Drawings of Scarsdale by Whistler Discovered by Historical Society
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Scarsdale Historical Society Discovers Whistler Drawings of Scarsdale Discovery Coincides with Church’s 175th Anniversary Celebration
A Country Church” by James McNeil Whistler, 1852. Identified as St. James the Less in Scarsdale, NY. Source: Library of CongressThe Scarsdale Historical Society has discovered two drawings of Scarsdale by American master, James McNeil Whistler. They depict a private home and St. James the Less Church, both dated 1852 or 1853. Both works reinforce the Whistler family’s ties to early Scarsdale and St. James. The discovery coincides with the Church’s 175th Anniversary, which is being celebrated with many events all year.
Anna McNeil Whister, the artist’s mother and subject of her son's iconic painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” lived in Scarsdale and attended the church for a few years during the 1850s. She resided with her close friends Margaret and Sarah Hill, whose sister had married William Sherbrooke Popham. Their “cottage” still stands attoday’s 4 Rectory Lane, and was originally part of the vast Popham estate. Many letters written by Anna Whistler during this time have been preserved and digitized on a website by the University of Glasgow. She discusses 1850’s Scarsdale, the Pophams and visits by her sons including James.
“A Country House” by James McNeil Whistler, 1852. Identified as the Fleming-Hill House, today’s 4 Rectory Lane. Source: Library of CongressIt was through that website that Leslie Chang, Associate Scarsdale Village Historian, noticed a very important footnote that read, “JW did a drawing of the church; see A Country Church.” After searching for Whistler (aka JW) drawings titled “A Country Church” on the web, she discovered a work by that name through the Library of Congress. It made no reference to Scarsdale or St. James, but the “country church” and its Gothic Revival architecture were unmistakable as the local church.
The Fleming-Hill House, 4 Rectory Lane. Credit: Scarsdale Public Library
Whistler experts may have known the location of the church subject, but the drawing’s existence is new to Scarsdale - at least the current-day community. Astrid Storm, the rector of St. James the Less, confirmed that neither she nor the current vestry (board) had ever heard of the drawing’s existence. “There's no doubt it's St. James, given [Whistler’s] familiarity with the church. That's the original entrance (south side), and chancel (east end--since removed and expanded). The triangular window on the west side is still there today. It's the only one that survived the 1882 fire.”
The church building was almost completely destroyed by fire on Palm Sunday April 2, 1882. The Whistler drawing is the earliest known image of the church, and is the only image that shows the original triangular window before it survived the fire.
The second artwork has a similarly vague title “A Country House” and the Library of Congress makes no reference to Scarsdale. However, to any Scarsdale history enthusiast, the house is immediately recognizable as 4 Rectory Lane, aka the Fleming-Hill House (his mother’s cottage).
Both drawings are pencil, pen, ink and white paint on tan wove paper. According to their provenance, both drawings were sold together at Christie’s as a set in 1925.
St. James the Less Church, photographed in c. 1905. Located at today’s 10 Church Lane. Credit: Scarsdale Public Library. “The digital age opens up so many new possibilities for unearthing connections to Scarsdale,” stated Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. “It’s amazing to think we learned of two priceless drawings thanks to a footnote on a website in Scotland. Each time we find a new photograph, artwork, or primary source, we build a more comprehensive historic record.”
St. James the Less invites the public to attend the kickoff to their year long anniversary celebration this Sunday, Sunday September 29, 10:30 am when they’ll host a Silver Dime Ceremony with members of the Popham family, followed by a forum with Popham descendant Jim Boulden. He’ll share his recent research on the Popham and Morris family history with the slave trade in Barbados, with special attention given to the enslaved men, women and children who worked on their estates. Details here.
For more details on the Whistler connection to Scarsdale, visit https://www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org/.
About the Scarsdale Historical Society
The drawings were discovered by Leslie Chang, Associate Scarsdale Village Historian
The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve and disseminate historical information, as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central Mid-Westchester Region. The Scarsdale Historical Society accepts grant applications for projects that meet its mission, particularly those that will inspire others to learn about the history of Scarsdale and the surrounding communities. Learn more at www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org.
