Philipse Manor Hall is an ancient stone and brick building in the city of Yonkers, N. Y., which was purchased from the city by means of $50,000, donated by the late Mrs. William F. Cochran, and given to the State for a public monument, to be in the custody of this Society. It was accepted by the State by chapter 168 of the laws of 1908. There is an extended historical sketch of this property in our Thirteenth Annual Report (1908) and a fuller history of the Manor, the building and its occupants, in a book entitled "Philipse Manor Hall," published by the Society and sold at 50 cents a copy plus cost of carriage. The Manor Hall stands in the midst of an acre of ground fronting on Warburton avenue, Dock street and Woodworth Place, about five minutes' walk from the New York Central and Hudson River railroad station. Its age is uncertain, but it dates back at least to 1725 or 1730 and part of it possibly to 1682. It was the residence of the Lords of the Manor Philipsburgh, one of the great Colonial Manors of the Hudson Valley, and, as the representative of the ancient system of land tenure and government, recalls an institution which is now outgrown but which had an important influence on the early history of the State. At the time of the War for Independence, Frederick Philipse, the last Lord of the Manor, sympathized with the Crown and his estate was forfeited to the then young State of New York. The Commissioners of Forfeiture sold it to private parties, and in the course of time the Manor Hall and a small piece of land were acquired by the village of Yonkers. The building was used for years as a village hall, and when the village became a city, the building became the City Hall. While in possession of the municipality it was threatened with many changes and mutilations, which led to a movement, extending over many years, for its preservation as a public monument. This movement culminated in Mrs. Cochran's gift of $50,000 for its purchase. As the property is valued at $100,000. the city of Yonkers may be said to have contributed $50,000 toward the consummation of this patriotic object. In addition to the $50,000 purchase money which was paid directly to the city of Yonkers, Mrs. Cochran and her son, Mr. Alexander Smith Cochran, have given to this Society $17,264.75 for the renovation of the Manor Hall and $865.04 for the publication of the Manor Hall book. In addition to the historical and architectural interest of the building, it contains a collection of colonial furniture and of oil paintings by Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Copley, Peale and other distinguished artists, loaned by Mr. Cochran. The paintings alone are valued at $100,000. Upon the northwestern corner of the surrounding grounds we have erected a detached building of brick for janitor's quarters and the heating apparatus, the steam from which is conducted to the Manor Hall through underground pipes. Both buildings are lighted with electricity and every reasonable precaution for safety against burglars and fire has been taken. On the east side of the Manor Hall stands the Soldiers' Monument. The Committee in charge of the Manor Hall consists of Judge Stephen H. Thayer, Chairman; Miss Mary Marshall Butler, Mr. Alexander Smith Cochran, Miss Helen R. Croes, Mr. Hampton D. Ewing, Mrs. Samuel B. Hawley, Mrs. Alexander Henderson, Mr. William L. Kingman, and Dr. Nathan A. Warren (exMayor), all of Yonkers. The Manor Hall is open from 9 a. m. to 12 m. and from 2 to 5 p. m. on week days; and from 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays. Admission is free. Maintenance During the year ended December 31, 1916, $4,744.33 of State money was expended in the maintenance of the Manor Hall and grounds. Most of this expense was for the services of the superintendent, who is in attendance during the daytime of every weekday and part of the time on Sundays; the janitor, who lives in the little brick cottage in the northwest corner of the grounds, and who, in addition to his usual duties as janitor, has charge of the steam-heating apparatus in that building which heats the Manor Hall and takes care of the grounds; and the watchman who guards the Manor Hall at night. The other principal expenses have been due to lighting and heating the buildings, planting and care of the grounds and some slight repairs to the buildings. The flower beds were planted and cared for as usual, thus maintaining the park-like aspect of the grounds the same as before the property came into the possession of the State. As the Manor Hall is situated in the heart of the business portion of the city, the continuance of this ornamental planting is highly desirable. Washington's Birthday Celebration The Manor Hall is the patriotic civic center of the town, as distinguished from the political civic center at the City Hall. Around this building the old historical traditions of Yonkers cluster, and here the men, women and children of the city gather for their patriotic celebrations. On Washington's Birthday, in 1916, the Keskeskick Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, as on many previous occasions, had a brilliant commemoration of the national holiday. The object of this program was to arouse patriotic interest in the past and present of our country. The Manor House, in its excellent state of preservation, made a fitting background for the old Dutch and Colonial figures who moved over its thresholds. Simulating the scene as it might have been during Washington's time, a guard in blue and buff and a household attendant in colonial livery were stationed at each entrance. The program was presented in the large assembly room and consisted of groups of living pictures representing different periods of the history of the country. Many of the groups were posed after old paintings and prints; and the costumes, including a number of valuable heirlooms, were very carefully selected. The gentleman who impersonated John Quincy Adams appeared in the court cos |