1919.08.30 _Yorktown's New Community Centre will be located on and in the former dresser place which was willed to the town.
Dublin Core
Title
1919.08.30 _Yorktown's New Community Centre
will be located on and in the former dresser place which was willed to the town.
will be located on and in the former dresser place which was willed to the town.
Subject
Public Library
Source
"John C. Hart Memorial Library Historical News Clippings" Binder, Volume 1, 1919 - 1970
Date
1919
Rights
This item is made available for research and educational purposes by the John C. Hart Memorial Library. Rights status is not evaluated.
Format
PDF, 5 pages
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Yorktown (N.Y.)
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
About three years ago the Dresser place at Shrub Oak was left to the Town of Yorktown, for the purpose of founding a library, to be called the John. C. Hart Memorial Library. Now that plans are actually being formulated for the founding of this library, it is well that the people of Yorktown become better acquainted with this property which belongs to them.
The place consists of forty-eight acres of land located on the main road through Shrub Oak, with six hundred feet of road frontage. One end of the yard is almost opposite Haight's store, while the upper end is opposite the post office. A beautiful level lawn, shaded by many forest trees, of which (we are told) there are fifty-seven varieties, first attracts the eye. A spacious old-fashioned house occupies the center of the lawn. There are fifteen rooms in the house, one large room on the east end being well suited for a library room. The porch is unusually wide and roomy. Many of us already know its value as a spot for festivals and suppers. To the left and farther back than the house is a good sized, well-built wagon house, hollowing the driveway reading past this we find the most enchanting spot of all the [illegible] along among the trees and rocks. Not far across the brook is the barn. Beyond this the open fields slope gently upward, leading toward the top pf Piano Mountain. An orchard and a spring break the monotony, and near to the top of the land is thickly wooded. With this we have the further boundary of the place, the line coinciding with the Westchester and Putnam County line. From main road to wood lot every spot of the place is interesting and different. Who could have conceived of a more ideal spot from a town to own and develop along educational and recreational lines.
The history of this property is particularly interesting, it being closely connected with the history of Shrub Oak itself. More than two hundred years ago this land together with much of Westchester and Putnam counties was owned by the Van Cortland's. The earliest records show that it was rented by the Hyatt's, the owner coming to collect the rent on he seback. Later Joshua Hyatt, a colonel in the Revolutionary war purchased land including the present residences of Miss Phebe Roake, Charles A. May, James M. Hart, as well as the Dresser estate. Thus the village now known as Shrub Oak was then called Hyatt's Plain. The former house of the Van Cortlandt period stood back by the spring, and the old road ran up close to where the house now stands. Colonel Hyatt built a new house which still exists as the main part of the present house, thus making it close to two hundred years old. Here Lafayette and other officers, perhaps even Washington, were entertained. Here the children and grandchildren of Colonel Hyatt were born, and the place passed down in the Hyatt family. At one time a wayside inn stood here; at another, the country store of Forst & Darrow. This store building is still standing, thought now on the May place. Here also was the first post office, when mail came through only once a week, then later on twice and finally three times a week.
This brings us down o about seventy-five years ago, when John Hyatt, the owner at that time, sold from the large estate to his brother-in-law, John Coleridge Hart, the forty-eight acres now belonging to the town of Yorktown. The adjoining farm is still occupied by a member of the Hyatt family, Mrs. May being a great-great-granddaughter of Col. Joshua Hyatt. Mr. Hart was the father of the late Mrs. Dresser. It is to his memory that the library is to be dedicated. Mr. Hart was an active citizen of Shrub Oak. He was on the building committee and contributed largely toward building the present Methodist Church of that place. He was deeply interested in the schools, and was also well versed in gardening. His hobby was trees. He brought many trees and planted them here, thus doing much to beautify the neighborhood. In many other ways he showed that he had the welfare of the place at heart. So it seems peculiarly appropriate that to the memory of this man there is to be a library in Yorktown. It is up to the people of Yorktown to make the most of this wonderful gift, to establish a good permanent library., to utilize the beautiful place to the best advantage, to make it the great educational center of Yorktown, worthy of bear the name of as fine a man as John Coleridge Hart.
