THE BRONX HISTORIAN
THEBRONXCOUNTY
HISTORICALSOCIETY
NewsletterofTheBronxCountyHistoricalSociety
3309BAINBRIDGEAVENUE
THEBRONX,NEWYORK10467
PHONE:(718)881-8900
FAX:(718)881-4827
www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org
VisitusonFacebook,Youtube,and
Twitter.
TheBronxCountyHistoricalSociety,
foundedin1955,isaprivate,nonprofiteducationalandcultural
institutioncharteredbytheNewYork
StateBoardofRegents.TheSocietyis
dedicatedtothecollection,
preservation,documentationand
interpretationofthehistoryand
heritageofTheBronxanditspeople
fromitsearliesthistoricalreferences
inthe17thcenturytothepresent.
TheSocietydisseminatesinformation
byutilizingitscollectionsin
exhibitions,historicalresearch,
productionofpublicationsand
documentaries,educationaland
culturalprogramming,theoperation
ofourresearchlibrary,TheBronx
CountyArchivesandtwohistoric
landmarkhousemuseums-the
c.1812EdgarAllanPoeCottageand
thec.1758fieldstonefarmhouse
Valentine-VarianHouse/Museumof
BronxHistory.
Thisnewsletterispublishedthree
timesayearasaservicetomembers
andfriends.
TheBronxCountyHistoricalSociety
ispartiallysupportedthroughfunds
andservicesprovidedbytheNYC
DepartmentsofCulturalAffairsand
ParksandRecreation,theHistoric
HouseTrustofNewYorkCity,The
BronxCityCouncilDelegation,the
OfficeofthePresidentoftheBorough
ofTheBronx,TheBronxDelegations
oftheNYSAssemblyandtheNYS
Senate,theH.W.WilsonFoundation,
theAstorFund,theLuciusN.Littauer
Foundation,TheNewYorkTimes
Foundation,theVerizonFoundation,
theNewYorkStateLibrary,theNew
YankeeStadiumCommunityBenefits
Fund,theSusanTaneFoundation,the
NewYorkPublicLibrary,andthe
NewYorkCommunityTrust.
OCTOBER2016–JANUARY2017VOLUME40NUMBER1
As we approach the 58th
quadrennial
United
States
presidential election, let us take a
quick look back in Bronx history
which includes a legacy of our
nation’s founding. Although he
was not our first president at the
time, General George Washington
usedtheVanCortlandtMansionas
headquartersduringtheAmerican
Revolution. After the war, Lewis
Morris,asigneroftheDeclaration
of Independence and one of our
nation’s forefathers, proposed his
country estate of Morrisania as
the new site of the young
republic’scapital.
PRESIDENTIALHISTORYINTHEBRONX
DDDD
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s motorcade traveling through the South Bronx via
East 138th Street in 1940.
The Bronx County Historical Society Collections.
PresidentJohnAdamsgovernedthenewrepublicfortwoweeksfromhisdaughterAbigail’s
home in The Bronx in October 1797, to avoid a yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia.
Abigail’s home was situated at the intersection of Boston Road and Conners Street.
President Ulysses S. Grant marched in the funeral procession of Civil War hero Admiral
DavidFarragutin1870astheylaidhimtorestinWoodlawnCemetery.Theinitialprocess
ofanarmisticewithGermanyduringWWIstartedattheRiverdaleresidenceofCleveland
Dodge when his friend, President Woodrow Wilson, used Dodge’s library to respond to
peace-seeking telegrams from the German government. Just north of Dodge’s estate, a
youngJohnF.Kennedywouldspendsomeofhischildhoodatamansionthatstillstandsat
West252ndStreetandIndependenceAvenue.Duringhis1960presidentialcampaigninThe
Bronx,hedeclaredtoacrowdontheGrandConcourseandFordhamRoadthat“Icometo
theBronxasanoldBronxboy.IusedtoliveintheBronx…..IagreeitwastheRiverdaleend
oftheBronx,butitwastheBronx,andthereforeIcomebackheretothispartofNewYork
City,toNewYork,andaskyoursupportinthiscampaign.”
In the second half of the 20th century, more
U.S. Presidents visited The Bronx during its
tryingtimes.PresidentJimmyCartermadean
unexpected stop along devastated Charlotte
Street in 1977, bringing the nation the
televised example of urban decay. Later on,
presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton
would visit the same area as federal
assistancehelpeditsrevitalization.President
George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at
Yankee Stadium in the wake of the 9/11
terrorists attacks in October 2001, and
President Barack Obama visited Lehman
College last year. To learn more about
presidential history in The Bronx, visit the
exhibition The American Presidency: Politics
and The Bronx at the Museum of Bronx
History opening on October 13th. Please see
page3formoredetails.
