Wow, don’t understand what this group’s purpose is for anymore. Got attacked on their Facbook Group for wanting my neighborhood of Eastview to be as nice as the rest of the City. It is full of shopping carts, traffic from car dealer, litter, dumped items, storm drains filled with debris and lots of noise by barking dogs, cars zooming down the hill and businesses like the diner that don’t care that they are stinking up the air because they do not properly filter their air vents. My concerns were called petty. This was compared to saving one tree at WPHS or about someone wanting to find a contractor?
Is the Citizens to be Heard Group for people who want to promote their businesses or to find a missing dog by equating it to looking for a person? By the way, Eastview has lost a number of its trees one that was well over a hundred years old due to a strange lighting hail storm. But, other plants and trees came down just because the city wanted them down. And, they were never replaced. Our trees and bushes are home to hundreds of birds and other creatures.
I thought when I met the group at City Hall when I went to a hearing about The Collection that many on my street were against though they remained silent and City just approved anyway, I found a place to have a voice. But, instead I got called a Karen though the definition doesn’t fit me and there were more important things to complain about than a clean environment.
I also was concerned about our City that is losing its historic character one building at a time. When I wrote about what was still here from our past, I was amazed at how much was here but when I published my book after starting a blog in 2012, I had no idea how many of our older buildings would be knocked down to be replaced with high rise luxury rentals where tenants have little voice in how their buildings are run. Don’t want to leave White Plains as many suggested I do just cause I complained. Should we all just run away when we can’t improve things or make our lives better? Retired Special Educator who spent 31.5 years trying to educate the City’s forgotten but when I moved her could not afford a house. I just moved my mother to The Bristal and have lived in two neighborhoods.
Sadly, the block that I lived on in the Highlands on Davis from 1980 to 1988 but frequently go to my doctors has also become an ugly mess of litter, dog feces and broken sidewalks. The hospital took over a house and made it into a parking lot and the hospital hasn’t put in enough parking so it is impossible to find parking on the street with cars parking in driveways. But, this seems to be okay with some and my wanting our City to be cleaner, less noisy and less polluted isn’t.
What is the purpose of this Group?
I guess, I will just continue to go as an individual to make changes in our City. And, they are not just cosmetic. These are a few of the things that got done after complaining to City.
Replacing benches for Vogt and Anderson memorials on City land along Westchester Ave from Franklin and Main St. Had to go through Beautification Foundation, and City with lots of help from Commissioner Bass of Rec/Parks. I paid for 3 benches.
Redoing Tibbits park pathway around Civil War Memorial (Met with Commissioner Bass and Assistant Commissioner of Public Works to fix area that was damaged and erosion was being caused by snowplows. Fixing memorial plaque for Anderson by benches in front of Broadpark Lodge.
Tearing down of former Key Fords that was falling down and fencing to Franklin Lot was damaged.
Reporting zombie property to NY that goes from Amherst to Mitchell Place. Removal of garden, debris and clipping of bushes. Had to keep on reporting problems on sidewalk and fencing.
Putting in new trees on Main St that were dead when new sidewalk went in with building of Cambria Hotel.
Accessible Farmer’s Market. When market opened on Court St, there were vans and barriers not allowing people in wheel chairs to get into market. Took pictures and sent to Rec/Parks and problem was fixed. When block was done, accessibility was a factor in putting in ramps to get to street beyond barriers.
Stopping City workers from using gas blowers and blowing everything into street. Galleria and Library were two areas that were problematic.
Taking down old signs for Grove St on Dr MLK Jr Boulevard.
Improving crosswalk area on Franklin at top of hill by Westchester Av. Trimming back bush and removing parking spot. Bush was eventually removed as it died.
Shoveling of snow of City sidewalks by Main St and Westchester Ave and near Franklin. Not always done.
Taking down sign in land across from Tibbits from Franklin and Main along Westchester Ave that said Bikes yield to peds. Bikes were not allowed on sidewalks. Since then a sign for this was placed by crosswalk on Franklin with Westchester Ave intersection.
Ask for lines on roads and for repaving. Maple Ave from Bloomingdale Rd and Mamaroneck got redone. S. Kensico got a repave yet now needs another. Repaving of Bloomingdale Rd but sadly needs a redo with all the traffic. Ask for crosswalks to be marked but not done yet.
Replacing and fixing crosswalk buttons for crossing: Maple crossing with Paulding, Hamiliton and EJ Conroy, Westchester Ave and Paulding.
Reported to NY State during pandemic 2020 with homeless sleeping at shelters when essential workers needed them. One was urinating on sidewalk by Nordstrom and leaving litter. City has 3 shelters and most of these people were women. We have a woman shelter at Grace Church. No one should be sleeping outside. Women were doing so during day as well as night.
Removing abandoned bikes on Mamaroneck Ave and Main St as well as other streets.
If one does not complain directly to City, nothing changes. Report individual complaints with very specific info on City system for reporting complaints, used email and send pictures and call. Calling is often difficult and do not always get a great reaction or response. One woman in Parking informed me that I was correct that parking was not being enforced on my block of Franklin on weekends and rarely on weekdays. Police also were not ticketing cars at night but this issue is still on going. Parking on street does not allow for cleaning and street is horrible with litter in storm drains and dumped on sidewalks from parkers.
Voting alone will not change things and most people do not vote. Only about 6 thousand vote in this community of 57,000 or more. People who do not live in City can also report issues. Many work here.
If you are having trouble with your building not doing repairs etc, contact the Building Department. They did help me and I had damage from leaking not fixed by building not just inside but on outside where the water was entering.
Anderson Memorial from 1972Benches replacing Anderson Memorial 2014
Town of Rye or “Rye” began with three English settlers Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Peter Disbrow moving on June 29, 1660 to Manursing Island, The island juts out into the Long Island Sound. They came from “Grenege” (Greenwich today) after purchasing the area known as Peningo from the Siwanoy on January 2, 1660 from the Mohegans of the larger Algonkian nation. Purchase was made with Shenarockwell, a Mohican chief. Land was along LI Sound between the Mamaroneck and Byram Rivers.
The Siwanoy had farmed the area growing corn, pumpkins and beans and pumpkins but their diet also included sea food and small game found in abundance along the shore and inland areas. Their homes were wigwams that were easy to construct and move. They were built with easily readily available wood and made by lashing bent poles together and covering them with bark or thatched reeds.
The settlers later purchased Manursing Island and named their settlement Hastings. By 1664, more settlers arrived and found more land on the mainland to build cabins where Playland and Rye Town Park are today and named the area Rye. In 1665, Hastings and Rye merged and the village on Manursing Island was abandoned. Town was named after Rye, in Sussex, England. The settlers were Puritans.
In 1672, Robert bought land from Philip Galpin on Peningo Neck about the time Thomas Merritt and Peningo Neck is now the business section of the City of Rye. Also developed was the Saw Pit area on the Byram River that is now Port Chester and part of the City of Rye (1868).
Strang Tavern
During Colonial times, the Town of Rye was part of the British Colony of Connecticut. For about seventy years their were boundary disputes between the Dutch and the English and between NY and CT. After the Dutch left NY in 1674, the English took control of the area and Rye continued to be part of NY and CT till 1731 when the borders were finally settled.
Men from Rye settlement settled in other areas like White Plains (1683) and Harrison (1696) that became villages of the town.
Like the indigenous people before them, Colonial Rye was a small farming community. Situated along the King’s Highway and later know as the Boston Post Road made it an important post and stagecoach stop. The business district moved from the Long Island Sound area to the King’s Highway. One of the taverns Strang’s Tavern and the Square House that is a museum today were located on the Post Road
Besides farming, residents during the winter months became tradesmen serving as wheelwrights, carpenters, saddlers, tailors, hatters, weavers and rope makers. The population remained small throughout this period, ranging from 722 in 1710 (including both Rye and Port Chester) to 986 in 1790.
With its many brooks, Rye had a number of mills with the first was built in 1656 on the Blind Brook near Oakland Beach Avenue. At the time of the Revolutionary War, 15 or 20 mills were operating in Rye and Port Chester, including one behind the Square House.
