Page 77: PRIDE OF WINDMILL FARM
Windmill Farm developed into a prideful property covering 1,250 acres in upper Westchester. On it were horses, cattle, chicken, and various espaliered fruit trees and garden vegetables. This was the wholesome country family life. In early spring, Dad would caponize the chickens for making more white meat.
Insect borers pested some of the fruit trees, causing Dad to apply his knifing skill to cutting them out. One season he grafted some better nut stems to our hickory trees. This was done by graft cutting at an angle and for size and togethering them with string. Wax then covered the tied strong joints and a brown kraft paper bag was put over the grafted portion for a winter safeguard.
That year we had a particularly severe winter with a lot of snow. The noise of wind rattling the paper bags attracted rabbits. They chewed the tree bark from all those hickory trees dad had grafted and all the trees died.
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Stone Wall
In the worst of the Great Depression Dad decided to employ all comers at 50 cents an hour to build a mile and a half long stone wall fence, 7 feet high, along the front of the farm on the main highway.
Page 78: (photo) Caption: Mother [Minnie Minton Middaugh] as a young schoolteacher in Portville, N.Y.
Page 79: The townfathers had solicited Dad for money to help feed the unemployed and less fortunate. Rather than just hand out money, Dad felt it would help the individuals to retain their dignity and pride by working for their money and at the same time create a useful, lasting landmark.
There were days when over 300 men were laying the stones all of which came from the original stone walls around the farm. This wall still stands.
Mother At Windmill Farm
Mother was born in Portville, New York on October 11, 1868. As a young woman she taught school. In those days the only means of transportation was by horseback as automobiles did not come into being until the early 1900’s.
She always rode side-saddle. She would ride to the school and tether her horse under a shed in back of the school. After school, she would saddle up her horse and ride back home.
Mother was an avid rider all her life, up to the time of her death. Naturally she wanted to instill in her son the pleasure of this. Consequently at Windmill Farm, Dad built a large riding stable with a magnificent tackroom. There were enough horses for all of us and for guests who visited.
Dad built many bridle trails throughout the Farm. Mother derived a great deal of pleasure riding her horse through the woods, particularly on Sundays, dismounting on various benches to do her Christian Science reading.
Page 80: (photo) Caption: This picture of Mother and Dad was taken at Pinehurst, N.C. where they always stopped on their way back from Palm Beach. Horseback riding was one of their togetherness activities.
Page 81: I remember her horse “Gloria” and “Pinky,” her faithful Dalmatian who always followed Mother on her horse. Dad had a special horse which would kneel down so he could mount easily because of his stiff knee. As time went on I became more and more interested in riding.
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On Sunday, Mother had a standard menu of roast duck and wild rice while Dad always served orange blossom cocktails in silver cocktail glasses. I remember my thinking that the silver glasses gave the cocktail a metallic flavor. After the main meal on Sunday we had baked Alaska for dessert.
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Christian Science Faith Develops
As mentioned, I was baptized a Roman Catholic. Mother was a Protestant. When I was a little boy the family decided to join the Methodist Church on Fort Washington Avenue. I went to Sunday School in the church basement for a few years.
For some reason unreckoned, Mother and Dad preferred the Presbyterian Church on Broadway so I attended Sunday School there. In fact, I was awarded a gold pin for having memorized so many biblical passages. Dad became a vestryman. I recall his passing the collection plates among the congregation.
The switch to Christian Science transpired when Mother experienced a healing. She was in the habit of leaving Mary Baker Eddy’s book open around the house to temp Dad to read it. He became interested in Christian Science.
Page 82: While at Yale I took a course on the history of religions. This left me in a state of confusion about religion in general and it was concurrent with Dad’s conversion to Christian Science. Accordingly I began attending Christian Science services as I felt there were many good qualities implicit in the Christian Science faith.
I held Dad in such great esteem that when he became a Christian Scientist devotee, despite his medical background, I felt there just had to be more to the credo that I had considered.
In later years when attracted to fox hunting, I wanted Dad to join me and to jump fences with me. His stiff knee made it difficult for him to post on horseback. Our groom found a horse with a single footed gait which did not require posting, yet was capable of jumping.
We set up some jumps at the back of the farm. The groom surmounted the horse over the jumps so Dad could see what he was going to try. When Dad mounted the horse and went for the first jump he fell off and fractured the femur of his stiff leg. Although in pain, Dad took solace in his practitioner, Arnold Blome, instead of seeking the aid of a medical doctor. This upset me so much that I became totally disenchanted with Christian Science faith healing. Eventually Dad recovered but it was a long, painful and traumatic experience.
Christmas Trees
One project I remember was the planting in 1922 of 1-1/2 million evergreen seedlings. Dad feared that a state law would be enacted to prohibit the destruction of forests by cutting down Christmas trees each year. He felt that we could sell live trees while avoiding the possibility of violating the law. The law did not come, and for years we sold Christmas trees. The gross was as much as $10,000 a season.
In a few years transplanting was required. This meant so much back-bending work that labor turnover was a problem. It was considered, therefore, that goats put there would eat the grass but not the evergreens. A sheep herder from Italy was hired and a herd of 500 goats was acquired. This worked well until Spring weather came when the goats at all the hew growth on the evergreens, so that operation was dissolved.
