Sutton Manor (New Rochelle) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sutton Manor
Neighborhood
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
City	New Rochelle
Time zone	UTC-5:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4:00 (Eastern)
Area code(s)	914

Sutton Manor is a special neighborhood in New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County, New York. It was built in the early 1900s. This area is found near the northern shore of Long Island Sound, right on Echo Bay.

Sutton Manor was designed for families whose parents worked in New York City. It was meant to be a perfect suburb, with beautiful homes and special features just for residents. It was similar to Larchmont Manor, but smaller. Larchmont Manor was first planned as a fun place for wealthy New Yorkers to visit, with a large waterfront park.

In 2008, a special grant helped study Sutton Manor's history and architecture. This study showed that Sutton Manor is very important to the community. It deserves to be protected as a local historic district. Even though it's not yet on the National Register of Historic Places, it meets all the requirements to be listed.

How Sutton Manor Was Developed

Early Land Owners

Back in the 1700s, much of the land along the waterfront in New Rochelle belonged to Louis Guion. He was one of the first settlers, a Huguenot refugee. Later, in 1748, another French refugee named Alexander Allaire bought a lot of this land.

The land eventually went to James Pitcher, an officer in the British Army. He owned it until the Revolutionary War began. For some reason, his property was not taken away. He was able to leave it to his nephew, Thomas Huntington.

The Davids Family and "Echo Place"

The part of the property that is now Sutton Manor was bought by Thaddeus Davids in the late 1830s. At that time, Davids ran one of the biggest ink companies in the country.

He built a country home on the land and called it "Echo Place." This name came from its location on Echo Bay. He also bought an island nearby, which is now called Davids Island. Thaddeus Davids had a large family with 12 children. His second son, George W. Davids, later caused the family business to fail. Because of this, Thaddeus Davids had to sell all his properties. In 1884, George W. Sutton bought "Echo Place" to use as a country getaway for his family.

Creating the Sutton Manor Neighborhood

After George W. Sutton passed away in 1894, the property was rented out. Eventually, his family decided to develop the land. In 1904, George W. Sutton, Jr. started the 'Sutton Manor Realty Company'. He chose Lawrence E. Van Etten, a civil engineer and architect, to design the new neighborhood.

Van Etten created the plan for 50 home sites on the property. He designed about 100 neighborhoods in Westchester County between 1890 and 1950. He also designed several golf courses, like the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle and the Pelham Country Club in Elmsford.

Architecture of Sutton Manor Homes

Sutton Manor was built to be an attractive place for professionals. Most of the houses in the neighborhood still look much like they did when they were first built. Sutton Manor has kept its original layout and special features.

The homes show many popular styles from 1904 to 1927. These include Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean, Bungalow, and Art Moderne. Many of these houses are early examples of these styles. Three of the homes are even older than the neighborhood itself. They were part of Thaddeus Davids' "Echo Place" property. This connects the community to an even earlier time. Sutton Manor was a great example of an "ideal suburban setting." It had homes that looked good together and special features for residents.

Some of these early 20th-century houses were designed by famous architects. One was John Russell Pope, who was known across the country. Other New York architects and builders also worked here, including Chester A. Patterson, William Liance Cottrell, and Charles Lupprian.

Notable Residents of Sutton Manor

Sutton Manor is close to New York City. Because of this, many residents were involved in important activities. These activities often affected the region, the state, and even the whole country. The "exclusive Sutton Manor" was often mentioned in The New York Times.

The area has been home to many important people. This includes Thaddeus Davids, a major ink maker before the Civil War. Davids Island is named after him. Other residents have included important bankers, lawyers, inventors, engineers, and politicians. Artists, actors, and public servants have also lived here. Many well-known boat designers and sailing fans also called Sutton Manor home.

Some famous former residents include:

• Rowland Hughes: He was the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. This office helps the President manage the government's money.
• Lee Parsons Davis: He was a New York State Supreme Court Justice. He also served as the District Attorney for Westchester County.
• Coles Phillips: A well-known American artist from the early 1900s.
• Frances Sternhagen: An actress who won a Tony Award, a very important theater award.
• Thomas Carlin: An actor.