History of Briarcliff Manor

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Coordinates: 41°09′N 73°51′W / 41.15°N 73.85°W / 41.15; -73.85
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Historical boundaries of Briarcliff Manor
An old street map
1891; prior to Briarcliff Manor's incorporation
An old street map
1906; prior to the 1906 Scarborough annexation
An old street map
1908; prior to the 1927 Mt. Pleasant annexation
A digital map
2014

The history of Briarcliff Manor, a village in the county of

Archaic period, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the village did not occur until the Industrial Revolution. The village, which was incorporated with one square mile in 1902, has expanded primarily through annexation: of Scarborough in 1906 and from the town of Mount Pleasant in 1927.[1]

Early leaders of village government include President William de Nyse Nichols from 1902 to 1905, President

Walter W. Law, Jr. from 1905 to 1918, President-Mayor Henry H. Law from 1918 until his death in 1936,[2] and Mayor J. Henry Ingham from 1936 to 1941.[3]

Prehistory

Briarcliff Manor has been inhabited by humans since the

Mahican tribe.[5][6][7]

Early history

A valley with clearings, houses, and a church
Part of Briarcliff Manor from Pine Hill c. 1900; Briarcliff Congregational Church (foreground) and Dysart House (background)[nb 1]

In 1680,

New York City & Northern Railroad train schedule,[13] and the first train arrived on December 13. A post office was established a year later; it was renamed the Briarcliff Manor Post Office in 1897.[3]

Progressive Era

Briarcliff Farm c. 1886.[nb 2]
An old man with white hair and sideburns wearing a suit
Walter Law, founder of Briarcliff Manor

After retiring as vice president of

Woodlea, a mansion in Scarborough. He ordered the construction of Scarborough's first dock (at the present Scarborough Park) to allow construction materials to be shipped to his property. The village later purchased the dock (along with about 8 acres of under-water land), and used it as a public dock, and for receiving stone, coal, and building materials.[17]

In the 1890s, Walter Law established Briarcliff Farms, a large holding of Jersey dairy cattle. At its zenith, Law had 500 workers caring for more than 1,000 cattle, 500 pigs, 4,000 chickens, Thoroughbred horses, pheasants, peacocks and sheep.[12] Around the same time, he established the Briarcliff Table Water Company and the Briarcliff Greenhouses. The water company sold its products in five cities and had 250-foot (76 m) wells.[1] Briarcliff Farms was one of the first producers of certified milk in the U.S., and Law's Jerseys produced about 4,500 US quarts (4,300 litres) of milk daily.[18] As many as 8,000 roses were shipped from Briarcliff Greenhouses daily, most to New York City.[13]

Law developed the village, establishing schools, churches, parks and the Briarcliff Lodge. He established the School of Practical Agriculture in 1900 on Pleasantville Road on 66 acres (0.1 sq mi), and had invested $2.5 million ($88 million in 2023[14]) in the village by 1902.[2] His employees at Briarcliff Farms moved into the village, and Law held some of their mortgages. At the time, New York State required a population density of at least 300 per square mile as the first step towards incorporation as a village. A proposition was presented to the supervisors of Mount Pleasant and Ossining on October 8, 1902, that the area of 640 acres (1 sq mi) with a population of 331 be incorporated as the Village of Briarcliff Manor,[3] and the village was incorporated on November 21.[4][5] At the time, Law owned all but two small parcels of the square mile village, and employed 100 of its residents.[2]

Tudor Revival
resort (c. 1904)

At its 1902 opening, the Briarcliff Lodge was a premier resort hotel. The

The King's College (1955–1994).[19] The original 1902 Briarcliff Lodge building burned to the ground on September 20, 2003, and contemporary portions of the lodge and other campus buildings were later demolished.[2]

In 1903, Mrs. Dow's School for Girls was founded at the Briarcliff Lodge; two years later, Walter Law gave Mary Elizabeth Dow 35 acres (0.05 sq mi) and built the

Pine Plains, New York, and Law began developing Briarcliff Manor as a municipal corporation instead.[2]

