Home / Scharf, J. Thomas, ed. History of Westchester County, New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I. Philadelphia: L.E. Preston & Co., 1886. / Passage

History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

Scharf, J. Thomas, ed. History of Westchester County, New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I. Philadelphia: L.E. Preston & Co., 1886. 258 words

Iselin has not only fitted up at his own expense a fine building, containing a reading-room, library and billiard-room for the instruction and amusement of the young people, but he has expended many thousands of dollars in the erection of a gymiuisium for physical exercise, which, when complete, will be an ornament to the town, and ought greatly to promote the health and enjoyment of the inhabitants. This building is entirely uniijue, and has no rival, so far as I know, in this country; certainly not outside of the great cities.

I have been furnished by Mr. William Le Count, of New Rochelle, with an elaborate description of the gymnasium, which is here given (in a form slightly condensed) from his manuscript : -- " It is built of Calabar brick, and trinuned with blue stone and Philadelphia brick. The mason-work is of a superior quality. The arches over the windows and doors are a most attractive feature. Every brick exposed to view in these arches was specially chiseled and shaped on the premises, requiring a great amount of skill and labor to make this seemingly small part of the building. The roof is covered with red Akron tiles, which, on the main roof are flat, and on the towers and turrets corrugated, and ornamented with terra-cotta crestings and finials. The wood-work is of the best yellow and white pine and oak. The extreme length of the building is 114 feet; extreme

' >tr. Miller's gift of one tlioiisand eight hundred dollars for education should not be forgotten.