By Marian Schafer, Bronxville High School Junior. 

To the Community:

June 14, 2023: I'm writing to make you aware that a local building of significant historical importance dating from the founding of our country is in danger of being torn down.

The Ward House at 230 White Plains Road was the family home of Stephen Ward, a patriot during the Revolutionary War. The home is located in what is now Tuckahoe, but during the Revolution the farmland belonging to the house extended into what is now Eastchester and Bronxville. There were several skirmishes and many patriot deaths at the Ward House during the Revolution and it remained of strategic importance throughout the war.

The Ward House most recently served as a dormitory and gathering location for Concordia College. It was deemed a Historical Landmark by the Tuckahoe Village Board of Trustees in 2022. 

The developer who purchased the house from Concordia in August 2021 (notably after the Village of Tuckahoe imposed a Historic Buildings Moratorium on the structure) wants to demolish the house and build two residential homes. 

The Tuckahoe Historic Preservation Commission is accepting public comments on the developer's application to demolish through Wednesday June 14th.  If you feel as I do that the Ward House should be preserved because it is a physical reminder of the important history of Tuckahoe, Eastchester and Bronxville, please include your name as a signatory to my letter to the Historic Commission located here. 

Editor's note:  MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.