BY SANDI LUSK
I am writing this to update
the community on what is
going on (as far as we know)
with the proposed affordable
housing project slated for the
cemetery lot next to St. Peter’s
church on Westchester
Avenue.
When last we wrote we said
we had several documents, including
old maps from 1865,
1868 and 1881, showing Lot 6
(the proposed build site) was
a Quaker Cemetery called
the Fox/Friends Cemetery
that dated as far back as the
mid-1600s. We contacted the
Landmarks Preservation
Commission and wrote to
the Episcopal Bishop and the
church’s lawyer, hand-delivering
a letter outlining what
we knew. No real response.
Sometime later, we had
the good fortune to be contacted
by Jon Arnow, a direct
descendant of the prominent
founding Arnow and
Stinnard families, among
the earliest leaders in the
town of Westchester Village.
He had in his possession an
extensive document created
by J.M. Lincoln in 1909 cataloguing
the four cemeteries
of Westchester Village: the
Methodist Cemetery (which
is now gone, but was on Williamsbridge
Road; St. Peter’s
PE Cemetery; Ferris Family
Cemetery (on Commerce Avenue),
and the Friends/Fox
(named for the Fox family
who were Quakers and sold
the cemetery to St. Peter’s
Church; more on that later).
This document (in addition to
being absolutely fascinating,
as he copied all the headstone
inscriptions in situ) clearly
shows that there are at least
80 burials in the build area,
among them many Stinnard
(who were Quakers) ancestors
of Mr. Arnow.
A member of our little coalition
also was kind enough
to go down to the NYC Department
of Buildings and get a
clear copy of the original September
9, 1925 deed outlining
the sale of the land of the Fox
Cemetery to St. Peter’s church
by Austen Fox so St. Peter’s
could bury their dead, as they
had run out of room for burials
in the lands they owned. It is
a very interesting document,
but one paragraph is very relevant
to this situation, and I
quote directly from it here:
“…the party of the second
part for itself its successors
and assigns further covenants
and agrees with the
said Austen Fox and his heirs
executors and administrators
that it and its successors and
assigns will forever maintain
as a burial ground all that
part of the said premise which
heretofore has been used as a
burial ground and will not
use or suffer it to be used for
any other purpose; and will so
maintain it as a burial ground
exclusively for the bodies of
persons connected at the time
of their death with the society
of Friends or the descendants
of persons whose bodies have
VEHICLE CRASHES INTO CHINESE RESTAURANT
A car crashed into Chinese food store Lee Xing Restaurant, 3207 Westchester Avenue, just off of Wilkinson
Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday November 22. The crash resulted in the storefront’s glass
windows being shattered as well as car damage, after the car apparently backed into the restaurant
by mistake. It was reported that three victims were taken to a nearby hospital after the incident. The
victims are expected to recover from their injuries. Photo by Aracelis Batista
been or shall be interred in
the said burial ground…and
will not suffer or permit the
remains of persons heretofore
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, NOVEMBER 2 60 9-DECEMBER 5, 2019 BTR
buried there to be disturbed;
and will maintain it
in the same manner and with
the same reverent care as it
and they shall maintain the
burial ground of the church
of Saint Peter’s adjacent to
the said premises; and will
mark the boundaries thereof
by equitable stone posts at all
the corners connecting them
by hedges or paved paths or
walks…”
These documents described
were sent by us and Mr. Arnow
to both the lawyer for St.
Peter’s church and Bishop Andrew
M.L. Dietsche, Diocesan
Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese
of New York.
We had asked from the
very fi rst that a complete archeological
survey be done of
the proposed build area. Our
request was ignored until recently,
most likely because
the Bishop took the documents
into consideration and
requested it before he made
a decision on approving the
lease with the City. Approximately
two weeks ago Chrysalis
Archeology began digging
at the site at the behest of
St. Peter’s.
Several members of the
Coalition to Preserve the
Friends Cemetery showed up
and asked to have a brief word
with them. We were told they
could not talk to us unless
Reverend Joade allowed them
to. We duly went to fi nd her at
the rectory, and after receiving
no answer, someone came
out and told us she was not
there. We left a message saying
we wanted permission to
speak to the excavators, and
she said she didn’t know.
We then went back and
watched the people conducting
the dig from outside the
cemetery, and tried to explain
the grade of the road had been
raised by many feet when the
train el was put in, so anything
they found would be
buried deep.
The person from the
church then came over and
said we were harassing the
excavators and trespassing,
even though we were outside
the fence on the public sidewalk.
She then went off to report
our ‘misconduct’ to Community
Board 10. We left. I
went back a week later to fi nd
all the fences fi xed and signs
all over the place warning
about trespassing. Then last
week a coalition member reported
that it looked like the
digging had been completed
after a few pits were dug.
So, what is the upshot of
this? We do not know. Did
they fi nd anything in the few
pits they dug? We do not know.
This information obviously
will not be shared with us, the
mere community members. I
know that, so far, St. Peter’s
has not fi led any papers with
the DOB yet, and if they want
to continue with the commercial
overlay to put stores in
the proposed building(s) this
will come under the ULURP
process and CB 10 will hold a
public hearing at that time. I
am hoping that the archeologists
did turn up artifacts.
If they say they did not, I’m
afraid the backhoes will.
WSZIO has completed another
successful season, hard
to believe the year has gone
by so fast. Since Thanksgiving
is around the corner, I
would like to take the time to
thank our wonderful volunteers
who come out to the kids
events each year: Howard
Brundage Jr, Paul Krebaum,
Eric and Kamala Lusk, Robert
Lusk, Tony Tanguay; Desiree
Barrett and Andrew McRobbie.
I am so grateful for you,
my family and ‘extended’ family.
And also a word about our
sponsors, Dorothy Krynicki
and Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto, thank you.
I would like to wish you all
a happy, healthy, and warm
holiday season spent with
those you love. These are very
turbulent times; time spent
with good friends and family
lifts our spirits and reminds
us that ultimately, love is
what makes life worth living.
A very warm TTFN to all.
Doc Paul Hall, named after
our brother and friend,
is undergoing a makeover.
Fresh paint, crown molding,
new lighting and window
treatments, all being done in
house by our members. I am
sure it will look outstanding
when completed. Thanks to
all of you who have stepped
up once again.
A reminder of up coming
events at the post. Sunday,
December 1, 2 p.m., the Kiwanis
Club will be hosting a
Veterans Thanksgiving luncheon
at the post, turkey and
all the fi xings at no charge,
there will be a cash bar available.
All they ask is that you
bring a new unwrapped toy
for children that may have
nothing for Christmas.
Friday, December 20, 7
p.m. the post will be having
its Christmas/Ugly Sweater
Party, food is on the post, all
members welcome to celebrate
the Christmas Season.
The US Marine Corps in
partnership with the Marine
Corps League has set
up a Toys For Tots collection
box in our main hall for new
unwrapped toys. This program
has been in operation
for many years and is a very
good cause.
We are tasked with collecting
the toys from various
locations around the Bronx
and getting them to the distribution
point. We will need
members with vans, pickups
or large SUV s to accomplish
this mission, please let us
know if you can lend a hand,
should not take more than a
few hours.
The week of December 9
we will begin the collection
to get them to the children in
time for Christmas. Happy
Thanksgiving to all, have a
safe and enjoyable day. That’s
all for now. We are stronger
as one, let’s work together.
God bless America.