The Post Road, King Street, and the Grace Church Street were some of Rye’s earliest carriage paths. Water transportation and stagecoach linked the early settlers with the outside world. Active ports were at Milton Harbor and Portchester that transporting people and goods to and from LI and Manhattan. There were ferries at what is Guion Road today. The first wharf was built on Milton Harbor in 1679.
The area was under constant attack from the native Americans and the winters were often severe. Besides farming people fished, logged and traded goods. Logs were cut at the Saw Pit for the shipping industry The years during the Revolution from 1776 to 1783 were also difficult with constant raids by both the British and the Americans. The loyalist raiders were called cowboys. These cowboys would raid homes, fields, steal livestock and even killed people. As a result, many residents fled the area and their homes and fields fell into ruin. It would take a long time to recover after the war was over.
With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, farming declined as NYers got their farm goods from western NY.
Like much of Westchester, the coming of the railroad in 1849 changed everything. With the railroad came the wealth New Yorkers looking for a place to get away from the hot city in the summer building large luxurious country estates with many along the shore. Many of these homes were in the area that is now the City of Rye.
From County Archives
Purchase Street 1890
Playland
Playland
By the late 1800s, the area where Playland and Rye Town Park are now located become a summer resort where one could find hotels, small summer bungalows, restaurants and amusement parks. In 1909, Rye Town Park opened and in 1928 Playland would open.
By the early 1900’s, some became yearly commuters to the city and the train depended on this for fares and advertised heavily to attract more to the area. Rye became a bedroom community or the suburbs of NYC and by the 1920’s people were using cars. Areas that were once the large estates of the wealthy were subdivided into smaller lots to be sold for people to build homes.
Jared Peck on the Boston Post Road in 1860 was subdivided into Loudon Woods in 1910. Indian Village was developed around that time as the Halsted property near the Knapp House. The Brevoort “farm” became Greenhaven during the 1920s, and many families from publishing and the motion picture industry settled here.
Villages of White Plains and Harrison separated from Town of Rye after the Revolution.
Beginning in 1868, Port Chester separate from the Town of Rye becoming an incorporated village.
In 1895, Mamaroneck became a a village in Town of Mamaroneck. It had been Rye Neck in the Town of Rye.
In 1904, Rye Village incorporated but in 1942 it became a city and is no longer part of the Town of Rye. Rye City is the youngest city in NY with a population of about 16,000.
Village of Rye Brook remained part of the Town of Rye till it incorporated on July 7 1982.
“History tells us that, at the end of the day, there actually is a “right side of history.” For instance, most of us would likely agree on the following: The abolitionists in pre-Civil War America were on the right side of history. The suffragettes who fought for the rights of women in the electoral process were on the right side of history.
Found this info at Trailside Nature Museum up in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Pound Ridge, NY. It is possible that the Leather Man wandered in White Plains in the northern sections where there are still woods.
Seems that many people are not prepared for a disaster that comes in many forms but we are all just one step away from one. No one seems to save or lives within their means to properly prepare.
I had 3 rolls of toilet paper when the shut down began in NY in March. Why did people need to hoard toilet paper for a virus? They were hoarding water, paper towels, disinfectant, wipes and food. It was more like the end of days, than a pandemic.
I did manage to grab 4 rolls of toilet paper during the crazy time in March but then went online and though I wasn’t getting my normal type of rolls, it got me through till I could get more. My mother on the other hand had 48 rolls even though she asked me to get her more. Meals on Wheels delivered her a roll and a local pharmacy had a supply though one had to just get a few (but it was there). But the masks were harder to get as well as thermometer, gloves and one use wash cloths. I made a mask looking at videos online and I was lucky to have some material. I asked on a FB group for my city how to get the medical masks and was told to use Groupon. They came through. Even Shaklee failed me getting those wipes. I got a mixed assortment of things and deliveries sometimes took months. It was hit and miss at the stores that after Senior hour, there was nothing left in toilet paper. I now have an a supply of toilet paper, a thermometer that I have batteries for though its in Celsius, paper towels, wipes (but use paper towels soaked in soapy water) and have to get supplies ahead of time. There are still limits and shortages and its now Aug. A local market at Mobil gas station has the essentials.
Harriet Harrison’s backyard after Isaias.
But now a hurricane like storm (59 mph winds) comes through and in 2 hours knocks out power to thousands in my area. I have electricity and did not lose my Fios (many lost Optimum) and my mother was also okay. The power is out for many for days now and people are still complaining. I have seen utility trucks parked in mass at a local school and by hotel that is closest to me. There are a lot of trees and branches down not just during the storm but after. People who have well water say they have no water cause it needs electricity and then if they have water it is cold. Most need refrigeration and electricity for cell phones, internet and air conditioning.
Did these people ever lose power before? Are people getting ready for these things as Hurricanes do occur more frequently along with power outages. I live in an apartment and without air-conditioning it is very hot inside my unit. I do not have cross ventilation. I have had power outages but they were in my building and then when the whole East coast went out.
I have candles and batteries for flash lights. I have had my water turned off a lot by my building and I always fill up containers for water to flush my toilet and for drinking water. There are solar battery chargers for phones and we did have sun after the storm. If I had a house, I would look for alternatives for loss of power and/or go to a hotel.
Not sure people are thinking things through. We did have plenty of time to prepare with lots of warnings. Not sure why well water users do not have a storage tank for just these occasions and non-perishable foods incase the electricity goes out. Some of this was also for pandemic. I had food for an illness that does not need refrigeration. There are even milk choices now in non-refrigerated choices, lots of bottle water now.
Using solar might be the right way to go. My mother’s neighborhood has lots of solar roofs now. Why is my area so slow on this? It is time to get ready for the unexpected. People expecting flooding should get those big plastic bags for cars and clothing and even furniture. Might be time to invest in those tiger dams that one can store flat but fill up with a hose. Batteries, flashlights, water storage (one can fill your own containers) and foods that do not need refrigeration might be smart. I might get a battery charger that is for cellular but will have to stick out window in morning. I get lots of morning sun but it goes over my building after 12 noon.
Unfortunately, we are also in a pandemic but even our library that finally opened put out charging tables outside. I know a lot of people have generators but got to use gasoline and it really pollutes. I would get one of those smaller wind mills if I had a backyard that could be set up for these kinds of times.
Were you ready or just lucky? What would you do different?
Entry is update version of the section of “After the Revolution to Present Times” and “City Planning and Direction” in White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts.
AFTER THE REVOLUTION TO PRESENT TIMES
After the Revolution ending in 1788, White Plains (WP) separated from Rye becoming a town. WP census of 1790 recorded a population of 505 of which forty-six were slaves. Agriculture was still the basis of the economy; most of the farms were small in size.
It would take the community years to recover from the war especially when many of the buildings along the Village Street (now where S and N Broadway are located) were destroyed by fire in 1776. Court house was rebuilt in 1787 over the foundation of the old one and in 1788 (till 1870) WP would alternate with Bedford as the county seat. Bedford incidentally had a larger population at that time and their 1787 court house is now a museum.
Presbyterian Church located on the street was not rebuilt till 1825. Unfortunately, the rebuilt church was by fire as well. It was also a wooden structure and was not replaced till 1855.
A Methodist Church (still at location on N Broadway and office for WP Rural Cemetery) was built in 1795 but after a fire on opening day, it was replaced in 1797.
In 1844, the Harlem Railroad Line, using steam engines, reached WP profoundly effecting the community. As the Business District (BD) moved closer to the railroad, the population grew and residential, commercial and government development also increased. The rails increased dairy production on farms (like the Gedney Farm) and industry. The rails were involved in bringing commuters from New York City and the conversion of farms into estates. The tracks near the station and the station buildings were changed a number of times.
To encourage the sale of tickets, the rail line offered package deals for commuters and coordinated with real estate developers and others to promote Westchester as a great place to escape the hot dirty City. Wealthy NYers found inexpensive land (that were former farms) in WP to build large estates, hospitals and safe havens for orphan children.
A new court house was built on Railroad Ave (now Main St) and opened in 1856 replacing the one on S Broadway. It was built from the rocks quarried at the Davis Quarry. Rocks and remnants of quarry can be found today at corner of Prospect Rd and Oakwood Ave.
WP became an incorporated village in 1866 and in 1899 the village boundaries expanded when it purchased land from North Castle to build its reservoir.
