Pleasa Mount a quesbecame the -Manor House" of the Philipses, was begun is has init h althoug torily, satisfac settled been tion that has never was acvolved some very animated controversy. The date 1682 City Hall cepted at the time when the -Manor House" became the authorities able respect by ned maintai of Yonkers; but it is sturdily the dwelling did on the early history of Philipseburgh Manor that The time of the later. years many until ng not have its beginni Philipse,' is likeerection of the Pocantico house, styled "Castle" at 1 onkers became House Manor « the ely wise unknown. Ultimat the Pocantico house the principal seat of the family, much excelling

PHILIPSES

CORTLANDTS

in architectural pretensions; but of the two dwellings as originally built, the latter was undoubtedly the finer, a fact of which sufficient evidence is afforded by the circumstance that it was the preferred habitation of the proprietor after the procurement of the manorial patent. The selection of the Yonkers site for one of the residences was undoubtedly determined by the existence there of Van der Donck's mill and the conspicuous natural advantages of the for the dislocality. The other, being intended as the family seat tant northern section of the property, was naturally located on the most important stream falling into the Hudson in that section, the Pocantico River. Opinions differ as to whether Philipse had a predecessor on the Pocantico as on the Nepperhan. Although in the former quarter his proprietorship was the earliest of legal record, the question arwhether private settlers boasting no legal pretensions had notfinds rived there before his purchase is, of course, a fair one. Bolton no evidence of any such ancient occupancy. The Rev. Dr. David Cole, in his " History of Yonkers," written in 18S6, discussing the subject of the two Philipse houses, makes no allusion to possible settlements at or near Tarrytown antedating Philipse's appearance, or to the pre-existence of a mill there, simply remarking that he chose the banks of the Pocantico " as a site for a new mill." More over, in the same connection, speculating with regard to the period the Poat which Philipse established himself in his residence on death ot cantico, Dr.