A public meeting called for the purpose of planning for the development of the John S. Hart Memorial Library, situated on a tract of forty-two acres at Shrub Oak, New York, said grounds and buildings having been bequeathed to the Town and Yorktown and vicinity by the late Mrs. Katherine Dresser, was held on the evening of Saturday, August 23rd, 1919, at eight o'clock, in the Mohegan Lake School.
There were approximately seventy-five people present. Among them were Jas. N. Strang, chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Yorktown; Eben A. Wood, president of the Village of Peekskill and counsel of the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Yorktown; Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Linder, Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan B. Currey, Mrs. Hendee, Henry Runge, William Barger, John Schofield, Mr. and Mrs, Chas. H. Baker, Mrs. Jessie, H. Childs, Dr. George F, Kunz, Miss Currey, Miss Martens, Mr. Martens, the Rev. Mr. Hunt, Daniel Carpenter, H. Field Horne, Miss Phoebe Roake.
The meeting being called to ordrr, motion was made and duly second that James N. Strang be elected chairman of the meeting. Mrs. Jessie H. Childs was elected secretary.
A motion was made to obtain the sentiment of the audience as to whether it is desired that the library remain where it is and the land be kept as it is. There, were no objections stated and the motion was unanimously carried.
It was proposed that the mortgage of $8,000 held on the property and drawin interest and t=six per cent be liquidated, the necessary funds to be obtained by using the amount of $6, 700 held in the Peekskill Savings Ban to the credit of the estate and drawing interest at four per cent, the balance to be load=ned by Jonathan B. Currey until January 4th, at wihc time a mortgage held by Dresser estate is due, the money obtained by the payment of which will liquidate the loan of Mr. Currey and leave a fair balance.
A committee of five is to be appointed by the Chairman to invite suggestions from everyone as to the best uses that could be made of the Library and the surrounding property.
A Book committee of twelve was also appointed to gather books for the Library. These books are to be deposited with Mrs. Hendee, mistress at the Shrub Oak Post Office, which is immediately opposite the Hart-Dresser Memorial Grounds.
Meeting adjourned.
JESSIE H. CHILDS Secretary.
On Sunday morning, August 24, 1919 the first gift to the John S. Hart Memorial Library was made: "The Strenuous Life," by Theodore Roosevelt, given by Dr. George F. Kunz, was left with Mrs. Hendee.
A copy of "Barnes Popular History of the United States." Container several hundred illustrations, was donated By Miss Bessie H. Kunz, who also gave a copy of the "United States Geological Survey Map of the Shrub Oak Region."
All books, maps and pamphlets will be gladly received.
The place consists of forty-eight acres of land located on the main road through Shrub Oak, with six hundred feet of road frontage. One end of the yard is almost opposite Haight's store, while the upper end is opposite the post office. A beautiful level lawn, shaded by many forest trees, of which (we are told) there are fifty-seven varieties, first attracts the eye. A spacious old-fashioned house occupies the center of the lawn. There are fifteen rooms in the house, one large room on the east end being well suited for a library room. The porch is unusually wide and roomy. Many of us already know its value as a spot for festivals and suppers. To the left and farther back than the house is a good sized, well-built wagon house, hollowing the driveway reading past this we find the most enchanting spot of all the [illegible] along among the trees and rocks. Not far across the brook is the barn. Beyond this the open fields slope gently upward, leading toward the top pf Piano Mountain. An orchard and a spring break the monotony, and near to the top of the land is thickly wooded. With this we have the further boundary of the place, the line coinciding with the Westchester and Putnam County line. From main road to wood lot every spot of the place is interesting and different. Who could have conceived of a more ideal spot from a town to own and develop along educational and recreational lines.
The history of this property is particularly interesting, it being closely connected with the history of Shrub Oak itself. More than two hundred years ago this land together with much of Westchester and Putnam counties was owned by the Van Cortland's. The earliest records show that it was rented by the Hyatt's, the owner coming to collect the rent on he seback. Later Joshua Hyatt, a colonel in the Revolutionary war purchased land including the present residences of Miss Phebe Roake, Charles A. May, James M. Hart, as well as the Dresser estate. Thus the village now known as Shrub Oak was then called Hyatt's Plain. The former house of the Van Cortlandt period stood back by the spring, and the old road ran up close to where the house now stands. Colonel Hyatt built a new house which still exists as the main part of the present house, thus making it close to two hundred years old. Here Lafayette and other officers, perhaps even Washington, were entertained. Here the children and grandchildren of Colonel Hyatt were born, and the place passed down in the Hyatt family. At one time a wayside inn stood here; at another, the country store of Forst & Darrow. This store building is still standing, thought now on the May place. Here also was the first post office, when mail came through only once a week, then later on twice and finally three times a week.
