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History of Westchester County, New York — Passage 82 (part 6)

Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900) 246 words View original →

[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] The Yonkers and Tarrytown mills were styled by Philipse, respectively, the Lower Mills and the Upper Mills. The residence on the Nepperhan at Yonkers was very substan-tially built, " the bricks, and indeed all the building materials," says Mrs.' Lamb, " being imported from Holland at what was then es-teemed a prodigal expenditure. The great massive door, which still swings in the center of the southern front, was manufactured in Holland and imported by the first Lady Philipse in one of her own ships." Only the southern front of the structure was built by the first Frederick. Here he lived for a time with his wife Margaret; at least during the summer seasons. Traces of an underground pass-ago, apparently leading from the Manor House, were recently dis-covered by some workmen engaged in making excavations in Yonk-ers; and it has been surmised that this was a secret means of exit for 'the occupants of the dwelling, connecting probably with a neigh-boring blockhouse, to be used in case of an Indian raid. In 1SS2, two hundred years after the presumed erection of the original build-ing, the Manor House, renamed Manor Hall, after having been put inl state of permanent preservation, Avas formally dedicated to the uses of the City of Yonkers as a municipal building. Castle Philipse, on the Pocantico, was also very substantially built,1 and possessed a feature entirely lacking in the Manor House, being carefully fortified to resist attack. Its walls were pierced with.Mi William F.