Looking Good in The Neighborhood

The steps to the Police Station at Pelham Manor Village Hall at 4 Penfield Pl. were rebuilt by a local contractor. The iconic building is home to the police, fire department and Village administration.

Penfield Place was named for Edward Penfield of Pelham Manor, "one of the most notable artists ever to have lived in Pelham Manor," according to Blake Bell, Pelham Town Clerk and Pelham Town Historian. Bell publishes the Historic Pelham website and according to his blog, Penfield served as Pelham Manor Village Street Commissioner for many years.
 
As such, Penfield gained fame in Westchester County "for his successful efforts at mosquito extermination," according to an article published in The New York Times: "For several years he annually drained the marshes about the village, filled in small ponds and oiled swampy places until there is no natural spot for a mosquito to raise a family." (Source: Edward Penfield Rids Town of Mosquitos -- Illustrator Destroys Swamps and Other Breeding Places in Pelham Manor, N.Y. New York Times, Jul. 21, 1923, p. 22).

So next time you visit Pelham Manor Village Hall on Penfield Place, notice the new steps leading to the Police Department and thank Edward Penfield for his service to the Village.
Thanks in part to his efforts, Pelham Manor is a great place to raise a family.

Unless, of course, you're a mosquito.