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Dad also built lakes and functional windmills. In the back of the farm was an enclosed area for raising deer and training them to draw carriages for amusement of the children.
In 1938 Dad purchased the Westchester Embassy Club whose identity today is the Bel-Aire Country Club. During the 1920’s Prohibition era the Embassy had been operated by Jack and Charlie of subsequent fame as entrepreneurs of the 21 Club on 52nd Street adjoining Rockefeller Center.
Page 84: Jack Kriendler of the 21 Club decided to inaugurate an annual “paper chase” at the Westchester Embassy Club. Jack was an avid sportsman and horseback rider and in the early 1930’s I had just started to learn a bit about horseback jumping. The “paper chase” was laid out in advance by placing colored streamers along the path the riders should follow. Of course there were a few dead ends and forks in the trails which became challenges as you did not know if you were on the right path until you saw the streamers again.
The trails led over several of the natural stone walls and required jumping capabilities of horse and rider. This was really my first introduction to what later turned out to be fox hunting, not only in the United States but in England and Ireland.
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I’m In A Horse Show
Participating in the “paper chase” and jumping stone walls and chicken coops stirred more interest in the talented jumping horses. Our groom borrowed a black mare named “Virginia” from a local horse dealer.
I entered a horse show in Stamford, Conn. to ride “Virginia” in a 4 foot jumping class. There were four jumps in the ring. One had to complete the circular course twice, which I did, without knocking down a rail. I thought I had won the class but to my disappointment another rider went clean. We had to have a jumpoff.
I had to go first. It began to rain to render the act of jumping more hazardous. I went over the first three jumps clean but knocked the rail down on the fourth jump and was blown out of the ring. When my competitor came into the ring, he knocked the rail down in the second jump. Therefore, I won the blue ribbon in my first jumping competition.
I prevailed upon Dad to buy this black mare for $700. For many years I rode “Virginia.” Her one fault was that she shied at the slightest provocation. Helen named her “Spinnin’ Ginny” as she often rode her when the two of us hacked through North Salem. Actually, “Spinnin’ Ginny” taught me much about riding and keeping my knees tight to the saddle as I rode her.
NEXT: CHAPTER XI • MANSION ON ROUND HILL
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Additional notes from Facebook group titled You Know You Are From Armonk, NY If…
“Armonk’s Embassy Club Was A Popular Destination In The Prohibition Era. It was destroyed in a June 1953 fire. Editorial Note: Under my article about Windmill Farms, Stig-Åke Persson posted a story about the 1953 fire that destroyed the Embassy Club on Armonk Bedford Road (Route 22). Several of you asked questions and I hope this helps. About 70% of the below article was written by Sharon Tomback. The club house was located in what is now Windmill Farm, and the golf, tennis and swimming pool were on the other side of Route 22. That “Armonk Hills” property is now the Brynwood Golf & Country Club, and was previously known as the Canyon Club and Bel-Aire. The North Castle Town Board is not known for rapid approval of development projects. After four years, Brynwood’s request to build 243 golf course homes was reduced to 73. During the gilded age, some people in North Castle built huge estates in the country and also town houses in New York City.One of these ‘cottages’ stood immediately south of present-day Coman Hill School on Route 22. It was built of native stone and imported marble in the ltalianate style at a reported cost of $400,000, which would be over $10 million today. The estate consisted of 140 acres. In 1928 it became the North Castle Golf and Tennis Club with an initial 300 members, and actress Anita Stewart was an opening night guest. It was a ‘happening’ place during prohibition with gambling, wine, women and song. During its heyday the club was run by cousins Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns of “21”. Melissa Kravitz writes “In 1922, almost two years into Prohibition, they started an illegal drinking venture that would go on to become the 21 Club (21 W. 52nd St.).”The original name was Jack & Charlie’s 21 Club, or just 21. It was a legendary dining, party, and see-and-be-seen spot, for New Yorkers of the era and generations to come.”With a talented French chef, 21 was known as one of the only speakeasies in the city that had really good booze and really good food. “In the 1920s it had a secret dungeon which housed smuggled booze, and it can still be seen today.”The Club’s owners had a complex network that allowed them to import the best wines from Europe and spirits from Canada and South America.” In 1933, the Route 22 property was renamed the Westchester Embassy Club at Armonk. Dr. Charles Paterno developed what was then Windmill Manor and died in 1946. His son Carlo wrote “Random Notes On Windmill Farm.” It states “In 1938, Dad purchased the Embassy Club which is presently known as the Bel-Aire Country Club. During Prohibition, the Embassy Club was run by Jack and Charlie of the 21 Club in Manhattan. “When Prohibition went out in 1933, business fell off and father added this property together with the Byram Lake Country Club and the Silver Estate to his holdings.” The Embassy Club was frequently in the news throughout the 1930s, and was the location of many high profile society events including an annual horse show and debutante parties. Proceeds from its black tie Decoration Day (Memorial Day) Ball were given to the Northern Westchester Hospital. One guest from that era went on to be the head writer of NBC’s 1950’s TV series “Embassy Club” starring Julia Meade. Paterno closed the club in 1941 and World War II gas rationing would have had a big impact.”
