Gray Williams

A Slice of New Castle History, Visited In our Writer’s Letter to Dorinda Dodge

February 24, 2022 by Stacey Pfeffer

Dear Dorinda,

The first time I came across your tombstone in the Quaker Friends Meeting House graveyard, I was awestruck. It stood out. While others were weather beaten and some barely legible yours stood at attention and was clearly new. What I found even more interesting was that it listed your birthdate – May 23, 1938 but no date of death. As someone more accustomed to Jewish cemeteries, I had never before seen a headstone listing a birthdate but no information recording a date of death.

A daily walker amongst those tombstones with my two dogs, I knew that you were probably from a prominent family in Chappaqua. After all, there were tombstones from the Kipp family of Kipp Street in this same graveyard and the Haights of Haights Cross Road. I had an inkling that you were a descended from the family that built Dodge Farm which is abutting the Quaker Friends Meeting House.

And with extra time on my hands (thanks COVID lockdowns) and a natural curiosity about local history, I reached out to the New Castle Historical Society first about you and then another somewhat trusty resource aka Google who informed me of your nickname Rindy and your current residence in Vero Beach, Florida.

Gray Williams, the omniscient town historian answered my inquiry and promptly replied that “Dorinda (Rindy) Dodge is the daughter of Courtney Dodge, the developer and builder of the family homestead property, Dodge Farm. Marcourt Drive (one of my favorite running spots btw) is a compression of his and his sister’s names: Mar[jorie] and Court[ney]. Rindy decided that she wants to be buried with her family and arranged to have her monument erected to mark the spot.”

So of course, his reply piqued my curiosity and I did a bit more research on your Quaker family who had roots in this town dating back to the 1740s. Your father’s contribution to the development of this town caught my eye in particular. Looking at notes from the Horace Greeley High School Class of 1957, I found that your father Courtney started building homes 1938 around Dodge Farm, the very same year that you were born. Perhaps he needed income for his growing family or he had a strong desire to keep putting roots down in this bucolic slice of Northern Westchester.

With you turning 84 this year, I get a little burst of happiness every time I pass your tombstone and see no date of death listed. You must be alive and kicking in the Florida sun instead of succumbing to COVID as one in 100 older Americans have in this pandemic.”

It couldn’t have been easy building homes with a newborn and no formal training in construction or real estate development but he was described as a “natural at building things.” The class notes explain that Courtney would buy land in Dodge Farms from his mother, build a house on it, move in, build another house, put them both on the market and sell whichever went first.

Dorinda, I am sorry that you moved so many times in your childhood but at least you weren’t uprooted to a new town. I understand that your family moved many times because people usually wanted to buy the house your family was living in because it was beautifully adorned with antiques. The notes continue to say that “Rindy would leave one house in the morning, go to school and come back to the next house at night..almost everything unchanged.” What cherished objects did you take with you from home to home – a stuffed animal, a doll?

It is believed that your father built around 25 houses or so with a brief hiatus during World War II. Houses in the early days sold for under $10,000 but today yield well over a million.

But enough about him… I wonder more about you. I know you have many artistic talents, painting among them and have previously been an interior decorator. I was thrilled to hear that you have many grandchildren too and have traveled the world.

With you turning 84 this year, I get a little burst of happiness every time I pass your tombstone and see no date of death listed. You must be alive and kicking in the Florida sun instead of succumbing to COVID as one in 100 older Americans have in this pandemic.

And Mr. Williams confirmed for me that you are indeed “very much alive.” May you continue to live a vibrant life Dorinda and if you ever come to your hometown for a visit, look me up. I’d love to meet you and learn more about your family’s history and ties to our hamlet.

With warmest wishes,
Stacey Pfeffer

PS I’m glad you decided to honor your family’s roots here by choosing your hometown as your final resting place and joining the six other Dodges already buried here. There was clearly a reason why the Algonquins called our town shah-pah-ka, a place where nothing is heard but the rustling of the wind in the leaves.

PPS It’s great to see that the house building talent was passed down from your father and that you are working on building your third house in sunny Florida. If wintry weather continues, I may just look you up and pay you a visit.