Electrical rails were introduced in 1910 and to protect pedestrians and other vehicles the tracks were put above ground in 1914. Pillars above the tracks on Main Street are marked for this date. As the use of the train grew, more former farms and even the estates the rich NYers had built were subdivided into single lots for home building. Some developers built homes laying out streets, putting in sewers and lines for water and power. Trolleys were introduced and connected the rail line to the neighboring areas and communities. They were eventually replaced and phased out by 1926 as the use of buses became more popular.
Pedestrian tunnels under the tracks date from this time as well as stairwells that go directly to tracks from street level. Pictured are what they looked like before renovations.
A new brick station was open in 1915. WP had a least 2 other stations before this one that were much smaller.
Remnants from the former building are still behind the Bank St Commons that was constructed on the site of the former station. Former building had been demolished many years prior to the apartments going in and there was a big hole filled with water.
Rail had different owners over the years, but Metro North took over the rail line in 1982 and built a new station to replace the 1915 one in 1987. In 2017 they agreed to update station in 2017 after NY State named the station a hub in NY’s Mass Rapid Transit plan. Redo of White Plains station was completed in 2021. Hudson Link buses are available connecting White Plains to Rockland County and areas around the bridge. Construction on the station began in 2018. City did a study to redevelop the areas near the station and are asking for developers to submit plans for review. City has had buses to CT as well.
From 1912 to 1937, the NY, Westchester and Boston Railway ran to WP from the Bronx on the east side of the city. The terminal for the line was located where Nordstrom Department Store is today. The retail development on Gedney Way is a result of the rail line going through this largely residential area.
Ridgeway Entrance for Greenway
Though, the rail no longer exists parts of its bed are now part of the Jack Harrington Greenway City of WP Walking Trail from Bolton Ave to the Scarsdale border. Other parts of the rail bed are visible but are not available for walking. The Greenway entrance to trail on Ridgeway has a display containing information about rail line. In the summer of 2020, work was completed on the extension of the Greenway north from Gedney Way to Bolton Rd. Tunnels for the rail line run under a number of city roads like the one under Bryant Ave can be viewed at the municipal lot on Mamaroneck Ave near the intersection with Bloomingdale Rd. The parking lot for Sam’s of Gedney Way (56 Gedney Way) cuts into the former trail bed.
White Plains Becomes a City:
WP tried to become a City as early as 1902; in 1908 tried to annex Greenacres Neighborhood of Scarsdale as well as parts of Greenburgh and West Harrison in its efforts. In 1910, Governor vetoed WP’s request to become a city that would have annexed parts of West Harrison; Greenburgh.
WP became an incorporated city on January 1, 1916 (after state approval in 1915) and would now include the Battle Hill section (of Greenburgh). City Hall on Main St opened in 1926. A marker stone near the handicap entrance is marked 1924. Today one can find war memorials in the lobby, pictures of past mayors and some of the drawings done by John Rösch (WP photographer and historian; dating from 1867).
The Police Department once occupied the annex that is behind City Hall but is now used as offices. A police station had been on Hamilton Ave till it moved to its present location at the WP Safety Building at 77 S. Lexington.
The Westchester section of the Bronx River Parkway was constructed between 1907 and 1925. The park along its route was created to protect the Bronx River from pollution and development. This was Westchester’s 1st park and the nation’s 1st public parkway. North of Yonkers, much of parkway’s bridges and other features are still in the original design. The Kensico Dam in Valhalla at the parkway’s northern end was constructed from 1913 to 1917. It replaced the first dam of 1885 that was taken down in 1911.
West of the tracks is a former bus depot that was repurposed into a restaurant Dog Den in 2016. The present bus terminal on Ferris Ave. connects commuters to areas in Westchester, Rockland and Connecticut is east of the Trans Center. City wanted to redevelop the transit hub to coordinate with the completion of Tappan Zee Bridge replacement. A yearlong study was conducted in 2016. The Trans Center started to be renovated in 2018 and was completed. There have been a number of new buildings that are in the process or planned for the areas around the station. Bridge was finished and opened as the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge and a new bus line Hudson Link opened with connections in White Plains to areas across the bridge.
The trains that brought NY City closer to Westchester County and communities like White Plains had brought many wealthy New Yorkers who built country homes. They took advantage of the leisure activities that the area offered. Some of the city’s neighborhoods are named for these people (Hillair Circle, Idle Forest, Reynal Park, & Rocky Dell). Former farmland was also converted into hospitals, refuges for children, golf courses and even a large hotel Gedney Farm Hotel. See other sections on this website for more information listed at end of this posting. For more on transportation see “Transportation in WP” section.
CITY DIRECTION & PLANNING: As far back as the 1920’s, city planners had plans for WP to become a major commercial center in Westchester County by attracting some of NY City’s major department stores and Fortune 500 companies. Among these were B. Altman’s (1933), Macy’s (1949) and General Foods.
After years of construction, the Cross Westchester Expressway opened in 1960 and attracted even more companies. The roadway borders and cuts through parts of White Plains. A major renovation did occur starting in 1998 and sections of White Plains changed. A section of Lake Street (near S. & N. Kensico intersection) changed where 287 was redone. The changes took over a decade to complete and cost more than the first construction.
A huge urban renewal project from 1966 till 1980 removed entire blocks in the city to make way for new development including a new courthouse, library and two malls. The city lost residents during this time. Hundreds of Italian and Afro-Americans were displaced, and many small businesses were forced out. The WP Mall (1973) served the community during this period. Whole Blocks and streets were eliminated, and a number of much large office buildings and malls were constructed with some taking up entire blocks. The WP Mall (1973) housed some of the displaced businesses. The Mall was closed and demolished in 2022. Many businesses either closed or moved. One of tallest buildings constructed during this time was Westchester One (1975) on S Broadway.
In the 1980’s, many of the city’s older apartment buildings were converted to cooperatives and condominiums. The Galleria Mall opened in 1980. It closed March 2023 and will be redeveloped into a mixture of housing and retail space.
By 1977, the military use for the Armory dating from in 1910 and constructed on the site of the first 2 court houses, ended and was converted to a senior center and residence in 1982.
In 1995, The Westchester Mall opened. Numerous condominium townhouses and apartment buildings were constructed during the latter part of the 1900’s and the early part of the 21st century.
In 2000, the US census listed the population of WP as 53,077 and in 2010 as 56,853. Estimates of 250,000 have been given as to as to how many people come into the city daily. Tall towers of glass and concrete rose in the center of the city during the first part of the 2000’s. In recent years, with the sale of condominiums slowing, most apartment development in the city has been high end rentals.
The Prelude of Brookfield Commons
A new building, The Prelude, opened on Quarropas Ave. in 2016 and is the first structure completed in Brookfield Commons (formerly known as Winbrook) by the WP Housing Authority (HUD). The older rental apartment structures from 1949 will be replaced and demolished. One building on S Lexington Ave was closed in 2016 and was demolished in 2020. The housing development is now using “Affordable” Housing to describe its offerings. The second building has been completed July 2022 called the Overture.
White Plains’ newest rental housing developments (since 2003) must include “affordable” options within their buildings. Despite these requirements for new housing, The City Center complex has an affordable option in a separate location in the complex “The Summit at City Center.” It is below the NY Sports Club and is actually hard to get to by way of two elevators. The City also has an affordable home ownership program for eligible families. There was a house available and units at Minerva Place Condominiums. For information see the City Website under Planning Department.
Considering how much WP changed during the 20th and 21st century, there are still remnants from earlier times. Some older buildings were saved by moving them to new locations and others by placing them on the National Registry of Historic Places. Many of the city schools and government departments as well as a number of hospitals, churches and other organizations were established in the later part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.
In the last number of years, the City has rezoned a number of areas in around the BD to revitalize them. Most of the projects involve a mixture of retail; rental apartments. Some are renovations but others involve demolition and rebuilds. The City Center & The Westchester underwent major renovations in 2016. For more information on newer structures and renovations see the section on White Plains Revitalization; Its Vanishing Past.
Other updated sections from the book can be found under the following entries for: WP and the American Revolution and War Remembrances from the Battle of WP, Westchester County Seat and Government, Waterways in White Plains, WP’s 1st Village St, WP Older Houses, Historic Traces in WP BD, Houses of Worship, WP Schools History, Buried in WP, WP Quarry & Farms, WP Historic Businesses & Organizations, Memorials in WP & WP Hospitals. Sources for book are listed in a separate entry Sources for Further Study of WP.
