Home / Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848. / Passage

A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. I

Bolton, Robert Jr. A History of the County of Westchester, from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848. 322 words

The first school-house was erected in 1683, for at a public meeting of the inhabitants, held on the 15th of October of that year, it was ordered, " that a school-house be erected upon a site between the property of Richard Shule and William Haiden, and encouragement given to Mr. Morgan Jones to become tlie school-master."*

This building occupied the site of the present village schoolhouse. Thus the ground has been used for this purpose one hundred and sixty- four years.

In 1685 it was agreed to build a town house, fourteen feet long and twelve feet broad, and to set it up by the highway side between the houses of Captain William Haiden and Richard Shute.

Beside the home lots, the proprietors held equal shares in the planting lands, (situated on the west side of Rattlesnake brook,) tthe commons, or Conoval meadows, and the sheep pasture.

At a town meeting, held 21st February, 1705, the inhabitants did agree by vote, '^ that all the land below Annhooks brook, and also a strait line from the old meadow to the head of Rattlesnake brook, beside all the land between Hutchinsons brook, an Rattlesnake brook, to the extent of the half mile shall be for a perpetual sh:ep pasture.'''^

Upon the 30th of May, 1707, John Drake and Edmund Ward were chosen sheep-masters by the freeholders of Eastchester.

The town and village of Eastchester were distinguished, in our early colonial annals, for the active part they took in favor of Governor Leisler; for we find " Leisler's party strengthened on the 3d of June, 16S9, by the addition of six captains and four hundred men in New York, and a company of seventy men from Eastchester, who had all subscribed on that day a solemn declaration to preserve the Protestant religion and the fort of New York for the Prince of Orange and the Governor whom the Prince might appoint as their protector.''^