The Briarcliff Race
From Carmino Ravosa's Briarcliff show
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In 1908, Briarcliff Manor sponsored the

the World Wars,[8]: 78  was moved to the front of the new firehouse.[20] In 1914, the Briarcliff Community Center created the library which eventually became the Briarcliff Manor Public Library.[3]

World War I

Holbrook Military Academy
as the First Provisional Regiment headquarters

During

Scarborough School participated in an unknown assistance for the troops and James Speyer's Scarborough home Waldheim was one of the primary meeting locations for his committee.[23]: 323 [24]

Post-Progressive Era

Digital image of a population chart
Population of Briarcliff Manor, 1902–2010
Facade of a three-story brick fire station
Village Municipal Building decorated for the village semicentennial
Aerial view of a small village downtown and houses
Briarcliff Manor's downtown and the Crossroads neighborhood, 1952

Walter Law died on January 18, 1924. V. Everit Macy donated 265 acres (0.4 sq mi) to the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1925, which later became the Edith Macy Conference Center. The high school opened in 1928, and a section was added to the 1909 school building. A 1934 100-mile race in the village was sponsored by the Automobile Racing Club of America. During World War II, more than 340 of the village's 1,830 residents served in the United States Armed Forces;[8]: 78  eight streets in the village are named after residents who died in the war.[3] Many of the village's firefighters (at least nine on active duty) left to fight during the war; so many that the village had to request volunteers ages 16–18 to join the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department. In May 1946, an honorary dinner event was held for the returned veterans.[20] In the same year, the People's Caucus party, an organization which calls out interested residents for candidacy, was created.[8]: 88 [25]

Approximately 30 people from Briarcliff Manor served in the

Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society was founded from the village's 75th anniversary committee, in 1974.[27] Pace University bought Briarcliff College in 1977 as a satellite of the school's Pleasantville campus. Also in 1977, the village celebrated its 75th anniversary. Events included a motorcade of fifteen old racing cars participating in a loop around the route of Briarcliff Manor's 1934 road race.[28]

The following year, the Scarborough School closed. In 1980, the Chilmark Club became a part of the village's Parks and Recreation Department; Pace University began leasing the middle-school building, and the middle school was moved to a portion of the new high-school building. Rotary International founded a local chapter the following year. The grade-school building was demolished in 1996, and senior housing was built on its site the following year. In the Vietnam War, at least five men served, with four killed and another wounded.[4] In 1998, the high-school auditorium opened. On September 16, 1999, the Beech Hill Road bridge was destroyed by the rising Pocantico River during Hurricane Floyd.[29] The village celebrated its centennial in 2002, which involved numerous celebratory events.[25] In 2000, the pool house in Law Memorial Park was demolished; construction on a new facility began shortly after. In November 2001, a $4-million rehabilitation ($6.88 million in 2023[14]) of Law Park was completed, with a new pavilion and pool house, paved walkways, lights and benches, a redesigned and filtered pond, and relocation of the Veterans Memorial. Over 300 people attended the Veterans Day rededication ceremony.[11] In summer 2007, construction of a 6,600-square-foot (610 m2) addition to the Briarcliff Manor Public Library began; the facility was opened for use on February 19, 2009.[30]

A large four-faced clock in front of shops
The village's clock and pocket park were dedicated in May 2009.[31]

In 2002, Ambient Corporation and

Chabad Lubavitch of Briarcliff Manor & Ossining was established around 2004, on Orchard Road in Chilmark.[36] From 2008 to 2012, Briarcliff Manor hosted a weekly indoor farmers' market, first at the Briarcliff Congregational Church's parish house, until it moved to Pace University's Briarcliff Campus in 2012.[37] In 2011 after Hurricane Irene, a sinkhole about 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter formed on North State Road in front of a gas station and repair shop,[38] and New York's department of transportation spent about $900,000 repairing the damage.[39]