Getting to Know Gray Williams: Town Historian Extraordinaire

December 1, 2017 by Dana Y. Wu

Gray and Ike Kuzio, Town Superintdendent of Recreation & Parks at Millwood’s 200 Year Anniversary celebration PHOTO BY ROB GREENSTEIN

Town Historian Gray Williams is a master at painting a vivid picture of history. Quaker, Haight, Sarles, Kipp, Pines Bridge, Greeley, Commodore–the names of these local roads impart a legacy of almost three centuries of history. Other names around town–Stone Road, Hardscrabble Road, Stony Hills, Turner Swamp, Roaring Brook–suggest that the countryside, while perhaps full of natural beauty, was not entirely ideal for agriculture.

Gray’s principal duty as town historian is to serve as chair of the town’s Landmarks Advisory Committee, established in 1990. Jill Shapiro, Town Administrator, says his presentations on properties recommended for landmark status are legendary. “They are so well researched but not dry. He always finds a spark–something interesting and unique–about a property or its former residents that makes it special.”

The Town Historian and the committee, all unpaid volunteers, also makes recommendations whenever an application for significant alteration of a landmark comes before the Architectural Review Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, or the Building Department so that the historical significance of the site will be taken into account. Some New Castle landmarks are also listed inside the National Register of Historic Places.

Much of Gray’s work as an historian is devoted to writing. His most recent publication is a short illustrated history, Horace Greeley and the Greeley Family in Chappaqua. In addition to research reports, histories of landmarks and exhibitions at the Horace Greeley House and Museum, Gray has a special interest in the eight graveyards in New Castle–the Quaker graveyard, Fair Ridge Cemetery, and six abandoned family burying grounds. While preparing for the recent 150th Anniversary Tour of Fair Ridge Cemetery, Ken White, Jr. a former New Castle Historical Society (NCHS) trustee and current docent, recalls, “In the true spirit of Tom Sawyer, Gray presented me with my own scrub brush and spray bottle to start on a row of headstones and also convinced me that this endeavor was really great fun.”

Gray, an ex-officio trustee of the NCHS and a trustee of the Westchester County Historical Society, states, “The monuments in these graveyards embody the history of Chappaqua from the time it was first settled.” Ken adds, “Almost all of the town’s abandoned cemeteries now lie within private property and have long been neglected. Gray is the consummate statesman in negotiating for access and managing care. Some of the graveyards are on steep hillsides and are badly overgrown, but Gray also is undaunted by bees, brambles or a challenging climb.”

Gray grew up in Chappaqua and, with his wife, Marian, raised a family here. His neighbors have enjoyed the pleasure of Gray’s sense of humor and his intellectual spark. Jamie Comstock, a current NCHS trustee, says “When I moved to Marcourt Drive in the early 90s, Gray and Marian threw a wonderful party to introduce me to my other neighbors. I have valued his warmth and kindness over the years more than I can say. Running into him around town always gives me the same kind of feeling as suddenly remembering there is ice cream in my freezer – such a pleasure!”

Until the 20th century, New Castle was primarily an agricultural town, with grist and saw mills, cider and vinegar works, a shoe factory, and a pickle factory supplementing its dairy farms and apple orchards. Given our town’s origins, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein says, “It is beyond dispute that in order to know where we are going, we must know where we’ve been. Gray’s endeavors in searching for and memorializing our Town’s history benefits us all.”

Kids love to probe Gray’s vast knowledge of the homes and neighborhoods of New Castle and learn about their own houses. And Gray never disappoints with his stories during the Q &A following the middle school presentations, when kids ask about where they live.

For example, Pierce Drive (right on the border of Chappaqua and Pleasantville) is named for the farm of a Quaker farmer, Moses Pierce, who operated a station on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. Gray says of Pierce’s farm, “Perhaps this stop was right before the Jay Homestead in Bedford, which is also believed to have sheltered escaping slaves. The Jay family, from John Jay on, steadfastly opposed slavery.” The Pierces were members of the Quaker Meeting, whose meetinghouse was built in 1754, making it the oldest recorded building in Chappaqua. The Quakers who settled here embraced not only non-violence but also the equality of all human beings, regardless of race or sex. From as early as 1775, the Quakers denounced slavery though few went so far as Moses Pierce in defying the law for their beliefs. He and his wife, Esther, together with several others of their family, are buried in the Quaker graveyard.

