History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 75

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 75

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On the west of the Pocantico River, from " Ander- son Park " and the places above it, and also on the north from the Ichabod Crane Bridge, the point where the river turns toward the Hudson, but east of the old Post Road, now known as Broadway, stands the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, with the burying ground adjacent. North of it, on the same side of the road, is the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, and beyond that, "Pocantico Grove," the summer resi- dence of the late G. F. Sacchi. Still farther north, on the same side, are lands owned by Mrs. Anson G. Phelps, and the estate of the late William H. Aspin- wall, the latter extending well up to where the old Croton Aqueduct crosses the road.

But between Broadway and the Hudson River on the west, there is the old Philipse Manor house, with the old mill just across the Pocantico, and thence northward there is a succession of fine residences with ample grounds around them, extending up to the di- viding line, between the townships of Mount Pleas- ant and Ossining. The old Manor house is a relic of the past. No one knows exactly when it was built, probably between 1665 and 1685, but the man who built it evidently put it there to stay. Mr. William F. Minnerly, well known in Tarrytown as a builder, states that in 1864 he was employed to make some alterations in the old Manor-House. One was in taking downî the chimney, which was very large. In the second story he found that a room about four feet square had been built in the chimney, to be used as a smoke-house for smoking meat. The number of bricks in this chimney was a marvel. They had all been brought from Holland, and landed on the north shore of the Pocantico, very near the old mill, one of the prominent objects on the manor. The portion of the chimney taken down was relaid with the bricks, five feet breast, sixteen inches deep, to the same height as before, and a new partition built, fif- teen feet long and nine feet high. The remainder of the bricks that came out of the chimney-for, strange to say, there was a remainder, and a large one, too- Mr. Minnerly bought, and with them he filled in a new house twenty-two feet front, by twenty-cight feet deep and two stories high, and found them amply sufficient for the purpose. The bricks were so hard that when the masons who did the work wished to cut them, they were obliged to use a hatchet. In size each brick was an inch and a quarter thick, thrce and one half inches wide, and seven inches long.

The Manor-House and the grounds adjacent on the north and west, toward the Hudson River, as well as two other attractive houses on the premises, one of which is occupied in summer by Mr. Albert Kings- land, a son of the former owner, all belong to the

estate of Mr. A. C. Kingsland. His fine stone resi- dence on the point or peninsula which here extends into the river, was built by Mr. Kingsland after he sold his place near Snunyside to Mr. Edward S. Jaff- ray, in 1854. In this delightful retreat, surrounded by tall trees, between whose straight shafts one can sit upon the piazza and look off over the wide expanse of the Hudson with its miniature waves breaking just before him, Mr. Kingsland usually spent his snmn- mers, until he dicd, October 13, 1878.

Among the many able and distinguished gentlemen who have held high positions in the city of New York the name of no one is more identified with its growth , and progress than that of Ambrose C. Kingsland. His father, Cornelius Kingsland, was a native of Pas- saic, N. J., but removed to New York shortly before the birth of his son, which occurred in 1804. At a very carly age the death of his father deprived hin of paternal care, and at the age of seventeen he be- gan business with his brother, the firm bearing the name of D. & A. Kingsland. Their business as wholesale grocers was exceedingly prosperous, and to it they added the sperm oil tradc. In this enter- prise they were led to establish a line of ships to Liverpool, which was continued till Mr. Kingsland's death. His great foresight and business capacity led him to anticipate the future extension of the city, and he made large purchases of real estate, the rapid increase in the value of which proved that his faith in the future of the metropolis was not misplaced. In political matters he always took a decp interest, and joined the Old-Line Whig party in 1851. In that year lie re- ceived the nomination for the office of mayor of New York, his opponent being the well-known Fernando Wood. So great was the public confidence in the wisdom and integrity of Mr. Kingsland that he was elected by a majority of nearly four thousand. Dur- ing his term of office it devolved upon him, as the chief magistrate of the city, to welcome the re- nowned exile Louis Kossuth ; and while the latter was in the city he enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Kingsland's mansion. Mr. Kingsland was an ardent friend of Henry Clay, and the intimate acquaintance of many of the famous men of the country.

He purchased the tract of land above deseribed, known as Beekman's Point, and erected the country- seat which he made his home during a large portion of the year. While making a temporary visit to New York he was seized with a sudden illness, which terminated his life Sunday, October 13, 1878, at the age of seventy-five, and his remains were laid to rest in Greenwood Cemetery.

