New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-26
LARCHMONTS MODEL VILLAGE
VOLUNTARY DISSOLUTION OF THE MANOR
COMPANY.
ITS STREETS AND PARKS TRANSFERRED TO THE

ITS STREETS AND PARKS TRANSFERRED Io IhI
NEW VILLAGE GOVERNMENT.
The I,archmont Manor Company. the former
pwner OF the beautiful tract of land on Long iS'a'i
Sound on which the village OF Larchihon' nv"
stands has fulfilled its functions as corpora
and the directors have applied to the courts 10
leave TO effect a voluntary dissolution h'"s d.
c.huor,h ~ this civ has been appointed re-
c.,ver nm the application OF Sackett a behhet''
,bs ATTORNEYS for the company The receiver yes
terday through the same attorneys uieu WIZ" Wv
County Clerk at White Plains a report SHOWING ,ne
present status of the company ana OF '"e u'''
ton proceedings. - IT,
The company has had an interesting history ro
some time prior to 1872 the late Thompson D. o
Flint in addition to his large Chicago interests
owned several hundred acres known as Larchiho"'
Manor and occupied the old Manor iiou'e i' "
country home. using the property as i"iA' ~
that year Charles H. Murray, the millionaire gram
merchant: Samuel French, the puphsher' inc i''o
Marcus p Woodruff and other wealthy summer
r..,denta along the Sound, became interested with
Mr. Flint in the property and satisfied that IL
presented the most attractions and the pest oppoi
tunities of any spot in the neighborhood OF New
York for creating and building UP d community
upon unique and original plans
1t is said that the result which followed their
efforts far exceeded their most sanguine antlcipa
lions A land improvement corporation was 1ormeu
in which the legal title of the property was NeS'e"
Streets and avenues were made, sewers were IA"
and trees planted to an extent that hao not peen
attempted in other similar enterprises peautilui
stretch of woodland along the rocky shore was
preserved In perpetuity for a park in when all
purchasers Of building sites from the com
pany had common interest. The most careiul
restrictions excluded every form OF business from
the manor limits The experiment succeedeu' anu
II may be said be the model for the best OF the
many later land improvement schemes In west
chester County.
Cottages were first built around the Larchmont
Park and nearest to the ocean. gradually extending
back to the gently rising hills turtle club sought
a quiet nook of the shore for its home. Ihen the
I.archmont Yacht Club obtained from the COM
pany it's present site with its magninceht mar
bor A street railway was built running 10 the
Iarchmont station the New-Haven Railroad.
Pure water was brought from the hills OF Scars
dale by the Larchmont Water Company. Churches
were erected and fire company was organized.
All this was the work of about twenty years.
But the company then found its occupation gone
Nearly all of its land had been sold TO individuals
for building sites 1t decided TO close up its busi-
ness several months ago. and 1t has since then
been doing so i'm a manner that seems to have
been received with the liveest satisfaction by the
maned in the companys hands was DIVIDED pro
rata among the stockholders at the suggestion OF
gether, organized village government and OBJ
tanned village charter with Carsten Wendt as the
first president. The Manor Company transferred
TO the village the title to the streets with the
sewers, etc. A park association was also formed
to care for the Larchmont Park ana Bathing
Pavilion, and this was assigned the title IN lee
of the park lands subject TO the rights OF use on
the part of the land owners All this has WORKED
admirably, and the village has this summer been
ENJOYING the benefits of the new arrangements
1t is one of the smallest villages in the state but
it is said to be unique in having no places of bust
ness but only fine private houses and in having
no poor within its limits
Some of the newest residences and grounds such
as those of Oswald Sanderson and Henry a. van
Lew are especially handsome. The streets nave
recently been macadamzed under the direction
of William II. Campbell of the village Board OF
Trustees. and in many other ways the village mas
generously been exercising the rights OF municl-
pal government With the dissolution OF the Manor
Company it ceases to have any share III me apso
Lutte legal control of the place. Charles H. Mur-
raw was the last president of the Manor Com,
pany Edward Z. Flint its last secretary, ana
Thomas H. French its last treasurer