April 24, 2026.
Drove toward NYC and paid a visit to St. Paul’s Church in Mt. Vernon (formerly Eastchester). The church was first a 1700s wooden building founded by Puritans and later became an Anglican parish due to influence of nearby British. Construction on the current stone and brick church began in 1763 and was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. The incomplete structure then served as a field hospital for British, Hessian, and American troops. Locals buried the church’s bell to prevent it from being melted down for ammunition. Construction continued (and the bell was dug up) in 1783. The bell is still used to this day. Michael, the wonderfully dressed NPS staff member who gave me a detailed tour, rang it for me using a rope that extends to the bottom floor from the (closed to the public) tower. Michael, by the way, makes his own clothes, and his mid-1700s costume is beautifully designed.
The adjacent cemetery contains veterans from the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WW1, & the Vietnam War. It also contains the burial sites for, among many others, enslaved people, early Eastchester residents, Dr Charles Taft (treated Lincoln after he was shot), & long-time resident Rebecca Turner who was a descendant of freed slaves and whose family lived on the adjacent land for over a hundred years until local industry polluted their property and forced them out. Current residents also unfortunately include groundhogs which are wreaking havoc. Appropriate professionals are soon coming to manage this issue. Geese droppings are problematic too, but fake coyotes stand guard to keep the honkers away.
Just before I left, NPS staff member David offered to play the church pipe organ for me. The organ was built in 1833 and is one of the oldest working organs in the USA.
This was a lovely morning, and I enjoyed the tour and the conversations with Michael and David.
Michael has a side business (not NPS related) doing historical presentations focusing on New York’s 17th and 18th century history, by the way. You can Google his website, Historical Presentations with Michael Grillo.
