Bedford Road Historic District
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The Bedford Road Historic District is located along that street in the
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of
Armonk, New York Armonk is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of North Castle, located in Westchester County, New York, United States. The corporate headquarters of IBM are located in Armonk. Geography and climate As of the 2010 census, A ...
, United States. Its contain nine
contributing properties In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...
, all
wood frame Framing, in construction, is the fitting together of pieces to give a structure support and shape. Framing materials are usually wood, engineered wood, or structural steel. The alternative to framed construction is generally called ''mass wal ...
buildings from the mid-19th century in variations and combinations of the
Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
and
Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
s. In 1985 the group was recognized as a
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Armonk's history began with the buildings, erected in the mid-19th century when the congregants of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, the oldest building in the district, subdivided and sold the large parcel the church was on to their
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
in order to give the church a solid financial footing. In selling the land for house construction, the congregation was the first to use the name Armonk for the area, and the properties have likewise been described as the hamlet's first residential subdivision. Architecturally, the houses and church are a rare surviving group in classically inspired styles in that part of
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...
. Some are used as professional offices today. The church's cemetery, in which many of the inhabitants of the houses and other early residents of North Castle are buried, is also part of the district. Since its construction, the district has undergone some changes. Another, smaller house was built within it in the 1880s. The church has gone through several parsonages, one of which has been demolished, along with an additional building used as a girls' school. Highway construction and relocations following IBM's 1964 choice of Armonk for its
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changed Bedford Road from a major through route to a dead-end street. In the early 21st century the redevelopment of the land north of the district into Armonk Square, a
mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
shopping center and apartment complex required the construction of a street in the middle of the district to meet parking requirements, a move which was highly controversial within the community.


Geography

The roughly L-shaped district is located along the north side of the road, in the southern section of downtown Armonk. Its boundaries mostly follow
land lot In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the same thing) in ...
lines, beginning one lot east of Main Street (also New York State Route 128 (NY 128)) and taking in the next seven lots to the west, crossing Elm Street, where 44 Bedford Road, the church's former
rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...
, now has its frontage, in the process. At Maple Avenue, where St. Stephen's church is located, it extends further north than the other rear lot lines almost to that street's westward turn. On these lots are 12 buildings, most located on lots. Eight of them—the six houses, one outbuilding and the church—are considered
contributing properties In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...
to the district's historic character. The church's cemetery is further included as a contributing
site Site most often refers to: * Archaeological site * Campsite, a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area * Construction site * Location, a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere * Website, a set of related web pages, typically ...
. The remaining three buildings are all non-contributing detached modern garages. To the south of the district, across the street, is
North Castle North Castle is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 11,841 at the 2010 census. It has three hamlets: Armonk, Banksville, and North White Plains. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the t ...
's town hall, a mid-20th century brick
Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
building. It is the center of a municipal complex that includes parking lots, baseball fields and other auxiliary government buildings between Bedford Road and
New York State Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border ...
(NY 22), at this point a
divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numb ...
four-lane highway, with IBM's
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opposite. East of the district is the
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, a
tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the Byram, buffered on either side by public parks. Bedford Road continues for before reaching a dead end at one of the exit ramps for the interchange of
Interstate 684 Interstate 684 (I-684) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in the state of New York in the United States. There is also a short portion in Connecticut with no junctions. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson ...
and NY 22. North of the district is the Armonk Square development, a mix of retail and residential properties. The rest of downtown Armonk, a mix of residential buildings on side streets with larger institutional and commercial buildings on and near main, moderately developed with many large interspersed mature shade trees, is to the northwest. The terrain of the district, like downtown as a whole, is level, one of the few large breaks in an otherwise continuously hilly region.


