Rhode Ann Jones: Memories of my hometown and the Sharmans – always entwined together in my memory! Notebook 2024-5
Rohde Jones shares some reflections and remembrances of her life in her hometown.
“ Growing up in and spending such incredibly important adult years in Briarcliff Manor has truly been the bedrock of my life – I cannot adequately express how grateful I am to have spent such meaningful and precious years in the village and to this day know that my years there were indeed the very best preparation for my professional life as an educator and the most special roles of my life – mother and grandmother”
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Mr. Law We Need a Church. Notebook 2024-4
Every year the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society organizes a series of presentations on topics related to the history of the village. This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Society and the centennial of the death of Walter W. Law, the founder of our village. We usually hold these presentations in the Village Vescio Community Center. But this year we’ve decided to do something a bit different. We’ve decided that the focus of our Anniversary year will be on Walter Law himself, and we’re going to try to hold the presentations in some of the village’s Houses of Worship. The first of these presentations was at the Briarcliff Manor Congregational Church (BCC) because of the close relationship between Law and the church: Law contributed the land on which it was built and also donated a number of the spectacular stained-glass windows. Pastor Todd Farnsworth of the BCC eagerly accepted to give the presentation, which took place February 17th, 2024, and was entitled “Mr. Law, We need a church.”
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The 1908 Briarcliff Trophy Race. Notebook 2024-3
On Friday, April 24, 1908 an event took place in Briarcliff Manor, the like of which had never been seen in the village before and has not been seen since.
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Bill Sharman, Memories of Briarcliff Manor. Notebook 2024-2
Here are excerpts from his recollections of growing up and what the area was like in his youth.
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Lowen McKay attended Briarcliff College in the early 1960s. Notebook 2024-1
She recalls life at the school and some of the notable visitors and classmates she encountered while there.
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‘Twas the night before Christmas - Notebook 2023-10
In 1839 a professor of Greek and Oriental Languages bought a house in Ossining, NY about 2 miles from where I'm writing this post in Briarcliff Manor. The professor never lived in Ossining, turning over the title to his son, Benjamin soon after purchasing it. But he did visit the house often.
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The Mystery of the Law Park Cannons. Notebook 2023-9.
“Dented, scratched and battle-scarred, bronze green from a century and a half of warlike years in France, Haiti and Cuba, two elaborate old bronze cannons, one at least of which was once the property of the tyrant, Jacques I, Emperor of Haiti stand today on a peaceful lawn in Briarcliff Manor, awaiting the ceremonial day when the American Legion will move them to their final pedestal of honor in Law Memorial Park.”
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Whitsons Corners Materializes as Briarcliff Manor: A Historical Guided Walk. Notebook 2023-8
Briarcliff Manor is a heckuva big place to be called a “village.” It is part of both the Town of Ossining and also the Town of Mount Pleasant. But it shouldn’t be a big surprise because as of the early 1900’s, Walter Law had purchased 5,200 acres of land and was the largest individual landowner in Westchester County. The Village of Briarcliff Manor was his handiwork.
The beating heart of the village is the tiny, tree-lined area once known as Whitson’s Corners. No matter how much things have changed, the site of its original settlement has managed to remain pretty much the same.
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St. Mary's Church, Scarborough and the Perry Bell. Notebook 2023-7
The first Church in what is now Briarcliff Manor was incorporated in 1883 as "St. Mary's Church, Beechwood," and reincorporated in 1945 as "St. Mary's Church of Scarborough," an Episcopal Church receiving its name from St. Mary's Church of Scarborough, England. Its architecture was in large part inspired by that same ancient English Church. Founded by Rev. William Creighton, D.D., in 1839, its original property was an acre of land and a "glebe lot" from his estate, Beechwood.
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Brice Marden, 1938-2023, RIP - Notebook 2023-6
Early this month the world lost a great artist and son of Briarcliff Manor when Brice Marden died at his home in Tivoli, New York, on August 9, 2023, at the age of 84. Writing in The New Yorker in 2006, the critic Peter Schjeldahl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schjeldahl) described Marden as "the most profound abstract painter of the past four decades". This is reflected in the length of his obituary in the New York Times – Two full pages!
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Harold Caparn, Landscape Architect - Notebook 2023-5
In the early fall of 2022 numerous files and an extraordinary collection of antique gardening and landscape books were donated by Mr. Oliver Chamberlain who drove from Rhode Island to bring it to us. We are eternally grateful. By selecting the BMSHS as the archive for this archival collection he honors us.
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John Kelvin Koelsch - Briarcliff Manor's own medal of honor winner - Notebook Vol. 2023-4
If you frequent Law Park you’ve probably seen the monument above. You may also have read the text on the plaque. For those who haven’t, It briefly tells the story of Lt. John Kelvin Koelsch, a son of Briarcliff Manor who died October 16, 1951 in the line of duty at a Prisoner of War Camp in North Korea, during the Korean War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, August 2, 1955. Read on to learn more about his story.
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The Story of the Stone Lanterns - Notebook Vol. 2023-3
You've seen them here and there around the Village, but our original historical research (our Mission after all) has revealed where each was originally placed and where it is now. Only two are in their original locations.
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A Brief History of Briarcliff Manor - Notebook Vol. 2023-2
Provides a short history of Briarcliff Manor from the earliest days through the pre-colonial period and the 17th-19th century. This is followed by a summary of Walter Law’s Briarcliff. The notebook concludes with a discussion of 20th century Briarcliff and the Briarcliff of today.
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V. Everit Macy - Notebook Vol. 2023-1
V. Everit Macy (1871-1930) has been described as "a helluva nice guy." He earned a degree in 1893 from Columbia's School of Architecture, where he studied alongside Chester Aldrich, architect of his future house. Macy himself never practiced professionally. Instead, this amazingly busy and selfless man spent his entire adult life improving the lives of others, mainly in Westchester County.
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Briarcliff Manor History Trivia Quiz - Notebook Vol. 2021-1. The Trivia Quiz Answers
Answers to Briarcliff Manor History Trivia Questions No1
We have provided some additional information and pictures on the sites mentioned in the quiz.
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Briarcliff Manor History Trivia Quiz - Notebook Vol. 2020-4
Test your knowledge of the history of our village
See how many of the sites pictured below you can identify. We will post the answers in two weeks on the Events Page of our website at https://www.briarcliffhistory.org/events-news and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BriarcliffHistory/
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William J. Burns, America’s Sherlock Holmes - Notebook Vol. 2020-3
During the early 1900s, Briarcliff was home to one of America’s most famous detectives. His friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called him “America’s Sherlock Holmes” and The New York Times called him “The greatest detective America has produced.”
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Carrie Chapman Catt: Warrior for Women - Notebook Vol. 2020-2
With the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing women the right to vote very soon upon us, it is our privilege to be able to bring to your attention one of the most prominent of the Suffragists, Carrie Chapman Catt…
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A Short Chronology of the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department - Notebook Vol. 2020-1
Currently the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department is organized into three fire companies, the ambulance corps, and the fire police who deal with traffic and crowd control.
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