Senator John F. Kennedy campaigned in The Bronx before the
1960 U.S. Presidential election. One of his stops was the Hotel
ConcoursePlaza.
TheBronxCountyHistoricalSocietyCollections.
The Bronx Historian
October 2016 – January 2017
PURE GOLD
Schools,businesses,
institutions,and
associationsin
TheBronxarenoted.
J.Carotenuto&Sons
Monuments
3309EastTremontAvenue
Est.1923
RainbowFlorist
2134WestchesterAvenue
Est.1950
WebsterLocksmiths
2471WebsterAvenue
Est.1949
Page 2 of 4
Volume 40 Number 1
COLLECTIONSDONATIONS
TheSociety’sresearchlibrary,object,andarchivalcollectionsareagreatresource.
Wethankthosewhorecentlymadethefollowingdonations(partiallist):
SigmundBalka:4KrasdaleFoodsArtGalleryexhibitionbooks(20thcentury).
HerbBarret:Pairoffireplaceandirons,twomeatgrinders,glasslantern,tinmilkcan
(19th–early20thcenturies)
Dr.ElizabethBeirne:Posterand7booksontheHudsonRiver(20thcentury).
RandyGlucksman:28BCHSJournals(January1964–Spring1978).
SidneyHorenstein:PhotographofUThant’sformerRiverdalehome(1970s);
informationontheBronxGreenbeltDistrict;booklet,“ParksandParkwaysinthe
BoroughofTheBronx”(1914).
WilliamRodriguez:2copiesofdonor’sbook,TheBronxTrilogy.
RussellF.Ryer:TwostudenthandbooksfromFrankD.WhalenJuniorHighSchool135(c.
1977).
J
WELCOME
u
BlancheZimmerman:MelroseShamrocksteambaseballuniformwithaccompanying
NEWMEMBERS
l photographshowingBertrumZimmermanwearingtheuniform,c.1932.
DeanBrewington
i
FINANCIALDONATIONS
e
HazelCooper
t
Cash
donations
help
The
Society
fund programming, publications, equipment purchases,
BrianJones
a and
build
endowments.
To
double
your donation, check with your employer for any
JaniceKeller
availablematchinggiftprograms.Wearegratefulforthefollowingcontributions:
PatrickLogan
V
$10-$99(continued)
$100-$999
$10-$99
MylesV.Lynk
e
EarthShareNYCGives
LarryAdler
ThomasE.Agnew
AndreaMcArdle
l
MarkGlander
a
LarryBarazzotto
JosephBarone
MarlenePerez
z
NeilHarrow
ShakespeareClub
VirginiaC.Beaney
NatalieSherman
q
GaryMakufka
Clifton,Budd,andDeMarion
SaraS.Berlan
CatherineO’BrienYoung
u
VivianJ.Mall
BradleyFenton
JohnBreslin
e
KathyMcArdle
RobertFox
GloriaBorelli
SOCIETY
z
EdwardMcLoughlin
MichaelO’Neill
DenisJ.Boyle
PUBLICATIONS:
CatherineMiele
IraZuckerman
AnnaMarieCastagnetta
Autographedcopy,add$10 N
HowardA.Nenner
NestorDanyluk
$1,000-$4,999
i HarryA.Parsons
WallisDoerge
n
SteveBaktidy
JoanPendergast
MarjorieDovman
a
TheMalkinFund
DonaldJ.Petersen
LouiseC.Enten
Blacksinthe
StevenHeining
RussellF.Ryer
LottieEsteban
ColonialBronx: W
FordhamUniversity
Dr.BarbaraStrassberg
ADocumentary o
ReubenFarber
History
$5,000-andover
h
$18.00
l
LloydUltan
TheBronx:
Then&Now
$21.99
C
SUBMISSIONSFORTHEBRONXCOUNTYHISTORICALSOCIETYANNUALJOURNAL
a Since1964,theBCHSJournalhasbeenoneofthepremierhistoryjournalsinthetri-stateregion.