Other entries about WP (not found in the book) can be found on this website are: Demographics in White Plains, What’s in a Name: The Bar Building, Battle of WP video, Art in WP, The Arts in White Plains: Past and Present, Seeking History One Foot at a time: WP’s Walking Tours, Where is the Mamaroneck River in WP, What’s in a name? Bloomingdale Rd vs Bloomingdale’s, Presidents in WP, Martine Ave, Coloring for Adults: WP Photos, WP Neighborhoods, Origin of Names of Places in WP, Transportation in WP, How Well Do You Know WP?, Parking in WP, and Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail as well as many others.
Entry isupdated version of the sections on “American Revolution,” “Battle of White Plains,” “Merritt and Miller Hills” and“War Remembrances” from the book White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts:
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
When the American Continental Congress in Philadelphia declared independence on July 4, 1776, the NY delegation did not have the authority to vote. The Provincial Congress of the Colony of NY (formed in 1975) was not meeting till July 9. But, at this time General Howe, Commander of the British Army was taking control of NY City. John Hancock sent a letter along with a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the NY for approval.
For safety, members met at the White Plains (WP) Court House on July 9, 1776 where they agreed to accept the document allowing the NY delegates in Philadelphia to vote & sign the Declaration. On the same day, the governing body of NY changed its name to the Convention of the Representatives of the State of NY. This is why WP claims to be the locale for the “birth place” of NY.
The Declaration was read before the public on July 11, 1776 on the steps of the courthouse. A copy of the document is part of Westchester County’s Archives. The bill contains a letter from the Secretary Robert Benson signed on July 9 from the newly named state of NY.
A monument in front of the Armory was erected in 1910 by the WP Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution where the reading of the Declaration of Independence took place. The monument was constructed from stones that were part of the original court house’s foundation.
BATTLE OF WP 1776: In the fall of 1776 from October 28 to about November 4, the American Continental Army under the command of George Washington fought the British under the command of General William Howe in WP.
The Jacob Purdy House (1721) was used as Washington’s headquarters in 1776 & 1778. The house was saved from the wrecking ball in the 1970’s when it was moved from its original location on Spring St (demolished during Urban Renewal) to its present site on Park Ave on land that was once a part of the Purdy’s Farm. The restored Jacob Purdy House is used by the WP Historical Society & is open for events. Historic exhibits are found inside.
On Oct 28, 1776, the British battled Americans stationed on Chatterton Hill that was part of Philipse Manor that extended west to the Hudson River. Outnumbered, the Americans gave up the hill and retreated across the Bronx River to Purdy Hill where Washington had stationed most of his troops or his center line.
Today, one can find information and a map at the Battle of WP Park at the Corner of Whitney and Battle Ave. Much of the Battle Hill neighborhood became part of WP in 1916.
At the bottom of the hill along Tarrytown Rd there is a sign showing the manning of a cannon at the Battle of White Plains from the Ward painting now hanging in the library. People though throughout the years have referred to the man in front of the cannon as Alexander Hamilton but this was not the intent of the painter (stated in an interview and published in a local magazine). Just south at the entrance to the Bronx River Parkway, there is a Battle of WP monument with marker dated May 18, 1926. The cannon is a replica of the original cannon found in WP in 1890. The original first stolen in 1963 was recovered but was stolen again in 1971. There is still an award posted for its return. The sign has since been replaced with a newer version.
Merritt Hill
Merritt Hill looking down to Silver Lake
MERRITT & MILLER HILLS: Action also took place in Harrison on the same day on Merritt Hill where Washington also had stationed troops. Today, in the park on top of Merritt Hill; just above Silver Lake on Lake St one can find the pictured cannon and information. The red sign depicting the Liberty or Death flag was used during the battle and it became a part of WP’s city seal.
The cannon from this local might be where General Heath described in his papers that a Hessian soldier was hit by a cannon ball in the head. This might explain the headless horseman in Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman in the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” but not according to the author who read of European legends about this. The painting of Ward’s that depicts scenes from Irving’s stories is at WP Library.
Miller House before restoration
After the retreat from Chatterton Hill, Washington moved his troops to North Castle using Miller House as his headquarters. After failing to defeat the Americans, the conflict ended around November 4, when General Howe went back to the NY City.
The Elijah and Anne Miller house (1738) on Virginia Rd is just below Miller Hill. Elijah was killed in August 1776 while serving in the Westchester Militia followed by the death of two of his sons serving in the militia during the winter of 1776. After decades of being closed to the public, Westchester County agreed to finally renovate the house and transfer the property to North Castle. Funds will be raised to maintain the property and various groups will be part of this.
Post Card of Miller Kitchen
On top of Miller Hill in Miller Hill Park there is a marker and information about the battle.
Miller Hill sign
Miller Hill
While most of the Continental Army went north after November 4, avoiding what could have been the end of the war, many of the buildings in the village of WP were burned down by an American Major John Austin and his detachment. Before his trial, Austin escaped punishment. The court house and the Presbyterian Church were among the destroyed structures. WP would take years to recover from the night of terror.
WAR REMEMBRANCES: Unlike in the past when Battle of WP reenactments were held in the area, the White Plains Historic Society (formed in 1983 from the Battle of White Plains Monument Committee) holds an annual event commemorating the Battle of White Plains as well as other events at the Purdy House There are historic displays inside Purdy House about the war and the City’s history.
“The Battle of WP” painted by Edmund F. Ward (1926) is hung on the 1st floor of the library along with other paintings. The local history room at WP Library has reopened holding a host of information and historic treasures.
A two cent commemorative stamp issued by the US Post that same year shows the same scene of the battle as well as the flag first used in the battle titled, “Liberty or Death.” Stamps are still available on the internet for sale and I donated one to WP Library. It is now on their website in picture file (see Local History page).
Two naval ships (no longer in use) were named after WP in honor of the battle. City exhibited equipment donated to the City in 1959 from the USS WP at City Hall and on Colonial Day in 2016.
A number of city streets, parks and schools in the City were named after the people, places and other events that took place during the country’s Revolutionary period. Some of these are Lexington, Hamilton, Battle, Jefferson and Franklin Aves and the schools Rochambeau and George Washington.
A monument, erected in 1906, can be found on N Broadway marking the center of Washington’s army during the battle. The marker in front of the monument is dated 1926 while the one on the monument is not dated as it was erected at an earlier time (dedicated 1906).
There are plaques at WP City Hall in entrance way in honoring those in WP that served and there are veterans from the Battle of WP and the American Revolution at White Plains Rural Cemetery and Presbyterian Church both on North Broadway. Every once and a while remnants of bones are found on Battle Hill where it is believed many British soldiers were buried after the battle on the hill. Estimates that 200 could have died there.
City opened a Veteran’s Garden behind City Hall in Summer of 2023 that pays tribute to all those who fought for this country in its birth and after. This is an extension of the memorial inside City Hall itself in entrance area.
Other updated sections from the book can be found under the following entries for: WP and the American Revolution and War Remembrances from the Battle of WP, Westchester County Seat and Government, Waterways in White Plains, WP’s 1st Village St, WP Older Houses, Historic Traces in WP BD, Houses of Worship, WP Schools History, Buried in WP, WP Quarry & Farms, WP Historic Businesses & Organizations, Memorials in WP & WP Hospitals. Sources for book are listed in a separate entry Sources for Further Study of WP.
Other entries about WP (not found in the book) can be found on this website are: Demographics in White Plains, What’s in a Name: The Bar Building, Battle of WP video, Art in WP, The Arts in White Plains: Past and Present, Seeking History One Foot at a time: WP’s Walking Tours, Where is the Mamaroneck River in WP, What’s in a name? Bloomingdale Rd vs Bloomingdale’s, Presidents in WP, Martine Ave, Coloring for Adults: WP Photos, WP Neighborhoods, Origin of Names of Places in WP, Transportation in WP, How Well Do You Know WP?, Parking in WP, and Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail as well as many others.
Sandy's Written Creations 
To “Citizens to be Heard” a City activist group.
