Part of our is mission is to increase awareness of the history of the Village of Briarcliff Manor. To this end this section provides a series of articles featuring some of the historic and notable buildings, events, and people of our village.
Over time we will add articles, and/or update existing articles. When we do we will send out a notification by e-mail. We welcome comments and suggestions for the BMSHS History Notebook, which can be sent to mail@briarcliffhistory.org. If you have a question please send it to us and we will do our best to find the answer.
The “Crossways” was built in 1820 by Joseph Whitson and was the home of John Whitson. The Whitson Family owned 400 acres of farmland and had several houses in the area and so the intersection of Pleasantville and South State roads became known as Whitson’s Corners.
Read MoreGod and Route 9A. And almost 50,000 cars—daily.
That's the number of vehicles that motor by Briarcliff Manor's "God Answers Prayers" sign each day. But why is the subtle, yet iconic placard there?
Read MoreThis house at 25 Studio Hill Road may be more familiar to you as Maison Lafitte, La Petite Affair, Unique Affairs at Mansion Hill, Tara on Hudson, Hudson at Haymount House, or most recently as The Briarcliff Manor/Antipasti di Napoli.
Read MoreOn September 23, 1780 British Major John Andre, dressed in civilian clothes, rode south through Westchester on his way to British-held New York City after meeting with American General Benedict Arnold. In his boot were the plans for the American Fortress at West Point which Arnold planned to surrender to the British.
Read MoreMrs. Eileen O’Connor Weber was an exceptional woman, but that is something the community already knows. She was a woman whose charisma, generosity, and larger-than-life personality lives in Briarcliff Manor to this day.
Read MoreDriving down Scarborough Road, one might notice a long brick wall running from Philips Laboratories to one of its distant entrances on Holbrook Road. I often wondered why this wall was there. I eventually discovered that this wall once served as the border of the “Waldheim” estate of James and Ellin Speyer.
Read MoreThe Briarcliff Library was started in 1914 by the Briarcliff Manor Community Club which was organized to conduct lectures, hold theatrical performances and meetings of literary, political and religious societies. According to the 1914 issue of “Community Notes” published by the club “The library is open for the lending of books.
Read MoreThis famous and mysterious figure has a little known connection with our village. On Sunday March 24, 1889 the Leather Man was found dead at one of his regular overnight stops in a rock shelter off Hillcrest Drive on the former Dell Farm in Briarcliff Manor not far from the intersection of the Old Chappaqua Road and the Taconic Parkway.
Read MoreYes you read it correctly. Suffragist rather than the more familiar Suffragette. It is believed that "Suffragette," which has fallen into disfavor, was originally coined by The Daily Mail in London as a derogatory term for female activists. Suffragist is now considered the correct name.
Read MoreOne of the many well-known people who have called Briarcliff Manor home is Flora Ettlinger Whiting. Flora was a pioneer in collecting American antique furniture and decorative arts. Much like Henry DuPont at his “Winterthur” estate in Delaware, Flora Whiting at the “Ashridge” estate in Briarcliff Manor filled it with the prized specimens of this aesthetic of American design.
Read MoreOur first entry into the Briarcliff Notebook features the columns along the west side of Route 9. These columns mark the former entrance to Beechwood, the estate of Frank and Narcissa Vanderlip.
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