New England Society of New York

The New England Society in the City of New York (NES) is one of several lineage organizations in the United States and one of the oldest charitable societies in the country. It was founded in 1805 to promote “friendship, charity and mutual assistance” among and on behalf of New Englanders living in New York.[1]

New England Society of New York Seal
The Pilgrim, Central Park

History

The founding NES meeting was held on May 6, 1805 at the State Street home of merchant, statesman, and first NES president James Watson. Watson’s Federal townhouse still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places.[2] It was also the residence of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American Catholic Saint. The home is currently occupied by the rectory of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church and is part of the Seton Shrine.[3]

The first Annual Dinner was held on December 21, 1805 at the City Hotel on Broadway with 154 Members in attendance. Every year since 1805, the Society has hosted speakers at various venues, including Delmonico's Restaurant, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and Sherry’s in New York City.[4] The roster of speakers who attended these Dinners includes Commander Stephen Decatur, War of 1812 Hero, statesman Daniel Webster,[5] U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant., J. Pierpont Morgan (the 26th NES President), Theodore Roosevelt, Ralph Waldo Emerson,[6] Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and Woodrow Wilson.

In 1885 the New England Society of New York donated the statue The Pilgrim to New York City.[7][8][9][10] The bronze statue by sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward, a 9 feet (2.7 m) tall stylized representation of one of the Pilgrims, British immigrants to the New World led by William Bradford who left from Plymouth, England, in the cargo ship Mayflower in September 1620, sits on Pilgrim Hill in Central Park in New York City.[9][11] The statue faces westward on the crest of a little knoll at the top of the hill, on a rusticated Quincy granite pedestal that was created by architect Richard Morris Hunt, overlooking the East Drive at East 72nd Street.[11][7][8][12]

Education

In 1953, NES expanded its educational outreach and launched the NES Scholarship Program to provide access to higher education to deserving young scholars.[13] NES provides funding for New York City students attending colleges and universities in New England.[14]

Membership

The Society currently maintains its headquarters in midtown Manhattan.[15] Full membership requires evidence of New England ancestry, education, or residence; associate membership is available to those who share an affinity for New England and the mission of NES.[16]

Notable members

References
  1. "History of New England Society in the City of New York". New England Society in the City of New York. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. "National Register of Historic Places". National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  3. "Seton Shrine Official Website". Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  4. Annual Report Volumes 115-118. New England Society in the City of New York. 1920. Retrieved 2 August 2012. new england society in the city of new york.
  5. Cephas Brainerd; Eveline Warner Brainerd. "Daniel Webster: Response" (PDF). The New England Society Orations Volume 1. The Century Co. pp. 354–370. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  6. Cephas Brainerd; Eveline Warner Brainerd. "Ralph Waldo Emerson: Oration & Response" (PDF). The New England Society Orations, Vol. II. The Century Co. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. "Pilgrim Hill". www.centralpark.com. April 3, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  8. "Pilgrim Hill". Central Park Conservancy. July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  9. Walsh, Kevin (January 8, 2020). "PILGRIM HILL, Central Park". Forgotten New York. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  10. Miller, Sara Cedar (April 7, 2020). Seeing Central Park: The Official Guide Updated and Expanded. Abrams. ISBN 978-1-68335-879-4.
  11. "Pilgrim: NYC Parks". Central Park Monuments. June 26, 1939. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  12. Carroll, R.; Berenson, R.J. (2008). The Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated. p. 57. ISBN 978-1-4027-5833-1. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  13. "New England Society Scholarship Program". New England Society in the City of New York. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  14. "Roster of Institutions Program". New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE). Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  15. "Non-profit Building Tenants". The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  16. "New England Society Membership". New England Society in the City of New York. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
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