What was Tetard’s Hill?

[COGGINSS]

Does anyone know what the origins of Tetard’s Hill (a.k.a. Henry Hudson Park) is?

I know it relates to John Archer, as part of the expansive Fordham Manor, in the 1600’s.

Apparently the family cemetery plot is in Henry Hudson Park, on ” Tetard’s Hill”.

I’m really fascinated by the location of the Archer cemetery plot being in Henry Hudson Park, and wonder if it was disinterred at some point in history or if it’s still there, buried by layers of dirt, rock and degraded plant material.

Thanks for any shared knowledge.

[ndembowski]

Hi Stephanie.  Just FYI, there is an issue with the forum notifications that I’m trying to resolve.  So, some of our members (including me) aren’t getting notified of new posts.

As regards Tetard’s Hill, it refers to the homesite of J.P. Tetard, who lived in today’s Kingsbridge Heights, not Spuyten Duyvil.  He ran a French language boarding school in modern Kingsbridge Heights during the colonial period and he was a chaplain in the American Revolution.  The founder of the KHS, the Rev. William Tieck, wrote a book about him called America’s Debt to John Peter Tetard.  Tetard’s farm was in the vicinity of John Archer’s Fordham Manor settlement, which dates to the 1660s.  At that time, I know of no colonial settlers living on Spuyten Duyvil Hill.

On some Revolutionary-era maps, Tippett’s Hill (a.k.a. Spuyten Duyvil Hill) was sometimes mislabled as “Tetard’s Hill” leading to some confusion.

Below is a clipping from a Revolutionary period map showing the correct location of Tetard’s Hill in Kingsbridge Heights on the far right.  The map is held at the William Clement Library at the University of Michigan.

[jbakerjonathan]

I’m wondering if Tetard’s Hill was located in the general area of DeWiitt Clinton H.S.. That area is on high ground looking westward.
I came across a book today that describes in detail The History of the Town of Kings Bridge in which Tetard’s Hill is mentioned. (https://archive.org/details/ldpd_6221416_000/page/n7/mode/2up)
The author is Thomas H. Edsall.
Beginning on page 18 of the document (26 of 119 in the archive) there is a description of Reverend John Peter Tetard and his history in the area. The document is a very interesting read.

[Author]

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