Sutton Manor (New Rochelle)

Last updated
Sutton Manor
Neighborhood
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of New York.svg  New York
County Westchester
City New Rochelle
Time zone UTC-5:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4:00 (Eastern)
Area code 914

Sutton Manor is a distinctive early 20th century suburban residential district in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. The neighborhood is located off the northern shore of Long Island Sound on Echo Bay. It was developed as an upper middle class enclave for families with heads of households employed in New York City and served as a model for the ideal suburban setting; harmonious architecture and exclusive amenities. [1] The development appears to have been modeled on neighboring Larchmont Manor in the Town of Mamaroneck, yet on a smaller scale. That subdivision was conceived originally as an exclusive and convenient seasonal playground for New York’s wealthy upper classes, with its 6-acre waterfront park.

Contents

In 2008, a New York State Certified Local Government grant allowed the 'Historical and Landmarks Review Board' to hire an historic preservation firm to conduct extensive research on the historic and architectural significance of Sutton Manor. For both its physical attributes and social aspects, Sutton Manor is a significant historic resource for the community and deserving of its protection through designation as a local historic district under the city code. Although not currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Sutton Manor meets all of the criteria and is clearly eligible for designation. [2]

Development

At the turn of the 18th century, most of the waterfront acreage in the northeast section of New Rochelle was owned by one of its original settlers, Huguenot Louis Guion. Another of the French refugees, Alexander Allaire, purchased much of it in 1748. [3]

The lands eventually came into the hands of James Pitcher, Commissary of Musters in the British Army, who owned it until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. For some unknown reason his property was not confiscated and he was able to leave it to his nephew, Thomas Huntington. [4]

The portion of the property that is now Sutton Manor, came into the possession of Thaddeus Davids in the late 1830s. At the time, Davids was the head of one of the largest ink companies in the country. [5]

He built a country home in the middle of the parcel, naming it "Echo Place" to reflect its frontage on Echo Bay. He also bought an island off New Rochelle’s southern shore, now known as Davids Island. Davids had a large family of 12 children born to 3 different wives. His second son, George W. Davids, eventually brought the family business to ruin. The company and Thaddeus Davids, individually, were forced to dispose of all assets, which resulted in the 1884 sale of Echo Place to George W. Sutton to be enjoyed as a country retreat by his family.

After Sutton’s death in 1894, the property was rented out until his heirs decided to develop the property. In 1904, George W. Sutton, Jr. formed the 'Sutton Manor Realty Company', selecting civil engineer and architect Lawrence E. Van Etten to draw up the subdivision plan of 50 home sites for the property. [6] Van Etten designed about 100 subdivisions in Westchester County between 1890 and 1950, as well as several golf courses including the Wykagyl Country Club here and Pelham Country Club in Elmsford.

Architecture

Sutton Manor exemplifies an upper middle class enclave, attractive to professionals desirous of tasteful surroundings. The vast majority of houses that comprise the neighborhood are essentially intact to their initial construction dates. Sutton Manor retains its original plan and amenities, while the architecture of the homes exhibit the array of stylistic choices available during the 1904 – 1927 time frame, primarily Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean, Bungalow, and Art Moderne. Many of them are early examples of styles that were just being introduced. Three of the dwellings predate the neighborhoods development and are associated with the Thaddeus Davids property, "Echo Place", thus physically linking the community to an even earlier period. It was a subdivision that served as a model for the "ideal suburban setting" — harmonious architecture and exclusive amenities.

Adding to the significance of this collection of early 20th century houses they include the work of nationally prominent architect John Russell Pope, in addition to New York architects and builders including Chester A. Patterson, William Liance Cottrell and Charles Lupprian. [7]

Residents

With its proximity to New York City, many of the Manor's residents were involved in activities of regional, statewide and national significance, which instigated frequent mention of the "exclusive Sutton Manor" in The New York Times. [8]

Beginning with Thaddeus Davids, an important ink manufacturer from before the Civil War and for whom Davids Island is named, the property has been home to important financiers, bankers, attorneys, industrialists, inventors, engineers, politicians, public servants, artists of every ilk, actors, and other notable figures. Well known yachtsmen, boat designers and enthusiasts made Sutton Manor home as well.

