Sandy's Written Creations

This post is and update from the chapter on “Houses of Worship” from the book White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts Chapter.

White Plains has many houses of worship and religious groups that have long established histories. Some of the earliest congregations started by meeting in individual homes before moving to a more permanent location. Most houses of worship have websites that contain detailed information about their congregation’s history.

The Bethel Baptist Church congregation now at one Fisher Ct  started in 1885 by former slaves meeting in a home. The church moved to Fisher Ave in 1890 but since then the structure has undergone many changes.

Mount Hope African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church now located at 65 Lake St was established in 1827. The people who first established this church came from West Harrison in the Silver Lake area called “The Hills.” They formed the Ashbury Colored People’s Church after being liberated from slavery by the Quakers of Purchase. The cemetery is part of the Silver Lake Preserve and is along a Heritage Trail on Buckout Rd (east side). There are also remains from the original church in the area. The AME Mount Hope Zion Church claims ownership of this historic Stoney Hill Cemetery but Harrison refuses to relinquish the rights to the cemetery.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel on South Lexington Ave was established by Italian Americans in 1889. The façade of the 1933 structure is a replica of Santa Maria Della Pieta in Venice, Italy with the inside designed after Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome Italy. The 200 feet high gold leaf dome of the church was designed after the Church of San Lorenzo, the Cathedral of Lugano, in Switzerland.

Temple Israel first founded in 1909 as Sons of Israel is now located at 280 Old Mamaroneck Ave. From 1906 to 1911, Jews met for services at the former Admiral Dot Hotel on Railroad Ave (now Main Street). After the Hotel burned down, the Congregation constructed a temple on Fisher Avenue in 1911. Today the building on Fisher Ave is the Allen AME Church. The Hebrew Institute was founded in 1915 and is located at 20 Greenridge Ave.

The Church of St. Bernard at 51 Prospect goes back to 1926.

Church of Lady of Sorrows at 920 Mamaroneck Ave dates back to 1929 and the Church in the Highlands on Bryant Avenue dates to 1922. The church was once part of Good Counsel Sisters of Divine Compassion. It was built on land where the Gedney farming family had a home.

The Ridgeway Alliance Church at 465 Ridgeway Alliance Church was established in 1907. St John, The Evangelist Parish at 148 Hamilton Ave, was founded in 1868 and their current building was dedicated in 1892.

St Mathews Church established in 1895 dedicated church on Mamaroneck Ave in 1925

The First Christ Scientist Church established around 1899 at 34 Maple Ave has its oldest section that dates from 1916 with other additions dating from 1925 and 1936. The Reading Room dates from 1954.

An Update on Houses of Worship in Today’s WP:

Today’s WP has two Buddhist Community Centers (Soka Gakkai; Shinnyo) along with a number of Synagogues of different branches (Reconstructionist, Reform; Orthodox, Conservative and Interfaith). WP has numerous Christian Churches/Organizations of various denominations. A Hindu Temple is being constructed in WP at 390 North St. The WP Islamic Center located at the Galleria is now at 768 North St till it builds its new home in Greenburgh near the WP border.

For information on other houses of worship not seen here see other entries under History of White Plains (N Broadway & Business District sections) or do search of site.

This entry is an updated version of “Businesses and Organizations” in White Plains, NY: A City of Contrasts:

White Plains (WP) has a number of businesses and organizations that were established before 1940:

Chillemi Shoe Repair (established 1949) is going to move from WP Mall to Church St. There are now plans to demolish and replace the mall.  

M.L. Condon (lumber) Company on Ferris Ave dates from 1912.  Fisher & Miller Inc (meats) at 85 Westmoreland Ave has been in business since 1934.

Lee’s Funeral Home established in 1915 is now on Fisher Ave.  Sam’s of Gedney Way, a restaurant since 1932, is still located on the Gedney Way but moved to its present locale in 1969. See their website for more information.  Amodio’s Nursery on Mamaroneck Ave dates back to 1939. 

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was established back in 1896 and moved to 250 Mamaroneck Ave in 1928. In 1967, the older building was renovated and expanded. Announced in 2019 were plans to replace building with residential housing. Building started to be taken down in 2021. YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester dates from 1929 and more info is in another entry on N Broadway.

The Music Conservatory of Westchester was founded in 1929 and is now located on Central Ave. The Rotary Club dates back to 1919.

The 1928 Belmont Hotel became the Roger Smith Hotel in 1935. WFAS first broadcast from the Hotel before it moved to Hartsdale. The building that became the Coachman Hotel in 1977 was taken over by Westchester County during the 1980’s becoming the Coachman  Family Center.

The Pix Theater (1935) at 355 Mamaroneck Ave was first theatre in Westchester made for “talkies,” with a 440 seat auditorium. Closed in 1976, it was converted into restaurant and now it is part of the Pedigree Ski Shop. The former Colony Movie Theatre is still on Mamaroneck but is now completely occupied by stores & offices.

Mail service in WP began during colonial days with the establishment of the post road. The Post Office (below), that opened in 1932 once housed the Battle of WP mural displayed at the library, is now a County Building (25 Quarropas Ave). It is located on Grand St. at Quarropas Ave corner. Nu-Way Dry Cleaners established in 1945 was established by the Bayliss family. Fredericks was a tailors in 1905 and became a dry cleaners in 1927.