Posted on July 18, 2021 by sandraharrison1954
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Wow, don’t understand what this group’s purpose is for anymore. Got attacked on their Facbook Group for wanting my neighborhood of Eastview to be as nice as the rest of the City. It is full of shopping carts, traffic from car dealer, litter, dumped items, storm drains filled with debris and lots of noise by barking dogs, cars zooming down the hill and businesses like the diner that don’t care that they are stinking up the air because they do not properly filter their air vents. My concerns were called petty. This was compared to saving one tree at WPHS or about someone wanting to find a contractor?
Is the Citizens to be Heard Group for people who want to promote their businesses or to find a missing dog by equating it to looking for a person? By the way, Eastview has lost a number of its trees one that was well over a hundred years old due to a strange lighting hail storm. But, other plants and trees came down just because the city wanted them down. And, they were never replaced. Our trees and bushes are home to hundreds of birds and other creatures.
I thought when I met the group at City Hall when I went to a hearing about The Collection that many on my street were against though they remained silent and City just approved anyway, I found a place to have a voice. But, instead I got called a Karen though the definition doesn’t fit me and there were more important things to complain about than a clean environment.
I also was concerned about our City that is losing its historic character one building at a time. When I wrote about what was still here from our past, I was amazed at how much was here but when I published my book after starting a blog in 2012, I had no idea how many of our older buildings would be knocked down to be replaced with high rise luxury rentals where tenants have little voice in how their buildings are run. Don’t want to leave White Plains as many suggested I do just cause I complained. Should we all just run away when we can’t improve things or make our lives better? Retired Special Educator who spent 31.5 years trying to educate the City’s forgotten but when I moved her could not afford a house. I just moved my mother to The Bristal and have lived in two neighborhoods.
Sadly, the block that I lived on in the Highlands on Davis from 1980 to 1988 but frequently go to my doctors has also become an ugly mess of litter, dog feces and broken sidewalks. The hospital took over a house and made it into a parking lot and the hospital hasn’t put in enough parking so it is impossible to find parking on the street with cars parking in driveways. But, this seems to be okay with some and my wanting our City to be cleaner, less noisy and less polluted isn’t.
What is the purpose of this Group?
I guess, I will just continue to go as an individual to make changes in our City. And, they are not just cosmetic. These are a few of the things that got done after complaining to City.
If one does not complain directly to City, nothing changes. Report individual complaints with very specific info on City system for reporting complaints, used email and send pictures and call. Calling is often difficult and do not always get a great reaction or response. One woman in Parking informed me that I was correct that parking was not being enforced on my block of Franklin on weekends and rarely on weekdays. Police also were not ticketing cars at night but this issue is still on going. Parking on street does not allow for cleaning and street is horrible with litter in storm drains and dumped on sidewalks from parkers.
Voting alone will not change things and most people do not vote. Only about 6 thousand vote in this community of 57,000 or more. People who do not live in City can also report issues. Many work here.
If you are having trouble with your building not doing repairs etc, contact the Building Department. They did help me and I had damage from leaking not fixed by building not just inside but on outside where the water was entering.
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Rye, New York
Posted on July 12, 2021 by sandraharrison1954
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Town of Rye or “Rye” began with three English settlers Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Peter Disbrow moving on June 29, 1660 to Manursing Island, The island juts out into the Long Island Sound. They came from “Grenege” (Greenwich today) after purchasing the area known as Peningo from the Siwanoy on January 2, 1660 from the Mohegans of the larger Algonkian nation. Purchase was made with Shenarockwell, a Mohican chief. Land was along LI Sound between the Mamaroneck and Byram Rivers.
The Siwanoy had farmed the area growing corn, pumpkins and beans and pumpkins but their diet also included sea food and small game found in abundance along the shore and inland areas. Their homes were wigwams that were easy to construct and move. They were built with easily readily available wood and made by lashing bent poles together and covering them with bark or thatched reeds.
The settlers later purchased Manursing Island and named their settlement Hastings. By 1664, more settlers arrived and found more land on the mainland to build cabins where Playland and Rye Town Park are today and named the area Rye. In 1665, Hastings and Rye merged and the village on Manursing Island was abandoned. Town was named after Rye, in Sussex, England. The settlers were Puritans.
In 1672, Robert bought land from Philip Galpin on Peningo Neck about the time Thomas Merritt and Peningo Neck is now the business section of the City of Rye. Also developed was the Saw Pit area on the Byram River that is now Port Chester and part of the City of Rye (1868).
During Colonial times, the Town of Rye was part of the British Colony of Connecticut. For about seventy years their were boundary disputes between the Dutch and the English and between NY and CT. After the Dutch left NY in 1674, the English took control of the area and Rye continued to be part of NY and CT till 1731 when the borders were finally settled.
Men from Rye settlement settled in other areas like White Plains (1683) and Harrison (1696) that became villages of the town.
Like the indigenous people before them, Colonial Rye was a small farming community. Situated along the King’s Highway and later know as the Boston Post Road made it an important post and stagecoach stop. The business district moved from the Long Island Sound area to the King’s Highway. One of the taverns Strang’s Tavern and the Square House that is a museum today were located on the Post Road
Besides farming, residents during the winter months became tradesmen serving as wheelwrights, carpenters, saddlers, tailors, hatters, weavers and rope makers. The population remained small throughout this period, ranging from 722 in 1710 (including both Rye and Port Chester) to 986 in 1790.
With its many brooks, Rye had a number of mills with the first was built in 1656 on the Blind Brook near Oakland Beach Avenue. At the time of the Revolutionary War, 15 or 20 mills were operating in Rye and Port Chester, including one behind the Square House.
The Post Road, King Street, and the Grace Church Street were some of Rye’s earliest carriage paths. Water transportation and stagecoach linked the early settlers with the outside world. Active ports were at Milton Harbor and Portchester that transporting people and goods to and from LI and Manhattan. There were ferries at what is Guion Road today. The first wharf was built on Milton Harbor in 1679.
The area was under constant attack from the native Americans and the winters were often severe. Besides farming people fished, logged and traded goods. Logs were cut at the Saw Pit for the shipping industry The years during the Revolution from 1776 to 1783 were also difficult with constant raids by both the British and the Americans. The loyalist raiders were called cowboys. These cowboys would raid homes, fields, steal livestock and even killed people. As a result, many residents fled the area and their homes and fields fell into ruin. It would take a long time to recover after the war was over.
With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, farming declined as NYers got their farm goods from western NY.
Like much of Westchester, the coming of the railroad in 1849 changed everything. With the railroad came the wealth New Yorkers looking for a place to get away from the hot city in the summer building large luxurious country estates with many along the shore. Many of these homes were in the area that is now the City of Rye.
By the late 1800s, the area where Playland and Rye Town Park are now located become a summer resort where one could find hotels, small summer bungalows, restaurants and amusement parks. In 1909, Rye Town Park opened and in 1928 Playland would open.
By the early 1900’s, some became yearly commuters to the city and the train depended on this for fares and advertised heavily to attract more to the area. Rye became a bedroom community or the suburbs of NYC and by the 1920’s people were using cars. Areas that were once the large estates of the wealthy were subdivided into smaller lots to be sold for people to build homes.
Jared Peck on the Boston Post Road in 1860 was subdivided into Loudon Woods in 1910. Indian Village was developed around that time as the Halsted property near the Knapp House. The Brevoort “farm” became Greenhaven during the 1920s, and many families from publishing and the motion picture industry settled here.
Villages of White Plains and Harrison separated from Town of Rye after the Revolution.
Beginning in 1868, Port Chester separate from the Town of Rye becoming an incorporated village.
In 1895, Mamaroneck became a a village in Town of Mamaroneck. It had been Rye Neck in the Town of Rye.
In 1904, Rye Village incorporated but in 1942 it became a city and is no longer part of the Town of Rye. Rye City is the youngest city in NY with a population of about 16,000.
Village of Rye Brook remained part of the Town of Rye till it incorporated on July 7 1982.
Sources:
Stories — Rye Historical Society (ryehistory.org)
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What Side of History Do You Want to Be On?
Posted on August 19, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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“History tells us that, at the end of the day, there actually is a “right side of history.” For instance, most of us would likely agree on the following: The abolitionists in pre-Civil War America were on the right side of history. The suffragettes who fought for the rights of women in the electoral process were on the right side of history.