This brings us down o about seventy-five years ago, when John Hyatt, the owner at that time, sold from the large estate to his brother-in-law, John Coleridge Hart, the forty-eight acres now belonging to the town of Yorktown. The adjoining farm is still occupied by a member of the Hyatt family, Mrs. May being a great-great-granddaughter of Col. Joshua Hyatt. Mr. Hart was the father of the late Mrs. Dresser. It is to his memory that the library is to be dedicated. Mr. Hart was an active citizen of Shrub Oak. He was on the building committee and contributed largely toward building the present Methodist Church of that place. He was deeply interested in the schools, and was also well versed in gardening. His hobby was trees. He brought many trees and planted them here, thus doing much to beautify the neighborhood. In many other ways he showed that he had the welfare of the place at heart. So it seems peculiarly appropriate that to the memory of this man there is to be a library in Yorktown. It is up to the people of Yorktown to make the most of this wonderful gift, to establish a good permanent library., to utilize the beautiful place to the best advantage, to make it the great educational center of Yorktown, worthy of bear the name of as fine a man as John Coleridge Hart.
A public meeting called for the purpose of planning for the development of the John S. Hart Memorial Library, situated on a tract of forty-two acres at Shrub Oak, New York, said grounds and buildings having been bequeathed to the Town and Yorktown and vicinity by the late Mrs. Katherine Dresser, was held on the evening of Saturday, August 23rd, 1919, at eight o'clock, in the Mohegan Lake School.
There were approximately seventy-five people present. Among them were Jas. N. Strang, chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Yorktown; Eben A. Wood, president of the Village of Peekskill and counsel of the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Yorktown; Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Linder, Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan B. Currey, Mrs. Hendee, Henry Runge, William Barger, John Schofield, Mr. and Mrs, Chas. H. Baker, Mrs. Jessie, H. Childs, Dr. George F, Kunz, Miss Currey, Miss Martens, Mr. Martens, the Rev. Mr. Hunt, Daniel Carpenter, H. Field Horne, Miss Phoebe Roake.
The meeting being called to ordrr, motion was made and duly second that James N. Strang be elected chairman of the meeting. Mrs. Jessie H. Childs was elected secretary.
A motion was made to obtain the sentiment of the audience as to whether it is desired that the library remain where it is and the land be kept as it is. There, were no objections stated and the motion was unanimously carried.
It was proposed that the mortgage of $8,000 held on the property and drawin interest and t=six per cent be liquidated, the necessary funds to be obtained by using the amount of $6, 700 held in the Peekskill Savings Ban to the credit of the estate and drawing interest at four per cent, the balance to be load=ned by Jonathan B. Currey until January 4th, at wihc time a mortgage held by Dresser estate is due, the money obtained by the payment of which will liquidate the loan of Mr. Currey and leave a fair balance.
A committee of five is to be appointed by the Chairman to invite suggestions from everyone as to the best uses that could be made of the Library and the surrounding property.
A Book committee of twelve was also appointed to gather books for the Library. These books are to be deposited with Mrs. Hendee, mistress at the Shrub Oak Post Office, which is immediately opposite the Hart-Dresser Memorial Grounds.
Meeting adjourned.
JESSIE H. CHILDS Secretary.
On Sunday morning, August 24, 1919 the first gift to the John S. Hart Memorial Library was made: "The Strenuous Life," by Theodore Roosevelt, given by Dr. George F. Kunz, was left with Mrs. Hendee.
A copy of "Barnes Popular History of the United States." Container several hundred illustrations, was donated By Miss Bessie H. Kunz, who also gave a copy of the "United States Geological Survey Map of the Shrub Oak Region."
All books, maps and pamphlets will be gladly received.
Original Format
News clippings
Files
Citation
“1919.08.30 _Yorktown's New Community Centre will be located on and in the former dresser place which was willed to the town.,” John C Hart Library Archive, accessed May 2, 2024, https://hartarchive.omeka.net/items/show/17.