Letter: Proposed Development on Garden Road Poses Risks to a Fragile Area
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The following letter was written by Andy Rodman of Cushman Road about a proposed 8 home development on Garden Road.
I have lived in the Water Tower area for 30+ years. No action on water remediation has ever been taken in the Water Tower area on Garden Road. This is close to the highest point in the town (which is why the water tower is located there since water flows with gravity). Over the last 30+ years, many new houses and additions have been constructed and this has eroded the area’s already limited ability to absorb water. Scarsdale is underlaid by very dense clay and rock. Because impervious surfaces give water no place to go, it erodes all surrounding properties. Climate change has created many more major rainstorms and will most likely continue since progress on greenhouse gas emissions has been negligible.
1. 80 Garden Subdivision impact on the Water Tower property
In 2021, the Water Tower on Garden Road was restored and repaired by the town. Surprisingly, not a single drain or pipe for water remediation was added. This area next to 80 Garden floods when there is heavy rain as does 80 Garden Road. If the ground level of 80 Garden was raised by 4 feet, making it higher than the Water Tower Property, all that water would flow to Cushman Road and across the street onto Garden Road, as well as flooding out the Water Tower the town depends upon. This would create a whole new set of water problems in exchange for the unresolved existing problem. This is not an acceptable solution.
2. Local Geography
If this is the high point of the Village, how is it possible the water does not drain? Local geography plays a role. Mamaroneck Road is the highest point and Garden Road and Cushman Road slope down from there. Soundview Avenue in White Plains is the high point on the other side and there you can see Milford Road, Earlwood Road, and Hartsdale Avenue (name changes from Garden Road) that all slope down to the bottom of Cushman and Willow Roads. Gravity sends all this water from Garden Road, the wetlands, Cushman Road and White Plains, all high points, to a small pipe that leads to a tiny stream on the East side of Willow Road. Feeding this one small pipe will exacerbate an already overwhelmed area.
3. Costly Risks without Benefits
It is not even possible to imagine that adding 8 houses and cutting down 400 trees and raising the property by 4 feet will eliminate the area’s problem. Rather, this will most likely put over $100 million dollars of taxable property at risk of damage and destruction. This will also end up flooding Fenway Country Club and undoubtedly lead to lawsuits with the club. Scarsdale taxpayers will have to pay all these legal fees as well.
4. Setting New Precedent
This precedent brings the problematic issue that anyone building a new house will have the right to raise their property by 4 feet. This would be a staggering precedent to establish after the town’s moratorium and all the thought that went into the new rules. The long-term effect will be negative.
5. Maintenance Responsibility & Structure
The maintenance of this project as proposed is in the homeowner’s hands and that will not work. The town will have to tax these homes at a higher rate and assume the responsibility of taking care of the maintenance of the water remediation and filtration systems, the retaining walls, keeping the grass swales clear, and implementing a backup plan should any of the seven wells fail. The limited warranty on Contech and Cultec systems is one year (Yes--you read that correctly). Surely we should be planning for the next 100 years! The builder of 80 Garden should be responsible for up-front maintenance and should be required to put money into an escrow account controlled by Scarsdale Village (as per the new law requiring 5 years of maintenance) to fix all the problems that will take place. In addition, since the developer says the owners are responsible for the maintenance, is this going to be a Condominium Complex and are they going to have a Homeowners Association agreement (HOA)? What is going to require them to pay for the maintenance? If they are Condominiums and we have an HOA at least the homes can be foreclosed on in case of maintenance arears. This project will ultimately lead to all Scarsdale residents paying higher taxes. These repairs and continued maintenance will also require the village engineer to stay on top of the required maintenance and file regular statue updates and reports.
