White Plains’ Older Homes

This entry is an updated version of a section from White Plains, New York:  City of Contrasts in chapter “Houses:”

Some of White Plains (WP) early farms would later became country estates for wealthy New Yorkers (later 1800’s to early 1900’s), private schools, hospitals, golf courses, and even a large hotel but as the population grew in the 20th century the Business District expanded and many of the large estates were subdivided to build smaller homes and apartment buildings. Some mansions were preserved by being repurposed for non-residential uses.

A small number of homes that date from the 1700’s can still be found but most have been moved from their original sites. Some homes built during the 1800’s can also be found but the majority of homes in the city were built during the 20th century. In searching for older homes, the Internet can be a useful tool. Most homes listed for sale online provide the date of construction.  The City’s Assessors Office is another good source.

Besides the Jacob Purdy House (above) there a few other structures in WP that date from the colonial period. The Caleb Hyatt house (below) where Captain Benjamin Lyon lived during the American Revolution was moved from North St (where the offices of the former 1956 General Foods Building are today) to 28 Colonial Rd. In 1953, George Simpson moved the house and lived in it for a time.

In 1951, Simpson moved the former Anthony Miller (above house in blue) home from its location at 525 N Broadway to 379 Church St.  The house is at the end of Church St and dates from the early 1720’s. The yellow house on N Broadway dates from 1776.  Information is from Assessors Office and real estate websites.

The Queen Ann Victorian (brown) house at 108 N Broadway dates from around 1900 and was considered for a historic landmark by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.

Victorian home at 90 Greenridge Ave that dates from 1890 was built by the architect of Lyndhurst, Alexander Jackson Davis.

Another Victorian built in 1893 is at 99 Quinby Ave. It might have been a school at one time but can not find source.

The former Carpenter House dating from 1874 can be found at it’s original location on Purdy Hill just above the Hillside Village Condominiums at 16 Park Terrace.

The Percy Grainger House at 7 Cromwell Pl was built in 1893 for the Cromwell family. The composer lived in the house from 1921 to 1961 and his widow stayed on till 1979. The house is maintained as a museum by the Percy Grainger Society (see website for more information).

The 1810 home of Minot Mitchell (a lawyer) was moved to Mitchell Pl and is used by the American Legion. Originally, it was on S Broadway (where Cameo House is today) and designed to resemble the second court house in WP.

The Soundview Manor at 283 Soundview Ave was originally built as a wedding gift for Robert L. Dula. The house dating back to 1920 had been a Bed & Breakfast Inn for a number of years but the house was more recently sold to a developer who has plans to demolish the house and subdivide the property. The house is now in poor condition but was named a historic landmark by WP’s Historic Preservation Commission.

The Ballard-Durand Funeral Home (left) at corner of Maple Ave and S Broadway was once a residence that was built before 1938 when it was modernized for its present use.

The former C.V Rich Mansion (above) on Ridgeway Avenue dates from 1911 became the location for the Woman’s Club of WP in 1931. The group has roots back to 1904 but the Club was established in 1916. Additions to the original structure were completed in 1932.

The original house built by Daniel Hatfield House in 1786 is at 49 Lake St. Renovations and the store in front were added in 1924. The chimney foundation was made with cannon balls found in the area from the Battle of WP. The former Gilbert Hatfield house (1020 Hall Ave) that was used by officers of American Continental Army during the Battle of WP was finally located on Hall Ave but was demolished before publication of book. Pictures were actually online.

The stone sided house (below left) at 791 North St dates from 1895.  The home at 880 North St is the former home of James Gibbons who died in 1908.

The house owned by Howard J. Griffin is also located on west side of North St at 1131 North St and is across from the Maple Moor Golf Course.  The house has a section which is believed to date back to colonial times. The house was renovated in 1923.  Griffin’s son Chauncey served as mayor of WP from 1931 to 1933. The farmland purchased by Howard Griffin in 1879, which contained his cider mill, became the Maple Moor Golf Course in 1925.

Former 1817 farmhouse is located at 250 Rosedale Ave. The former Gedney Farmhouse at 30 Burling Ave dates from around 1854 (or 1859 depending on source). It was used by the Westchester Music Conservatory when they first came to WP till they moved to Central Park Ave. Howard Willet, a gentleman farmer, bought Gedney Farm in 1897 and his second home (made of brick) is now at 25 Hathaway Lane. His first home burned down so this one was built after 1909. House address was on Oxford when it was built but the exact date of construction is not available.

The former Ernest Erbeck home on Mamaroneck Ave is like one of the last houses left on the street in the Business District. The structure (below) dates back to the early 1900’s.

Little Farm is off of North St and the farmhouse dating from 1900 or earlier is still in the development of Little Lane. Information about this house and farm can be found on White Plains’ Historic Society’s website.

Besides the apartment buildings mentioned in other sections related to the book there are apartment buildings that predate 1940 in other areas of the city. Saxon House (1928) at 23 Old Mamaroneck Rd, Surrey Strathmore (1939) at 90 Bryant Ave, and Bristol House (1930) at 10 Nosband Ave are three.

Information about the Purdy House and other homes in WP can be found in other blog entries of this website.