r TheJournal’sarticles,writtenwithclarityandscholarlysubstance,areofinteresttoallwhoenjoy
oaccountsofpeople,businessevents,mercantilegain,defendingthenation’sinterest,ortheloveof
NancySerra-Spencer–4photographsofEdgewaterCamp,1920s.
l TheBronx.AsanongoingtraditionforBronxitestosharetheirpersonalexperiences,TheSociety
e isacceptingarticlesforitsJournal.DoyouhaveaBronxstorytoshare?Kindlysendinyourarticle
in
Microsoft Word format along with 2-4 images at 300dpi as email attachments to
Wadministration@bronxhistoricalsociety.org.Makesureyouincludeyourcontactinformation.
i
BEQUESTS
s
YoucansupportTheSociety'sworkbymeansofabequest.Thefollowingparagraphissuggested
e
for your convenience, for insertion in your will: “I give and devise and bequeath, to The Bronx
m
County Historical Society, located at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, New York 10467,
a
incorporatedwiththeNewYorkStateBoardofRegents,[inserttheamountofmoneyordescribe
n thepersonalpropertyorrealestate],tobeusedforthegeneralpurposesofTheSociety.”
J
The Bronx Historian
June 2016 – January 2017
Page 3 of 4
Volume 40 Number 1
The Bronx County Historical Society and the
Bronx Council on the Arts are extending a special
invite to you and your guests to a new social
justice-driven poetry reading and workshop series
at the landmark Edgar Allan Poe Cottage and the
Poe Park Visitor Center in Poe Park.
Saturday,October29,2016
PoetryReadingfrom
EdgarAllanPoe’sCottagePorch
&
PoetryWritingWorkshopatthe
PoeParkVisitorCenter
From Poe’s Porch features poets who will read
from the Cottage’s porch from 12:00-1:10 P.M.
This will be followed by special workshops and
panel discussions in the adjacent Poe Park Visitor
Center, from 1:30-3:00 P.M., just steps away from
the historic house landmark. Tours of the Cottage
will be available and both programs are free.
From Poe's Porch was designed to create greater
awareness of local history, by drawing parallels to
the issues addressed by Bronx poets today.
Edgar Allan Poe
Cottage
Poe Park
Grand Concourse &
East Kingsbridge
Road
Owned by the New York
City Department of Parks,
it is operated by The
Bronx County Historical
Society. The house is a
member of the Historic
EXHIBITIONS AT THE MUSEUM OF BRONX HISTORY
House Trust.
3266 BAINBRIDGE AVENUE
& EAST 208TH STREET, THE BRONX, NEW YORK 10467
(718) 881 - 8900
MUSEUM HOURS: SAT 10AM - 4PM / SUN 1PM - 5PM
(GROUP TOURS MON.-FRI. BY APPOINTMENT)
Fall Exhibitions – Opening October 13 th
Reception 4:30PM – 7:00PM
óóó
!
The
American
Presidency
óóó
Remembrance
of Pearl Harbor
The Bronx Goes
To War
Politics
&
the Bronx
óóó
Museum of Bronx
History/ValentineVarian House
3266 Bainbridge
Avenue
& East 208 th Street
Owned by The Bronx
For further information, and to rsvp,
please contact The Society
(718) 881-8900
[email protected]
County Historical Society,
the house is a member of
the Historic House Trust.
Its operation is made
possible in part by public
OpenhousenywillbetheweekendofOctober15thand16th.BoththeEdgarAllanPoe
CottageandtheMuseumofBronxHistoryattheValentine-VarianHousewillparticipate
andofferfreeadmissionthroughouttheweekend.Makesureyoustopby.
funds provided through the
New York City Department
of Cultural Affairs.
TakeAWalkThroughHistoryBRONXWALKINGTOURS
Eachtourcosts$10forBCHSmembers,$20fornon-members.ContactTheSocietyat
(718)881-8900toreserveyourspot.Thetoursgenerallyrunabout2hours.
EXPLORINGVANCORTLANDTPARK:2-PARTWALKTOURSERIES
TheOldGettySquareBranch
Saturday,October22,2016-10:00AM
NestorDanyluk,BCHStourguide,willlead
3309 Bainbridge Avenue
The Bronx, New York 10467
Phone: (718) 881-8900
Fax: (718) 881-4827
www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org
FACILITIES:
Research Library
3309 Bainbridge Avenue
By Appointment
The Bronx County Archives
3313 Bainbridge Avenue
By Appointment
Museum of Bronx History/
Valentine-Varian House
3266 Bainbridge Avenue
and East 208th Street
Museum hours:
Saturdays 10AM-4PM and
Sundays 1PM-5PM.
