the diocesan canons, Swords' pocket almanack for 1846, Prot. Churchman of the date of Nov. 7th, 1846, the New York Courier and Enquirer of Nov. 9th, 1846, and sundry parish documents &c. &c. Besides the officiating clergy, there were present, the Rev. William Powell, rector of St. Peter's church, Westchester, and the Rev. Robert Bolton, rector of Christ's church, Pelham. On the 28th of June, 1847, it was consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of Almighty God, under the title of Grace church, by the Right Reverend William Heathcote de Lancey, Bishop of the diocese of Western New York. The consecration sermon being preached by the Rev. Kingston Goddard of Staten Island.

Grace church, West Farms, was incorporated upon the 13th of Dec. 1844. William A. Spencer and Philip M. Lydig, churchwardens; Peter Lorillard, Richard Crowther, Dr. William Bayard, Charles S. Valentine, Benjamin Lea, Jacob M. van Winkle and William B. Hoffman, vestrymen."a

On June 3rd, 1847, the Rev. Washington Rodman was unanimously called to be rector of the parish. The credit of first attempting the establishment of an Episcopal church in this village, is due, under God, to Miss Margaret Hunt,b a lady whose intelligent zeal, kindly sympathy and untiring benevolence, deserve especial mention. The work was undertaken by this lady about twelve years since; and, although the number of Episcopalians in the immediate neighborhood was then comparatively small, still a considerable interest was awakened by her endeavors. The amount of $2061,00 was collected, to which the sum of $1000,00 was added by the munificent donation of Mrs. C. L. Spencer, to whose christian liberality, the congregation is further indebted for the gift of an organ, a Sunday school library, and numerous other contributions to the church. Additional aid was given by the following gentlemen, viz.: Messrs. Peter Lorillard, jun., Philip M. Lydig, Governeur M. Wilkins, J. D. Wolfe, William A. Spencer and others, making in all the sum of $1,158

Co. Rec. Religious Soc. Lib. B. p. 93.

Daughter of Thomas Hunt, fourth in descent from Edward Jessup, one of the first patentees of the West Farms.

95, the cost of the church. The congregation are also deeply indebted to Francis Barretto, Esq., of the building committee, for his generous sympathy with the first projectors of the church, as well as for his attentive supervision of the building while in process of erection. A bell weighing 535 lbs. has been purchased by subscriptions received principally from the members of the church.

The Presbyterian church stands upon the highest ground in the village. It was incorporated, in 1814, by the name of the "First Presbyterian Church in the village of West Farms," Robert Givan, Caleb Pell, Ebenezer Waterbury, James Bathgate, James Renwick and John B. Gillespie, first trustees. Prior to the year 1836, it belonged to the Bedford presbytery, but is now in connection with the second New York Presbytery. The present church edifice was erected in 1816.

For some years this church was associated, in the support of a minister, with

the Presbyterian church of New Rochelle.

The Dutch Reformed Church of this village was first organized in 1839, under the pastoral charge of the late Rev. George Bourne, of New York, and incorporated on the 16th of March, 1840. First elders, Thomas Butler, George Wilson, and Abijah Rogers; first deacons, James P. Fitch, J. G. Rowland, and Stephen Kelly. Mr. Bourne was succeeded, in 1842, by the Rev. Barnabas Collins. The present pastor is the Rev. John Simonson, who commenced his ministrations in 1845.

An Episcopal Methodist Society was incorporated upon the 24th October, 1831; Andrew C. Wheeler, Joseph Smith, John F. Fay, Thomas T. Phillips, and Thomas Bolton, trustees.b

West Farms is not behind any of the neighboring towns in her literary institutions; for, besides three large district schools for the education of both sexes, there is a ladies' seminary and a boys' school. In 1803 there appears to have been an academy existing here, the trustees of which were the Hon. Governeur Morris, Dominick Lynch, John Sloss Hobart, Abijah Hammond, James Morris, Daniel Ludlow, Isaac Clason, Israel Underhill, Philip I. Livingston, Robert Gilchrist, Joseph Given, Jonathan Randel, Andrew Barton, Israel Honeywell, Samuel Kelly, Robert Heaton, and William H. Morris.

During the revolutionary war, West Farms was constantly exposed to the daily forays of both armies, as they alternately held possession of the adjoining country. "On the 25th of January, 1777, (observes General Heath,) early on the morning, the enemy ́made a sally towards De Lancey's Mills, where they surprised and routed the guard, wounding several, but not killing or taking

⚫ Co. Rec. Religious Soc. Lib. B. The first church edifice was erected in 1839. b Co. Rec. Religious Soc. Lib. B. p. 6. An incorporation of the Methodist Epis copal Church occurs in 1836, and again in 1843. See Lib. B. 48, 76.

e Now known as Lydig's Mills.

any of them; and a regiment near that place quitted their quar

ters."a

The Military Blockhouse, which occupied the site of Mr. Mapes's Temperance House, was destroyed by Colonel Burr in the winter of 1779. The event is thus related by Samuel Young, in a letter to Commodore Valentine Morris :—

"Soon after Tryon's retreat, Colonel Delancey, who commanded the British refugees, in order to secure themselves against surprise, erected a blockhouse on a rising ground below De Lancey's Bridge. This Colonel Burr resolved to destroy. I was in that expedition, and recollect the circumstances.

"He procured a number of hand-grenades; also, rolls of port fire, and canteens filled with inflammable materials, with contrivances to attach them to the side of the blockhouse. He set out with his troops early in the evening, and arrived within a mile of the blockhouse by two o'clock in the morning. The colonel gave Captain Black the command of about forty volunteers, who were first to approach; twenty of them were to carry the port fires, &c. Those who had hand-grenades, had short ladders to enable them to reach the port holes, the exact height of which Colonel Burr had ascertained. Colonel Burr gave Captain Black his instructions in the hearing of his company, assuring him of his protection if they were attacked by superior numbers; for it was expected that the enemy, who had several thousand men at and near King's Bridge, would endeavor to cut us off, as we were several miles below them. Burr directed those who carried the combustibles to march in front as silently as possible; that on being hailed, they should light the hand-grenades, &c. with a slow match provided for the purpose, and throw them into the port holes. I was one of the party that advanced. The sentinel hailed and fired. We rushed on. The first hand-grenade that was thrown in drove the enemy from the upper story, and before they could take any measure to defend it, the blockhouse was on fire in several places. Some few escaped, and the rest

Heath's Mem. p. 111.

surrendered without our having lost a single man. Though many shots were fired at us, we did not fire a gun."a

Although the inhabitants appear to have suffered much during the Revolution, they generally continued firmly attached to the interests of their country. In 1775 occurs the following petition to the Hon. Provincial Congress, from the subscribers, inhabitants of the manor of Fordham and West Farms, in the county of Westchester, which

"Humbly sheweth that we were summoned to appear at Westchester in order to choose officers, according to the resolution of the congress, it having been represented, as we understand, that there was not a competent number of men in our district to form a company, we therefore beg leave to inform you that the manor of Fordham and the West Farms have in the militia always been considered as a district by themselves, and that within their limits there are upwards of seventy men fit to bear arms, and that an attendance at Westchester upon the meeting of the company will be attended with great inconvenience to many of the inhabitants and therefore injurious to the service intended to be advanced; from which considerations your petitioners humbly pray the Hon'ble Congress will be pleased to order that the manor of Fordham and the West Farms have a company with themselves, and that they elect their own officers under such inspection as the Honorable Congress in their wisdom shall think best; and your petitioners shall ever pray.