The Chronicle

A Publication of SPRING 2011

Where is this wagon going and where is it located in the Bronxville Public Library?

Bronxville, New York

INSIDE
All Aboard! Five new talented people add strength and experience to the Conservancy Board.
Photo credits: Kate Martin

Cokie Roberts, 13th Annual Brendan Gill Lecturer

By Liz Folberth
capacity crowd filled Reisinger Auditorium at Sarah Lawrence College on March 4th to hear Cokie Roberts, our 13th annual Brendan Gill Lecturer. Marilynn Hill, who serves on the board of the National Archives Foundation with Ms. Roberts, introduced her friend as a person who cares deeply about history and has been witness to and chronicler of much of U.S. history during her more than 40 years in broadcasting. Roberts, a political commentator for ABC News and a Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio, is the author of a number of bestsellers: We Are Our Mothers Daughters, Founding Mothers, and Ladies of Liberty. Along with her husband Steve, Roberts also published From This Day Forward, an account of their marriage as well as other marriages in American history. Ms. Roberts was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting. In 2008 the Library of Congress named her a Living Legend, one of the very few Americans to have attained that honor. Roberts' talk focused on the role of women in history, her favorite topic and the subject of her three books. She grew up witnessing history. Her parents were deeply involved in Democratic politics, in Louisiana and nationally. Her father, Hale Boggs, was U.S.
Continued on page 3

Reason To Be Merry Conservancy helps Bronxville Christmas Pageant raise $25,000. Philadelphia Story Field trip to historic Bryn Athyn planned for May 7, 2011. Members Only. Home Sweet Home Save The Date November 6, 2011 House Tour and Conservancy Annual Meeting. A Gift Of Time The Masterton sundial has a new home. New Art Acquisition Conservancy art collection adds painting of Bronxville scene by Bronxville artist. Memorial Day Remembering our veterans at the Bronxville Veterans Memorial and the Hero Next Door Exhibits. Celebrating our past with antique car lineup in Memorial Day Parade. Having fun with more Cues & Clues, a scavenger hunt for kids, parents and grandparents at the Bronxville Public Library. Plus more

Marilynn Hill, lifetime co-chair of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy, guest speaker Cokie Roberts, and Jayne Warman, current Conservancy co-chair.

New Bronxville Historical Conservancy Board Members

he was the CEO of Continental Illinois Bank (Canada) in Toronto. He currently serves as a trustee of Hanover College and is a member of the Colleges Center for Business Preparation Advisory Board. In Bronxville, he is past president of the PTA and member of the School Foundation Board.

Cokie Roberts, Brendan Gill Lecturer

Continued from page 1

Congressman from Louisiana and House Majority Leader. Her mother, Lindy Boggs, also served as Representative from Louisiana in the U. S. House of Representatives and as Ambassador to the Vatican. The reason I started to write about women in history, said Roberts, was that growing up in Washington, D.C., I saw the tremendous influence of wives on men in power. I watched my mother and her cronies run everything: their husbands campaigns, voter registration and all the social service agencies in Washington. When Roberts started covering Congress and politics, she couldnt get away from the Founding Fathers. She felt the need to go back and read the debates on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, in order to report on current politics. I thought about the women of that important era, said Roberts. What kind of influence did they have? The men couldnt have done it alone. I had to do detective work to piece together who they were and the influence they had. It turned out to be absolutely fascinating. Roberts talked about many of the Founding Mothers, including Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Abigail and Louisa (wife of John Quincy) Adams, and Sally Jay. These women were deeply political and patriotic. They kept everything together at home while their husbands were away. They created the social safety net for the poor, orphans and widows, and as a result they became more

Jack Bierwirth, Liz Folberth, Rick Shearer Bill Dowling

Bill Dowling works in Bronxville as a broker handling both residential and commercial real estate. He has served on the Mayors Advisory Committee and on the Board of the Community Fund of Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester. He is a past president of the Lawrence Park Hilltop Association. Bill is an accomplished artist who has painted portraits of historic Westchester homes and buildings as well as Hudson River landscapes.

