs. Leighton as associate prin- cipals. Its location is at 145 North Broadway. It is of a high character, and has, during its career of eight years, enjoyed a good patronage and been a suc- eess. Its aims are similar to those of the school last de- seribed, and it has sent boys to college from year to year, maintaining a good reputation for its work. It has passed its period of probation long ago and is estab- lished in publie confidence. Its principals are un- tiringly industrious and thoroughly honest in their work, and will no doubt continue to enjoy the stand they have attained.

" PROF. DAVISON'S INSTITUTE."-This is a school, limited to ten pupils, most of whom are boarders. The founder and proprietor of it is Rev. Isaac S. Davison, a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church, a graduate of the College of New Jersey and of Prinee- ton Theologieal Seminary. He was formerly a pastor in New York City, but left his pastorate to become a teacher. Having purchased the Dwight High-School in Brooklyn, he opened it under the name of the Brooklyn High-School in 1859. It was at onee thronged with pupils. Later on the name was changed to Prof. Davison's Institute, and the school, under this name, was continued by its founder till 1881. In that year Prof. Davison eame to Yonkers and has sinee given himself to the eare of the select

school above-mentioned. His number of boys being limited, he is always full, and has been compelled to decline many applications.

ADDITIONAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS .- Besides the fore- going, there are in the city the following institutions under private proprietorships : Mrs. K. T. Holbrook's "School for Young Ladies and Children," its location known as Orchard Terrace and fronting at No. 111 Locust Hill Avenue; Mrs. John Moffat's " Home School for Misses and Children," at her residence, No. 9 Prospect Street; Miss Crocker and Miss Her- zog's " Day School for Young Ladies and Girls," at No. 179 North Broadway; Miss Anna M. Palmer's " Kindergarten," in the Yale School building; Miss S. N. MacAdam's "Classes in English and French," at Vista Cottage, 77 and 79 Buena Vista Avenue ; and Mrs. Kellogg's "Select School for Children," at No. 145 North Broadway.

All these schools have obtained good reputations. Some of them are of several years' standing and have done much valuable work in the city.

SECTION XIII. The Churches of Yonkers.

THE earliest whites of Yonkers, and, in fact, of all the Manor of Philipsburgh, were, of course, adherents of the Holland Reformed Church. But, strange to say, no church of their order was formed within the limits of the manor till 1697, when the Sleepy Hollow Reformed Church was organized at Tarrytown, and no other till 1843, when the Reformed Church was or- ganized at Yonkers. It would seem that the Dutch people of Colendonek, or " The Yonkers," as this ter- ritory was variously called, must have attended the original Reformed Church in New York City (founded in 1628), or contented themselves with occasional missionary visits to them of that church's minister or ministers, or lived withont observance of religions worship at all. It is to be feared that most of them did the last. The first Lord Philipse and his second wife, Catharina van Cortlandt, gave proof of sub- stantial interest in their denomination by seeuring the organization of the Tarrytown church in 1697 and building a house for it in 1699. No doubt some of the Yonkers people connected themselves with that church. This is all we can now know or surmise of the church doings of the Dutch people, who were the earliest occupants of Yonkers ground.

How the Philipse line was diverted from the Re- formed Church and became ardently devoted to the Church of England has been already related. The second lord was born in Barbadoes and edneated from his earliest years in England and wholly under English influence. He came to Yonkers abont 1719, founded and trained his family in his own faith, and in this way prepared them to meet with their power- ful support what, in the Providence of God, was to be the first formal effort to plant religion on Yonkers

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

ground. The Congregational Church was the earliest to secure a foothold within the county of West- chester, and the French Reformed Church was the next. But neither of these ever touched Yonkers. The third church to cuter the county was the Church of England, aud to this was given the privilege of putting forth the first formal religious efforts here.

The Church of England, though not under organ- ization, yet in character aud spirit, appeared in New York at once after the surrender of 1664. Governor Nicolls called a conventiou in the very next year, for the purpose of considering the general interests of the province. The Convention assembled at Hemp- stead, L. I., on the 28thi of February, 1665, and West- clrester was represented in it. It framed a code that, under the name of "The Duke's Laws," continued in

incorporated under the act of 1784, and the precinct was set off' as a parish by itself.1

More than thirty years, however, before it became independent, it had been lifted into prominence

1 The first operations of the Church of England within this county were carried on under the directiou of a missionnry organization of the church, incorporated in 1702 and still in existence, kuown as the "Ven- erable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." A copy of the proceedings of this society, published by David Ihumphrey, its secretary, in 1730, has been put into our hands, nnd from it we take the following very interesting paragraph, relating to our county aud the society's operations in it from 1702 onward to this date :

" Westchester County lies on the sea coast to the west (?) of Iludson River. The people here were more English than in any county of the government. It contains a very great tract of land, nud generally the best of any in those parts. There were computed to be in it not above two thousand souls in the yenr 1702, but the goodness of the soil seemed to promise it would in time be a very populons place. The whole county is sixteen (?) miles in length, containing six small towns-West- chester, Eastchester, New Rochelle, Rye, Mamaroneck and Bedford-besides two small pinces, called Lower Yonkers and Philipsburgh. This was the state of the place in 1702. The inhabitaut of Westchess- ler, the chief town, were the first who de- sired a missionary in the country. They built a church in pursuance of the act for building five churches, and fifty pounds a year was settled on the minister. The society appointed the Rev. MIr. Bartow mis- sionary here in the year 1702. Lord Corn- bury, theu Governor of the province, fixed Mr. Bartow's chief residence at Westches- ter. However, ns there were several other places which wanted his assistance, he divided his labors among them, according to the society's directions. Ile often visited Eastchester, New Rochelle and Yonkers. He had good success in his missiou, and wrote to the society in 1704 : ' I have been now two years in netmal service of my mission in this parish, and, by the blessing of God, have been instrumental in bring- ing munny into the communion of our church, who nre constant and devout in their nttendance on divine worship. Those who were enemies at my first coming nre now zealous professor of the ordinances of the gospel. The inbabitants of my parish live scattered and much dispersed, which occasions my duty to be the more diffienlt.' Mr. Bartow continued very industrions in bis mission nnd well respected by the people. His core was very large. The number of inhabitants at Westchester was about 550, nt Eastchester, above .100, nnd nt Yonkers, 250. He used to preach at Eastchester (which was now made a distinct parish and hnd built a church) once a month, where he had a large congregation. The people here were generally of the Presbyterian persuasion till Mr. Bartow come among thent. But in the year 1703 they embraced the Church of England worship, nnd received him for their minister. There is no parsonage-honse here, but there nre twenty-three neres of glebe land given for the use of the Church of England minister forever. As often as he could he visited Yonkers. A large congregation, chielly of Dutch peuple, came to hear him. There was no church built here, so they assembled for divine worship at the house of Mr. Joseph Bebits, and sometimes in a barn when empty. Mr. Bartow continued very diligent in the discharge of all the duties of his ministerial office. He gained over n great number to the church communion. Hle persuaded mnny grown persous who were negligent of all religion of the advantage of baptism, gave them baptism, nud they became very suber members of the church. He lu- structed and baptized many negroes. He gained the general love and esteem of his people, and, after twenty-five years of laborions service In the church, died in 1726. The society have sent the Rev. Mr. Standard to sucered hlm, who is settled there."

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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. II, Part 13

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286