Along with all of the other NCHS volunteers and the Landmarks Advisory Committee, Gray has preserved and interpreted local historic artifacts, documents, and stories to truly serve broad cultural and heritage goals in our community and beyond. Gray’s professional life as a writer and editor comes through in quality and details of the captions he writes for the rooms and objects at the Horace Greeley House. Suzanne Keay, a current trustee of the NCHS says, “At a recent lecture at the Horace Greeley House about runaway slaves in the mid-Hudson Valley, Gray seemed to know the names of almost every family mentioned by the lecturer. I don’t know what we’d do without Gray and his deep knowledge and dedication.”

NCHS is dependent on volunteers and membership to support its programming and activities, such as the annual Tree Lighting and Carols and the Victorian Valentine Tea Party. Georgia Frasch, NCHS Trustee, thoroughly enjoys going to scout potential old homes with Gray for the annual “Castles of New Castles” house tours. “I learn so much. Gray has spent countless hours looking at foundations and crawl spaces, all to preserve the rich history that has made this town so special. The names–Haight, Taylor, Washburn, Bristol, Quinby–are people who lived here and gave their properties a distinct sense of time and place. We love showing homes that demonstrate how our present is rooted in our past.”

It may be hard to imagine that our suburban homes were once heavily forested hills and valleys occupied by local Wappinger tribes whose totem was the Enchanted Wolf. Gray’s publications, stories and anecdotes keep us remembering and respecting our unique hamlet’s 300 years of significant events, persons, businesses and buildings.

Nine Ways Chappaqua Might Change as a Two-President Town

October 21, 2016 by Stacey Pfeffer

After casting their vote at Grafflin during New York’s primary day in April. Grace Bennett Photo

The excitement in Chappaqua has been building for months ever since one of our most famous residents, Hillary Rodham Clinton, announced her candidacy for President. No matter how you cast your vote this November, it is undeniable that our small town’s larger than life profile throughout the U.S. and beyond will simply continue to expand. Although it is impossible to predict the election’s exact impact on our town, here are an array of predictions of what may be in store should Chappaqua become a two-president town:

1. An even higher profile for our town–as if that were even possible. “The Clintons helped put Chappaqua on the national map when they moved here in 1999,“ said State Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Mount Kisco), and a member of Hillary for New York Leadership Council. Echoing Assemblyman Buchwald’s sentiments, Grace Bennett, publisher/editor of Inside Chappaqua noted that “in truth, Chappaqua has been on the world stage for many years now; I’ve tried to convey a sense of their influence here since launching Inside Chappaqua in 2003, shortly after the Clintons arrived. The powerful presence of this world famous couple has become part and parcel of our town’s identity, and I think that phenomenon will only be enhanced and solidified if Hillary Clinton becomes the nation’s first woman president.”

2. Cultivating a culture of concerned citizens in Chappaqua across all generations. Hometown advocacy groups for Hillary were established even prior to her official announcement to run for President. These Hillary supporters from groups such as Chappaqua Friends of Hill (and Tim) have local members that span across all age groups and are involved in activities such as canvassing and voter registration near and far. Many of these supporters have never been involved before in political advocacy but felt inspired by her. Chappaqua 4 Clinton/Kaine NOW offers a steady stream of campaign news on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Increased media presence. Last month, when Hillary Clinton abruptly left a September 11th ceremony, it was later announced that she had pneumonia. For several days, several TV crews were camped outside Walgreen’s on King Street and her Old House Lane residence hoping to catch a glimpse of her. There’s no doubt the media will be back in town on Election Day to secure footage of her and former President Bill Clinton voting at their polling place, Grafflin Elementary School. The good news is that most likely the media presence will be short-lived and will only be palpable when she is in town.

