Westchester 397 



purchaser with Tippett of a part of Colen Donck, and Edward 

 Jessup of the West Farms patent. At the time of annexation, 

 when the part of the Borough east of the Bronx River became 

 a part of New York County, the town records were removed 

 to the city and are now in the Record Department, Register's 

 office of the Comptroller's office. The deeds, wills, and other 

 official and legal papers are still kept at White Plains. 



At a town meeting, June 8, 1700, it was resolved: 

 " That whereas at a former meeting . . . on the third day of 

 May, 1697, it was voted and agreed upon that there should be a 

 town hall, built to hold courts in and for the publick worship 

 of God, but it being then neglected, the mayor, aldermen, and 

 justices at this meeting did order with a joynt consent to 

 build a house for the uses of a court and prison. The dimen- 

 sions of the house are to be twenty-six feet square, sixteen 

 feet joynts, a square roof, six window cases five feet square, 

 etc. The trustees agreed with Richard Ward to build said 

 house for £33, and with Erasmus Orton to build the prison 

 for £5. It is to be twenty feet long, 16 feet wide, seven feet 

 high, two feet thick with a good chimney. . . . Which work 

 is to be done by the 31st." 



The seal for the town was furnished gratis in 1696, by 

 Colonel Caleb Heathcote, the first mayor. In 1746, small- 

 pox prevailed at Greenwich, New York, then the meeting 

 place of the Assembly, and the Legislature adjourned to West- 

 chester, probably holding its sessions in the court-house. 



By the act of November 1, 1683, which divided the Province 

 into counties, the borough-town was designated as the county- 

 seat; and later the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General 

 Jail Delivery was held in the court-house, erected under the 

 resolution given above. From the New York Post Boy of 

 1758, we get the following item: "new YORK, FEB. 13th. 

 We hear from Westchester that on Saturday night the 4th 



