Bronxville, New York
Encyclopedia
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester
, New York
, in the United States
. It is a suburb
of New York City
, located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of midtown Manhattan
in southern Westchester County
. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323. It currently ranks 20th in the US on a list of the highest income places in the United States.
, there were 6,543 people, 2,312 households and 1,660 families residing in the village. The population density
was 6,869.3 per square mile (2,659.2/km²). There were 2,387 housing units at an average density of 2,506.0 per square mile (970.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.88% White, 1.15% African American, 0.05% Native American, 4.83% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.
There were 2,312 households of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.27.
Age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median household income
was $144,940, and the median family income was $200,000, making it one of the wealthiest and most affluent places with more than 1000 households, or population of 1000, in the United States. It currently ranks 20th in the US on a list of the highest income places in the United States. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $61,184 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $89,483. About 1.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
covers not only the village of Bronxville proper, but also Chester Heights and other sections of Eastchester
, parts of Tuckahoe
, and Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, and other sections of Yonkers
. This brings the ZIP code's population to 22,411 (2000 census), covering an area more than twice as large as the actual municipality of Bronxville itself and encompassing several notable institutions such as Sarah Lawrence College
in Yonkers.
Parkway Reservation. The Reservation, Westchester’s oldest park, was created as an adjunct to the Bronx River Parkway
that opened in 1925, and was the first linear park in the United States. The Reservation features ponds, wooden footbridges and hundreds of varieties of native trees and shrubs. The park is owned by Westchester County, and it is a favorite place for bicycling, walking, running, and nature study.
The Bronxville School's athletic fields contain a football field, three smaller fields used for various sports like field hockey and lacrosse, and a running track (which is only 380 meters in Lane 1 because of space issues). Bacon Woodlands, located on Kensington Road, is a natural rock outcropping which has been left in its natural state, the flatter portion of which is used as an informal play area by children. Scout Field, a Westchester County Park which is located predominantly in Yonkers and Mount Vernon
but is controlled by Bronxville, is heavily utilized by the Bronxville schools' soccer, football, baseball and cross-country running programs. In 2006, Chambers Field was replaced with turf, which was funded by the community and parents of athletes in Bronxville.
From April to June and September to October, a 7 miles (11.3 km) stretch of the Bronx River Parkway (no part of the roadway of which is in Bronxville) from Scarsdale Road in Yonkers (north of Bronxville) to White Plains
closes to automobile traffic each Sunday (except on holiday weekends) between 10 AM and 2 PM. During those times, the Westchester County Parks Department runs "Bicycle Sundays" along this stretch of the parkway.
Bronxville is home to Concordia College, a liberal arts college
operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
The Bronxville Public School, known as The Bronxville School, is annually ranked as one of the top public schools in the country. The school was started as a progressive educational institution in the 1920s.
Indian tribe that was centered in the Gramatan Rock area above Bronxville Station. Chief Gramatan sold the land to the settlers.
The town had been known as "Underhill's Crossing", but the name was changed to Bronxville. In the second half of the nineteenth century when railroads connected Westchester County with New York City, the area grew in terms of population, with more residents working in the city and commuting daily.
The Gramatan Hotel on Sunset Hill was a residence hotel in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It was the home of two famous American widows: Mrs. U.S. Grant
and Mrs. Robert E. Lee
. They enjoyed cards and rode the train to New York City together. Elizabeth Clift Bacon, General George Armstrong Custer
's widow, lived in Bronxville, and her house still stands to this day. The hotel was demolished in 1970, and a complex of townhouses was built on the site in 1980.
The hills are rugged and beautiful, with oak trees, dogwood, and flowering shrubs. The area was home to an arts-and-crafts colony in the early 20th century; many noteworthy houses by prominent and casual architects dot the hills, including "Owl House" which was the home of writer Brendan Gill
, whose son Michael wrote How Starbucks Saved My Life
and his son Charles wrote The Boozer Challenge
.
The St. Joseph's Catholic Church, located in the downtown area, was attended by the Kennedys when they were residents from 1929 to about 1936. In 1958 future-senator Ted Kennedy
married Joan Bennett in St. Joseph's Church.
The US Post Office–Bronxville
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1988. Other sites on the National Register are the Bronxville Women's Club, Lawrence Park Historic District
, and Masterton-Dusenberry House
.
