The ChronicleA Publication of

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy

SPRING 2001

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to speak at

Third Annual Brendan Gill Lecture Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., grandson of the Joseph and Rose Kennedy whose family

lived in Bronxville from 1929 to 1938, will return to the village his father once calledhome on Friday, May 11, 2001. He will speak at the third annual Brendan Gill Lecture, 8p.m. at Concordia College’s Sommers Center, sponsored by the Bronxville HistoricalConservancy. Kennedy will help further the mission of the Conservancy by underscoringthe importance of preserving the village’s natural as well as man-made resources. He’llalso comment on the Kennedy family’s years in Bronxville.

A resolute defender of the environment, Kennedy has earned an international reputation through a number of successful legal actions that have helped protectthe world’s natural resources. With other activists, he brought the Hudson River backto life. Declared “dead” in the l960’s, it has since become one of the richest bodies of water in the NorthAtlantic. Kennedy also led landmark negotiations that resulted in the permanent protection of New YorkCity’s water supply. He has worked on environmental issues across the Americas and has assisted several

indigenous tribes in Latin America andCanada in successfully negotiatingtreaties protecting traditional homelands.

The Westchester resident and passion-ate falconer once thought he would be aveterinarian, but after his father’s death,Kennedy found a way to turn his familylegacy of public service to preservingnature’s best. “My father used to say thething that makes you happy is not successbut to be useful,” he said.

His father Bobby lived in Bronxville in theKennedy home known as Crownlands at294 Pondfield Road, a 5.5 acre estate thatserved as a gathering place for neighbor-

hood children. The boys were active in the Boy Scouts, the girls attended“Miss Covington’s,” and Bobby wasan altar boy at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. In 1953, Crownlands was razed and the property was subdivid-ed.

There is no cost for the lecture. Everyone is invited to attend. For reservations, please call 793-2336.

The Joseph P. Kennedy Family in their Bronxville home

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Environmentalist and Lawyer

ith a backdrop of 19th and early 20th century paintings gathered by DeanLombardo, combined with works lent fromseveral villagers’ private collections, Art

Historian Jayne Warman painted a magnificentlandscape of Bronxville’s early art and its ever-increasing value in the current market.

Speaking to a crowded group of HistoricalConservancy members at Lombardo’s Bronxvillegallery, Objects and Images, Jayne noted that theearliest known Bronxville artist was William R.Hamilton (1795 -1879), a Scotsman by birth who isbest known as a portraitist. He painted the individ-ual likenesses of one of Bronxville’s first families, theMastertons, in formal settings as well as in bucolicscenes such as the one pictured above,Masterton’s at Play Along the Bronx River.

The Rejected Suitor, a painting by another earlyBronxville artist, Francis Edmonds, was also on display. It is a striking example of Edmond’s precisedetailing, theatrical use of light and humorousportrayal of everyday life.

Other artists featured in the exhibit includedGeorge Smillie, Otto Bacher and Will Hicok Low, thelatter probably the most famous of the colony’s resi-dents. Low likened the artists of the “BronxvilleSchool” to the French school of outdoor painting atBarbizon. Warman noted this comparison was erro-neous, as the artists in Bronxville were linked neitherby common poverty nor common cause nor werethey united in style. “They were well-establishedpainters with various aesthetic concerns, all basical-ly conservative and seeking a quiet, relaxed butelegant life within easy reach of Manhattan,” shesaid.

An artist’s colony flourished in Bronxville between 1894 and 1937. Many of their works are nowfound in museums and galleries throughout the country. Art Historian Jayne Warman

painted a pretty picture at the Conservancy’s Art and Wine reception last spring.

W

Jayne Warman

Masterton’s at Play Along the Bronx River

John M. Masterton

SSttrrookkeess ooff GGeenniiuuss

A special friend....There are in every generation a few individuals who are singled out because their lives have an

impact on whole communities. Frieda Wildy Riggs was one of these people. She did not achieve afame that was bestowed because of public office, media exposure, or a particular talent, but becauseof the ways in which she touched the lives of so many individuals for over 92 years.

Frieda Riggs had a passion for education that she shared with others of all ages, from the schoolchildren who yearly visited her historic home, to the college students here and in Japan who participat-ed in programs she supported, to the friends and associates she challenged to never stop learningbecause of her own excitement for books, ideas, and dialogue.

