New-York tribune., 1885-01-13
pEAIJTIES OF PELHAM PARK
,,cruREsoUEN Ess WITHOUT A RIVAL.

ryv rouNrRY-srArs THAT WILL BE
CONVERTED INTO PUBLIC PROPERTY.
,v,.,, tho condition of the city finances permits
.or,rleton of the parks in the annexed district.
sno vork will be able to boast at Pelham Bay OF
. of the most beautiful public parks In the world
~s. Rois dc Boulogne and the Ther Garten, tne
Ia. of Paris and Berlin respectively, with tneu
p.rv avenues, laid out in mathematicaily straight
,'nss their artificial lakes and the absence OF any
.h;ng resembling hill. cannot DO ciasseo WIN 'ni'
thins ae, {, atrn Of land along the Sound, where
beautlui esns to have left little for the landscape
Natar Nature to do Perhaps Central Park VIII pc lts
most but ssnds ths'e the cool
wafer N.omS N..mSsr life endurable on the not summer
which iacking and if the time ever comes when
Central shall have rsatSS r into
city shall In pclham Bay Park will certainly be In
chester hsr ahe degree what Central Park now is-a
stit ts the rich boon to the poor and source
OF beauty yt or as now projected includes compare.
.;vniv narrow strip of ground extending ior apous
two aud hall sN along fsba5 5bs Bay The whole
taet seems have been intended naturally or ho Tho
nse 10 which 1t is nov proposed 20 prahe pms IL that
cd be desired for park. The shore OF the Sound
:oan" :nuons and is broken by innumerable pays anu
ne WHICH torn ths slands are high and rocky
,;na sort of wild grandeur to the landscape;
Se they are all covered with graceful tIees IS aha M
nd
cnuite shore Of Long Island The ground on the
opp0innd oppOiii,od is neither level hy but is covered
NTH billocks which give variety 10 tne iahas:cape
Int are easily climbed, even by the least an'o''o"'
pTSs pleasures which park Of this description
,,;ii offer TO all its visitors may be imagined lrom
,nca Wiii o' number of persons who, in the summer,
sny sp 10 escape from the heat of the city, and to
breathe the fresh Sound breezes at StarIns uten zen
Island This island is directly OpPIIs,e Is nart tis ;s
norun1sc n.a,ntea series of islands promontores and
Ssxs which will probably surpass Glen islana r1 In
beauty will be thrown open o TO tbe 1ne ctr either by
par p or ~i bv water There one point on the water
fTont. fn5i fi where W S. oys place is situated at
Steamers to 90 up to the shore. to embark and land
passengers without the Inconvenience OF a Iong
pier The whole tract IS covered WIN tne i ;tS
seats of gentlemen. many OF whom 40 u9t looh witn
favor upon the prospect of being oblged 10 sacIce
To- the public good their beautiful places when tney
have planned and built according 10 the,r % Own S.r
tastes and caprices, and which have for them lar
higher value than the market price 9i the propeiY.
These gentlemen and their fam,heS lolm a I,,ie ne
community and lead % rngIsh le wHSm Country life to be
fonnd in this country. 1he Sound furnishes all
possible facilities for yachting sailing ana lsnlg
while the country back from the water Is eAGii,
lently adapted to riding. driving and hunting Jhe
fact that the Country Club has estaOlisned ltse ID III
the middle Of the tract designed 1or tne paih T. an
evidence of its value as sporting ground Many
of these country places have been Dulit wlthin
year-or two when the project OF the park was al
reveSsd onIv too late that they had built
demned land, and that Others would probably reap
where they had sown. 10 some OF the lahdhoiaers I
of this district the park project Is by no means an
nnwelcome one as they are already deslrons 10 SELL
and they hope to obtain better terms from the com
missoners than from, private buyers hoor.;,,I
At the southern limit of the park Is a Oeautlui
place belonging to the Firnan estate aDouhdlhs III
fine trees and commanding. as do all these places,
charming view OF the sound Drecr any, T I obn o
Ellis, Gouverneur Morris jr.: William Kent and
Pierrepont Edwards, the British Consul. The
houses have all been recently built and stand to-
retber in little park without fences to separate
the grounds. Just beyond is Pelham bay ana rel
ham Neck, which extends far out INTO the SOUND,
with City Island at its extremity. The Neck is
covered with handsome places those OF 3ouvernenr
Morris. Newbold Morris and James II. Jones Inc
Barlow place lies Just beyond Pelham Neck Ihis
is one Of the hnest of all the country-seats whch
are Included in the park. The house Is built oi
stone aud has the solid and substantial appearance
OF an English conntry-hou IL Is scfaIhoea G IRON
by beautiful lawn, while the rear elevation loobs
directly rpon the water. The clubhouse OF the
Country Club is situated on fenap sproUpJei wm6
fine trees and tasteful grounds. Inc Daunhg ltScn
is in the ordinary style of the American country
house. and is Iesplendent with coat Oh Drisht leu
paint. ,.o aud soror
ated from it only by the road are te gr"unu1 wheie
the clubs steeplechases take place Mr. lseiih
place is just included within the northern INN, o.
The park. 1t consists of an island OF aDont l'V
acres, connected WIFI inc ~ "'"'"
causeway In the centre Of the island and crown,
ing hill which commands the sound ana the mn
OF the main inland, stands an OldiashiOncd country
louse belonging TO the Hunter estate WIch MT.
Iselin has beautifully decorated and improved WIFI
out destroying its almost colonial appearance Mr
Iselin took most active interest IN the improvement
OF his place before the park project was agitated
He intended to stock his grounds with pheasan;s,
brought from England, and was often engagca per
sOnally in supervising his wOrkmen. The Thought
that his property will be taken for public uses
has somewhat dainped his ardor. Stlll further out
in the Sound than Hunter Island as Mr. lS"lins
place is called are two other smaller islands.
We r or two ago these islands were covered with
dense undcrbrush, although they commanded one
of the finest views of the Sound to be had at any
by Mr.. Hoyt, and accordingly he cleared the land.
connected the islands by causeways with Hunter
Island and so with the mainland, and, upon the
highest point of the larger island, at the point
where an abrupt descent leads down 10 tle water,
he erected an attractive house, in which one
hardly knows whether tho beauty within or the
beauty without is the more to be admired. IL
would he impossible to say too much IN praise OF
the view which is obtained from MIR Hoyts lawn.
and from the windows of his drawing-roOm. His Is
directly upon the open Sound, for 1t is about here
that the East River begins to widen out, and that
the Sound really begins.
Standing in front of Mr.. Hoyts house one sees
Pelham Neck to the right, with its country places
partially hidden in the trees and tine shipping of
City Island its extremity. TO the left. rendered
picturesque by the distance, are the towers and
simmer houses of Glen Island. The military posts
of Davids Island and Hart Island lie in the fore
ground, while beyond stretches the Sound, dotted
with nnumerabe steamers and whlte-w winged pleas
ure boats. AS already stated, this is the only
point along the shore OF the projected park where
steamers can land. Elsewhere the banks are shelly
ing, while here tdey are rocky aud steep.