Morrisania 375 



Neck. The Cromwell family also became a prominent one 

 in White Plains. 



James Cromwell, a descendant of the first settler in America, 

 was born November 6, 1752, and in his younger days worked 

 for Lewis Morris at Morrisania. This was probably about 

 1770; but, as General Morris had established a mill on Crom- 

 well's Creek, or Mentipathe, as the Indians called it, in 1760, 

 it is fair to presume that the house was built for the use of 

 the miller about the earlier date. However, that may be, 

 the creek received its name from James Cromwell and has 

 retained it ever since. The house was not far away from the 

 probable road, or lane, connecting Fordham with the Mor- 

 risania manor-house, so it was frequently visited, if not oc- 

 cupied, by the British. An old resident of the neighborhood 

 told the author that he had heard his grandfather relate how 

 the occupants of the house used to fire from its windows at 

 the flocks of wild geese flying overhead. James Cromwell 

 lived here for several years, and, after the Revolution, went 

 into the grocery business in New York, moving later to Orange 

 County, where he died. 



The central part of the town was occupied by a number 

 of mansions and estates, few of which remain; if so, the houses 

 have been converted to such base uses as to be unrecognizable. 

 The Morrisania town-hall was located at Third Avenue and 

 1 60th Street. Here was transacted the business of the four 

 wards into which the town was divided. The old town-hall 

 was used as a police station-house for a long time after annex- 

 ation until replaced by the present structure occupied since 

 November 21, 1905. A block above at, 161st Street, there is 

 in course of construction a fine stone court-house. We may 

 say with the ancient chroniclers, that the memory of man 

 runneth not to the contrary as to when it was not in course of 



