On the west side of Purchase Street, and near its junction with the White Plains road, is situated the " Ophir Farm," once the property of Mr. Benjamin Halladay. Near the junction of Purchase Street and Harrison Avenue, is located the Harrison post office. In this small hamlet is a Methodist Episcopal church. "As early as 1843, the Rev. H. A. Mead, local elder, commenced preaching here in a school-house, and in a private dwelling. The church was built in 1855-6. This church is connected with the village Methodist Episcopal church, of White Plains ; Mr. Mead still continues in charge."a

In the vicinity of Harrison Avenue is the old Thomas' estate. The small settlement of Purchase, commenced by the Friends as early as 17 19, and frequently called Rye Woods, is pleasantly situated in the northern part of the town, on the south-east side of Rye Pond. It contains two meeting houses belonging to the Society of Friends, a store and a post office, upon the road from Rye to Bedford ; passing through this place, are several substantial farm houses.

The Friends.

From Flushing, probably, the Society of Friends spread at a very early day to this place. Rye was in regular communication with Long Island, in 1739; a ferry was established between it and Oyster Bay, Long Island. This ferry continued in use till the latter part of the century. A map of Rye in 1797 shows the house at the ferry near the mouth of Byram River.6 It must have been a place of frequent resort