Her genuine interest in people and their welfare motivated her to choose a profession in socialservice and, afterward, an avocation in community service -- the school, her church, the library, theVillage, all were beneficiaries of her time and her intelligent and compassionate approach to issues.She loved history and tradition, but was never outdated; she epitomized firm values, but was alwaysaccepting of others' opinions and cultural diversity.

Though he preceded her by a century, perhaps Emerson best described this remarkable womanand community friend when he wrote: "Some people come into our lives and quietly go. Others stayawhile and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."

and a lasting legacy.....Frieda Riggs was one of the first founding members of the Conservancy, an organization she

embraced because it was committed to issues and objectives for which she had been a strong advo-cate for over six decades -- the preservation of Bronxville's history and its architectural and artistic her-itage.

The magnitude of her support and generosity was made known to the Conservancy during itsfirst year when she informed the Board that she planned to bequeath her home to the organization.Her wish was that this community "treasure," the oldest house in Bronxville, continue to be owned, lived in

and loved by a single family, just as it has been by the Riggs and other familiesfor the last two centuries. The proceeds from the sale of the house at 339

Pondfield Road will go to the Conservancy to carry on its mission.For the past six months the Conservancy has been working with his-

torical and architectural consultants, legal advisers, and real estateprofessionals to evaluate the structure, devise a plan for its preserva-tion, and determine how it will be placed in the real estate market.Informed by these studies, the Conservancy will offer the house forsale as it searches for owners who will add their names to thehome's and Bronxville's history.

Marilynn Wood Hill

Frieda Wildy Riggs The oldest home in Bronxville, 339 Pondfield Road

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL

his early 20th century Bronxville home originallydesigned by George C. Licht and later renovatedby “Stockbroker Tudor” architect lewis Bowman is a

study in delight. From a family room big enough to house a12-foot sofa and an American buffalo head, to an authen-tic log cabin den, to a secret spot in the cellar where dustybottles of prohibition-era liquor still wait to be opened, this1911 house is a perfect example of theattractive and substantial homes builtin turn-of-the-century Sagamore Parkfor business executives and their fami-lies.

Sagamore Park followed LawrencePark as one of Bronxville’s early neigh-borhood developments. Located onthe site of DeWitt’s Woods, this areawas the creation of a syndicate oflocal residents and investor organizedin 1909 by H. Ward Leonard, an engi-neer, inventor and prominent villageresident.

Frank Gates, a well-known stage set designer and scenicartist was the first owner of the home originally built in the“Old English” style. When Ernest Quantrell, art collector andlong-term president of the Bronxville Library, and his wifeLulu bought it seven years later, Bowman transformed thestructure to a striking Elizabethan estate.

More than 100 members enjoyed the architecture, art,furnishings and personal collectionsof current owners Mary and richardThaler featured in the secondConservancy House Tour. Last year, Freida Riggs opened herhome, the oldest in Bronxville, for thismembers-only annual event.Planning has already begun for the2001 Fall tour which will introduce yetanother Bronxville neighborhood andarchitectural style.

Following the tour, members gath-ered at the Field Club for a cocktailparty and the membership meeting.The second-floor log cabin den designed by Mr. Quantrell

to replicate his home in the Adirondacks.

Some said the log cabin room was their favorite.Others lingered in the secret prohibition cellar.

But all who attended the annual Historical Conservancy House Tour delighted in the chance to visit the historic “Ernest Quantrell” home.

T

The “Ernest Quantrell” House after Lewis Bowman’s renovation in 1929

Anna Lee and daughter, Meredith

Meet Our Newest Board Member, Anna Lee

Thank you, Nancy!

Anna Lee, a lifelong resident of the Village, was elected a director of theConservancy at the annual meeting held November 19, 2000.

Our newest board member was born shortly after her parents moved toBronxville in the late 1950s. She attended the Bronxville Public School fromkindergarten through 12th grade and graduated from Skidmore College in1982. After working for the American School of Ballet and Chase Bank, Annaand her husband, Tom Lee, moved in 1988 to the Village where they current-ly reside with their four children.

Anna fondly recalls in her youth sharing Christmas Eve and Christmas at theAbijah Morgan House at 339 Pondfield Road. Her grandmother, Ruby PetiteWildy, who died in Scottsbluff, Nebraska when Anna's father was 15, was afirst cousin of Frieda Wildy Riggs, who purchased the house with her husbandin 1937 and lived there until her death in July of this year.

