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For more information on Native Americans in our local history, check out William Parry’s paper at the link below. Free subscription required to view:
Peter, when I helped Parks rewrite the plaque by providing them with research, it was with the help of Tom Bird.
The “dedication “of these panels are in the right-hand corner, of James Douglas and his wife Naomi, and their birth and death datesNot as prominent, but just as lovely are a triptych Lancet of Stained-Glass windows depicting St. Martha and Dorcas, crafted by C.E. Kempe & Co., a prominent London firm renowned for its medieval inspired style. In the New Testament, both St. Martha and Dorcas (Tabitha) are known for their acts of kindness and service to others. The “dedication “of these panels are in the right-hand corner, of James Douglas and his wife Naomi, and their birth and death dates. I assume that this window was donated by the children of James and Naomi, as the family lived in the Spuyten Duyvil house until 1944.
James Douglas died at this home on June 25, 1918, at the age of eighty- one. His funeral
was held at the Church of the Mediator, on June 26, and was attended by prominent representatives of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and of the Canadian Mining Institute.The Douglas Family archives are located at Arizona University library in the Papers of Lewis W. Douglas, 1859-1974.
The most prized possession in the church, are two authentic Tiffany windows installed in “Mary’s Chapel,” off to the side of the main altar. Dr. James Douglas donated the works as a tribute to his daughter Lily, who died at the young age of 28. Louis Comfort Tiffany personally oversaw the installation.
James Douglas was a vestry and warden of the Church of the Mediator. The Douglas family assigned the church the West 231st Street frontage. Mr. Douglas gave $5,000.00 toward a new church building, and additional $5,000.00 and land north of the present rectory.
There are several local landmarks in our community that derive their origins from James Douglas, including the land upon which Seton Hospital once stood, PS 24, and Riverdale Park, but also the Kingsbridge Free Library, located at 3041 Kingsbridge Avenue. With funds contributed by Andrew Carnegie, this neo-Federal style building opened in 1905, and became the second NYPL branch in The Bronx. The one-story, three-bay, red brick structure has splayed stone lintels characteristic of the style, as well as an oversized pedimented entrance. The former library, is adjacent to the property of the Church of the Mediator, and is now occupied by the Spuyten Duyvil Preschool, a Six to Celebrate
recipient in 2024.richnhill: all of that information is invaluable. Thank you so much for contributing it, it makes a world of difference for our institutional knowledge.
For more Peter Simon photos of the 1968 Memorial service:
https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/muph009-vHG-sl038-i005
Unidentified speaker at the Memorial