Eastchester (town), New York
Eastchester is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 32,363 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe.The Town of Eastchester is in the south part of the county.- History :...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of midtown Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in southern Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323. It currently ranks 20th in the US on a list of the highest income places in the United States.
Demographics
At the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 6,543 people, 2,312 households and 1,660 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,869.3 per square mile (2,659.2/km²). There were 2,387 housing units at an average density of 2,506.0 per square mile (970.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.88% White, 1.15% African American, 0.05% Native American, 4.83% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.
There were 2,312 households of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.27.
Age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $144,940, and the median family income was $200,000, making it one of the wealthiest and most affluent places with more than 1000 households, or population of 1000, in the United States. It currently ranks 20th in the US on a list of the highest income places in the United States. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $61,184 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $89,483. About 1.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Postal code
Bronxville's 10708 ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
covers not only the village of Bronxville proper, but also Chester Heights and other sections of Eastchester
Eastchester (town), New York
Eastchester is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 32,363 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe.The Town of Eastchester is in the south part of the county.- History :...
, parts of Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York
Tuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486....
, and Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, and other sections of Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. This brings the ZIP code's population to 22,411 (2000 census), covering an area more than twice as large as the actual municipality of Bronxville itself and encompassing several notable institutions such as Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
in Yonkers.
Parks and recreation
The Village of Bronxville has over 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) of parkland including athletic fields, woodlands, and a very small part of the Bronx RiverBronx River
The Bronx River, approximately long, flows through southeast New York in the United States. It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. The Bronx River is the only fresh water river in New York City....
Parkway Reservation. The Reservation, Westchester’s oldest park, was created as an adjunct to the Bronx River Parkway
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
that opened in 1925, and was the first linear park in the United States. The Reservation features ponds, wooden footbridges and hundreds of varieties of native trees and shrubs. The park is owned by Westchester County, and it is a favorite place for bicycling, walking, running, and nature study.
The Bronxville School's athletic fields contain a football field, three smaller fields used for various sports like field hockey and lacrosse, and a running track (which is only 380 meters in Lane 1 because of space issues). Bacon Woodlands, located on Kensington Road, is a natural rock outcropping which has been left in its natural state, the flatter portion of which is used as an informal play area by children. Scout Field, a Westchester County Park which is located predominantly in Yonkers and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
but is controlled by Bronxville, is heavily utilized by the Bronxville schools' soccer, football, baseball and cross-country running programs. In 2006, Chambers Field was replaced with turf, which was funded by the community and parents of athletes in Bronxville.
From April to June and September to October, a 7 miles (11.3 km) stretch of the Bronx River Parkway (no part of the roadway of which is in Bronxville) from Scarsdale Road in Yonkers (north of Bronxville) to White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
closes to automobile traffic each Sunday (except on holiday weekends) between 10 AM and 2 PM. During those times, the Westchester County Parks Department runs "Bicycle Sundays" along this stretch of the parkway.
Education
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
The Bronxville Public School, known as The Bronxville School, is annually ranked as one of the top public schools in the country. The school was started as a progressive educational institution in the 1920s.
Notable natives and residents
- Frank Abagnale, Jr.Frank AbagnaleFrank William Abagnale, Jr. is an American security consultant known for his history as a former confidence trickster, check forger, impostor, and escape artist...
, security consultant and former impostorImpostorAn impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
and forgerForgeryForgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
whose life was the subject of the book Catch Me if You CanCatch Me if You Can (autobiography)Catch Me if You Can is Frank Abagnale Jr.'s autobiography, written with the help of Stan Redding.- Plot summary :The book is the autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr., who was one of the most famous con-artists in the 20th Century. It is written in the first person and describes how he cashed $2.5...
and its 2002 film adaptationCatch Me If You CanCatch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor... - Kenneth BaconKenneth BaconKenneth Hogate Bacon was an American journalist who served as a spokesman for the Department of Defense during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, and later as president of Refugees International, an organization dedicated to advocating for assistance and protection for displaced persons and promoting...
(1944–2009), Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
spokesman who later served as president of Refugees InternationalRefugees InternationalRefugees International is a humanitarian organization supporting refugees and stateless people. It publishes annual reports, as well as approximately twenty-five field reports throughout the year on refugee issues, as well as comments on international aid issues around the world... - Stuart BeckStuart BeckStuart Beck is an American law practitioner and a diplomat for Palau. He attended Harvard University and later Yale Law School. As a lawyer he helped negotiate the Compact of Free Association which established Palau as an independent nation in 1994...