Former Conservancy co-chair Donald Gray and member Linda Smith-Shearer

Jack Bierwirth has lived in Bronxville since 1998, when he moved here from Portland, Oregon, to become president and CEO of Outward Bound. Since 2001, he has served as Superintendent of Herricks Public Schools in New Hyde Park, NY. Liz Folberth is a freelance writer and editor, who currently produces the Columbia Journalism School Newsletter, and has written for numerous newspapers and magazines. She has served as chairman of the board of the Bronxville Adult School and as vice chairman of the Siwanoy Womens Golf Association. Rick Shearer recently retired as an executive vice president of the Bank of New York Mellon after 22 years with the firm. Prior to that,
David McBride

David McBride, who retired as executive vice president in charge of the Financial Information Services Group of Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, currently serves as vice chairman and director of Oxford Analytica, Inc. He has been a Village Trustee, governor of Lawrence Hospital, governor and president of Siwanoy Country Club; board member of the Bronxville Adult School; and served 6 years as chairman of the Counseling Center.

political. In fact, two huge social changesabolition and suffragewere started early and by women. They kept records; they wrote letters. Since March is Womens History Month, Roberts said, its a perfect time to remember how important it is to read womens letters. We get a more complete picture of the Founding Fathers through the womens eyes, she said. When the men wrote to their wives they let their guard down and showed their fears, ambitions and humor. The women wrote about everything. Its important to celebrate all of our history. We cant do that without knowing womens place in history.

Conservancy Board Members Donate Marketing Experience To Help Village Christmas Pageant Raise $25,000
The Bronxville Historical Conservancy is dedicated to preserving Village traditions. Last November, Susanne Shoemaker, co-chair of the annual Christmas Pageant committee, told us that the 2010 Christmas Eve event, a 95-year old tradition, might be in jeopardy because of lack of funds. When she asked us to assist with her fund raising efforts, your board went to work. Conservancy co-chair Bob Wein led the mission, aided by Bill Dowling and Bob Scott, to work with Ms. Shoemaker to redraft the Pageant's fund raising letter, redesign the letterhead, and launch a public relations effort that underscored the financial urgency of keeping the Pageant alive. Our joint effort was successful. Thanks to the generous response of Bronxville Village residents, the Pageant raised more than $25,000. We are so grateful for this record response from the community, said Susanne Shoemaker. It ensures that the annual Christmas Pageant will remain solvent and continue to be a highlight of Village Christmas celebrations. And we can now afford long-overdue costume repairs and costume replacements; electrical rewiring on the hillside; transfer of data from slide carousel to DVD; and updating of historical records and documents. But mainly, the annual event itself will continue.

Mayor Marvin Praises Conservancy Landscape/Resource Study

By Nancy Hand
Last Spring the Conservancy commissioned Peter Gisolfi Associates to undertake a study that explored the landscape types and other resources in Bronxville and its immediate environs. Recently, Bob Wein and Jayne Warman met with Peter Gisolfi and Village officials to review the progress to date and discuss future recommendations. The resource inventory, which was prepared by two graduate students in landscape architecture from City College, contains maps reflecting the soil types, elevation, zoning, land use and drainage patterns throughout the Village. increasing the lifespan of trees and plants and adding lushness to the Village." At the meeting, discussions were held about what additional information Village officials might find useful. For example, the preliminary report contained a tree survey encompassing a two square block area with a description of each of the native species found there and suggestions for future plantings. The Mayor stated that the Village "would benefit from a comprehensive mapping of the municipal or street trees in the Village along major thoroughfares. This data would aid in determining the location, age, health, and specimen type and facilitate a more coordinated pruning, fertilization and diseased-tree removal program." The final request from the Mayor involved the Conservancy providing a "user-friendly guide matching Bronxville's different neighborhoods to a list of plants and trees that would grow best in the different soil types. This would be an invaluable tool for homeowners as they landscape property as well as the Village in choosing appropriate and long-lasting vegetation." The mayor concluded by saying that she and the Trustees "are most appreciative of this collaboration and thank the Conservancy for their continued vision as we work together to preserve and enhance the Village."

Mayor Mary Marvin

Mayor Mary Marvin praised this preliminary report as a study that will greatly aid Village officials in "future design and development decisions." The Mayor noted that the report "will aid in future flood mitigation initiatives as well as assist homeowners and municipal officials in planting the proper vegetation throughout the Village,