From 2011 to 2015, the village was involved in an annexation proposal with the town of Ossining. A petition circulated in Ossining election districts 17 and 20 (comprising 1,600 people[40]), which was signed by about 20 percent of the residents.[41] The petition was filed in October 2013,[42] and a public hearing was held with both government boards in December 2013.[41] In March 2014, Briarcliff's board approved the proposal, and Ossining's board rejected it. In 2014, Briarcliff Manor was in the process of appealing the issue to the Appellate Division Court,[43][44] though in May 2015 the Briarcliff board voted to discontinue its appeal.[45]

On March 18, 2015, Chabad Lubavitch purchased a building previously owned by the Ossining Heights United Methodist Church, on Campwoods Road in the village of Ossining. Chabad Lubavitch plans to renovate the building significantly before making it its first permanent synagogue.[36] In June 2015, Saint Mary's Episcopal Church announced its plan to close on July 5, after 175 years in operation.[46] A new community center was in development since as late as 2013.[47] The part of the Briarcliff Manor Public Library building that formerly housed the library was renovated to serve as the community center, with a completion date of 2016 and cost of $1,800,000.[48] On December 12, 2015, the Law Park pavilion was damaged in a large fire described as arson; around 100 firefighters in multiple departments assisted to put out the fire that night.[49][50] Damage to the structure was almost entirely confined to its upper level. The village government hired RGR Landscape to restore and improve the structure,[51] reopening it on Memorial Day in 2017.[52] Insurance covered the reconstruction, which retained the building's architectural style,[53] and included a new concession area, an upper terrace with 280 donor-engraved bricks, bathrooms and walkways for ADA compliance, new lighting, and fire suppression and security systems. The village also planted new trees and shrubs replacing fire-damaged foliage.[52]

See also

Notes

  1. Dysart House in Scotland, and remains a private residence today.[4]
  2. rectory of St. Theresa's Catholic Church.[4]
    : 79 
  3. ^ The nickname survives with The Club at Briarcliff Manor, an organization planning a senior living center at the Briarcliff Lodge property.

