Bronxville Historical Conservancy Takes Hudson River Boat Ride to Historic Restoration on Staten Island: See Photos of Those Attending
Written by Staff
Oct. 1, 2014: On Sunday, September 21, approximately 100 members and guests of The Bronxville Historical Conservancy boarded the Seastreak ferry in Yonkers to take the Conservancy's annual boat cruise on the Hudson River—this time to the historic Richmond Town restoration on Staten Island.
Judy Unis and Judy Foley, the co-organizers of the outing, checked in the passengers, a good number of whom immediately raced to the top deck of the ferry to position themselves for the spectacular views along the Hudson River that were to be seen as they progressed south toward New York City.
Once on Staten Island, they boarded buses to drive to the Richmond Town settlement, a settlement that had served for nearly two centuries as the government center of Staten Island. During the depression, local residents helped create a testament to Staten Island's rich history by first renovating the former county clerk's and surrogate's office for use as a museum and then acquiring and restoring many historic buildings, including a one-room schoolhouse, an after-hours bar frequented by most men in the settlement, a barrel-making factory, a number of homes, and several other businesses. Even a village blacksmith stood outdoors hammering away over glowing coals to create iron objects in the style of the 17th century.
After Staten Island became one of the five boroughs of New York City in 1898, the county offices were moved to the northern part of Staten Island, closer to Manhattan, and Richmond Town became a quiet community with a historic settlement—much enjoyed by Conservancy members.
To see over thirty photos of those attending, click here: Bronxville Historical Conservancy Boat Cruise to Richmond Town.
Pictured here: Lower Manhattan skyline from aboard the ferry.
Photo above by A. Warner; in the link, first 34 photos by N. Bower and A. Warner and last 5 photos by Cindy Tether.
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
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Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
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Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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