A History of Briarcliff Manor by Rev

A History of Briarcliff Manor By Rev. Robert B. Pattison I member of the Ossining Historical Society. Compiled with the assistance of~ ALFRED H. PEARSON MRS. EMERSON KESSLER MRS. J. H. REED H. B. VALENTINE CHARLES H. SCHUMAN FLOYD BERNARD CHARLES H. WHITSON HAR()LD WHITSON MRS. R. M. HERSEY T. EVERETT BISHOP Presented to village residents with the compliments of THE BRIARCLIFF WEEKLY and the merchants whose advertisements appear herein. Published by William Rayburn Additional copies may be. purch~sed at ,Wittenborg's United Cigar Store or by phoning BriarcWf 1519. " t<Y Founded Briarcliff WaIter W. Law, Esq. A History of BRIARCLIFF MANO'R From an Indian's campfire to centuries before that from modern heating, from a burning across Behring Strait into what pitchpine stick to electric lights, is now North America from from farm pumps to water fau Asia. So, in long ages, to the cets, such bridge the long gap Atlantic Ocean, lured by hunt between early days.and 9ur own ing, fishing, and safe lodging in our Village, materially. From under rock-shelters, one of a very simple, small Sunday which is to be found on the De:n. School to five well - established Farm nearby. Indian· arro~v Churches, such shows up our heads of age unknown have, gain in ,religion. From dirt been found in it recently. It roads, often knee-deep in mud, would be of great interest to to excellent macadam or cement know what name the Indians roads, such says something may have given to this locality. about the progress in' transpor Then came the era of the Hol tation. landers and the English under It is a far cry from those days both of which Vreddryck Flyp when there was no fire appara sen (Frederick Philipse, late,r tus apart from water carried in name) bought land from the buckets from the farm spring, Indians of our vicinity, his pur when there was no police de chases, being confirmed by Eng. partment and when the country !ish royal patent from overseas, doctor in his horse-drawn buggy January 2, 1689. The Philipse came only for strict emergencies estate finally covered all froln and dealt out home-made pills Spuyten Duyvil to the Croton for most maladies. The auto has River, and from the Hudson to supplanted the ox cart and the the source of the Bronx. One of telephone has taken the place his later purchases was of land of the neighbor's shout across from the Pocantico stream to the acres to announce another the Croton, and from the Hud~ little citizen's arrival a t some' son. to Nepperhan Creek (now farm. Saw Mill River), so that alto Columbus discovered America gether his holdings included some 410 years to a day before land where Briarcliff now Briarcliff Manor was incorpor-. stands. ated October 12, 1902. In those The Sint Sinct Indians may four centuries things happened have occupied land wh€'re our in our land and not the least of village stands, land which Phil them was the beginnings of our ipse bought from them on Aug locality as a farm group and ust 4, 1685, the transfer being later as a recognized political di made, according to tradition, on vision in New York state. the elevated land just east of the The very first inhabitants Scarborough railroad station. were Mohegan Indians, a branch The price was in wampunl; axes, of the powerful tribe of AlgOll guns, blankets, knives, kettles, quins. They came many a cen cloth, shlrts, not to forget rUIn. tury ago from the far west, and If our seetiol1 was included ·ill FOR YOUNG WOMEN FOUNDED IN Briarcliff Manor c this particular purchase, it is in houses; religion but here no teresting to· know that: the price churches, some books but here was much more than the histor no school, hunger enough but ic $24 worth of goods for which here no stores. Manhattan Island was originally With time came a few settlers. sold! (But who would exchange Farms began to supplant for ours for New York City? Perish ests, civilization showed its com the thought!) forting face, convenien.ces such The transfer of land here and as the tin peddler. came through, hereabouts was made more his-' a blacksmith arrived, and IIi toric when the Commission on dians more and more gave way Forfeiture (appointed to seize to "pale faces." and sell land held by the Tor We wonder where the first ies during the Revolutionary house stood, and how many of War) sold,· in 1784-1785, all ·of them there were in that long the Sing Sing tract, among oth ago. In time, however, there ers, to loyal Americans who had were built the three farmhouses, sided against King George Third all still standing, of the three of England; thus all the Philipse Whitson brothers: John, Rich estate passed into other hands ard and Reuben. They occupied and Briar~lifI Manor land was adjoining farms, totaling some of this piece. 