, ambassador of the Republic of Palau to the United Nations - Marvin BowerMarvin BowerMarvin Bower was the son of the deputy recorder at Cuyahoga County. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and attended public schools there. He earned his bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1925. His father advised him to study law, and Bower graduated from Harvard Law School in 1928...
, former Managing Director of McKinsey & Co. and "the father of modern management consulting" - Mika BrzezinskiMika BrzezinskiMika Emilie Leonia Brzezinski is an American television news journalist at MSNBC. Brzezinski is co-host of MSNBC's weekday morning program Morning Joe, where she provides regular commentary and reads the news headlines for the program...
, television journalist on Morning JoeMorning JoeMorning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996... - Thomas S. BuechnerThomas S. BuechnerThomas Scharman Buechner was an aspiring artist who turned to working at museums, who became the founding director of the Corning Museum of Glass and director of the Brooklyn Museum, where he oversaw a major transformation in its operation and displays....
(1936–2010), founding director of the Corning Museum of GlassCorning Museum of GlassThe Corning Museum of Glass, in Corning, New York, explores every facet of glass, including art, history, culture, science and technology, craft, and design....
and director of the Brooklyn MuseumBrooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.... - Don DeLilloDon DeLilloDon DeLillo is an American author, playwright, and occasional essayist whose work paints a detailed portrait of American life in the late 20th and early 21st centuries...
, writer - Francis William Edmonds (1806–63), genre painter
- John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, 35th president of the United States of America - Brendan GillBrendan GillBrendan Gill wrote for The New Yorker for more than 60 years. He also contributed film criticism for Film Comment and wrote a popular book about his time at the New Yorker magazine.-Biography:...
, famed New Yorker writer - Michael Gates Gill, the author of How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else
- Roger GoodellRoger GoodellRoger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
, Commissioner of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... - Jack PaarJack PaarJack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
, American radio and television talk show host - Dennis RitchieDennis RitchieDennis MacAlistair Ritchie , was an American computer scientist who "helped shape the digital era." He created the C programming language and, with long-time colleague Ken Thompson, the UNIX operating system...
, one of the creators of Unix and the C programming language - Gary RobinsonGary RobinsonGary Robinson is an American software engineer notable for his mathematical algorithms to fight spam.-Fighting spam with algorithms:In 2003, Robinson published an article in Linux Journal which discussed mathematical approaches for fighting spam which led to work along with Tim Peters on the...
, software entrepreneur - Chuck ScarboroughChuck ScarboroughCharles Bishop "Chuck" Scarborough III is an American television journalist and author. Since 1974 Scarborough has been the lead male news anchor at WNBC-TV, the New York City-based flagship station of the NBC Television Network, and has also appeared on NBC News. He currently co-anchors with...
, news anchor - Frederick D. SulcerFrederick D. SulcerFrederick Durham Sulcer, known as Sandy Sulcer, was an American advertising agency copywriter and executive notable for creating the 1960s Put a Tiger in Your Tank advertising theme for Esso gasoline, now known as ExxonMobil.-Early years:...
, advertising executive who wrote Put a Tiger in Your Tank for ExxonMobilExxonMobilExxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas... - Ruth Ann SwensonRuth Ann SwensonRuth Ann Swenson is an American soprano who is renowned for her brilliance in coloratura roles.Born in Bronxville, New York and raised in Commack, New York on Long Island, Swenson studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and briefly at Hartt College of Music in West Hartford, Connecticut...
, operatic soprano - Philip TorchioPhilip TorchioPhilip Torchio was an Italian electrical engineer known for his work at the Edison Electric Company and his many inventions in the transmission and distribution of electric energy...
, electrical engineer known for his work with Edison Electric Company
Film and television
- The Bronxville School appears in StepmomStepmom (film)Stepmom is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Harris.The film was a commercial success, but a moderate critical success.-Plot:...
starring Julia RobertsJulia RobertsJulia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
and Susan SarandonSusan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
and in FirstbornFirstborn (film)Firstborn is a 1984 drama film starring Teri Garr, Peter Weller, Christopher Collet, Corey Haim , Sarah Jessica Parker and Robert Downey Jr....