Buildings

Except as noted below, the houses have a number of features in common—
timber framing Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
, two stories, side-
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
d roofs, modern
siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...
, six-over-six double-hung
sash windows A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass. History T ...
with
louvered A louver (American English) or louvre (British English; see spelling differences) is a window blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain and direct sunshine. The angle of the slat ...
wooden shutters. Also, construction date is ca. 1850 unless noted otherwise. Two buildings, both former parsonages, that were erected by the church, have since been demolished. One, built across Bedford Road from the church in the 1850s, was demolished almost a century later when the town hall was built. The other, the former home of a girls' school established by the church, was extant at the time of the Register listing but was considered non-contributing due to extensive modifications and deterioration at the time; the district's boundaries were thus drawn to exclude it. It was demolished around 1990 to clear the way for a
mixed-use development Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
on the land north of the district where it had been sited, vacant and neglected for several decades. *12 Bedford Road: Like its neighbor at 16 Bedford, the westernmost house in the district is on a lot with only of
frontage Frontage is the boundary between a plot of land or a building and the road onto which the plot or building fronts. Frontage may also refer to the full length of this boundary. This length is considered especially important for certain types of ...
. It has an asphalt-shingled roof with return
eave The eaves are the edges of the roof which overhang the face of a wall and, normally, project beyond the side of a building. The eaves form an overhang to throw water clear of the walls and may be highly decorated as part of an architectural styl ...
s pierced by a central brick chimney. On the three- bay south (front) facade is a wraparound
veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''veran ...
with a
hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...
supported by
Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...
columns with entases; the paneled entrance door has sidelights. A rear addition and detached garage are of more modern construction and non-contributing. *16 Bedford Road: Also three bays wide, the next house is the only one with a front gable. At ground level a stone
foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
is visible. The Doric pillars support the hipped roof of a front porch. It was moved to its present location in 1888. *24 Bedford Road: A driveway separates 16 Bedford from the next house over, a more sophisticated four-by-three-bay structure with a side gable and two brick end chimneys piercing its roof. It has no porch or veranda; however, on the east of the front facade is a two-story
bay window A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. Types Bay window is a generic term for all protruding window constructions, regardless of whether they are curved or angular, or r ...
with two-over-two double-hung sash, added in 1880. The main entrance, immediately adjacent on the west, has a
Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
door surround, sidelights, Doric
pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...
s and a full Doric
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
. In the house's rear is another modern non-contributing detached garage. Although a historic map shows this lot as 24 Bedford Road, the address in the year 2020 is 20 Bedford Road. *30 Bedford Road: Also known as the Nehemiah Searles House, this four-by-three structure retains its original
clapboard Clapboard (), also called bevel siding, lap siding, and weatherboard, with regional variation in the definition of these terms, is wooden siding of a building in the form of horizontal boards, often overlapping. ''Clapboard'' in modern Americ ...
siding. Its roof is pierced by a single brick chimney at the east end; at the roofline are Yankee gutters and return eaves. Among its windows are some six-light
casement window A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly or in pairs within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows are often held open using a cas ...
s; all have
molded Molding (American English) or moulding (British and Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the process of manufacturing by shaping liquid or pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix. This itself may have ...
surrounds. The main entrance is on the west side with an enclosed vestibule. Another non-contributing detached modern garage is in the rear. *40 Bedford Road: At two and a half stories this is the tallest of the houses. Two brick end chimneys pierce its roof, which is distinguished by wide fasciae at the roofline above a row of three-light casement eyebrow windows. The centrally located main entrance on the five-bay facade has a semi-circular
Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...
porch supported by two pillars with a conical roof. It has a similar door treatment to 24 Bedford, with a
transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...
taking the place of the entablature. In the rear, north of a parking lot, is the only contributing outbuilding in the district. It is a small timber-frame structure with clapboard siding and a gabled roof on a stone foundation. In the front a small entrance ramp provides access to one of two vertical board doors; there is another one at the west end of the south facade. *44 Bedford Road. At the time of the National Register listing, the former
rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...
for St. Stephen's Church was located at the end of a short driveway. That has since become part of an extended Elm Street; however, the building's address has not been changed and the building's three-bay south (front) facade still faces Bedford Road. It was built in 1880, making it the newest of the district's houses. This one-and-a-half-story frame structure on a concrete-covered foundation, sided in clapboard and wood shingle with a front-gabled roof, is the smallest of the district's houses. Most of the windows are the same six-over-six double-hung sash as that seen on the other houses; there is one six-light casement on the south. The foundation windows are all three-light casement. The south facade also has a hip-roofed veranda with exposed
rafter A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...
s. It is supported by turned posts rising from a millwork
balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
. The main entrance, on the west, has a paneled door. On the north side there is a one-story two-by-one-bay shed-roofed addition. It has a secondary entrance.


