New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-11
wv 7E HAVE had a lot Of visitors from
M uptown in our village Of Chelsea
w recently. We understand that

M uptown in our village Of Chelsea
recently. We understand that
they are sociological students
from the summer schools in search of ma
ter1al, or they were looking up historic land
marks in our old neighborhood.
suppose we have both, although we don't
talk much about sociology; we call 1t good
Fellowship, or getting together. 1t has done
some good, of course, although it is hard to
define our kind of sociology In terms of pub
lie baths, Fairgrounds, OF even In the block
organizations, or clubs councils that center
around our neighborhood house. Wa are
folks, not cases; we are community of
homes, even IL some of them consist ~
tumbledown old tenements that ought to have
gone TO the dump heap long ago. We are
AN American community, too.
We have some decent fiat buildings IN
OneiSea, but not one to thousand families
70 say nothing Of the families that are to be,
American families, too, remember. About
eight years ago the Chelsea Homes were nut
up on West Twenty-eighth Street by friends
Of tho Hudson Guild across the wav. That
showed as what decent fiat building should
b. with hot and cold water in the kitchen. a
bath and central heating, to say nothing of
clean halls and honest ventilation. The stool,
pays per cent on the investment. too. at
rentals that our people can pay. That and
the cooperative store have taught us that
with cooperation life can be made a lot easier.
II was during the war and its high prices
that our Wonan's Club started its co-opera-
Two store with 112 shareholders. We did
shave down the cost Of living somewhat; we
could do more II we could buy cheaper. but
the store Is a success at that. Moreover. when
At the first annual meeting our women found
that the stock paid per cent It was reyela-
ton to most Of them Of the possibilities Of
joint financing. They had had the advantage
OF Joint buying, and the interest from their
stock could now go toward buying more stock.
So now the neighborhood women are planning
q building fund that shall 60 toward a CO.
pperatively owned building
. Captain Clarke, an old hre-eater Of the
French and Indian wars, was our first I'M
portant landowner, and around 1850 he built
homestead about what Is now Ninth Ave-
'aue and Twenty-hrst Street, and called ,t
Chelsea after tbs soldiers home in England
ehelsea Square this place is called, and It In
occupied by the General Theological Protes-
Ianc Episcopal Seminary. 1t stands now q
me group of buildings in the English Gothic
styie' with green lawns, quadrangles refec-
tory, library and chapel, and houses collec-
llon OF old Chelsea relics that is we'll worth
VISITING. Some of the old families still live in
Cnesea Square, and many of the nice old
houses have been turned into modern apart
ments that attract writer's and people who an
preciate romantic quarter.
Captain Clarke was a good citizen and left
fine family after him. His granddaughter
married Bishop Moore, whose son, Clement
Z. Moore, donated some of the land to the
seminary and more to st. Peters Church. ON
West Twentieth Street, where you will and
tablet to his memory. But the thing that we
refer to the most frequently about Clement
=. Moore is that he wrote Twas the Night
Before Christmas" 1t has always been
1avcr1te piece to speak in our neighborhood.
There are other fine. old residential spots