Pelham Memorial High School

By 1918, when Siwanoy School was no longer big enough to house both grammar and secondary students, a new high school was proposed on the town “sand pit,” formerly part of the farm belonging to Colonel Philip Pell. World War I delayed construction but also inspired its new name, a “memorial” to the men and women who served in battle.

On May 6, 1922, Memorial High School, said to be “the last word in school buildings” and also the biggest high school with the largest field in Westchester County, was dedicated. This $373,000 structure would be the first of three sections to be constructed in less than a decade as the number of students continued to increase. The second section, facing Corlies Avenue, was completed in 1924 at a cost of $350,000, and the third section, facing Franklin Place, was completed in 1929 at a cost of $575,000.

Enhancements continued throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. A new wing, or annex as it is familiarly called, was added in 1963, resulting in more classrooms as well as new science labs. During the 1990s, two auto mechanic and shop classrooms were renovated into computer labs and an art room. Wiring was also upgraded for technology. Community donations resulted in a new language lab, a bio-technology lab, and state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment in the auditorium. A project to renovate high school science classrooms, expand the cafeteria and Information Center, and other enhancements are currently underway.

Constructed of native stone in a collegiate Gothic style, PMHS continues to blend tradition and innovation. Named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1993, the U.S. Department of Education site visitor wrote, “Small class size, interactive methodologies, and modern methodological techniques all allow for a very positive learning environment.” At the same time, what F. Hamilton Whipple, Principal of PMHS, said in 1947 still remains true. “As a newcomer to Pelham, I have been impressed by the Pelham spirit... It is seen in the student body, the loyal parents, alumni, and friends at a football game... It shows up when the appeal comes to fill Red Cross boxes. It is the force which keeps a stage crew and a cast working evenings and Saturdays...”

Athletic Fields

Sports programs were short on field space for practice and games until the early 1950s, when the citizens of Pelham approved the building of a new sports field complex and field house at Parkway Field. Sixteen acres of land, once described as barren and hilly, exuding rocks and becoming a swamp after heavy rains, were turned into a sports field that ranked among the “finest and most complete in the metropolitan area.” It included a track, baseball and softball diamonds, a varsity-size football field, tennis courts and a field house. The field was later renamed Glover Field in honor of Colonel John Glover who led the Battle of Pell’s Point in the Revolutionary War and was responsible for the safe withdrawal of General George Washington from the Battle of Harlem Heights. In 1979, Roosevelt Field, adjacent to the high school, was renovated through the endowment of former School Board President Roscoe Ingalls and renamed in his honor. The community approved the building of a new regulation-size field on Franklin Place and the restoration of Glover Field, as well as fields at Prospect Hill and Hutchinson Schools, in 1997.