Notable former residents include: Rowland Hughes, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget; Lee Parsons Davis, New York State Supreme Court Justice and District Attorney of Westchester County; prominent early Twentieth Century American artist Coles Phillips; Tony Award-winning actress Frances Sternhagen; and actor Thomas Carlin. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester County, New York</span> County in New York, United States

Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population of 1,004,456, an increase of 55,344 (5.8%) from the 949,113 counted in 2010. Located in the Hudson Valley, Westchester covers an area of 450 square miles (1,200 km2), consisting of six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. Established in 1683, Westchester was named after the city of Chester, England. The county seat is the city of White Plains, while the most populous municipality in the county is the city of Yonkers, with 211,569 residents per the 2020 U.S. Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Rochelle, New York</span> City in New York, United States

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of New York. Some residents refer to the city as New Rock or New Rock City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity-St. Paul's Episcopal Church (New Rochelle, New York)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

Trinity-St. Paul's Episcopal Church in New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. It is located at the northwest corner of Huguenot Street and Division Street. This church represents the body of the majority group of New Rochelle's founding Huguenot French Calvinistic congregation that conformed to the liturgy of the established Church of England in June 1709. King George III gave Trinity its first charter in 1762. After the American Revolutionary War, Trinity became a parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Post Office (New Rochelle, New York)</span> United States historic place

The main U.S. Post Office in New Rochelle is located at 255 North Avenue, at the intersection of North Avenue and Huguenot St., in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. The facility currently serves the 10801, 10803 and 10805 ZIP Codes, covering portions of New Rochelle and neighboring Pelham and Pelham Manor.

Rochelle Heights is a historic residential neighborhood in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. The area is bordered by the City Park area on the east, Interstate 95 on the south, and Rochelle Park on the west. The Rochelle Heights and Rochelle Park neighborhoods together create the Rochelle Park-Rochelle Heights Historic District.

Rochelle Park is a historic residential neighborhood in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. The area is bordered by Rochelle Heights on the east, Interstate 95 on the south, New Rochelle City Hall and civic center on the west and Iona College on the north. The Rochelle Heights and Rochelle Park neighborhoods together create the Rochelle Park-Rochelle Heights Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochelle Park–Rochelle Heights Historic District</span> Historic district in New York, United States

The Rochelle Park–Rochelle Heights Historic District is a historic residential district located in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester, New York. The district is historically and architecturally significant as an intact and distinctive example of residential park development at the turn of the Twentieth Century. It includes the historic Rochelle Park development, and the later Rochelle Heights subdivision. Within the district are 555 contributing properties, including 513 buildings, 38 structures, and 4 sites. Only 24 buildings and 1 site separately identified within its area are non-contributing. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on July 6, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lispenard–Rodman–Davenport House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Lispenard–Rodman–Davenport House is a historic residence dating back to the early 18th century located on the Davenport Neck peninsula in New Rochelle, New York. The house is the oldest residential structure in New Rochelle. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing Catholic pogroms in France. Many of the settlers were artisans and craftsmen from the city of La Rochelle, France, thus influencing the choice of the name of "New Rochelle".

Thaddeus Davids was a 19th-century New York businessman who, in partnership with his brothers, built one of the largest ink companies in the world at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Westchester County, New York</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Westchester County, New York, excluding the cities of New Rochelle and Yonkers, which have separate lists of their own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Residence Park (New Rochelle, New York)</span> American planned community established 1885

Residence Park is a historic community located in the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York. It is one of the first planned residential parks, and garden city communities, in the United States. It is located in the southern section of the city, bordered by Neptune Park on the west, Shore Road and Long Island Sound on the south, and Downtown New Rochelle on the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middletown (New Rochelle)</span>