Reference: www. psychologytoday.com/us/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/201803/the-right-side-history
What side of History do you want to be on?
One that works to make the world a better place or one that works to
destroy it?
One that supports friends or one that takes them for granted?
One that challenges our enemies or one that seeks to destroy them?
One that wants to destroy the Earth or the one that wants to save it?
One that wants to be part of a global society or one that stays out of world affairs.
One that listens or one that makes all the decisions.
One that respects the needs of others or one that tramples on the
disadvantaged.
Don’t know which side of history you want to be on but I sure want to live in the world where there is a place for everyone to live their best lives.
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White Plains Poem
Posted on August 15, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Where once pigs and horses roamed
To a park with benches and fountains
Where once marches and streams flowed
To a concrete jungle of paved streets and glass buildings
Where once the volley of cannon fire was heard on a hillside
To homes along streets named for those of the Revolution
Where a Post Road meets a Road to Mamaroneck
This was the Village of White Plains
That is today’s City of White Plains
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Old Leather Man
Posted on August 12, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Found this info at Trailside Nature Museum up in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Pound Ridge, NY. It is possible that the Leather Man wandered in White Plains in the northern sections where there are still woods.
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Being Prepared for Emergencies
Posted on August 9, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Seems that many people are not prepared for a disaster that comes in many forms but we are all just one step away from one. No one seems to save or lives within their means to properly prepare.
I had 3 rolls of toilet paper when the shut down began in NY in March. Why did people need to hoard toilet paper for a virus? They were hoarding water, paper towels, disinfectant, wipes and food. It was more like the end of days, than a pandemic.
I did manage to grab 4 rolls of toilet paper during the crazy time in March but then went online and though I wasn’t getting my normal type of rolls, it got me through till I could get more. My mother on the other hand had 48 rolls even though she asked me to get her more. Meals on Wheels delivered her a roll and a local pharmacy had a supply though one had to just get a few (but it was there). But the masks were harder to get as well as thermometer, gloves and one use wash cloths. I made a mask looking at videos online and I was lucky to have some material. I asked on a FB group for my city how to get the medical masks and was told to use Groupon. They came through. Even Shaklee failed me getting those wipes. I got a mixed assortment of things and deliveries sometimes took months. It was hit and miss at the stores that after Senior hour, there was nothing left in toilet paper. I now have an a supply of toilet paper, a thermometer that I have batteries for though its in Celsius, paper towels, wipes (but use paper towels soaked in soapy water) and have to get supplies ahead of time. There are still limits and shortages and its now Aug. A local market at Mobil gas station has the essentials.
But now a hurricane like storm (59 mph winds) comes through and in 2 hours knocks out power to thousands in my area. I have electricity and did not lose my Fios (many lost Optimum) and my mother was also okay. The power is out for many for days now and people are still complaining. I have seen utility trucks parked in mass at a local school and by hotel that is closest to me. There are a lot of trees and branches down not just during the storm but after. People who have well water say they have no water cause it needs electricity and then if they have water it is cold. Most need refrigeration and electricity for cell phones, internet and air conditioning.
Did these people ever lose power before? Are people getting ready for these things as Hurricanes do occur more frequently along with power outages. I live in an apartment and without air-conditioning it is very hot inside my unit. I do not have cross ventilation. I have had power outages but they were in my building and then when the whole East coast went out.
I have candles and batteries for flash lights. I have had my water turned off a lot by my building and I always fill up containers for water to flush my toilet and for drinking water. There are solar battery chargers for phones and we did have sun after the storm. If I had a house, I would look for alternatives for loss of power and/or go to a hotel.
Not sure people are thinking things through. We did have plenty of time to prepare with lots of warnings. Not sure why well water users do not have a storage tank for just these occasions and non-perishable foods incase the electricity goes out. Some of this was also for pandemic. I had food for an illness that does not need refrigeration. There are even milk choices now in non-refrigerated choices, lots of bottle water now.
Using solar might be the right way to go. My mother’s neighborhood has lots of solar roofs now. Why is my area so slow on this? It is time to get ready for the unexpected. People expecting flooding should get those big plastic bags for cars and clothing and even furniture. Might be time to invest in those tiger dams that one can store flat but fill up with a hose. Batteries, flashlights, water storage (one can fill your own containers) and foods that do not need refrigeration might be smart. I might get a battery charger that is for cellular but will have to stick out window in morning. I get lots of morning sun but it goes over my building after 12 noon.
Unfortunately, we are also in a pandemic but even our library that finally opened put out charging tables outside. I know a lot of people have generators but got to use gasoline and it really pollutes. I would get one of those smaller wind mills if I had a backyard that could be set up for these kinds of times.
Were you ready or just lucky? What would you do different?
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Pandemic Scared
Posted on August 8, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Our World is upside down,
Pandemic upside down.
Everywhere people have gotten sick and many have died.
Lessons to be learned but many refusing to be schooled.
Are people this stupid, ignorant or foolish?
If wearing a mask saves lives, why oh, why not wear one?
Sure its hot and masks make it hard for me to breathe.
But if they save lives ; make fewer sick, what’s wrong with that?
Is your life worth saving?
Or mine?
I’ve become a shut-in for most of my day.
Going out for walk at 4:30 am, when its still dark,
Getting everything delivered,
Doing everything by phone or online.
Driving in my car because it’s the safest place for me to be,
And, visits to my Mom.
Doctor offices are scary,
With all the precautions and exposure to not just Covid-19.
Pandemic crazy.
Pandemic turning our world upside down.
I don’t know how much more of this I can stand.
Its hard and very restricting.
Is my life worth all this isolation?
Don’t know anymore,
When just 6 months ago, I was praying to die.
Now not depressed, I don’t know what I want anymore.
I just don’t want to be put on a ventilator or get sick.
If a mask is hard to breathe wearing,
What would Covid-19 be like with my ability to breathe?
Deadly.
Be safe, live your best life as best you can,
And, BREATHE!
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Extra Extra ExtraOrdinary
Posted on July 27, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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A thought I had for a song in one of my play ideas or maybe my take of a song from “Pippen.”
I’m extra extra extraordinary
I’m a friend to a friend
Loyal to all
I’m a power house
A dynamo
Human
But other worldly
Powerful
Extraordinary
And beyond compare
That’s me
Extra extra extraordnary
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White Plains After the Revolution, City Planning; Direction
Posted on July 15, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Entry is update version of the section of “After the Revolution to Present Times” and “City Planning and Direction” in White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts.
AFTER THE REVOLUTION TO PRESENT TIMES
After the Revolution ending in 1788, White Plains (WP) separated from Rye becoming a town. WP census of 1790 recorded a population of 505 of which forty-six were slaves. Agriculture was still the basis of the economy; most of the farms were small in size.
It would take the community years to recover from the war especially when many of the buildings along the Village Street (now where S and N Broadway are located) were destroyed by fire in 1776. Court house was rebuilt in 1787 over the foundation of the old one and in 1788 (till 1870) WP would alternate with Bedford as the county seat. Bedford incidentally had a larger population at that time and their 1787 court house is now a museum.
Presbyterian Church located on the street was not rebuilt till 1825. Unfortunately, the rebuilt church was by fire as well. It was also a wooden structure and was not replaced till 1855.
A Methodist Church (still at location on N Broadway and office for WP Rural Cemetery) was built in 1795 but after a fire on opening day, it was replaced in 1797.
In 1844, the Harlem Railroad Line, using steam engines, reached WP profoundly effecting the community. As the Business District (BD) moved closer to the railroad, the population grew and residential, commercial and government development also increased. The rails increased dairy production on farms (like the Gedney Farm) and industry. The rails were involved in bringing commuters from New York City and the conversion of farms into estates. The tracks near the station and the station buildings were changed a number of times.
To encourage the sale of tickets, the rail line offered package deals for commuters and coordinated with real estate developers and others to promote Westchester as a great place to escape the hot dirty City. Wealthy NYers found inexpensive land (that were former farms) in WP to build large estates, hospitals and safe havens for orphan children.
A new court house was built on Railroad Ave (now Main St) and opened in 1856 replacing the one on S Broadway. It was built from the rocks quarried at the Davis Quarry. Rocks and remnants of quarry can be found today at corner of Prospect Rd and Oakwood Ave.
