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| 1891 - When Chester Park was first formed, it belonged to an unincorporated section of the Town of Pelham known as Pelhamville. The area known as Chester Park was owned by William Standen and his wife, Elizabeth. They decided to break up their land into streets and building lots surrounding a central "Green." In a map filed with the County Registrar's office in 1891, the area was divided into eighty-nine lots with each lot being 100 feet by 100 feet. These were deeded on December 7, 1891 to the Pelhamville Land and Homestead Association. | 1892 - Because of the reverter clause above, the lots became unsaleable. So, by an agreement dated January 15, 1892, entered into by the same parties, the restrictions were replaced in each deed without the reversion clause quoted above. They are commonly referred to as the "Chester Park Restrictions." | 1912 - By 1912 there were enough lots sold and built upon that the residents formed an association to carry out the responsibilities of their deed. Thus, on September 12, 1912 the Chester Park Association was formed. | 1921 - The Pelhamville Land and Homestead Association passed out of existence in 1921, when all the lots were sold. | 1927 - When the Hutchinson River Parkway was built in 1927, the State took Brook Ave. and several lots on both Chestnut and Maple. They also took all of the Schaub farm in Mt. Vernon and a large part of the Pelham portion. | 1932 - By 1932 street maintenance had become the province of the Village, the surrounding area had become developed, and the entry gates had been removed. The onset of the Depression, followed by World War II, made it difficult for normal activities to proceed. | 1943 - In 1943, Mr. Vincent Lopardi bought the Pelham portion of the old Schaub farm, subdivided it into lots and extended Linden from Pine to the Parkway land. His goal was new homes for returning soldiers. He built several of the homes now there. This whole area was incorporated into Chester Park in the 1955 reorganization. | 1955 - The Association was reactivated on October 19, 1955. | 1957 - Chester Park became incorporated as a "membership corporation" on November 29, 1957 under the laws of New York, and the certificate of incorporation was filed with the Secretary of State . | 1973 - The final change of local government that affected Chester Park residents occurred in 1973, when the Village of North Pelham merged with the Village of Pelham. This latter entity had covered the area of Pelham from the railroad tracks south to Colonial Ave. The Village of Pelham, to which Chester Park now belongs, is its current local government. | ||||||
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| The Standen land - and therefore Chester Park - ran south from the
place where the Hutchinson River met Pelhamdale Ave. to what is now
Willow. It was bordered on the west by the Hutchinson River and on the
east by Pelhamdale Ave. It is believed to be named after President Chester
A. Arthur, although no one has ever been able to find out why.
The deed restricted the use of the lots shown on the map to private dwellings, to be occupied by not more than one family, with not more than one such dwelling to be erected on any lot. Each dwelling was to be set back from the street in front by at least fifteen feet. The lot owners were to contribute to the expenses of maintaining the Green and the streets in the Park confines. No businesses could be run in the Park. The deed stated that all the restrictions "shall run with the land all the time, and it is expressly understood that upon any violation of this covenant, the premises hereby conveyed shall revert to the parties of the first part, their heirs or assigns, in fee simple forever." |
The whole area of Chester Park was entered through Central Ave. off of Pelhamdale. There were gates where Pine and Willow meet Pelhamdale Ave. This accounts for the four pillars at Central and Pelhamdale, and the main steps into the Green at Central and Maple. The Standens maintained their home on the land north of Pine between Maple and Pelhamdale. Upon their deaths, the land was bought by a family named Schaub as part of their farm which extended northward across the Hutchinson River into Mount Vernon. Maple and Chestnut Avenues also went further north, ending at the Hutchinson River. There was a street that ran between them called Brook Ave. | From 1912 onward, the Association held regular meetings up through 1932. | In the late fifties, and again in the early seventies, the Town of Pelham attempted to gain possession of the Green and develop it into single family homes. The Association defended against these efforts, with a great deal of fundraising, meetings, and research. The resistance of the home owners and the difficulties of getting clear title for a developer (because of the Chester Park Restrictions) brought about the failure of these take-over efforts. Chester Park retained its residents' possession of the Green. | Throughout its history, the CPA and its members have made good use of the Green. Children played, annual meetings were held, special events were celebrated. Such current events as the Annual Meeting, the Fourth of July Picnic, and Santa in the Park go back many years. The biennial Tag Sale is of recent vintage. Some things of the past were eclipsed by modern times, such as the Movies in the Park - which lost out to multiplex theatres. Some decorative items - such as the fountain that used to be in the center of the Green's circle, the annual giant Christmas tree, the large potted plants on pedestals - all became the targets of vandals and were discontinued. The annual Spring Dance fell victim to the plethora of Village, Town, and School activities all residents are now a part of, and was discontinued. | |||||||||||
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"No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired... more generally respected."Alexander K. McClure, on Pres. Chester A. Author |