6. Contech & Cultec Systems
The Village of Scarsdale typically aims to solve potential drainage problems by requiring builders/homeowners to install Cultec systems. This is a flawed water remediation strategy. As noted earlier, the dense clay that is the principal component of Scarsdale soils is not conducive to water percolation. Water collected by Cultec or Contech tanks will wind up staying in these tanks, the drainage that the Village engineers seek only happens over extended time periods. The proposed strategy is further marred by the Town’s very high water table. New rains will bring greater volumes of water runoff. Adding one, or twenty Cultec or Contech units will not cure this fundamental problem. Property located downstream of the top part of the 80 Garden Road development site will be severely negatively impacted. The water tower will be flooded as well.
7. Insurance
If this subdivision was somehow ever approved and flooding occurs, the likelihood of getting house insurance at any reasonable cost will be a burden to the existing homeowners. It is already prohibitively expensive.
8. Traffic and Density
As residents of both Scarsdale and White Plains know, Garden Road is one of the main connector roads between the two communities. Every day, between 7am and 10am, and again between 4pm and 6pm, Garden Road becomes a speedway for commuters. When one adds eight new homes on Garden Road, most probably with new school-age children, the recipe for traffic accidents will be greatly increased and most likely will require a traffic light in the Middle of Garden Road.
Summary
At present, 80 Garden Road has two houses on the property and the area is unable to handle the water because of its wetlands. Eight houses cannot possibly work with the water magically being remediated since it has nowhere to go. The geographical high points around this development of Mamaroneck Road and Soundview Ave are not going away. Raising the height of the property by four feet to accommodate a water remediation system that will require extensive maintenance, and expense is a very risky approach. It also threatens the Water Tower complex. Visually it will be an eyesore and unfair to all the surrounding properties. This process of 80 Garden has been going on for way too long. It’s high time that the planning board take a firm stand against developers and the hit and run attitude that they bring to Scarsdale. This plan has no merits for the town and the community in the long and short term. It brings only risks to an already fragile area.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Rodman
Link to Contech warranty:https://www.conteches.com/cos/
Link to Cultec Warranty: https://cultec.com/Asset/CULG050-cultec-warranty-interactive.pdf
Letter to the Editor: The BAR Should Preserve and Promote Neighborhood Character
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August 21, 2024
To the Editor
When we moved to Scarsdale in 1971, 53 years ago, we bought a beautiful Georgian Colonial house surrounded by inspired landscaping, with beautiful shrubs and trees. The other houses on the street were all of different styles in addition to Georgian Colonial, for example: Tudor, French Revival, Spanish Colonial and American Craftsmen. There were no commonplace or standard issue houses. This kind of setting was half the reason or more that people bought homes in Scarsdale. The homes were varied, often stately, and many were elegant. Very few could be called “ordinary”. In areas of less expensive homes they were also of distinctive styles, still charming but smaller. No one would ever have dreamed of ruining or distorting the appearance of these homes with unnecessary and/or unattractive add-ons.
Then, suddenly came the era of take down any house if you like, or add anything you like, and to hell with the neighborhood character. Opulence has replaced elegance or charm. To hell with beauty. Let her rip.
So now, we live with tear downs or renovations to original houses, regardless of how totally unattractive the new houses and/or the add-ons might be. It is both disheartening and depressing.
The same attitude holds for large stately trees. The idea that these trees are very beautiful seems to be totally irrelevant. The idea seems to be, “let’s build what we think we can sell for the most money, no matter the aesthetic impact.” In the case of 21 Autenrieth Road, the idea of possibly endangering an historic tree in order to add a garage to the front of this elegant Georgian Revival house-despite the fact that it already has two separate garages-seems both absurd and obscene, to say nothing of destroying the appearance of this elegant home.
To think that the BAR, whose stated responsibility is to preserve and promote the character of buildings within the Village of Scarsdale and to ensure that the buildings are designed in harmony with the neighboring community, would even CONSIDER approving such a request is outrageous, unimaginable and unconscionable.
P.S. The BAR approved all the add-ons the developer requested for the house which will ruin the house’s elegant appearance and endanger the valued tree.
Ronee I. Bank, M.D.
