36,500 Bricks Arrive to Rebuild Yellow Brick Road on Park Avenue
By Bill Dowling, Former Co-chair of The Bronxville Historical Conservancy and a Past President of the Lawrence Park Hilltop Association
Nov. 25, 2015: A historic brick road on the Lawrence Park Hilltop came one step closer to being restored this week when 36,500 bricks arrived at Bronxville Village Hall. The new bricks are for the rebuilding of a portion of Park Avenue leading down from Wellington Circle. The restoration of the brick roadway was approved by the village trustees last September after a campaign by The Bronxville Historical Conservancy to prevent the road from being paved over with tarmac.
The Conservancy found a small brick maker, Colonial Bricks, in Cayuga, Indiana, that was able to make handmade bricks in the same size and shape as the original bricks that were used in the roadway at the turn of the last century. The only difference is that they are a light rose color, much like the bricks on Valley near Red Oak Road. There was no more yellow clay available. The Conservancy funded the manufacture of the bricks.
The village's contractor has already removed the old brick road and the department of public works has sorted and stored those bricks for future use on other Hilltop roads. Con Ed should finish installing a new gas line in the roadway this week. The contractor should finish the underground drainage work, including the installation of several new catch basins to properly capture storm water runoff (unlike the original road), by the end of the month.
Jim Palmer, Bronxville village administrator, said he hopes the road base work, including new granite curbing, can be completed in December and the base paved after that. Laying of the bricks, however, will depend on weather and may not occur until spring.
This has been a textbook example of Bronxville Village, The Bronxville Historical Conservancy, and the Lawrence Park Hilltop Association working together to preserve the legacy of this historic village.
Pictured here: The Park Avenue construction site where the bricks are soon to go (top) and the stacks of rose-colored bricks that will be laid there.
Photos by A. Warner
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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