Thanks to a longstanding friendship betweenConservancy board member Corky Frost and BetsyMouzon, granddaughter of architect Harry LeslieWalker, a scale model of the Bronxville Public Librarydating from the time of its original design has beendonated to the Library. Given by Elizabeth Mouzon,Walker’s daughter, the model bears the title “Studyfor Public Library Building, Bronxville, New York” and issigned “Harry Leslie Walker Architect.” It probablydates from 1940, since the Library construction wascompleted in 1942.

After 60 years the model is in surprisingly good con-dition, but it is missing landscaping and other detailsand needs some restoration. The Conservancy hasagreed to fund the model’s refurbishing which will be

When the "Who Was Who" Committee began the task of organizingbiographical information for its work, it became obvious that accurateminutes of the committee's first meetings and the creation of an onlinefinding aid would be real assets. Committee member Nancy Waterscheerfully undertook both tasks. A 13-year Bronxville resident and long-time employee of the Yonkers Public Library, Nancy brought both herlove of the Village and her scrupulous attention to detail to the commit-tee.

Over 300 entries later, Nancy's database has served as a "jumping off"point for the researchers to see who has been earmarked for futurestudy, realize whose name may be missing and learn whose back-ground information may already be on file. Her initial database not onlyserves the group but also eventually will be a useful tool for all those vis-iting the History Room in search of information about a particular personimportant to Bronxville.

Because of her myriad other community assignments, Nancy hasstepped down from the committee, but her strong early support continues to serve the Conservancy.

Nancy Waters

Restoration of Original Library ModelFunded by Conservancy

showcased in the newly-renovated Library as areminder of its origins.

Although labeled a study, it seems almost identicalto the built design except for two details that wereomitted: a retaining wall across the rear of the build-ing parallel to Pondfield Road and a porch on thesouth side that instead became an open terrace.

Mrs. Mouzon, who will be 92 this October, lives inMichigan with her youngest daughter, Peggy. Shegrew up in Bronxville where her parents lived fromabout 1910 until Harry Walker’s death in the late1950s.

In addition to the Library, Walker designed TheReformed Church and a number of Village houses,and he was associate architect for the BronxvilleSchool.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy was

established 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.

Making HistoryThe Conservancy in Action

At The Bronxville Historical Conservancy’s annual membership meeting on November 19, 2000, the following board members were elected: HenryCoon, Patricia Dohrenwend, Corwin Frost, DonaldGray, Marilynn Hill, Mary Huber, Anna Lee, RobertMacdonald, Rory Millson, Eloise Morgan, RobertRiggs, Robert Underhill, Nancy Vittorini and JayneWarman. Mayor Nancy Hand continues to serve onthe board as an ex-officio member.

The Conservancy’s first research journal will bepublished in the fall and will include articles onBronxville’s social history, art and education. Severalpages will feature color photographs.

With information from the Internet, various museumsand other sources, the Art Research and InventoryCommittee continues to collect data on the livesand work of Bronxville artists for an annotated cata-log of the artists’ paintings and sculpture.

Headlines Bronxville attracts national attention

In July members of the Little Big Horn Associates traveledto Bronxville from the organization's national conferenceat West Point for a private tour of the Custer homes andneighborhood. The LBHA is an organization that focuseson the life and military career of General George Custerand his associates. The tour was organized and led byConservancy co-chair Marilynn Hill and LBHA memberTony Romeo of Yonkers.

Recently featured on the cover of the MetropolitanMuseum's fall catalogue of exhibits, events and courseswas the painting, "The New Bonnet," by 19th-century Bronxville artist Francis Edmonds. The painting was a part of the Museum's special exhibit,"Art and the Empire City," that closed on January 7.

Time to renew yourmembership!

You’ll soon be receiving the 2001 Bronxville HistoricalConservancy brochure which requests that you renewyour annual membership. As before, several member levels will be offered, from a $35 “Dusenberry Donor” to a$1,000 “Masterton Benefactor.” The Conservancy beganwith 100 founding members in 1998 as an outgrowth ofthe Village’s Centennial celebration and since then hasnearly tripled in size. Our goal is to reach out to a verybroad group of those who are interested in preserving the character and charm of our historic village. Please joinus! Call Donald Gray, membership chairman, at 779-2043for more information.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy

200 Pondfield Road

Bronxville, NY 10708

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBronxville, NY 10708

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.3rd Annual Brendan Gill Lecture

Friday, May 11, 8 p.m.Sommers Center Auditorium,

Concordia CollegePublic is invited. No charge.

Call 793-2336 for reservations.