Field Trip To Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Historic District Saturday, May 7
Standing on a hill overlooking the picturesque Pennypack Creek Valley in the borough of Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, the Bryn Athyn Historic District has generated great architectural and historical interest for more than 70 years. On May 7, 2011, Conservancy members have a unique opportunity to take a private guided tour of beautiful and historic Bryn Athyn, boyhood home of longtime Bronxville resident, Brent Pendleton. This is a members-only event. Sorry, no guests. The Bryn Athyn Historic District was designated as a National Historic Landmark on October 6, 2008. This religious community was founded in the late 19thcentury by members of a Christian denomination known as the New Church. Just a mile from the Philadelphia border, Bryn Athyn is home to some of the areas most remarkable architecturebuildings that reflect the religious faith and vision of the communitys earliest residents. The Bryn Athyn Historic District includes three family residences Cairnwood, Cairncrest and Glencairn, and the renowned Bryn Athyn Cathedral. All were constructed between 1892 and 1938. Of all the crafts associated with the construction of these buildings, the production of stained glass for Bryn Athyn Cathedral and Glencairn is the most noteworthy. The artists and craftsmen were determined to duplicate the textures and pure colors found in the medieval glass windows in European churches. To achieve this quality, the Bryn Athyn group had to rediscover the lost techniques of the medieval glassmakers. Artists were sent to France and England to draw and photograph the glass in the churches there, after which a stained glass studio and glass factory were established in Bryn Athyn. The necessary techniques were finally perfected in the 1920s. Eventually craftsmen trained in this small Pennsylvania borough carried elements of these techniques to other twentieth- century ecclesiastical buildings, such as the Washington National Cathedral. Today, Bryn Athyn Cathedral remains a place of worship for the New Church. Glencairn is a museum of religious art and history. Cairnwood serves as an educational, cultural, and hospitality center. And Cairncrest currently serves as a private office building for the New Church. We will board a luxury bus at 8:30 a.m. in the Elementary School parking lot and arrive at Bryn Athyn at 11:00 a.m. The bus will return to Bronxville by 5:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. The cost is $80 per person, which includes the cost of the bus, lunch and admission. The size of our group will be limited and reservations for members will be accepted in the order received up to May 1, 2011. We cannot offer this trip to guests. Refunds will be given for cancellations received prior to April 27th. Invitations and registration forms will be mailed to 2011 members.

Save the Date! November 6, 2011

House Tour and Conservancy Annual Meeting

ark your calendars for the BHC House Tour scheduled for Sunday, November 6, 2011. Details on the time and location, as well as for the Annual Meeting, which follows the tour, will be included in invitations that will be sent to all members in the fall.

Here here are a few clues about the wonderful house we will be visiting: the family opening their home to the membership is celebrating their 50th year in this nineteenth-century house, which was once part of an enormous real estate holding of an early Bronxville family and may have ties to an even better known and earlier village family. Set in a neighborhood that has boasted presidential, senatorial and royal residents, this house maintains all the charm and character of Bronxvilles sylvan days of yore and was the site of a beloved Bronxville teachers wedding. Be sure to join the Conservancy for our next House Tour and Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 6th!

Conservancy Honored to Accept Gift of Time

By Dale Walker his spring villagers will see the installation of the Masterton sundial on the grounds of Village Hall. A generous gift from the Koester family to the Bronxville Historical Conservancy, the sundial stood for many decades in the southern gardens of the Masterton family estate, Ridgecroft, which was built in 1835. The dial plate is said to have been carved from Tuckahoe marble by Alexander Masterton, and most likely dates to the second quarter of the nineteenth century.

New Acquisition for the Art Collection

By Sarah Underhill

Memorial Day Weekend

A time to remember...
serving today. The exhibit includes The Scroll of Honor which lists over 1,400 Bronxville area men and women who have served their country. In addition, there are War Photos and Memorabilia, created from local archives and by Village residents. Also included is The Hero Next Door exhibit, featuring a collection of personal stories of more than 70 Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe men and women who died in the service of our country in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The memorial stories have been assembled by Michael Fix of Eastchester, a local historian, Vietnam-era veteran, and one of the eight founders of Westover Air Force Base USO during Desert Storm/Desert Shield. The exhibition also includes model planes of the period, recruiting posters from the Eastchester Historical Society, newspaper pages from World War II, maps and other military service ephemera. Rare examples of American flags from the Revolution through current times from the collection of Bronxville Councilwoman Sheila Marcotte will also be on view. The Bronxville Historical Conservancy is proud to act again as a co-sponsor of these exhibits.

he Conservancy has recently acquired Water Garden, Bronxville, (c. 1920-21), a work in gouache on black paper by Spencer Baird Nichols. The

and murals from about 1911 to 1917. An impression of stained glass is created by the vivid, jewel-like patches of color that are sharply defined by the black background. According to Barbara Sussman, co-curator of the exhibition and a granddaughter of Spencer Nichols, the artists exploration of the technique of watercolor on black paper was an innovative use of the medium in the early 1920s a technique that is fresh and contemporary nearly 100 years later. Spencer Baird Nichols lived in Bronxville from 1911 to 1922; with his older brother and fellow artist Henry Hobart Nichols he was an integral part of the artists community here. He moved with his wife Helen and their children to Kent, CT, in 1922, where he settled and became a founding member of the Kent Art
Spencer Baird Nichols