St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Built in 1842, this Greek Revival church at 50 Bedford Road is the oldest building in the district. Its clapboard-clad facades rise to a front-gabled roof topped by a two-stage tower with belfry. On its north (rear) is a non-contributing mid-20th century
Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...
wing. The main entrances, on the south facade, are on either side of a recessed porch. Two round
fluted Fluting may refer to: *Fluting (architecture) * Fluting (firearms) * Fluting (geology) * Fluting (glacial) *Fluting (paper) Arts, entertainment, and media *Fluting on the Hump ''Fluting on the Hump'' is the first album by avant-garde band Kin ...
Doric columns ''
in antis An anta (pl. antæ, antae, or antas; Latin, possibly from ''ante'', "before" or "in front of"), or sometimes parastas (pl. parastades), is an architectural term describing the posts or pillars on either side of a doorway or entrance of a Greek ...
'' are in the center, flanked by square Doric pilasters. The porch is topped by a full entablature and
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...
. The tall, narrow rectangular
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
windows on the east and west sides are set in decorative surrounds. Inside the church has been remodeled in the
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
; the
pew A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom. Overview ...
s are arranged so that there is no center aisle. Both stages of the tower have corner pilasters topped by molded
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
s with broad overhanging eaves; the second stage has louvered vents. Atop are four narrow wooden steeples connected by a balustrade. To the rear and west of the church, filling out most of the remainder of its two-acre () lot, is its cemetery, considered a contributing
site Site most often refers to: * Archaeological site * Campsite, a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area * Construction site * Location, a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere * Website, a set of related web pages, typically ...
to the district. It contains approximately 450 marked graves, dating to 1844 at the earliest. To its south it is bordered by a wood post and rail fence, with a more modern stone fence topped with a wooden rail on the west, parallel to Elm Street. A wire fence sets it off on the east, leaving the north open.


History

The development of the district has until the late 20th century largely been driven by St. Stephen's Church.


1700s–1830: North Castle before the church

What is now the Town of
North Castle North Castle is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 11,841 at the 2010 census. It has three hamlets: Armonk, Banksville, and North White Plains. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the t ...
was first settled by Europeans at the beginning of the 18th century. The colonial governor gave the town its name around 1721, when it was first used in records.
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was split off from it in 1745. Even so, it still rivaled nearby
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
as the most populous town in
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as of the first U.S. census in 1790, the year before New Castle was created from the town's former northern portion. Most of the land in North Castle was ideal for agriculture, and thus the town was primarily known for its large farms. Over the century, a few small settlements had sprung up, such as Banksville, Kensico and Mile Square, the beginnings of today's Armonk. But despite the large and prosperous population, most of whom were of English descent and members of what had, after
American independence The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, become the Episcopal Church, there was as of the early 19th century no house of worship in North Castle. Congregants had to go to Bedford, or other nearby towns such as
Mount Kisco Mount Kisco is a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,959 at the 2020 United States census over 10,877 at the 2010 census. It serves as a ...
or White Plains, for services. A plan that had supposedly in the works in the early 1740s to build a church near the present St. Stephen's location was abandoned. Instead, one was built in 1761 at what is now North Castle Corners.


1831–1842: Establishment and construction of the church

This began to change in 1831, when The Rev. Robert William Harris was appointed
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of Grace Church in White Plains, one of those that North Castle residents traveled to for services. He took it upon himself to tend to the area's other congregations that did not have clerical leadership, including a growing group in Mile Square. By 1841 he was conducting informal services in a
log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...
near the church's present site. Late in the following year the church was formally incorporated as St. Stephen's Church North Castle, Westchester County, New York. Harris was appointed its rector. The first order of business was to build a dedicated church, and two of the first committees formed had the tasks of raising money for that project and overseeing its planning and construction. The church soon settled on a draft plan, and the building committee was expanded. One of its new members, Elisha Sutton, donated a quarter-acre () from the northeast corner of his farm. After the committee budgeted $2,000 for the construction of the actual church, a
vestryman A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body.Anstice, Henry (1914). ''What Every Warden and Vestryman Should Know.'' Church literature press He is not a member of the clergy.Potter, Henry Codman (1890). ''The Offices of Wa ...
, Ziel Eggleston, donated some of the
lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
and built the church for free.