4. Enhanced notice of our downtown merchants. There’s a definite “up side” to all the media exposure. “Seeing Chappaqua’s store fronts on a national TV newscast or in a top daily newspaper is not only thrilling for all of us who live and work here, but it serves as a very effective means for promoting our town and its businesses,” noted Dawn Dankner Rosen, president of the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce.

“I can say that this continuous media interest and focus on the Clintons in our town’s shops and restaurants couldn’t be better for our branding and for creating awareness of Chappaqua as a destination town for shopping and dining. These opportunities for national (and global!) exposure can only increase exponentially once we become–historically and uniquely–home to two U.S. Presidents! That’s an extremely special identification for any town/community to have!”

5. Warm welcomes from the community when they are back at home. “When Hillary becomes president, I’m sure the duties of her office will keep her in Washington and abroad even more than before. And when the Clintons find themselves back in Chappaqua, they will be warmly welcomed, as they are now,” said Robert Greenstein, Town Supervisor.

Gray Williams the town historian agreed, noting that “the Presidency is an ephemeral thing” lasting eight years at most and that the couple’s White House duties will keep them traveling a lot.

But there’s little doubt that the Clintons will continue to visit and keep annual traditions such as marching in the town’s Memorial Day parade or shopping in town. “Since moving here both Bill and Hillary Clinton have been wonderful, loyal supporters of our business community and frequent shoppers and diners in town,” added Dankner Rosen. “No matter how many sightings or selfies we’ve all taken, their unexpected shopping trips are always met with unprecedented enthusiasm and excitement throughout the community.”

With Varda Singer, owner, ICD Contemporary Jewelry, during an impromptu party at Crabtree’s Kittle House to celebrate Hillary Clinton’s historic nomination.

6. Occasional traffic issues/road closures. When Bill Clinton was President, he occasionally used the Westchester Airport. As a security measure, the roads were closed so that his motorcade could pass through. Chief Ferry of the New Castle Police noted hat the department would help with “traffic flow” and residents can expect that from time to time Hillary may also use the airport.

The police department has put additional funding in the budget for additional officers for next year to help assist with this and Ferry noted that when Bill was President much of this funding was actually reimbursed by the Federal Government. Additionally the police department recently changed Old House Lane and neighboring Green Lane to “local traffic only” streets as a security precaution.

7. A huge impression on our younger residents. The cover story essays in this very edition offer a sense of how Hillary’s “first woman nominee” status has impacted the imagination of younger residents, especially girls,” noted Bennett. “Her influences on all our childrens’ futures is absolutely phenomenal to consider, too. You can never underestimate the ripple effects of a broken glass ceiling!

The Clintons have helped build awareness about national and international issues right in our backyard, among young and old alike. Hillary, in her campaign, is inspiring activism both on her behalf and on a multitude of issues. We might otherwise just be a sleepy suburb in northern Westchester!”

8. A sense of permanence. The recent purchase of the house next door to the Clinton’s current property is ample evidence of a commitment to Chappaqua from the Clintons for the foreseeable future.

News outlets have already speculated that the property will be used as a weekend retreat by Chelsea Clinton and her family.

Memorial Day Parade 2015
Grace Bennett Photo

9. Creating a legacy in our town for years to come. Williams noted that Chappaqua may well be the only town in the US that boasts two Presidents and a third Presidential candidate (Greeley). Although it is impossible to tell if the Clinton’s home will one day be a museum or if a statue of Hillary will be erected in downtown, “the bottom line for me is that, every bit as much as Horace Greeley became the signature historical hero of our town, I believe the Clintons are forever part of our past, present and future folklore, too. And in the best possible way, summed up Bennett.

Commenting on the possibility of a statue of Hillary, Director of the Chappaqua Library Pamela Thornton said, “I don’t think they [The Clintons] are the kind who want a statue. I think they’d rather see a community center or teen center named after them as their legacy.”

Williams agreed stating with a chuckle, “I don’t expect a ten-foot statue of Hillary. I’m not sure exactly where we’d put it.”

Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband and three young children in Chappaqua. She has written for New York Family Magazine, Kveller.com, Westchester Parents and Inside Armonk.