He married Mary, daughter of George Lovett. Their children are George L .; Ambrose C .; Augusta, wife of Herman Le Roy Jones; Mary, wife of Win. W. Tompkins; Cornelius F .; Albert A .; and Walter F.

Mr. Kingsland was a man of wonderful success in business, and in his official duties was faithful to the

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last degree. As a man and a citizen he received the respect of all, and his family, as a token of respect, offer this tribute to his memory.

Just north of the road which leads to Mr. Ambrose C. Kingsland's late beautiful residence, and di- reetly east of the Hudson River Railroad track, on an abrupt rocky height, stands a small tower with a cas- tellated appearance, erected probably as an adorn- ment to the landscape. North of the east and west road, beginning nearly opposite the cemetery gate, are several pieces of land without houses, which are owned by the estates of Manning & Ingleson, of A. C. Kingsland, and of the celebrated philanthropist, George Peabody, extending up to the Haventje, as the old Dutch settlers called it, meaning Little Haven or Harbor, and to the south line of Pokahoe, the name given by General James Watson Webb to the large stone house and premises where he lived from 1848 until 1861, when he went as the American minister to Brazil. In 1846 General Webb bought the place, containing about sixty acres of finely- wooded land, from the estate of Gerard G. Beekman, and built the large stone mansion upon it in 1848. On the south side he afterwards sold off a portion of his original purchase to Mr. George Peabody. There are two entrances to Pokahoe from Broadway or the post road, one from the north, the other from the south, with iron gates swung upon stone pillars. On the top of the two pillars at the north entrance are two bomb-shells that have a history. While walking over the place one day, in conversation with General Webb, he stated, in reply to the writer's inquiry, that they were fired from the castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, at Vera Cruz, on March 9, 1847, when Commodore Perry landed the Ameriean army, under General Scott, on the beach south of the city of Vera Cruz, preparatory to what proved to be their victorious march upon the Mexican capital. For some reason the fuse went ont, and the shells did not explode. Commodore Perry picked them up, and brought them with him to his home. When General Webb built his house, and prepared the entrances, Commodore Perry gave him the two bomb-shells to ornament the tops of the two stone pillars at the northern gate. General Webb finally sold his place to General Jolin C. Fremont, who lived here a few years, and then, in turn, sold it to Mr. Kingsland, by whose estate it is still owned.

Adjoining Pokahoe on the north is the beautiful country residence of Mrs. Jane G. Phelps, widow of that generous Christian philanthropist, Anson G. Phelps, whose death in the city of New York, May 18, 1858, in the early meridian of his days, was deep- ly lamented as a publie loss. Mr. Phelps bought his place from the estate of Gerard G. Beekman, in 1849, when there was no building upon it, and at once took measures for the erection of his mansion and the lay- ing out of his grounds. General Webb was at that time living in his house, then recently completed,

toward the south, and toward the north Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett, the lady to whom Washington Irving pre- sented the pen with which he finished the Life of Washington, were living in a farm-house not far from the site of the elegant home which they built, and for a number of years occupied. It was afterwards sold to Mr. William H. Aspinwall, the great shipping merchant, who resided there in summer until he died on Monday, January 18, 1875.1 The farm-house first occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett had previously been

1 The following account of Mr. Aspinwall, published in the New York Times of Tuesday, January 19, 1875, is interesting, as showing his im- portant connection with the opening of communication with Asia hy way of the Panama Railroad and the Pacific Ocean, and also with an incident in the war for the preservation of the l'nien :

" WILLIAM II. ASPINWALL.

