Mar. 26, 2014: To commemorate Eastchester's 350th anniversary, the choice for the lecture's topic was easy--the unique life of Alexander Masterton.

On Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 pm, at historic St. Paul's Church in Mount Vernon, Bronxville historian Dr. Marilynn Wood Hill and lifelong resident Robert Riggs will review Masterton's place in the town's history, and they will do so in the very church building adjacent to his burial site. This lecture is free and open to all members of the public.

Dr. Hill and Mr. Riggs were co-founders of The Bronxville Historical Conservancy immediately after the 1998 Bronxville centennial, which they also co-chaired. Although they have earned emeritus status for their years of work on behalf of the conservancy, both continue to actively support the organization as life co-chairs and share their scholarship and organizational talents to support the study of history within the town.

Dr. Hill serves as editor of The Bronxville Journal and has contributed many well-researched articles. Mr. Riggs is the current co-chair of Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc., a program sponsoring multiple activities throughout 2014 that demonstrate the town's pride in its past, including an extensive K-12 educational program that the conservancy generously sponsored.

"I can think of no more qualified speakers to present the life story of Alexander Masterton than Marilynn Hill and Bob Riggs," said Patty Dohrenwend, former Eastchester town clerk and member of Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc.'s steering committee. "Each has researched this particular subject for years and pursued all leads that would reveal information of interest to local history lovers. Their talk should be a real treat!"

Masterton, a Scottish immigrant, mason, and master stone-cutting craftsman, parlayed his knowledge of stone and his business skills to become the baron of the 19th-century Tuckahoe marble quarries in Eastchester. He lived and raised his family in a still-existing Greek revival house he built on White Plains Road in Bronxville. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house was home to his descendants for more than a century. Given his business, his home life, and the work of his relatives, Masterton's footprint is found throughout Eastchester.

Marble from Masterton's enterprises was shipped into New York City and Brooklyn and throughout the country from Maine to Louisiana for major structures being erected in the new nation, earning him the distinction of holding one of the largest federal contracts in 1835.

In addition to the financial rewards that the marble industry brought to Masterton and the town, it would draw immigrants primarily from Ireland and Italy to settle and work in the stone quarries. To this day, descendants of these two ethnic groups in Eastchester celebrate their rich heritage with churches, social clubs, parades, and festivals.

Historic St. Paul's Church, the venue for the lecture, is located at 897 South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, which was once part of the town of Eastchester. Because of the age and originality of the church building (constructed between 1763 and 1788), the fact that its burial yard is one of the oldest continuously used cemeteries in the country, and its connection to the historic colonial election of 1733, St. Paul's is a national historic site, administered by the National Park Service.

The steering committee of Eastchester 350th Anniversary, Inc. is co-sponsoring this lecture with St. Paul's National Historic Site to draw attention to Alexander Masterton's place in the town's roster of renowned citizens and also to encourage residents to familiarize themselves with St. Paul's, one of Westchester County's--and indeed the nation's--historic gems.

For directions to St. Paul's and more information, please consult www.nps.gov/sapa/planyourvisit/events.htm.

Pictured here (rotating): Dr. Marilynn Wood Hill and Robert Riggs.

Photos by Nancy Vittorini