References

  1. ^
    OCLC 39333547
    .
  2. ^
    OL 3314243M
    .
  3. ^
    OCLC 24569093
    .
  4. ^
    OL 1884671M
    .
  5. ^ a b c Gelard, Donna (2002). Explore Briarcliff Manor: A driving tour. Contributing Editor Elsie Smith; layout and typography by Lorraine Gelard; map, illustrations, and calligraphy by Allison Krasner. Briarcliff Manor Centennial Committee.
  6. ^ What the Name Ossining Means. March 2, 1901. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ISBN 978-1-279-17221-6
    . Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  8. ^
    OCLC 6163930
    .
  9. ^ Pelletreau, William (1886). History of Putnam County, New York: with biographical sketches of its prominent men. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Boesch, Eugene. "Native Americans of Putnam County". Mahopac Public Library. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Briarcliff Manor Centennial Committee (2002). The Briarcliff Manor Family Album: Celebrating a Century. Cornwall N.Y: Village of Briarcliff Manor.
  12. ^
    ISBN 0-88427-016-5
    .
  13. ^
    OCLC 429606439
    .
  14. ^ a b c d 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  15. ^ "Our Village: a family place for more than a century". Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  16. ^ "Westchester Excels Nevada" (PDF). The New York Times. December 26, 1904. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  17. ^ "Hudson Valley Land Developers Prepare for Building Campaign" (PDF). New York Herald. 1917. p. 2. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  18. ^ Blossom, Mary C. (1901). Page, Walter Hines (ed.). "The New Farming and a New Life". The World's Work. 3. Doubleday, Page & Company: 1625–1637.
  19. ^ Segal, David (February 20, 2008). "God and The City". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  20. ^
    LCCN 00093475
    .
  21. ^ Kiederer, Linda L. "April / May 1999 Feature – 1908 Briarcliff-to-Yorktown Stock Car Race". The Yorktown Historical Society. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  22. ^ "Club's $600,000 Purchase" (PDF). The New York Times. June 17, 1917. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  23. ^
    OL 6620257M
    . Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  24. ^ "The New York Public Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Division Accession Sheet: James Speyer Papers" (PDF). New York Public Library. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  25. ^ a b Briarcliff Manor: The First 100 Years – The Centennial Variety Show. Village of Briarcliff Manor. 2002.
  26. ^ Folsom, Merrill (May 30, 1958). "The Wheels of 'Old Put' Click Out a Sad Accompaniment to Riders' 'Auld Lang Syne'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  27. ^ "Our History: a look back through four decades". Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  28. ^ Hofkins, Diane (September 11, 1977). "Cars Join Manor Salute". Ossining Citizen Register.
  29. ^ "Photograph by Michael Raphael taken on 09/19/1999 in New York". FEMA. Michael Raphael/FEMA News Photo. September 16, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  30. ^ "About the Library - Library History". Briarcliff Manor Public Library. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  31. ^ "Board of Trustees Minutes 5/7/2009". Village of Briarcliff Manor. May 7, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  32. ^ "Rules and Regulations: Federal Communications Commission" (PDF). Federal Register. US Government Printing Office. August 24, 2009. p. 42633. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  33. ^ Urbina, Ian (October 21, 2004). "Wiring Power Lines for Broadband Access". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  34. ^ Brown, Ken (March 23, 2004). "In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio Fans". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  35. ^ "Rules and Regulations: Federal Communications Commission" (PDF). Federal Register. US Government Printing Office. May 29, 2013. p. 32166. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  36. ^ a b "Chabad Acquires Former Church/Nursery School for Community Center". The Gazette. Vol. 32, no. 23. Gary J. Cahill. June 4–10, 2015. p. 1.
  37. ^ Lee, Tien-Shun (November 29, 2011). "Winter Farmers Market To Open At Pace In Briarcliff". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  38. ^ "President Obama Signs Irene Disaster Declaration For Upstate New York Counties: WCBS 880′s John Metaxas In Briarcliff Manor". CBS New York. August 31, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  39. ^ Zegarelli, Philip E. (October 20, 2011). "North State Road Update/Hurricane Irene Report 7". Village of Briarcliff Manor. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  40. ^ Stefko, Joseph (April 2012). "Municipal Services & Financial Overview: Town and Village of Ossining, NY" (PDF). Center for Governmental Research. Town and Village of Ossining, New York. p. 87. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  41. ^ a b Garofalo, Michael (December 13, 2013). "Ossining Moves Forward With Annexation Process". Hudson Valley Reporter. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  42. ^ Zegarelli, Philip E. "Village Manager's Report – October 18". Village of Briarcliff Manor. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  43. ^ Shillinglaw, Greg (March 12, 2014). "Briarcliff Manor could take annexation to court". The Journal News. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  44. ^ Donnelly, Sue (April 11, 2014). "Supervisor's Update- April 11th, 2014". Town of Ossining. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  45. ^ Huerta, Cassandra (May 14, 2015). "Briarcliff, Ossining Scuttle Annexation Plans". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  46. ^ Taliaferro, Lanning (June 21, 2015). "St. Mary's Scarborough is Closing its Doors". Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor Patch. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  47. ^ Moorhead-Lins, Parry (July 27, 2013). "The New Briarcliff Manor Community Center". River Journal. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  48. ^ Bennett, Kate (October 16, 2015). "Coming to a Village Near You… Briarcliff's Projects Looking Good". River Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  49. News 12 Westchester. December 13, 2015. Archived from the original
    on December 16, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  50. ^ Cavallier, Andrea (December 13, 2015). "Fire officials investigating massive blaze at pool pavilion in Briarcliff Manor". WPIX. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  51. ^ "Briarcliff Officials Determined to Rebuild, 'Make Even Better,' Fire-ravaged Pavilion". The Gazette. Gary J. Cahill. December 17–23, 2015. p. 1.
  52. ^ a b Law Memorial Park and Pavilion Dedication Ceremony. Village of Briarcliff Manor. May 29, 2017.
  53. ^ Martin, Rachel (December 8, 2016). "Engrave A Brick, Aid Reconstruction Of Briarcliff Manor's Law Park Pavilion". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved December 8, 2016.

Further reading

Library resources about
Briarcliff Manor

External links

41°09′N 73°51′W / 41.15°N 73.85°W / 41.15; -73.85

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