" Mr. William H. Aspinwall, the well-known merchant, died yester- day evening at his residence, No. 33 ['niversity Place, in the sixty-sev- enth year of his age. Ile was born in this city in 1807, and was de- scended from a family which came to this country among the earliest settlers of New England. Ilis father, Mr. John Aspinwall, was one of the old firm of Gilbert and John Aspinwall, who were engaged in the dry-goods trade in Queen (now Pearl) Street for many years. After having acquired a substantial education, William HI. Aspinwall, the de- ceased, entered the house of G. G. & S. S. Howland as a clerk, which po- sition he oceupied nntil 1832, when he was taken into partnership by the firm, with the understanding that he should receive one-fourth of the profits of the commission business of the house, which then amounted to about sixty thousand dollars a year. Here it was that the foundation ot the splendid fortune he acquired in after-years was laid. In 1536 or 1837 the senior partners of the house went out of business, each leaving a cash capital of one hundred thousand dollars in the concern. William E. Howland, sou of the senior partner, and William II. Aspinwall then took charge, under the firm-name of Howland & Aspinwall, which has remained unchanged to this day. As the business of the house on the Pacific coast was largely increased by the discovery of gold in California, Mr. Aspinwall directed his attention to the establishment of steam communication with San Francisco, and, in 1848, he retired from active connection with the firm and devoted himself wholly to this enterprise, and associated with it the building of the Panama Railroad. The Pa- cific Mail Steamship Company was successfully organized through his efforts, and the success of the Panama Railroad was also due, in a great measure, to his energetic advocacy of the plan and his nutiring attention to the details. The eastern terminus of the road, formerly known as Colon, was named after him in honor of the zeal and ability he had dis- played in surmounting the difficulties encountered in the accomplish- ment of the work, and it is gratifying to know that he lived to see the full value of what he had helped to bring to a successful termination. And this was not a little. The way was opened to direct communication between Asia nud America and Oceanica and Australasia, besides an im- mense coast line extending from Panama to Behring's Straits, Few, if any, among the many enterprising Americans who have obtained a World-wide reputation in commercial affairs cau rival that gained by William II. Aspinwall. Thoroughly convinced of the feasibility of the plan, und nlive to the advantages which would accrue from its reallza- tion, he boldly devoted his capital and his labor to the completion of the great work which was crow ned with such triumphant success. Few men have had the satisfaction to see so brilliant a result obtained within a lifetime.

" During the War of the Rebellion Mr. Aspinwall was sent by the gov. ernment, in company with Mr. John M. Forbes, of Hoston, on a secret mission to England to obtain that country's interference in the building and outfitting of iron-clads theu In course of construction by Messr. Laird. The action taken by England in the matter is too well knowu for reference here, and it is sufficient to say that what was done by Mir. Aspin wall merited the full approbation of his government. Beyond this he never held any office, as he never sought for political position, and devoted himself wholly to his business affairs. Socially, he was a mod- est, retiring, liberal gentleman, and was respected and admired by all who knew him, and, us a merchant, his reputation for probity and honor was second to none in the buisiness community. His death will be mu- versally regretted."

PHILIPSE MANOR HOUSE AND SLEEPY HOLLOW MILL.

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the residence of the celebrated naval officer and liter- ary man, Commander Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, from 1840 until he died, on September 13, 1848. This house, after Mr. Bartlett had completed his eastle, was torn down. Commander Slidell Mackenzie, whose father's name was Slidell and whose mother's name was Mackenzie, added her name to that of his father's at the request of a maternal uncle. He will be remembered as commanding the United States brig "Somers," on which a mutinous plot was discov- ered in 1842, while sailing from the coast of Africa, and three of the riugleaders, including a son of the Hon. John C. Spencer, then Secretary of War under President Tyler, were hanged to the yard-arm at sea, on December 1, 1842.

Still farther north, toward the old aqueduet arch over the Sing Sing road, was the home of Cominodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, from 1848 until March, 1852, when he was appointed to take command of the important expedition to Japan, which resulted in opening that loug-secluded nation to the world. Com- modore Perry sold the place to Mr. George Swords, and he, in turn, sold it to Mr. Boker, whose daughter Mary Ann became famous by her elopement and mar- riage to her father's coachman, John Dean. Later, the house was occupied by General Lloyd Aspinwall, who, after his father's decease, came into possession of his former home, and moved into it, where he still resides.

The Rev. William Creighton, D.D., formerly rec- tor of Christ Church, Tarrytown, lived over the Os- sining line, and the little Church of St. Mary's, Beechwood, which he built in 1850 and long sus- tained, is also over the line in the same township. As stated elsewhere, it was formerly thought to be in Mount Pleasant, but a recent survey has shown it to be in Ossining.

