Workshops, Lectures, Parties and Oldest Business in Town

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Historic Places of New Castle

The Oldest Business in Town?

by Gray Williams

What is the oldest business, still going strong, in the Town of New Castle? A very likely candidate would be Chappaqua Limousine, which had its origins in the horse-drawn era. The historical society recently received a query from the present owner, seeking to amplify the already detailed history on its website¹ with more precise information about its founder, Wilbur Hyatt.

The society’s research resources have provided some answers. Wilbur Hyatt came from an old Chappaqua family. He was the great-grandson of a Revolutionary War officer, Lieutenant Abraham Hyatt (1747-1820), who came to New Castle about 1785 and purchased a farm on Roaring Brook Road that had been confiscated from a Tory supporter.² After his death, the farm was sold and the proceeds divided among Abraham's many children, most of whom settled elsewhere.³

Wilbur Hyatt's father, Milton Hyatt, was the proprietor of the Chappaqua Hotel, next to the railroad track.

Abraham's youngest son, also named Abraham (1790-1877), at least remained in the vicinity. He had a substantial farm in Mount Pleasant.⁴ And his son, Milton Hyatt (1830-1895), was born there and occupied part of the farm until the late 1860s.⁵ By 1870, though, he had accumulated enough capital to acquire the Chappaqua Hotel, on what was then Main Street next to the railroad (its present address is 1 King Street).⁶ He continued to be the hotel's proprietor until at least 1893, two years before his death.⁷

Wilbur Hyatt's livery stable was across from the 1800s railroad station on North Greeley Avenue.

Milton's son Wilbur (1858-1941) was born on the family farm in Mt. Pleasant,⁸ but by 1870 he was living and attending school in Chappaqua,⁹ where he remained for the rest of his life.¹⁰ He probably started his career working at the hotel, but by 1890 he was the proprietor of a livery stable and service on North Greeley Avenue, conveniently located across the street from the railroad station at that time.¹¹ He bitterly opposed the move of the railroad station to its present location,¹² but his business has continued to thrive under several successive owners up to the present day.¹³

1 https://www.chappaqualimousine.com.

2 E. Clarence Hyatt, History of the Town of New Castle in Westchester County N.Y., 1899, pp. 3-4. unpublished manuscript, New Castle Historical Society.

3 Westchester County Surrogate’s Records, Wills, Will of Abraham Hyatt, 1820.

4 Federal Census, 1850, Westchester County, N.Y., Mount Pleasant.

5 Federal Census, 1860, Westchester County, N.Y., Mount Pleasant.

6 Federal Census, 1870, Westchester County, N.Y., New Castle. Beers, F.W., A.D. Ellis, and G.G. Soule, surveyors and compilers, “Town of New Castle," County Atlas of New York and Vicinity, New York, 1872, plate 73.

7 Bien, Joseph R., compiler, "Town of New Castle, "Atlas of Westchester County, New York, New York: Julius Bien and Company, 1893.

8 Federal Census, 1850, Westchester County, N.Y., Mount Pleasant.

9 Federal Census, 1870, Westchester County, N.Y., New Castle.

10 Fair Ridge Cemetery, Chappaqua, NY, Section 3, Plot 300.

11 Diary of Clarence W. Page, unpublished manuscript, 189o, New Castle Historical Society. Federal Census, 1900, Westchester County, N.Y., New Castle.

12 “Chappaqua All Torn Up,” New York Sun, July 28, 1901. “New Station for Chappaqua,” New York Sun, August 15, 1901.

13 Chappaqua Limousine website, v.s.

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