McMahon, Lyon & Harnett Funeral Home established in 1942 as Tracy-McMahon (Frank McMahon & father-in-law George Tracy) moved in 1946 to its present location on Mamaroneck Ave. In 1964, the business expanded to include the 100 yr old Lyon-Harnett Undertakers. Ballard- Durand Funeral Home started with Arthur Ballard who came to WP in 1930 but was established in NY City late in late 1800’s. Was on Cromwell Place in 1930 but now on Maple Ave by 1938. George Durand joined the home soon after. Building was home of Humphrey Lynch built in early 1900’s by Emmett E Waite.

Peck’s Skate Shop at 31 Lake St has been in business since 1936.

Thomsons Art & Frame has been in business over 75 yrs started. Business started  on E Post Rd in 1925 and has been owned by the Sohn Family for about 31 yrs is at 184 Mamaroneck Ave. Right next door, Sam Ash Music (established in 1924 Brooklyn) has been in WP during the late 60’s but the store took over a music store that had a 20 yr history.

Colonial Needle Company now on Westmorekand Ave started in Watertown NY in 1888 under a different name. When they moved to Yonkers, it got its present name. 

Kent Supply Company established in 1931 has a location on Ferris Ave.
Sears started as a catalog company in 1895 and there has been a store in WP for decades.

Scarlet Deli dates from 1964. Klahr Glass now at 65 Bank St was established in 1932.

Elks Club in WP dates from 1900 was established in NYC in 1867-8 as drinking club on Elk St.

El Centro Hispano, Inc., serving the needs of the growing Hispanic Community, was established in 1974 and became incorporated in 2000.

White Plains Beautification Foundation has origins that go back to 1952; was incorporated in 1965. They support; maintain gardens throughout the city.

The Women’s Club of WP has origins that go back to 1904. 

Organizations/businesses not found here might be found in other sections as well as more information. Many businesses and organizations have their own websites and Social Media pages.

Entry is an updated version of the section found in White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts under “Quarry and Farms.”

Agriculture was the economic basis for White Plains (WP) from its beginnings till the mid-1800’s. Small farms made up most of WP and its population remained small. When trains train came in 1844, everything changed.

Rock remains from the Davis Quarry at the corner of Oakwood and Prospect Aves can still be found. Stone from this quarry was used to build the third county court house on Court Street. Davis Brook (formerly Golden Pine Brook) flowed from the south near where the quarry was located. Today the brook runs underground and still empties into the Bronx River.

WP was once made up of numerous farms. The last working farm in WP, Baldwin Farm was made into a city park with a portion used for community gardens. In 1823, James Foster bought the land on Hall Ave and created the Pine Tree Farm. When James died his daughter Sarah Foster’s husband Horace Baldwin took over the farm. The last Baldwin to live on the farm died in 1979 with the house being destroyed by a fire in 1982.

Further down the road is what remains of the family’s burial plot. The area just north on Buckout Rd in West Harrison is part of a number of urban legends. The Baldwin Farm entrance and community gardens is on Hall Ave. The Baldwin Cemetery is located further down the road but there is only one grave stone standing.

Gedney Farms, purchased in 1740 by John Gedney, became a developed neighborhood of houses and golf courses.  The last home owned by the Gedney Family (circa 1854) is located at corner of Burling Ave and Gedney Esplanade. The structure is now a residence but housed the Westchester Music Conservatory before it moved to Central Ave. A number of city neighborhoods, streets and businesses bare the Gedney name.

The Westchester Hills Golf Club on Ridgeway was founded in 1913. The Ridgeway Golf Course that opened in 1923 was sold to French American School of NY at end of 2010. Their plan to build a school on the land has yet to happen due to strong community opposition and law suits.

The Maple Moor Golf Course opened in 1923 and was the Howard J. Griffin farm in 1879 (pictured below).

White Plains today has no more farms but there are a number of community gardens and a Farmer’s Market.

Throughout  White Plains, there are trees, benches, water structures, gardens and monuments dedicated to the memory of past residents, veterans, public servants, and those who made major contributions to our nation.

Other memorials like the Garden of Remembrance commemorate important events in history.

Garden of Remembrance on Martine Ave is a memorial garden in remembrance of the Holocaust and to the millions that died at the hands of the Nazis between 1933 and 1945. The small garden is open daily to the public. There are plantings, a seating area, the sculpture “Gates of Remembrance” ( 1992; pictured above) and a statue for Ann Frank. Located at 148 Martine Ave next to the Michaelian Building, the garden was created by the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center.

Plaques and benches throughout the city honor individuals.

A statue of Martin Luther King Jr. is on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in front of the court house. The street also commemorates the Civil Right leader.

There is a memorial for fallen fire fighters in front of Fire Department Headquarters on Mamaroneck Ave.

The memorial at Silver Lake Park commemorates those who died on 9-11-2001 from the community.

“Cuba Free,” was erected in 1909 honoring those who died in the Spanish-American War at the intersection of Park and Hillside Aves. Samuel J. Walton, one of the soldiers listed on the marker, was buried in WP Rural Cemetery where his grave is marked with a stone carving of a tree stump. There are a number of monuments and memorials for the Battle of White Plains, Civil War, WWI and other wars around the city and at City Hall (in the entrance area).

 The first streets in White Plains were dirt roads and horses were the main mode of transport.  An old horse trough given to the city by the WP Branch of the ASPCA is next to Public Safety building on S Lexington Ave. It was re-dedicated by the WP Beautification Foundation in 1992.

The City also honors  people by dedicating sections of streets in their name. The blue signs are found just below street name sign.