1843–1866: Development of neighboring land

With the church erected, the congregation concentrated on two more goals: financial stability and getting a pastor who would be exclusive to St. Stephen's. Harris proposed a way of ensuring both. The congregation should obtain a lot on which it could build a
parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically own ...
, or already had a suitable house. It would be owned by the vestrymen and wardens, who could purchase
shares In financial markets, a share is a unit of equity ownership in the capital stock of a corporation, and can refer to units of mutual funds, limited partnerships, and real estate investment trusts. Share capital refers to all of the shares of an ...
for a hundred dollars apiece. Once he was settled in the home, the new pastor would be able to buy back those shares at that same price when he so chose, and thus the house would over time revert to his ownership. He would also have to set up a girls' school in the building. It took until 1850 to begin to put this plan into action. A lot to the north and west of the church was purchased from the estate of Sutton, the congregant who had donated the church's original land. It would be subdivided into 40 lots, with two set aside to serve as a burial ground and parsonage (now 40 Bedford Road) respectively. Construction of the house on the latter lot was financed via
subscription The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century, and ...
, to start when two-thirds of the possible subscriptions had been sold; like the church, its budget was capped at $2,000. The new land soon became known as "the Armonk Square", after the new name of the growing hamlet, derived from the Native American term for the area meaning "a valley or fishing place between hills" that the church officers were using to promote the available land. St. Stephens' officers heavily promoted the lots within it, and the houses to be built on it were expected to cost at least a thousand dollars. In 1852 a new pastor, The Rev. Isaac Dychman Vermilye, was appointed assistant rector and the principal of Chester Female Institute, the girls' school, then run out of the rectory. Early the next year, Rev. Harris resigned the rectorship, and Vermilye replaced him. The church's board also approved a plan to add classroom and dormitory space for at least 32 students to the parsonage; however, a separate structure (no longer extant) was built instead. Two years later the church formally adopted Harris's plan by which Vermilye would come to own the remaining lots and received the proceeds of their sale. Vermilye served as pastor through his death in 1864. The church prospered during this period, with its congregation including Major Gen.
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
, grandson of his namesake, whose service during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
included commanding the
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
troops that suppressed the
New York City Draft Riots The New York City draft riots (July 13–16, 1863), sometimes referred to as the Manhattan draft riots and known at the time as Draft Week, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-cla ...
. After his death, the congregation conveyed the house and accompanying lots to his wife Josephine; she continued to operate the Female Institute for several years.


1867–1888: Renovations and other improvements

In 1867, Vermilye's successor, The Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, referred to as just C.W. Bolton, became rector. In 13 years, he oversaw significant renovations to the church. The original clear glass side windows were replaced with
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
and the original pew doors were removed. Across the street, he supervised the construction of a new rectory (no longer extant), since Josephine Vermilye was still living in the original one. The changes to the church and its surroundings continued after Bolton left in 1880. Four years later, the church bought from Josephine Vermilye, who was still living at 30 Bedford, two of the lots of the Square in order to expand its cemetery. Around the same time, 44 Bedford Road, the last of the district's contributing properties, was built. In 1888, 16 Bedford was moved from its location closer to 24 Bedford and converted from a shoemaking shop into a residence. At the other end of the district, the church's interior was renovated, with the original gallery removed and the entire sanctuary redone in the more contemporary
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style, the only concession to tastes that had changed since church and accompanying buildings were constructed. Vermilye later sold her house to a family whose members lived in it and grew an extensive vegetable garden throughout the first half of the 20th century.