Undivide Us - Film Screening and Discussion on September 21 at 2:00pm
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Increasingly, elections in the United States can be bitter, scary things with partisan divides seeming impossible to overcome. Rather than letting a distrustful atmosphere fester, it is important to remember that our neighbors and fellow Americans are a source of strength and aid: well-meaning, helpful in times of need, and dedicated to the success of the country.
The Scarsdale League of Women Voters and the Scarsdale Public Library invite you to a screening of the documentary UNDIVIDE US as a moment of hope and a call to action to foster a healthy national discourse during the 2024 national elections and beyond. After the documentary, we will hear from the film makers with time for questions and answers and a discussion moderated by Valerie Abrahams, former editor-in-chief of The Scarsdale Inquirer. At the end, refreshments will be available as well as time for informal mingling.
UNDIVIDE US challenges the idea that citizens who disagree are not capable of civil conversation and demonstrates the truth that, even in our differences, the American experiment is still alive and well.
Political discussions can be fraught and tense, particularly when perceived and expected differences are large. It is expected that participants in this event will actively listen and engage in civil discourse.
About the Scarsdale League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters of Scarsdale is a nonpartisan, political organization with a rich history spanning more than 100 years in the Scarsdale community. They work to promote democracy and political responsibility at the local, state and national levels through voter education, issue advocacy and the active participation of citizens regardless of gender, race, identity, or political party. Learn more about their work and find ways to participate at http://www.lwvs.org.
About the Library
The Scarsdale Public Library strives to encourage the joy of reading, the exploration of ideas, and the pursuit of lifelong learning for the children and adults of our community.
Local Charity Swim Event Brings in $10,000
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- Written by Bill Doescher
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In the afternoon of Thursday, July 25th, approximately 30 dedicated adult and children swimmers came from all over Westchester County and the Tri-State area, including Scarsdale, to support Swim Across America’s (SAA) two-hour swim fund-raiser at the Scarsdale Golf Club (SGC) in Hartsdale.
According to Bonnie Gould of Scarsdale, a member of the Cancer Support Team’s (CST) board of directors and a past president, and one of the administrators for the charity event, the money raised totaled about $10,000 for SAA with donations still coming in.
Swims were held in communities from Boston Harbor to the Golden Gate Bridge.
SAA is a non-profit national organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment through swimming-related events. Since its founding in 1987, the organization has raised $100 million in its quest to fighting cancer by supporting cancer research, clinical trials, and patient-care services.
Everyone participating in the SGC swim event received a SAA tee shirt and towel for their swimming efforts and contributions.
Scarsdale’s Joe Zakierski, a member of the Board of Governors at SGC, and one of the swimmers at the event with his son, Joe IV, said, “It was exciting for the two of us to swim together for a good cause in what we called our ‘Father-Son Swim Event for 2024.’”
Gianna Timpone, a Purchase resident who will graduate from Manhattanville University with a dual major of dance and business next year, is in her third year as a summer intern for CST and a volunteer for the swim event at SGC for the third year in a row, said, “Being part of CST and SAA has afforded me the opportunity to meet so many nice people. I have enjoyed being part of such an amazing event.”
Julie Byrne, a kindergarten school teacher and a resident in Manhattan, plus a SGC swim team coach, made the trek to Scarsdale to swim in the event. She said, “Swim Across America is a great organization that brings awareness to an important cause and does so in a fun way. I enjoyed seeing the children get excited to swim and challenge themselves. Annie Browning (former aquatics and fitness director at SGC) connected me to SGC, and I could not be more grateful to be part of such an amazing community.”
Also in attendance was New Rochelle’s Carolyn Sabatina, a fourth-grade teacher in the New Rochelle School System, who has been a fundraiser devotee and a sponsor of the Sabatina Swim team for the SAA events for about 30 years. She said, “I have done all of it in honor of my late father, Bill.”
All in all, the swim charity event at SGC was a big success with a capital S, thanks to the swimmers, contributors and a team effort from the volunteers associated with SAA, CST, and SGC.
(Photo Credit: Gianna Timpone)
