Take a look at the Town of Pelham, from the art center to the small businesses
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The Picture House Regional Film Center, formerly known as the Pelham Picture House, is a historic movie theater in Pelham. The building was built in 1921 in the Spanish Revival style. According to their website, "In 2001, the Pelham Picture House, which had been continuously operating as a movie theater since 1921, was set to be demolished and replaced by a retail bank. A group of citizens established the nonprofit organization, Pelham Picture House Preservation, to purchase and preserve the theater. Today that nonprofit is The Picture House Regional Film Center." They have preserved and restored one of the few surviving — and still operating — single-screen theaters in the region.
Pelham Memorial High School, constructed of native stone in a collegiate Gothic style, was dedicated May 6, 1922, and was the biggest high school with the largest field in Westchester County.
Erica Castaldo, the owner of Paws on Fifth, a pet grooming salon in Pelham, works on a 13-year old Maltese named Callie. The very busy salon, under Castaldo's leadership for six years, works on about 30 dogs a day, with the occasional cat coming in for grooming as well.
The Pelhamdale house is one of the oldest houses in Pelham and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the home of Colonel David J. Pell, a patriot who served during the Revolutionary War. According to the town website, "Philip Pell II built portions believed to be part of today's structure between about 1750 and 1760. The home is one of two in Pelham Manor that include sections built before the Revolutionary War. The other is the Kemble House located at 145 Shore Road."
Celiangel Garcia works on stripping upholstery from a vintage chair at Classic Custom Upholstery in Pelham. The shop, in business over 30 years, specializes in custom-built furniture as well as giving a beautiful piece of furniture a second life through restoration and reupholstery.
Judith Weber, left, a teaching artist at Pelham Art Center, works with first-time student Jane Celwyn in the "Jump Start Your Creativity" class at the center. The center, offering camps, classes, workshops and exhibitions, has been in the village since 1970. Weber is also the Volunteer Coordinator for ArtsWestchester.
LaQuet Sharnell Pringle, a professional Broadway dancer, leads a class of students in Lyrical dance at Ballet Arts, The Performing Arts Center of Southern Westchester in Pelham. The center believes in early education for children and offers dance styles including Ballet, Pointe and Partnering, Lyrical, Broadway Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop Modern with Adult Classes and Story Time and Creative Movement for 2- to 3-year-olds. The center, which also is a retail store, offers specialty dance wear and shoes. In their 46th year, beginning in Upstate New York, they have been in Pelham for 25 years.
Aaron Lieberman, the manager at Danny's Cycles on Wolfs Lane in Pelham, works on a H2 Metro Hybrid in the shop area. The shop carries numerous bicycles of all kinds and plenty of bicycle accessories. They have been in their current location since June 1, 2023. This is one of six Danny's Cycles in New York and Connecticut. The other New York locations include Scarsdale, Mohegan Lake and Rye Brook and in Connecticut they are in Darien and North Stamford.
Michelle Pactor, the owner of Richard's Passport Toys and Gifts store on Wolfs Lane in Pelham, surveys the various handbags on the shelves. The quaint gift shop, open since 1987, carries a variety of items including dinnerware and eclectic gifts.
The exterior of Daronco Town House in the Town of Pelham. The 1929 building was originally the parish hall for the Church of the Redeemer whose church was on 2nd Avenue. In the 1970s the church closed and the parish hall was obtained by the town and continues to be used as a community meeting place. According to the town of Pelham website, Pelham is the oldest town in Westchester County. Thomas Pell signed a treaty in 1654 with the Siwanoy Indians to buy what is not only the town of Pelham but all of the Bronx, and the land along Long Island Sound, north to the Rye border. The State Legislature incorporated the Town of Pelham on March 7, 1788, and at that time included all of City Island and what is now Pelham Bay Park east of the Hutchinson River. In 1895, the Town of Pelham was reduced to its current area. Two Villages were incorporated within the Town, the Village of Pelham Manor in 1891, and the Village of Pelham, in 1896.
Frank Penski, a 42-year member of the Pelham Country Club, gets in some putting practice at the club. The club had its origins as a small tennis club and five-hole golf course carved out of a cow pasture in 1908. Today, there are about 400 members in the private club, with amenities such as a pool, fitness center, tennis courts and clubhouse for dining. One of the highlights at the club was in 1923 when the PGA Championship was held at the site. According to the website, "the hotly-contested final match between Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen has stood the test of time. To this day, the epic 38-hole match, won by Gene Sarazen, is considered to be one of the most dramatic match play finals in the annals of the Championship."
About Mark Vergari: A lifelong Yonkers resident, Mark has been a staff photographer with The Journal News and its predecessors since graduating from Syracuse University in 1983. He has photographed everything in and around his Lower Hudson community from high school sports and parades to food and protests, and has covered three popes (twice at the Vatican), the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and national sporting events. Before the pandemic, when we all worked together in an “office” setting, Mark enjoyed baking cheesecakes and sharing them with his colleagues. Instagram: @markvergari
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pelham NY sites and places to visit: lohud on location