400 acres. Their uncle, Joseph, An old map in the possession built the Crossways now comer of Mr. H. B. Valentine shows the of Pleasantville Road near the many tenants on the Philipse Congregational Church in 1820, lands hereabouts at the time'of the date· being plainly visible for the Commission on Forfeiture, years on its exterior; the elms 1784-5. It seems to indicate there are judged to be at least that they bought the very land a century old. .This house came they occupied (for it had been into the possession of his nep the policy of all the Hudson Riv hew, John H. Whitson. Richard er estate owners not to sell land, lived in the house on Pleasant and these tenants were doubt ville Road now occupied by Mr. less glad .of the.. chance a t last Emerson .Kessler, and Reuben to buy). Perhaps there is only lived in the house now owned one name on this map of a cen by Mr. Preston Herbert, near the . tury and a half ago still having Bronx Parkway. local association, that of Thom This last-mentioned house is as BiShop whose father John in probably the oldest in the local 1785: ,bought some '265 acres with ity. An atlas, publiShed in 1867, the Hudson River as its western shows this house with the name boundary. The three Bishop "R. Whitson" and the comment , broth~rs in present-day Briar "'Century Homestead," so that it cliff, Jesse B,. T. Everett, and . must have been built prior to Howard G. Bishop, trace descent 1767. from this family. If. any others Other families of course -were are traceable so far back, it present, but the Whitsons were would be interesting to know it. enough to give to this whole Those were crude but re section their name: ''Whitson's sourceful days! Forest land was Corners," and when the railroad here by the square mile. There came, the depot took the name were many Indians ·and very of Whitson's Station. - few whites, some trails but no The story of early ~ransporta roads, some shelters but· no tion tells much of those times. .., . FOR RADIO REACH FOR 1HE~OFLMNG SALES AND SERVICE BRIARCLIFF CALLS Pleasantville 1176 LESTER WINTEBEB Anderson Radio Co. 395 MANVILLE RD. Charles H. Schuman, Inc. Modern Equipment for Modern Homes Since 1915 TIMKEN OIL HEATING WATER HEATING UNITS Magic Chef Gas Ranges AIR CONDITIONING Refrigerators Water Heaters BR~CLmF MANOR, NFW YORK TELEPHONE BRIARCLIFF 2800 There was a stage-coach, and in Walter W. Law was born an winter a stage - sleigh, between' Englishman in 1837 and came to Pleasantville and Ossining (then America evidently determined called Sing Sing). Would that to grow up with the land and we had a photo of that horse help make the land grow. By dra wn vehicle! So the traveler his industry and good Judgment went' north or south by rail, for he became, in time, Vice-Presi the railroad came to Ossining dent of the W. and J. Sloane in 1849, some thirty years before Carpet Co., and soon was direct it ran to Whitson's; or, by stage ing his energies in this direction still, passengers might travel on so that, in 1895, the Briarclill the old Albany Post Road north Realty Co. was begun with 2,000 or south. When that train ar acres of land. It was incorpor rived, December 1, 1880, (or De a.ted in 1908. cember, 1879?), it was on what The Briarcliff -Manor Farms, was called the New York and one of his concerns, grew to- Northern Railroad, later called 5,000 acres with 300 workers, the Putnam Division of the N. based everywayon scientific Y. C. R. R. If anyone would see principles. It - was considered our first station building, it JS the best of its kind in all- the now the Millwood station, for it United States, specializing in was loaded on a flatcar one day pure-:-bred Jerseys. ... and hauled there. People still New York deliveries ·.. ·of its living remember Ben Fisher, the milk was aff~cted through many first station agent here; and ·he stores and so excellent was its was followed by Charles H. output in milk, cream and but Whitson, who for 25 years held ter that it won the.Gold Medal that position. Mr. Whitson·s at the Paris ExpOsition of .1900. first salary was all of $35 a Besides' cattle,' the farm month, and his hours were from boasted some -500 'pigs, 4,000 7 A. M. "till the milk train came chickens, many thoroughbred through" which was occasional horses, some pheasants, 'afew ly midnight so that some days peacocks and a flock of sheep.

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