1889–1984: Effects of Armonk's growth

As the 20th century dawned, the automobile made its presence felt in Armonk. Three of the Bedford Road houses had garages built behind them in the 1910s. Westchester's growing suburbanization made itself felt in Armonk, which was not on the railroad lines that had fed that growth, in the early part of that decade when
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's continuing growth necessitated the construction of
Kensico Reservoir The Kensico Reservoir is a reservoir spanning the towns of Armonk ( North Castle) and Valhalla ( Mount Pleasant), New York, located 3 miles (5 km) north of White Plains. It was formed by the original earth and gravel Kensico Dam constructed in 18 ...
two miles (3.2 km) to the south. Kensico, the hamlet that had given the reservoir its name, was abandoned and flooded. Some of its former residents resettled in Armonk, further contributing to its growth.North Castle Historical Society,
North Castle History
', Vol. 10, 1983, p. 20. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
During the next decade, New York began to build its state highway system to serve its growing population of motorists. Bedford Road was designated part of what has since become NY 22 in 1924, and then a decade later NY 128 was routed along Bedford Road as well. These developments brought traffic from the city and
Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
, respectively, into Armonk from the south along Bedford Road. Thus, in 1948, North Castle decided to build its new town hall complex on the south side, opposite the church and houses. This required the demolition of the new parsonage that Rev. Bolton had had built in the 1860s. The church repurchased 30 Bedford Road to serve as the
parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically own ...
; it has remained in their ownership. A decade later, the last member of the family Josephine Vermilye had sold her house to died; the heirs in turn sold it to a man who used it as an
auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...
house for several years before closing that business down. It remained unused until its demolition late in the century. A decade and a half later, Armonk and Bedford Road would face another transformation. In 1964 IBM moved its
corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with important tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corpor ...
from New York City to the hills south of the hamlet, between it and the
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
state line. By the end of the decade the state had begun construction of
Interstate 684 Interstate 684 (I-684) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in the state of New York in the United States. There is also a short portion in Connecticut with no junctions. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson ...
to handle the increased traffic. In conjunction with the construction of I-684's Armonk interchange just to the hamlet's west, the state highways were realigned off Bedford Road. NY 22, which had followed the Old Post Road into town past IBM, now overlapped with
New York State Route 120 New York State Route 120 (NY 120) is a state highway in southern Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins in the city of Rye at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 (US 1) and runs for about north to the h ...
for a short distance at the north end of the reservoir to a new four-lane
divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
that bypassed Armonk to the south on its way to the interstate exit. Similarly, NY 128 was truncated so that it followed an extension of Main Street to end at a new intersection with NY 22. Both no longer followed Bedford Road, which in turn was vacated to a dead end at one of the interchange's offramps, greatly reducing passing traffic.


1985–present: Redevelopment

In the years after the
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
was delineated and listed on the
National Register The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, Armonk began to become a desirable
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
despite its distance from local
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
lines. Residential property values rose in the area, and developers began looking at opportunities to build commercial projects downtown, where demand was quickly outgrowing the buildings that had served the hamlet well through its time as a country town and early years of suburbanization. Of particular interest was the property just north of the district, part of the original lots the church and the Vermilyes had subdivided and sold. However, development had been hindered by
toxic waste Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemi ...
contamination of
groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...
in the area. For years several
dry cleaner Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known in ...
s had dumped and spilled their waste chemicals in the area, until the county health department discovered the extent of the pollution in 1979. Downtown Armonk had been declared a
Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...
site, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency was supplying affected homes and businesses with
bottled water Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large car ...
while monitoring it. During the late 1980s, a developer proposed a project called Heritage Square, with
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s and residences, to be built mostly on the land that had once been the Vermilyes'. It would solve the water problems via a
pipeline Pipeline may refer to: Electronics, computers and computing * Pipeline (computing), a chain of data-processing stages or a CPU optimization found on ** Instruction pipelining, a technique for implementing instruction-level parallelism within a s ...
from a similar condominium project in the town of New Castle to the north. But local opposition to that aspect and the extra parking it would require blocked it. In the late 2000s, the Armonk Square project, a development mixing commercial space and one-room apartments with a supermarket, was proposed. In order to meet town parking requirements and provide access from the south, Elm Street was upgraded from a driveway serving 44 Bedford Road into a full paved public street. This met with heavy opposition from local
preservationists Preservationist is generally understood to mean ''historic preservationist'': one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects, or sites from demolition or degradation. Historic preservation us ...
as well as the state's Historic Preservation Office, who claimed it would needlessly divide the historic district. After a slight reduction in size, the project was completed and opened in 2014.