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
Poe Park
2640 Grand Concourse and
East Kingsbridge Road
Museum hours:
Thursdays and Fridays
10AM-3PM
Saturdays 10AM-4PM and
Sundays 1PM-5PM.
Call The Society to arrange
group tours during the week.
ENDOWED FUNDS
The Bronx County Historical
Society
encourages
the
establishment
of
named
endowment funds. Funds may
be created to support many
Society programs, or may be
established for restricted use.
The funds appear permanently
on the financial records of
The Society in recognition of
their ongoing support of its
work.
For further details, contact:
Mr. Joel Podgor, CPA
(718) 881-8900
WWICampatVanCortlandtPark
Saturday,November19,2016-11:00AM
BCHSEducatorVivianDaviswillleadatour
aroundtheVanCortlandtParkparade
ground,coveringtopicssuchastheforgotten
mobilizationrailwaysandthesitesofthe
shambattlesandcompanystreets.
atouralongtheoldPutnamrailroadline
routeinVanCortlandtPark,thenproceed
onthenow-defunctGettySquarebranch
thatleadsintoYonkers.
BothwalkingtourswillmeetatBurgerKing,6077BroadwaynearWest242ndStreet.Take
the#1trainto242ndStreet/VanCortlandtParkorBronxbuses#9,BxM3or
theWestchesterBee-Line#1or#2.Pleasecall(718)881-8900formoreinformation.
Pleasewearcomfortableshoesandbringwater.
OldTalesandHistoricFactsofTheBronxRiver
Saturday,December3,2016-11:00AM
TheBronxRiverhasinspiredaplethoraofstoriesandhistoricfactsthatgenerated
numerouspublications.OnesuchbooktitledTheBronxRiverinHistory&Folklore,written
byBronxhistorianandlongtimeBCHSmemberStephenDeVillo,capturestheessenseof
theriver’simportanceinanever-changingurbanenvironment.TheBronxRiverisso
importantinourborough’sexistencethatit’sactuallynamedforit.Toexpandonthe
BronxRiver’slegacy,StephenDeVilloandNilkaMartel,tourguideandBronxparks
advocate,willleadawalkingtouralongtheriver,fromWestFarmsSquaretoHuntsPoint
RiversidePark.ThistourwillmeetatWestFarmsSquare(northeastcorner)andcan
exceedtwohours.Take#2and#5trainorBronxbuses#9,#21,#36,#40,or#42.
Pleasewearcomfortableshoesandbringwater.
FREEPUBLICLECTURESERIES
ThefollowinglectureswillbeheldatTheBronxCountyArchiveslocated
at3313BainbridgeAvenue,TheBronx,NewYork10467.Fordirections,please(718)881-8900.
HistoryofTheBronxLatino
Saturday,October15,2016-1:00PM
National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15th to October 15th.
Angel Hernandez, BCHS Director of Programs and The Bronx Latino Project, will give
an illustrated presentation on the history of our borough’s largest ethnic group.
GrandConcourseReminiscence
Saturday,November12,2016-1:00PM
HistoricpreservationconsultantHanselHernandezdiscussesthehistoryofthefamousroadway,
anditspresenthistoricbuildings,monuments,andarchitecturalheritage.
Thispresentationwillbebeillustrated.
Celebrating175YearsofSt.Ann’sChurch
Saturday,December17,2016-1:00PM
St.Ann’sEpiscopalChurch,builtanddonatedbyGouverneurMorrisJr.in1840,hasstoodthetest
oftime.St.Ann's,onceamodestcommunitychurch,isnowlistedontheNationalRegisterof
HistoricPlacesandisdesignatedasaNewYorkCityhistoriclandmark.InhonorofSt.Ann’s
Church’s175thbirthday,BCHSEducatorVivianDaviswillchronicletheMorrisfamily’shistory
andactivisminTheBronxandthesurvivinglegacySt.Ann’sChurch.
*****
EdgarAllanPoeatFordham
Saturday,January21,2017-2:30PM
Dr.GaryHermalyn,CEOofTheBronxCountyHistoricalSociety,willprovideanillustrated
presentationaboutoneofAmerica’sgiftedwritersandhisexperiencelivinginTheBronx.This
freelecturewillbegivenatTheBronxLibraryCenter,301E.KingsbridgeRoad.
Formoreinformation,pleasecall(718)579-4257.