1 66 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



oriel windows present a light and airy effect. The whole structure is ele- 

 gantly furnished, internally as well as externally. The residence of Wil- 

 liam H. Parsons is beautifully situated upon the margin of Blind brook. 

 South of the former is the residence of the late Hachaliah Brown, whose 

 family had, for five generations, occupied the estate. The Browns were 

 descended from Thomas Brown, Esq., of Rye, County of Sussex, Eng- 

 land, who emigrated to Concord, Mass , circ. 1632, from whence he re- 

 moved to Cambridge, where he lived some time. His sons were Thomas, 

 of Rye, who died 1694, and Hachaliah, of Rye." a who died about 1720. 

 In 1756, Major Hachaliah, fourth son of Hachaliah Brown, of Rye, 

 commanded the Westchester Levies, under General Lord Amherst in the 

 French war, and was Justice of the Peace for many years. 



Rye station, on the New Haven Railroad, is situated on Purchase 

 street. The building is a light iron structure, containing telegraph 

 office, passenger, and freight rooms. Distant twenty-four miles from 

 New York ; upwards of twenty-three trains running daily, and running 

 time — fifty-one minutes. 



The drives about Rye are proverbially beautiful. The Boston turnpike, 

 or post-road, traverses the entire length of the town — a distance of six 

 miles and a half, from Mamaroneck to Byram river. It is a wide avenue, 

 lately graded and macadamized, and lined on either side, entire distance, 

 by valuable country seats and stately mansions, with here and there a 

 superb glimpse of the Sound and the Long Island shore. 



The village contains, besides a pest office, several stores and three 

 churches. Among the private educational institutions may be mentioned 

 a seminary for young ladies, and one for boys (Park Institute), while the 

 facilities for public instruction are also excellent. For a number of 

 years Mr. Samuel U. Berrian had charge of the well-known Chresto- 

 mathic Institute of Rye, and met with great success in his professional 

 labors — both as a teacher and a disciplinarian. 



North-east of the village, bordering on Purchase street, is the property 

 of the late Josiah Purdy. The Purdy family were among the early set- 

 tlers of Hartford and Fairfield, Connecticut. Francis Purdy, 6 the first 

 of the family or whom we have any account, died in 1658, at Fairfield. 

 His three sons — John, Joseph and Francis — came early to Rye ; John 

 in the year 1670, Joseph by 1677, and Francis by 1679. Their de 

 scendants are now quite numerous throughout the country. 



a Baird's nist, of Rye, p. 399. 



b An Inventory of the goods, chattels, kc, of Francis Purdy and his estate, H Oct., 165S 

 Prob. Rec. of Fairiield, 1648-165C., p. 89. Burke in hit General Armory gives the coats of two 

 families of the name of Pnrdj or Purdie: " Or, on a chev. az. betw. three mullets sa. pierced 

 of the field. Crest, a peacock head erased gu. ; another crest, a dexter head holding a roll 

 of parchment, ppr. Motto, Fidelitas." 