Aesthetics

The identity of the church's architect is not known. The building's application of the
vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style is unusual for its eclecticism. It uses aspects of the style more frequently associated with academic buildings, such as the
Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...
columns and
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
on the front facade; the window surrounds on the sides are also not commonly found on vernacular Greek Revival churches. At that time the Greek Revival style for churches was at its highest; there would have been many other churches to influence the design. The Doric facade and recessed porch were prominent features of the 1835 St. James' Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan, based on patterns by Minard Lefever; the
Town and Davis Ithiel Town (October 3, 1784 – June 13, 1844) was an American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the f ...
Carmine Street Church, also in Manhattan and of the same era, had the same feature and was also widely imitated. In turn, St. Stephen's seems to have influenced later churches in Westchester such as the Methodist Church of
Mamaroneck Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of M ...
and the Banksville Baptist Church. Its side entrances are unique among those churches, however. The church'a cemetery follows the standard churchyard pattern of the time it was established. Graves are laid out in a regular north–south rows, filling most of the space allotted, with no overall landscaping evident. All graves are marked by single stones, generally either simple white
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
markers from the time of settlement to more elaborate
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
stones typical of the later Victorian period, with a few more modern plain markers. There are no
crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
s or large monuments, nor fenced groupings. Between the early 1850s and 1867, all the remaining houses in the district were built save 44 Bedford Road. They show differing degrees to which the
Federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...
that had characterized American architecture at the beginning of the century was being supplanted by the similarly neoclassical Greek Revival mode. At the west end, 12 and 16 Bedford are, befitting smaller houses, very restrained in their application of the style, the former showing it mostly in form and its sidehall entrance plan, with minimal ornament. Next door, 16 Bedford Road, a former shoemaker's shop located at 24 Bedford until 1888, uses its front-
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
orientation to suggest a
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...
. On the other end of the district and its stylistic extreme is 40 Bedford Road, the original rectory. With a more openly cubic form, and
post and lintel In architecture, post and lintel (also called prop and lintel or a trabeated system) is a building system where strong horizontal elements are held up by strong vertical elements with large spaces between them. This is usually used to hold up ...
construction openly recalling classical Greek architecture, it establishes itself firmly in the emerging Greek Revival. The two-and-a-half-story size is unusual in rural applications of the style; it is emphasized with the
frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...
windows. At the same time, its minimal decoration overall echoes the simplicity of the
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
style that prevailed during the 18th century. In between are 24 and 30 Bedford, both buildings where the Federal influence is stronger. Their vertical forms and lighter proportions are more in keeping with the earlier style. Similar applications from their time period can be found in rural communities in this part of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and adjacent regions of
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The last house built, 44 Bedford, hews closely to the same style. Despite being the smallest in size, it retains the same general forms and materials as its older neighbors. This suggests a conscious effort to retain stylistic continuity with the buildings around it rather than embrace newer styles such as the
Picturesque Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...
and other less restrained Victorian trends that had emerged in the decades since St. Stephen's and the other Bedford Road houses had been built. It also reflects the influence exerted on Armonk's builders by the more conservative architectural trends of nearby
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
rather than the rest of the
Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...
, where the Picturesque took hold early. However, the novelty
siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...
, porch and porch detailing are more in accord with post
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
houses.


Preservation

In 1978 North Castle established a Landmarks Preservation Committee. It has nine members, appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Town Board, at least one of whom must be an architect,
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
, historian, or
realtor A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...
.''North Castle Town Code'', Â
126-3

4
, adopted July 20, 1978 and retrieved May 17, 2014.
It is charged with considering nominations for landmark status and any alterations to them that might impact their historic character. As the first residential subdivision in Armonk and the town's sole
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
, the Bedford Road properties are one of its major concerns.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Westchester County, New York __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Westchester County, New York, excluding the city of Peekskill, which has its own list. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and distric ...


References


External links


St. Stephen's Church website
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Historic districts in Westchester County, New York Federal architecture in New York (state) Greek Revival architecture in New York (state) 19th-century architecture in the United States Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York