Historic Pelham Blog Archive
December 30, 2005

350TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BOOK:  "THOMAS PELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE PELL TREATY OAK" -- $11.95 (PROCEEDS AFTER PRINTING COSTS WILL GO TO BARTOW-PELL MANSION MUSEUM).  CLICK HERE TO BROWSE BEFORE YOU BUY! LEARN MORE.

On August 28, 1873, Maria Lorillard Bartow had a surveyor create a map of a proposed subdivision on lands of the Bartow Estate near the Bartow Station on the New Haven branch line. Maria Bartow was the widow of Robert Bartow who built the famed Bartow-Pell Mansion on today’s Shore Road. Fourteen months later, on October 11, 1874, Maria Lorillard Bartow filed a certified copy of the subdivision map (Map No. 627) entitled “Map of Bartow Situated in the Town of Pelham, Westchester County, New York”.

The map depicted grand plans to develop the lands around the Bartow Station immediately adjacent to the branch line railroad tracks. The entire area was within the Town of Pelham at that time, although New York City annexed the area in the mid-1890s. An image of the map appears immediately below.

The railroad tracks cross the map from left to right – approximately southwest to northeast – in the very center of the map. The Bartow Station sat in the center of the planned village.

On the Long Island Sound side of the railroad tracks, there were a number of streets planned to lead north from today's Shore Road toward the railroad tracks: First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Streets. Third Street was the only such street planned to lead from Shore Road across the railroad tracks to that portion of the development northwest of the branch line railroad tracks. Bishop Avenue was planned for construction parallel to the railroad tracks on the Sound side immediately in front of the railroad station.

On the side of the railroad tracks away from the Long Island Sound (northwest of the branch line railroad tracks) the map depicted two streets planned for construction parallel to the railroad tracks: Oak Avenue and Chestnut Avenue. The map was filed with the Westchester County Registrar not long after an auction of the lots took place on September 14, 1874.

Though the lots were auctioned, developers never really constructed the subdivision. Once New York City began acquiring nearby lands for inclusion within the planned Pelham Bay Park, all development in the area ceased.

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posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:46 AM Comment

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