White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts

By Sandra Harrison

White Plains is a city of contrasts. It is a suburb with an urban vibe. It has old buildings and it has new ones. It is a modern city with a revolutionary past.
It was in here in White Plains where New York became a state and then the setting for a standoff between the rebels of the American Continental Army and the British Empire. Whether it was the weather or just bad luck on the part of the British, the Americans came away from White Plains with their hopes for independence still very much alive.
With the dawn of the 20th century, the city would evolve into the commercial and government center that one finds in the 21st century. This book explores the remnants of White Plains' past that predate 1940.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jun 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483400273

Book preview

9781483400273.pdf

Copyright © 2013 Sandra Harrison

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-0026-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-0027-3 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 6/13/2013

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Former bus depot on west side of train tracks at corner with Main Street.

Table of Contents

A Note from the Author

Contrasts

Beginnings

Colonial Times

The Purchase of White Plains

Wetlands

County Seat

The American Revolution

The 1776 Battle of White Plains

Merritt and Miller Hills

War Remembrances

After the Revolution to Modern Times

North Broadway Area

Business District

Houses

Hospitals

Schools

Government Departments and Services

Houses of Worship

Businesses and Organizations

Quarry

Farms

Horse Trough

Memorials

Sources for Further Study

About the Author and Pictures

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Bar Building with the City Center reflected in the windows of the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester.

A Note from the Author

To stay economically relevant and to meet the changing needs of its community, White Plains, New York, has undergone a number of transformations throughout its history. Except for a small area that makes up the core of the business district, much of what one finds in the twenty-first century was created in the twentieth century.

Through all these changes, though, there are still things that have remained from the past. Whether it is a patch of land, a tombstone, or something much larger, there are remnants from those earlier times. Preserving the past takes great effort and many resources. Presented in this book are those historic remnants that predate 1940 with photographs of what they look like in the twenty-first century.

Every effort was made to provide accurate dates and information, but there are bound to be discrepancies, as there were in the sources consulted for the completion of this publication. For this reason, a number of things were omitted from this book.

Sandra Harrison

Contrasts

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City Hall and Lawyer Building with Ritz-Carlton, Westchester towering above

T oday, White Plains, New York, is a modern city best known for its shopping centers, courts, and services. Many come to the city for work, study, and entertainment.

In 1776, White Plains played an important part in the American Revolution when New York became an independent state and then a few months later the setting for a standoff between the American Continental Army and the British Empire. Had things not gone as they did, the American dream for independence might have ended in White Plains.

Throughout the city, one can still find remnants from the American Revolution, as well as from times before and after American independence. Many of these remnants have been repurposed or converted into something completely different from what was originally intended.

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