THE COUNTY HOUSE .- At East Tarrytown, form- erly called Knapp's Corners, a short distance north of the Northern Railroad, which here bends to the west, and north of the Greenburgh line, within the township of Mount Pleasant, between the Unionville road on the west and the Nepperhan, or Saw-Mill River on the east, stands the " County House," where the poor of Westchester County are provided for at the public expense. Adjacent to the buildings, but chiefly along the river to the north, lies the fertile farm of one hundred and seventeen acres, which fur- mishes a considerable part of the needed supplies. Previous to 1828 the poor were taken care of by the separate townships to which they happened to belong, but on August 1, 1828, with Isaac Coutant as its first keeper on a salary of three hundred dollars, the "County House " was opened in its present location, and the township poor-houses were given up. There are now (in February, 1886) about two hundred and forty inmates in the "County House," the number being usnally larger during the winter months. The average for the year is about one hundred and sixty.

The annual appropriation to support the establishi- ment is about fifteen thousand dollars. The present keeper of the house is Mr. Charles Fisher. Some changes have taken place in the management within a few years past, but no further changes are now con- teniplated.

AFFAIR AT YOUNG'S HOUSE .- About four miles east of Tarrytown, and nearly the same distance northwest of White Plains, a little to the north of what used to be called "the upper road " to White Plains, but is now most frequently mentioned as " the County House Road," is the scene of what the chron- iclers of the Revolution have designated as "The Affair at Young's House," on February 3, 1780. At that point the upper road from Tarrytown, running from west to east, is erossed at right angles by the road from Unionville, running from north to south. It is an elevated region, uearly midway between the Hudson River and the Bronx, and from the intersec- tion here of the two roads it received long ago the name of " The Four Corners." The east and west road is the dividing line between the two townships of Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant, so that that part of the Uuionville road uorth of it is in Mount Pleas- ant, while the part south of it is in Greenburgb. At the present time Mr. Robert Bonner's stock farm is on the Mount Pleasant side of " the upper road," and a little to the east of the farm, but a short distance to the north, on the west side of the Unionville road, stands the house of Mr. J. Romaine Brown, formerly a member of the firm of Kip & Brown, proprietors of the old Broadway stages. Just in front of Mr. Brown's house, looking eastward, and within the in- closure of his premises, is the yet discoverable site of the famous house of Joseph Young, where the fight took place on February 3, 1780. The house which then stood there was burnt down by the British, Hes- sians and Tories together, and the place was known as " the Burnt House " until after the war was over, and Isaac Van Wart, one of the eaptors of Andre, having concluded to leave the farm given him by Congress, in Putnam County, as he desired to live in the old neighborhood, sold it and bought the Young property, from which fact the house afterwards built took the name of " The Van Wart House."

The Young house of the Revolution was within what was called " the American lines," by which was meant that it was within that part of Westchester County which was mainly controlled by the Ameri- cans. Its elevated position, together with the num- ber of buildings attached and around it, rendered it a convenient stopping-place for the Continental troops that were designed to guard that portion of the county that lay between Bedford and the Hudson, on the east and west, and between the Croton and the lines, on the north and south. These troops were ordered to be kept in motion, partly to protect the country and partly to elude the vigilance of the enemy and prevent them from planning an attack,

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so that generally they remained but a short time in any one place. At the time here referred to, however, -that is, about the beginning of the year 1780,-they for some reason remained at Young's house longer than usual. The Tories in the neighborhood soon conveyed intelligenee of the fact to the British head- quarters in New York, and an expedition was soon organized and dispatched from Fort Knyphausen to attaek them. That fort was formerly known as Fort Washington, but after its capture by General Knyp- hausen, on November 16, 1776, the name was changed in honor of that successful Alsatian soldier. The place afterwards, however, resumed its previous name, and is still known as Fort Washington.

The Continental troops at Young's house in Janu- ary, 1780, numbered about two hundred and fifty men, chiefly from Massachusetts, and all eommanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, of that State. The larger part werc at the house, but detaehments were posted westward extending nearly two miles toward the Hudson River, and eastward about three miles toward the Bronx. Pickets were also stationed in front of the entire line, and every precaution was taken to prevent a surprise.

