Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Chronicle Fall 2014-MedRes
The Chronicle Fall 2014-MedRes
The Chronicle Fall 2014-MedRes
INSIDE:
Historic Richmond Town • Village Clock Restored • Brick Road Update • Tuckahoe Marble • A Masterton Visits
Members Relive History as
“Guests of the Gramatan”
2 • THE CHRONICLE
the Gramatan to rub elbows with the glitterati.
Van Duzer Lawrence, the hotel had an e committee’s objective for the
exclusive, international reputation, attracting event was to involve more families with
stars such as Greta Garbo, John and Ethel school-age children with the Conservancy,
Barrymore, Gloria Swanson, Peaches and communicate an exciting and important
Daddy Browning, and eodore Dreiser. slice of Bronxville history, and highlight the
Society from all over the world flocked to the work of the Conservancy. “Congratulations
Gramatan to rub elbows with the glitterati. to the Young Families Committee for a
Its balls and social events served as mixers sparkling evening, which combined history,
for the rich and famous. nostalgia and fun,” said Conservancy
To communicate the extraordinary co-chair Judy Unis. Co-chair Bill Dowling
history of the Hotel Gramatan, an interactive, added: “e Conservancy is so pleased with
multi-media digital scrapbook was created. the excitement and enthusiasm shown for
e scrapbook includes layers of photos, the special events created by this talented,
links to music and video, as well as photos hardworking committee.”
of the evening’s festivities.Visit the digital e Young Families Committee has
scrapbook (best viewed on a desktop for announced that, due to popular demand,
the full experience) at www.guestohe e Ghosts of Bronxville will return in
gramatan.com. October 2015.
FALL 2014 • 3
Two Centuries Later,
Another Masterton Travels to Bronxville by Marilynn Hill
4 • THE CHRONICLE
Su ccess!
We Saved Our
Yellow Brick Roads
On September 8, Bronxville’s village trustees
voted to approve the Conservancy’s request to
restore and rebuild one of the village’s historic
brick roads. e Conservancy has agreed to buy
and ship to Bronxville the bricks required to
restore the road in return for the Department
of Public Works installing the brick roadway.
“e brick and granite block roads on the e restoration affects the portion of Park Avenue
steepest hills in the Lawrence Park Hilltop, which has been that leads down from the Hilltop past 28-33 Park Avenue.
designated as a National Historic District, add much to e Department of Public Works estimates that the cost
the character and appeal of Bronxville as a community,” to replace the bricks with asphalt is $304,339. e cost to
said Village Historian Eloise Morgan. In a letter to the properly restore the road with historic bricks is estimated
editor of My Hometown Bronxville, Morgan urged that to cost another $65,000, not counting the cost of the bricks
saving the brick roads made sense for both economic which the Conservancy is paying for.
and preservation reasons. “e vote of the Village Board Conservancy co-chair Bill Dowling said: “e Con-
of Trustees to restore this section of Park Avenue,” added servancy is grateful to the Board of Trustees for voting
Morgan, “was a proud moment for Bronxville, and unanimously to restore one of Bronxville’s few remaining
shows what a special place this village is.” remnants of our history.”
FALL 2014 • 5
ALL ABOARD TO
On a very misty Sunday, on the way. We nearly circled Staten the county offices were gradually
82 Conservancy members and Island and aer docking took a short moved to the northern part of
guests boarded the SeaStreak fast bus ride to the center of the island to Staten Island, closer to Manhattan.
ferry for our annual boat cruise visit Historic Richmond Town Richmond Town became a quiet
on the Hudson River. As we le the e area that is now Historic community as government offices,
Yonkers pier on September 21, the Richmond Town’s main site served and the many businesses that served
visibility was near zero. But many of for nearly two centuries as the them, le the neighborhood.
the intrepid travelers headed to the government center of Staten Island In the 1930s, the Staten Island
open air deck, not wanting to miss (Richmond County). Aer Staten Historical Society saw a historic
any of the sights as we headed south Island became one of the five preservation opportunity in the
toward Staten Island, having lunch boroughs of New York City in 1898, buildings that had been vacated,
and in 1933 the Society obtained
permission to renovate the former
County Clerk’s and Surrogate’s
Office for use as a museum. Fueled
by the same depression-era passion
for historic preservation that
resulted in the creation of Colonial
Williamsburg, local residents helped
create a testament to Staten Island's
rich history in an era of rapid
development and urban sprawl.
e museum opened in 1935, and
in the following years the Society
acquired several other nearby
historic buildings. In 1948 the
Society was granted use of the ird
County Courthouse, which today
serves as the Visitor Center. In the
early 1950s, the City of New York
acquired the 100-acre Richmond
6 • THE CHRONICLE
Fueled by the same depression-era passion for historic preservation
that resulted in the creation of Colonial Williamsburg, local
residents helped create a testament to Staten Island's rich history
in an era of rapid development and urban sprawl.
Town site, which was designated concert at the Guyon Tavern, and
Richmond Town Restoration and tasted an array of sweets baked on
set aside for preservation. the open hearth of the Guyon-Lake-
Today this site occupies 25 acres Tysen house kitchen. All docents
of the 100-acre site with about 15 were in period dress to enhance our
restored buildings, including homes appreciation of the village.
and commercial and civic buildings. Returning to Yonkers, the skies
During our tour, we visited an had cleared and we were treated to
excellent museum, historically lovely aernoon light bathing the
furnished homes, a school, and the New York skyline as we paused at
local general store. We saw a number the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
of demonstrations of the daily is provided the perfect ending to
activities of early Staten Islanders, a most enjoyable day.
enjoyed a mountain dulcimer
FALL 2014 • 7
Presorted First Class
US Postage
PAID
Permit #1782
White Plains, NY
P.O. BOx 989
BRONxVILLE, NEW YORK 10708
THE CHRONICLE
© Fall 2014
Submissions welcome!
The Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded in 1998 to further the understanding and appreciation of the history and current life of
the Village of Bronxville, New York.The Conservancy furthers its mission through the presentation of programs, publications, lectures and
special events that foster an awareness of the village’s architectural, artistic and cultural heritage and lends its support for projects designed
to strengthen and preserve those legacies. If you would like to become a member, visit our website www.bronxvillehistoricalconservancy.org
or mail a check for $50 or more to P.O. Box 989, Bronxville, NY 10708.