Middletown is a former hamlet of the Town of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. The hamlet took shape in the central portion of New Rochelle, extended along North Avenue from the vicinity of Rochelle Park to the southerly boundary of the Wykagyl Country Club grounds. The origin of the name is traceable to a division of the town road districts. As early as 1747, there were two main districts: "upper" and "below". An increase in population after the Revolutionary War warranted the further subdivision of the town into five road districts in 1787. One was named "Middle" to distinguish it from the "Upper", "Waterside" and "Town" districts. By this time the district had become quite well built up so as to make the term "town" appropriate. Hence it became "Middletown". The name was so appropriate to the hamlet that it was indicated on road maps beginning in 1789.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titus Mill-Pond & New York State Tidal Wetlands</span> Wetlands in New Rochelle, New York

Titus Mill Pond & New York State Tidal Wetlands is located at the northeastern end of New Rochelle Harbor in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester, New York. The waters in the harbor and pond flow from Long Island Sound, with tides up to eight feet in the inlet and with no fresh water stream entering into it.

New Rochelle Historic Site is a designation of the Historical and Landmarks Review Board (HLRB), for buildings, structures, monuments and other historically significant properties in the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. Significant sites are chosen after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural, and social values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Neck</span>

Davenport Neck is a peninsula in New Rochelle, New York, extending southwesterly from the mainland into Long Island Sound, and running parallel to the main shore. It divides the city's waterfront into two, with New Rochelle Harbor to the south and southwest, and Echo Bay, to the north and northeast. Glen Island and Neptune Island lie just to the west of the Neck, and Davids' and Huckleberry islands lie to the south.

Crystal Lake was a lake in the village of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York. It originally supplied early colonial mills with water power. It was fed by Stephenson Brook, which rises just north of Paine Lake and drains the large watershed adjacent to North Avenue from beyond Quaker Ridge Road.

Pelham Road, known as Shore Road within the Bronx, is a historic 4.1-mile (6.6 km) east-west arterial road that runs along the Long Island Sound shoreline from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx through the southern Westchester County, New York communities of New Rochelle and Pelham Manor. The thoroughfare had its beginning as a Native American trail linking the important villages on Davenport Neck to those on Pelham Neck in Pelham. Between these points along the shore line there was an almost continuous chain of small Indian villages and camps. This waterfront area was especially advantageous, with many small coves in secure harbors and protected by adjacent islands and many small streams of water and abundant springs.

Seacord Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in the Wykagyl section the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York.

References

  1. ↑ Lederer, Richard M. (1978). The Place Names of Westchester County New York. Harrison, NY: Harbor Hill Books. p. 140.
  2. ↑ Larson Fisher Associates (2009). Report on Historic Survey and Analysis of Sutton Manor and Historic Resource Inventory. New Rochelle: The Historical and Landmarks Review Board.
  3. ↑ Seacord, Morgan H. (1938). Historic Landmarks of New Rochelle. New Rochelle, New York: Huguenot and Historical Association. p. 18.
  4. ↑ Sutton Reynolds, Ruth (1963). The Sutton Manor Story in Historic New Rochelle. New Rochelle, New York: TheLittle Print.
  5. ↑ Forbes, Jeanne A. (1916). Records of the Town of New Rochelle 1699-1828. New Rochelle, New York: The Paragraph Press. pp.  189.
  6. ↑ Larson Fisher Associates (2009). Report on Historic Survey and Analysis of Sutton Manor and Historic Resource Inventory. New Rochelle: The Historical and Landmarks Review Board.
  7. ↑ Larson Fisher Associates (2009). Report on Historic Survey and Analysis of Sutton Manor and Historic Resource Inventory. New Rochelle: The Historical and Landmarks Review Board.
  8. ↑ Sutton Reynolds, Ruth (1963). The Sutton Manor Story in Historic New Rochelle. New Rochelle, New York: The Little Print. p. 20.
  9. ↑ Sutton Reynolds, Ruth (1963). The Sutton Manor Story in Historic New Rochelle. New Rochelle, New York: The Little Print. p. 31.

Sources

Coordinates: 40°54′40″N73°46′19″W / 40.911°N 73.772°W / 40.911; -73.772

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.