(1984) starring Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
and Peter WellerPeter WellerPeter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
.. - The Siwanoy Country Club, located in Eastchester, is featured in RoundersRoundersRounders is a game played between two teams of either gender. The game originated in England where it was played in Tudor times. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by...
starring Matt DamonMatt DamonMatthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
and Edward NortonEdward NortonEdward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
. Siwanoy Country Club is also featured in Six Degrees of SeparationSix degrees of separationSix degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
starring Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, Stockard ChanningStockard ChanningStockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
and Donald SutherlandDonald SutherlandDonald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the... - The film Baby MamaBaby Mama (film)Baby Mama is a 2008 comedy film from Universal Pictures written and directed by Michael McCullers and starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, and Dax Shepard.-Plot:...
was shot, partly, on Legget Road in Bronxville. - The opening scene in the 1990 film Tales from the DarksideTales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
was shot in Bronxville.
History
Gramatan was the name of the chief of the local SiwanoySiwanoy
The Native American Siwanoy or Sinanoy were a band of Algonquian-speaking people, the Wappinger, in what is now the New York City area. By the mid-17th century, when their territory became hotly contested between Dutch and English colonial interests, the Siwanoy were settled along the East River...
Indian tribe that was centered in the Gramatan Rock area above Bronxville Station. Chief Gramatan sold the land to the settlers.
The town had been known as "Underhill's Crossing", but the name was changed to Bronxville. In the second half of the nineteenth century when railroads connected Westchester County with New York City, the area grew in terms of population, with more residents working in the city and commuting daily.
The Gramatan Hotel on Sunset Hill was a residence hotel in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It was the home of two famous American widows: Mrs. U.S. Grant
Julia Grant
Julia Boggs Dent-Grant , was the wife of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and was First Lady of the United States from 1869 to 1877.-Background:...
and Mrs. Robert E. Lee
Mary Anna Custis Lee
Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee was the wife of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.-Biography:Mary Anna Custis Lee was the only surviving child of George Washington Parke Custis, George Washington's step-grandson and adopted son and founder of Arlington House, and Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis, daughter...
. They enjoyed cards and rode the train to New York City together. Elizabeth Clift Bacon, General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
's widow, lived in Bronxville, and her house still stands to this day. The hotel was demolished in 1970, and a complex of townhouses was built on the site in 1980.
The hills are rugged and beautiful, with oak trees, dogwood, and flowering shrubs. The area was home to an arts-and-crafts colony in the early 20th century; many noteworthy houses by prominent and casual architects dot the hills, including "Owl House" which was the home of writer Brendan Gill
Brendan Gill
Brendan Gill wrote for The New Yorker for more than 60 years. He also contributed film criticism for Film Comment and wrote a popular book about his time at the New Yorker magazine.-Biography:...
, whose son Michael wrote How Starbucks Saved My Life
How Starbucks Saved My Life
How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else is a memoir by Michael Gates Gill which chronicles his journey from a high-level advertising executive with J. Walter Thompson to a barista at Starbucks. The book has been optioned by Tom Hanks for a film; filmmaker...
and his son Charles wrote The Boozer Challenge
The Boozer Challenge
The Boozer Challenge is a fiction book by author Charles Gill, son of famed New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, and brother of Michael Gates Gill, who wrote How Starbucks Saved My Life.The Boozer Challenge was published on April 1, 1989, by Penguin....
.
The St. Joseph's Catholic Church, located in the downtown area, was attended by the Kennedys when they were residents from 1929 to about 1936. In 1958 future-senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
married Joan Bennett in St. Joseph's Church.
The US Post Office–Bronxville
United States Post Office (Bronxville, New York)
US Post Office-Bronxville is a historic post office building located at Bronxville in Westchester County, New York, United States. It was built in 1937 and designed by consulting architect Eric Kebbon for the Office of the Supervising Architect. It is a -story building faced with brick and...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1988. Other sites on the National Register are the Bronxville Women's Club, Lawrence Park Historic District
Lawrence Park Historic District
Lawrence Park Historic District is a national historic district located at Bronxville, Westchester County, New York. The district contains 94 contributing buildings...
, and Masterton-Dusenberry House
Masterton-Dusenberry House
Masterton-Dusenberry House is a historic home located at Bronxville, Westchester County, New York. It was built in the 1830s in an eclectic Greek Revival style. It was built as a summer home for locally prominent stonemason Alexander Masterson. It is a two story, wood frame residence on a stone...
.