On Wednesday evening, between ten and eleven o'clock, February 2, 1780, a force of between four and five hundred infantry and one hundred horsemen, composed of British, Germans and Colonel De Lan- eey's Tories, set out from Fort Knyphausen, south of Sbuyten Duyvel Creek, to attack and capture the Americans posted at Young's house. The whole expedition was under the command of Colonel Nel- son, of the Guards. The weather was eold and a deep snow was on the ground. Sleighs had been seeretly provided to convey the infantry, and an attempt was made to use them for that purpose, but the troops had not gone far before they were compelled to give it up and to send back the sleighs, together with two light field-pieces, as the snow was found to be alto- gether too deep to admit of that mode of conveyance. The cavalry kept the main road going north from Yonkers up the valley of the Nepperhan, or Saw- Mill River, but the infantry were obliged to get along the best way they could, sometimes in the road, and sometimes out of it in the fields on one side or the other. It was a mareh of about twenty miles by the shortest route, and they did not reach the vieinity of Young's house until nearly nine o'clock on Thurs- day morning, February 3d.

The account of this affair, written by General Wil- lianı Heath, in his book entitled " Memoirs of Major- General Heath; Containing Anecdotes, Details of Skirmishes, Battles and other Military Events during the American War; written by himself; published according to Act of Congress; printed at Boston, August, 1798," gives, substantially, all the facts in re- gard to it, and his statements agree, in the main, with those given in Thacher's "Military Journal of the American Revolution " and in Rivington's Royal Ga-

zette, published in New York City February 9, 1780. General Heath was the last surviving major-general of the Revolutionary army, and he died at Roxbury, Massachusetts, his birth-place, on January 24, 1814. The following is his account :

"On the morning of the 3d ahont 9 o'clock, the enemy made an at- tack on Lieut. Col. Thomson, who commanded the troops on the lines ; the Colonel's force consisted of 250 men, in five companies, properly officered ; they were instructed to move between Croton River and the White Plains, Hudson's River and Bedford; never to remain long at any one place, that the enemy might not be able to learn their manner of doing duty, or form a plan for striking them in any particular sitna- tion. The Colonel had for some days taken post himself at Young's, not far from the White Plains. Capt. Watson, with his company, was with the Lieut. Colouer; Capt. Roberts and Capt. Stoddard, with their com- panies, were on the right ; Capt. Lieut. Farley aud Capt. Cooper on the left. The force of the enemy consisted of the four flank companies of the first and second British regiments of the guards-detachments from two Hessian battalions-some mounted rangers, and mounted refugees, the whole under the command of Col. Norton, of the guards. The roads were so filled with snow that the enemy advanced but slowly, and were obliged to leave their field-pieces hehiud on the road. They were dis- covered at a distance by Mr. Campbell, one of our guides, who, from the goodness of his horse, reconnoifred them pretty near. He gave the Lieutenant-Colonel notice of their advancing, and that their force was considerable and advised him to take a stronger position a little in his rear. But the Lieutenant-Colonel was very confident that the enemy were only a body of horse, and that he could easily disperse them, and would not quit his ground. The enemy first attacked a small advance- guard, consisting of a Sergeant and 8 men, who behaved well, and meant to reach the main body in season ; but were prevented by the horse, aud all taken prisoners. The enemy's horse soon appeared iu sight of the Americans, and discharged their rifles at long shot and waited the coming up of the infantry, when a warm action commenced ; the enemy scattered, taking the advantage of the ground and trees in the orchard, and closing up on all sides. The companies of the detach- ment, which had joined, fought well. After about 15 minutes' sharp conflict, our troops broke ; some took into the house and others made off; the enemy's horse rushing ou at the same instant and the whole shout- ing. At this time the two flank companies came up, hut finding how matters stood, judged it best to retreat, Capt. Stoddard's company giving a fire or two at long shot, Capt. Cooper's, from their distance, not firing at all. Some who were engaged effected their escape, o ers were over- taken by the horse. The enemy collected what prisoners they could, set Mr. Young's house and buildings on fire, and returned. Of the Americans 13 were killed dead on the spot, and Capt. Roberts, who was mortally wounded, lived hut a few minutes. Seventeen others were wounded, several of whom died. Lient. Col. Thomson of Marshall's, Capt. Watson of Greaton's, Capt. Lieut. Farley of Wesson's, Lieut. Bur- ley of Tupper's, Lieut. Maynard of Greaton's, Ensign Fowler of Nixon's, Ensign Bradley of Bigelow's, with 89 others, were taken prisoners. The enemy left three men dead on the field, and a Captain of grenadiers was wounded iu the hip and a Lieutenant of infantry in the thigh. The British, in their account of the action, acknowledged that they had 5 men killed and 18 wounded. Lieut .- Col. Badlam, with the relief for the lines, was at the time of action far advanced on his march, but not within reach of those engaged.

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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 75

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