WP became an incorporated village in 1866 and in 1899 the village boundaries expanded when it purchased land from North Castle to build its reservoir.
Electrical rails were introduced in 1910 and to protect pedestrians and other vehicles the tracks were put above ground in 1914. Pillars above the tracks on Main Street are marked for this date. As the use of the train grew, more former farms and even the estates the rich NYers had built were subdivided into single lots for home building. Some developers built homes laying out streets, putting in sewers and lines for water and power. Trolleys were introduced and connected the rail line to the neighboring areas and communities. They were eventually replaced and phased out by 1926 as the use of buses became more popular.
Pedestrian tunnels under the tracks date from this time as well as stairwells that go directly to tracks from street level. Pictured are what they looked like before renovations.
A new brick station was open in 1915. WP had a least 2 other stations before this one that were much smaller.
Remnants from the former building are still behind the Bank St Commons that was constructed on the site of the former station. Former building had been demolished many years prior to the apartments going in and there was a big hole filled with water.
Rail had different owners over the years, but Metro North took over the rail line in 1982 and built a new station to replace the 1915 one in 1987. In 2017 they agreed to update station in 2017 after NY State named the station a hub in NY’s Mass Rapid Transit plan. Redo of White Plains station was completed in 2021. Hudson Link buses are available connecting White Plains to Rockland County and areas around the bridge. Construction on the station began in 2018. City did a study to redevelop the areas near the station and are asking for developers to submit plans for review. City has had buses to CT as well.
From 1912 to 1937, the NY, Westchester and Boston Railway ran to WP from the Bronx on the east side of the city. The terminal for the line was located where Nordstrom Department Store is today. The retail development on Gedney Way is a result of the rail line going through this largely residential area.
Though, the rail no longer exists parts of its bed are now part of the Jack Harrington Greenway City of WP Walking Trail from Bolton Ave to the Scarsdale border. Other parts of the rail bed are visible but are not available for walking. The Greenway entrance to trail on Ridgeway has a display containing information about rail line. In the summer of 2020, work was completed on the extension of the Greenway north from Gedney Way to Bolton Rd. Tunnels for the rail line run under a number of city roads like the one under Bryant Ave can be viewed at the municipal lot on Mamaroneck Ave near the intersection with Bloomingdale Rd. The parking lot for Sam’s of Gedney Way (56 Gedney Way) cuts into the former trail bed.
White Plains Becomes a City:
WP tried to become a City as early as 1902; in 1908 tried to annex Greenacres Neighborhood of Scarsdale as well as parts of Greenburgh and West Harrison in its efforts. In 1910, Governor vetoed WP’s request to become a city that would have annexed parts of West Harrison; Greenburgh.
WP became an incorporated city on January 1, 1916 (after state approval in 1915) and would now include the Battle Hill section (of Greenburgh). City Hall on Main St opened in 1926. A marker stone near the handicap entrance is marked 1924. Today one can find war memorials in the lobby, pictures of past mayors and some of the drawings done by John Rösch (WP photographer and historian; dating from 1867).
The Police Department once occupied the annex that is behind City Hall but is now used as offices. A police station had been on Hamilton Ave till it moved to its present location at the WP Safety Building at 77 S. Lexington.
The Westchester section of the Bronx River Parkway was constructed between 1907 and 1925. The park along its route was created to protect the Bronx River from pollution and development. This was Westchester’s 1st park and the nation’s 1st public parkway. North of Yonkers, much of parkway’s bridges and other features are still in the original design. The Kensico Dam in Valhalla at the parkway’s northern end was constructed from 1913 to 1917. It replaced the first dam of 1885 that was taken down in 1911.
West of the tracks is a former bus depot that was repurposed into a restaurant Dog Den in 2016. The present bus terminal on Ferris Ave. connects commuters to areas in Westchester, Rockland and Connecticut is east of the Trans Center. City wanted to redevelop the transit hub to coordinate with the completion of Tappan Zee Bridge replacement. A yearlong study was conducted in 2016. The Trans Center started to be renovated in 2018 and was completed. There have been a number of new buildings that are in the process or planned for the areas around the station. Bridge was finished and opened as the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge and a new bus line Hudson Link opened with connections in White Plains to areas across the bridge.
The trains that brought NY City closer to Westchester County and communities like White Plains had brought many wealthy New Yorkers who built country homes. They took advantage of the leisure activities that the area offered. Some of the city’s neighborhoods are named for these people (Hillair Circle, Idle Forest, Reynal Park, & Rocky Dell). Former farmland was also converted into hospitals, refuges for children, golf courses and even a large hotel Gedney Farm Hotel. See other sections on this website for more information listed at end of this posting. For more on transportation see “Transportation in WP” section.
CITY DIRECTION & PLANNING: As far back as the 1920’s, city planners had plans for WP to become a major commercial center in Westchester County by attracting some of NY City’s major department stores and Fortune 500 companies. Among these were B. Altman’s (1933), Macy’s (1949) and General Foods.
After years of construction, the Cross Westchester Expressway opened in 1960 and attracted even more companies. The roadway borders and cuts through parts of White Plains. A major renovation did occur starting in 1998 and sections of White Plains changed. A section of Lake Street (near S. & N. Kensico intersection) changed where 287 was redone. The changes took over a decade to complete and cost more than the first construction.
A huge urban renewal project from 1966 till 1980 removed entire blocks in the city to make way for new development including a new courthouse, library and two malls. The city lost residents during this time. Hundreds of Italian and Afro-Americans were displaced, and many small businesses were forced out. The WP Mall (1973) served the community during this period. Whole Blocks and streets were eliminated, and a number of much large office buildings and malls were constructed with some taking up entire blocks. The WP Mall (1973) housed some of the displaced businesses. The Mall was closed and demolished in 2022. Many businesses either closed or moved. One of tallest buildings constructed during this time was Westchester One (1975) on S Broadway.
In the 1980’s, many of the city’s older apartment buildings were converted to cooperatives and condominiums. The Galleria Mall opened in 1980. It closed March 2023 and will be redeveloped into a mixture of housing and retail space.
By 1977, the military use for the Armory dating from in 1910 and constructed on the site of the first 2 court houses, ended and was converted to a senior center and residence in 1982.
In 1995, The Westchester Mall opened. Numerous condominium townhouses and apartment buildings were constructed during the latter part of the 1900’s and the early part of the 21st century.
In 2000, the US census listed the population of WP as 53,077 and in 2010 as 56,853. Estimates of 250,000 have been given as to as to how many people come into the city daily. Tall towers of glass and concrete rose in the center of the city during the first part of the 2000’s. In recent years, with the sale of condominiums slowing, most apartment development in the city has been high end rentals.
A new building, The Prelude, opened on Quarropas Ave. in 2016 and is the first structure completed in Brookfield Commons (formerly known as Winbrook) by the WP Housing Authority (HUD). The older rental apartment structures from 1949 will be replaced and demolished. One building on S Lexington Ave was closed in 2016 and was demolished in 2020. The housing development is now using “Affordable” Housing to describe its offerings. The second building has been completed July 2022 called the Overture.
White Plains’ newest rental housing developments (since 2003) must include “affordable” options within their buildings. Despite these requirements for new housing, The City Center complex has an affordable option in a separate location in the complex “The Summit at City Center.” It is below the NY Sports Club and is actually hard to get to by way of two elevators. The City also has an affordable home ownership program for eligible families. There was a house available and units at Minerva Place Condominiums. For information see the City Website under Planning Department.
Considering how much WP changed during the 20th and 21st century, there are still remnants from earlier times. Some older buildings were saved by moving them to new locations and others by placing them on the National Registry of Historic Places. Many of the city schools and government departments as well as a number of hospitals, churches and other organizations were established in the later part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.
In the last number of years, the City has rezoned a number of areas in around the BD to revitalize them. Most of the projects involve a mixture of retail; rental apartments. Some are renovations but others involve demolition and rebuilds. The City Center & The Westchester underwent major renovations in 2016. For more information on newer structures and renovations see the section on White Plains Revitalization; Its Vanishing Past.
