The Churchland or Church is a cultivar of the European pear (''Pyrus communis''), it was developed in New Rochelle, New York in northeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It is believed to have originated as a seedling raised by one of the early

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

settlers of the village in the late 17th century. The original tree stood on land which was owned by the Trinity St. Paul's Church of

New Rochelle New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state o ...

, hence the naming of the fruit "Church". The fruit was so luscious that it was universally liked and, by grafting, the tree soon had extensive

propagation Propagation can refer to: * Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials * Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda * Reproduction, and other fo ...

throughout the country. An early account of the tree appeared in the proceedings of the

American Pomological Society The American Pomological Society was founded by Marshall Pinckney Wilder in 1848, to foster the growing of fruit and the development of new varieties, and is the oldest fruit organization in North America. Publications The organization's primary ...

in 1856. During its early years, New Rochelle was well known for the propagation of trees and shrubbery. The

settlers were especially skilled in the development of fruits and flowers. The ' Parsonage' and ' Huntington' pear varieties are also native to the community, as well as the ' Lawton Blackberry', the first widely cultivated blackberry in the country.

Characteristic features

The 'Church' Pear is of medium size, approximately 2 to 3 inches in length by 2 1/3 inches wide, and is largest in the middle and tapers both ways. The skin is greenish-yellow in color, russet-ed at the base and crown, with occasionally russet markings on other portions of the exterior. The stem is approximately 1 and three eighths inches long and of a cinnamon color. Its flesh is fine in texture and buttery, and it has a mild flavor. It commences ripening about the middle of July, and continues till the end of September.Retrieved 2011-05-29. "The Church Pear"
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References

History of New York (state) History of New Rochelle, New York Pear cultivars {{Fruit-stub