painting was featured in the fall 2010 exhibition at the OSilas Gallery at Concordia College entitled The Nichols Brothers: A Dialogue in Art and Life and was offered for purchase to the Conservancy by the artists grandson Hobart J. Nichols and his wife Susan Dulgov. Water Garden is an exciting addition to our collection as it represents a work by a Bronxville artist of a Bronxville subject in this case, the pool and garden of the Spencer Nichols family home at 93 Tanglewylde Avenue, where they resided for a few years in the early 1920s. We are fortunate to have a photograph that captures this scene, framed exactly as in the painting. Nichols clearly worked directly from the photo of his son Hobart, age 5 or 6, standing under the trellis at the edge of the garden. The painting shows the influence of the artists work for Louis Comfort Tiffany, for whom he designed mosaics, windows,

We are pleased to announce that this year's Memorial Day Weekend festivities will include the Bronxville Veterans Memorial. Displayed in past years prior to Memorial Day at the Bronxville Womens Club, this is the first time it will be shown in the Bronxville Elementary School auditorium during the Memorial Day weekend. Jane Staunton, a village resident, has worked tirelessly over the last three years to create this exhibit, which honors local men and women who have served in the Armed Forces and some who are

Association. The body of Spencers extant work is small; tragically, a fire

...celebrate...
Attention antique car owners! Join the parade! Join the Conservancys lineup of antique cars that has become a tradition and one of the highlights of the Bronxville Memorial Day Parade. For more information, call Donald Gray at (914) 779-2043.

in 1932 destroyed his home and studio in Kent, and all of his unsold paintings were lost. The Nichols family retained most of his work after his death in 1950, and very few pieces come on the market. With the addition of Water Garden, Bronxville, the Conservancy collection now has two paintings by Spencer Baird Nichols; this watercolor will soon hang in Village Hall, along with his lovely oil Flowers in a Vase.

...and have some fun.

CUES & CLUES RETURNS! This year the Conservancy is partnering with the Bronxville Public Library, which will be the site of More Cues & Clues, the second annual scavenger hunt for kids K-5, their parents, and grandparents. Young detectives will look for details in pictures that are displayed throughout the Library. The Bronxville Library is home to a wonderful collection of American paintings and prints, but few people know about or appreciate this art. It is our hope that Bronxvilles young people will become curators of the collection and share their enthusiasm with their parents and friends.

Heres how it works:

Pick up your More Cues & Clues booklets in the Childrens Library during the week of May 22. Follow the simple clues and hunt for the pictures within the pictures throughout the Library, filling in the blanks in your More Clues & Clues booklets. Return your booklet to the Library on Sunday, May 29, at 1:00 and collect your prize. Join the rest of the detectives for refreshments and more fun in the Little Gallery! For more information, call the Library at (914) 337-7680 or Jayne Warman at (914) 961-6184.

Nichols clearly worked directly from the photo of his son Hobart, age 5 or 6, standing under the trellis at the edge of the garden.

The Conservancy continues to seek archival material and works of art by Bronxvilles former artist colony painters and sculptors to add to their growing collection. Please call Jayne Warman (914) 961-6184 or email JSWarman@Gmail.com.

Currier & Ives, The Farmers Home -- Autumn, 1894

...OldNews...
An electric trolley car travels past Concordia College on White Plains Road in the late 1920s. This image, recently purchased by the Bronxville Local History Room through an online auction, is the only known photograph of a streetcar inside the Village of Bronxville. The White Plains Road trolley line carried throngs of passengers between Mount Vernon and Tuckahoe from 1901 to January 1932. Another heavily used streetcar line from Mount Vernon ran through the Village on Midland Avenue from 1901 to August 1925. These two routes were part of a countywide mesh of trolley track that, at its peak before World War I, linked Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Pelham with Tarrytown, Elmsford, White Plains, Mamaroneck and places in between Scarsdale, Tuckahoe, Larchmont and Bronxville. The advent of motorized bus service and the widespread use of private automobiles spelled the end of trolleys and their unsightly overhead electric lines and dangerous roadbed tracks.

The Chronicle
Spring 2011
Editors: Liz Folberth, Bob Scott Designer: Ken Gudaitis Contributing Editors: Nancy Hand, Marilynn Hill, Sarah Underhill, Dale Walker, Jayne Warman Contributing Photographers: Kate Martin, Jayne Warman Submissions welcome!

P. O. Box 989 Bronxville, NY 10708 The Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded 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 villages architectural, artistic and cultural heritage and lends its support for projects designed to strengthen and preserve those legacies.