404 The Story of The Bronx 



the original occupancy of the neck by Cornell and a brief 

 statement of its subsequent history. 



The neck remained in possession of the Willetts until 1793, 

 when the west half of it was conveyed to Dominick Lynch, 

 an Irish gentleman, of whom another son of Erin remarked: 

 " Mr. Lynch is the only Irishman I ever heard of that brought 

 money to America." About the same time, the eastern portion 

 of the neck was sold to Isaac Clason. ' This part of the neck 

 includes the point, which, from its new owner of 1793, took the 

 name of Clason's Point, which it still retains. A ferry to con- 

 nect it with Long Island was established in the spring of 1912. 



Mr. Lynch built a large and handsome stone mansion on a 

 high point of his land which gives a fine view of the neck and 

 river. In the large entrance hall is a fireplace and mantel of 

 Carrara marble beautifully carved, with supporting caryatids, 

 which does not show a scratch or blemish on the white grained 

 stone after a usage of more than a century. Mr. Lynch was 

 a devout Catholic; and it is stated that the first services of 

 the Church ever celebrated in Westchester County were held 

 in this mansion. In 1830, his executors sold the west half 

 of the neck to the Ludlow family; later it came into the pos- 

 session of the Schieffelins, who disposed of it in 1870 to the 

 Christian Brothers of the Catholic faith, who used it until 

 1883 as a training school for the neophytes of the society. 

 In this latter year, it was changed into the Sacred Heart 

 Academy, for the education of boys, and it is now known as 

 the Clason's Point Military Academy. Several buildings, 

 including a chapel, have been added, and there is an athletic 

 field, while the water contiguous to the property allows of 

 aquatic sports and pastimes. 



1 The name is also spelled Clauson and Classon; but Clason is the gen- 

 erally accepted spelling. 