Other updated sections from the book can be found under the following entries for: WP and the American Revolution and War Remembrances from the Battle of WP, Westchester County Seat and Government, Waterways in White Plains, WP’s 1st Village St, WP Older Houses, Historic Traces in WP BD, Houses of Worship, WP Schools History, Buried in WP, WP Quarry & Farms, WP Historic Businesses & Organizations, Memorials in WP & WP Hospitals. Sources for book are listed in a separate entry Sources for Further Study of WP.
Other entries about WP (not found in the book) can be found on this website are: Demographics in White Plains, What’s in a Name: The Bar Building, Battle of WP video, Art in WP, The Arts in White Plains: Past and Present, Seeking History One Foot at a time: WP’s Walking Tours, Where is the Mamaroneck River in WP, What’s in a name? Bloomingdale Rd vs Bloomingdale’s, Presidents in WP, Martine Ave, Coloring for Adults: WP Photos, WP Neighborhoods, Origin of Names of Places in WP, Transportation in WP, How Well Do You Know WP?, Parking in WP, and Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail as well as many others.
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White Plains and the American Revolution; Revolutionary War Remembrances
Posted on July 15, 2020 by sandraharrison1954
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Entry is updated version of the sections on “American Revolution,” “Battle of White Plains,” “Merritt and Miller Hills” and “War Remembrances” from the book White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts:
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
When the American Continental Congress in Philadelphia declared independence on July 4, 1776, the NY delegation did not have the authority to vote. The Provincial Congress of the Colony of NY (formed in 1975) was not meeting till July 9. But, at this time General Howe, Commander of the British Army was taking control of NY City. John Hancock sent a letter along with a copy of the Declaration of Independence to the NY for approval.
For safety, members met at the White Plains (WP) Court House on July 9, 1776 where they agreed to accept the document allowing the NY delegates in Philadelphia to vote & sign the Declaration. On the same day, the governing body of NY changed its name to the Convention of the Representatives of the State of NY. This is why WP claims to be the locale for the “birth place” of NY.
The Declaration was read before the public on July 11, 1776 on the steps of the courthouse. A copy of the document is part of Westchester County’s Archives. The bill contains a letter from the Secretary Robert Benson signed on July 9 from the newly named state of NY.
A monument in front of the Armory was erected in 1910 by the WP Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution where the reading of the Declaration of Independence took place. The monument was constructed from stones that were part of the original court house’s foundation.
BATTLE OF WP 1776: In the fall of 1776 from October 28 to about November 4, the American Continental Army under the command of George Washington fought the British under the command of General William Howe in WP.
The Jacob Purdy House (1721) was used as Washington’s headquarters in 1776 & 1778. The house was saved from the wrecking ball in the 1970’s when it was moved from its original location on Spring St (demolished during Urban Renewal) to its present site on Park Ave on land that was once a part of the Purdy’s Farm. The restored Jacob Purdy House is used by the WP Historical Society & is open for events. Historic exhibits are found inside.
On Oct 28, 1776, the British battled Americans stationed on Chatterton Hill that was part of Philipse Manor that extended west to the Hudson River. Outnumbered, the Americans gave up the hill and retreated across the Bronx River to Purdy Hill where Washington had stationed most of his troops or his center line.
Today, one can find information and a map at the Battle of WP Park at the Corner of Whitney and Battle Ave. Much of the Battle Hill neighborhood became part of WP in 1916.
At the bottom of the hill along Tarrytown Rd there is a sign showing the manning of a cannon at the Battle of White Plains from the Ward painting now hanging in the library. People though throughout the years have referred to the man in front of the cannon as Alexander Hamilton but this was not the intent of the painter (stated in an interview and published in a local magazine). Just south at the entrance to the Bronx River Parkway, there is a Battle of WP monument with marker dated May 18, 1926. The cannon is a replica of the original cannon found in WP in 1890. The original first stolen in 1963 was recovered but was stolen again in 1971. There is still an award posted for its return. The sign has since been replaced with a newer version.
MERRITT & MILLER HILLS: Action also took place in Harrison on the same day on Merritt Hill where Washington also had stationed troops. Today, in the park on top of Merritt Hill; just above Silver Lake on Lake St one can find the pictured cannon and information. The red sign depicting the Liberty or Death flag was used during the battle and it became a part of WP’s city seal.
The cannon from this local might be where General Heath described in his papers that a Hessian soldier was hit by a cannon ball in the head. This might explain the headless horseman in Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman in the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” but not according to the author who read of European legends about this. The painting of Ward’s that depicts scenes from Irving’s stories is at WP Library.
After the retreat from Chatterton Hill, Washington moved his troops to North Castle using Miller House as his headquarters. After failing to defeat the Americans, the conflict ended around November 4, when General Howe went back to the NY City.
The Elijah and Anne Miller house (1738) on Virginia Rd is just below Miller Hill. Elijah was killed in August 1776 while serving in the Westchester Militia followed by the death of two of his sons serving in the militia during the winter of 1776. After decades of being closed to the public, Westchester County agreed to finally renovate the house and transfer the property to North Castle. Funds will be raised to maintain the property and various groups will be part of this.
On top of Miller Hill in Miller Hill Park there is a marker and information about the battle.
While most of the Continental Army went north after November 4, avoiding what could have been the end of the war, many of the buildings in the village of WP were burned down by an American Major John Austin and his detachment. Before his trial, Austin escaped punishment. The court house and the Presbyterian Church were among the destroyed structures. WP would take years to recover from the night of terror.
WAR REMEMBRANCES: Unlike in the past when Battle of WP reenactments were held in the area, the White Plains Historic Society (formed in 1983 from the Battle of White Plains Monument Committee) holds an annual event commemorating the Battle of White Plains as well as other events at the Purdy House There are historic displays inside Purdy House about the war and the City’s history.
“The Battle of WP” painted by Edmund F. Ward (1926) is hung on the 1st floor of the library along with other paintings. The local history room at WP Library has reopened holding a host of information and historic treasures.
A two cent commemorative stamp issued by the US Post that same year shows the same scene of the battle as well as the flag first used in the battle titled, “Liberty or Death.” Stamps are still available on the internet for sale and I donated one to WP Library. It is now on their website in picture file (see Local History page).
Two naval ships (no longer in use) were named after WP in honor of the battle. City exhibited equipment donated to the City in 1959 from the USS WP at City Hall and on Colonial Day in 2016.
A number of city streets, parks and schools in the City were named after the people, places and other events that took place during the country’s Revolutionary period. Some of these are Lexington, Hamilton, Battle, Jefferson and Franklin Aves and the schools Rochambeau and George Washington.
A monument, erected in 1906, can be found on N Broadway marking the center of Washington’s army during the battle. The marker in front of the monument is dated 1926 while the one on the monument is not dated as it was erected at an earlier time (dedicated 1906).
There are plaques at WP City Hall in entrance way in honoring those in WP that served and there are veterans from the Battle of WP and the American Revolution at White Plains Rural Cemetery and Presbyterian Church both on North Broadway. Every once and a while remnants of bones are found on Battle Hill where it is believed many British soldiers were buried after the battle on the hill. Estimates that 200 could have died there.
City opened a Veteran’s Garden behind City Hall in Summer of 2023 that pays tribute to all those who fought for this country in its birth and after. This is an extension of the memorial inside City Hall itself in entrance area.
Other updated sections from the book can be found under the following entries for: WP and the American Revolution and War Remembrances from the Battle of WP, Westchester County Seat and Government, Waterways in White Plains, WP’s 1st Village St, WP Older Houses, Historic Traces in WP BD, Houses of Worship, WP Schools History, Buried in WP, WP Quarry & Farms, WP Historic Businesses & Organizations, Memorials in WP & WP Hospitals. Sources for book are listed in a separate entry Sources for Further Study of WP.
Other entries about WP (not found in the book) can be found on this website are: Demographics in White Plains, What’s in a Name: The Bar Building, Battle of WP video, Art in WP, The Arts in White Plains: Past and Present, Seeking History One Foot at a time: WP’s Walking Tours, Where is the Mamaroneck River in WP, What’s in a name? Bloomingdale Rd vs Bloomingdale’s, Presidents in WP, Martine Ave, Coloring for Adults: WP Photos, WP Neighborhoods, Origin of Names of Places in WP, Transportation in WP, How Well Do You Know WP?, Parking in WP, and Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail as well as many others.
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White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts