Stunning new art discovery by Scarsdale Historical Society
Drawings of Scarsdale church by American master Whistler found
Justice will be served for Scarsdalians who were unfairly penalized.
The timing couldn’t be better: Coinciding with the 175th anniversary of St. James the Less Church, The Scarsdale Historical Society has discovered two drawings of house of worship by American master, James McNeil Whistler. They depict a private home and St. James the Less Church, both dated 1852 or 1853. Together, the works point to the ties between the Whistler family, early Scarsdale and the Church.
In fact, Anna McNeil Whistler, the artist’s mother and subject of her son's iconic painting known “Whistler’s Mother,” lived in Scarsdale and attended the church for part of 1850s. She resided with her close friends Margaret and Sarah Hill, whose sister was the wife William Sherbrooke Popham. Their residence, originally part of the expansive Popham estate, still stands at 4 Rectory Lane to this day. A large trove of letters written by Anna Whistler during this time have been preserved and digitized on a website by the University of Glasgow. In her missives, she discusses 1850’s Scarsdale and the Popham family, and mentions visits from her children, including James.
It was through perusing the Glasgow University website that Leslie Chang, Associate Scarsdale Village Historian, noticed a very important footnote that read, “JW [James Whistler] did a drawing of the church; see A Country Church.” After searching for through drawings titled “A Country Church” on the web, she discovered a work by that name through the Library of Congress. It made no reference to Scarsdale or St. James, but the “country church” and its Gothic Revival architecture were unmistakable.
St. James the Less Church, c. 1905. Located at today’s 10 Church Lane. Credit: Scarsdale Public Library.
Whistler experts may have known the location of depicted in the work, but the drawing’s existence is new to Scarsdale—at least the current-day community. Astrid Storm, the rector of St. James the Less, confirmed that neither she nor the current vestry (board) had ever heard of it. The drawing, does not depict the present-day church, incidentally, but rather its former building, which was almost completely destroyed by a fire on Palm Sunday April 2, 1882. The Whistler drawing is the earliest known image of the long-gone church church, as well as the only one that shows the original triangular window before it survived the fire.
4 Rectory Lane, aka The Fleming-Hill House, Credit: Scarsdale Public Library
The second artwork has a similarly vague title “A Country House” and the Library of Congress makes no reference to Scarsdale. However, to any Scarsdale history enthusiast, the house is immediately recognizable as 4 Rectory Lane, aka the Fleming-Hill House (his mother’s cottage). Both drawings are pencil, pen, ink and white paint on tan wove paper. According to their provenance, they were sold together at Christie’s in 1925.
A second artwork depicts 4 Rectory Lane, home to the mother of the master artist.
“The digital age opens up so many new possibilities for unearthing connections to Scarsdale,” stated Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Historical Society. “It’s amazing to think we learned of two priceless drawings thanks to a footnote on a website in Scotland. Each time we find a new photograph, artwork, or primary source, we build a more comprehensive historic record.”
About the Scarsdale Historical Society
The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve and disseminate historical information, as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central Mid-Westchester Region. The Scarsdale Historical Society accepts grant applications for projects that meet its mission, particularly those that will inspire others to learn about the history of Scarsdale and the surrounding communities. Learn more at www.scarsdalehistoricalsociety.org.