A little known fact about The Bronx is that it is the greenest of all the five New York City boroughs.

While most people have a view of The Bronx as a strictly urban setting made up a plethora of  stores, apartment buildings, small business, and its bustling and busy streets, this northernmost city borough is comprised of outdoor park space that accounts for 25% of the land.

With no lack of options to commune with nature, embrace your inner athlete and fitness enthusiast or indulge in a little rest and relaxation on the cool, fragrant grass, Bronx Parks are more than they appear to be, possessing an interesting history and characteristics that are part of the fabric of this alluring city destination. 

​1. Home to the Largest New York City Park 
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Manhattan borough’s Central Park gets all the recognition and glory, but Pelham Bay Park in The Bronx is the largest park in New York City.  At 2,772 acres, this outdoor green oasis  rivals Central Park at three times as big.

With no lack of abundance in activities for nature lovers, cultural buffs and young and old alike, the park is home to miles of bridle paths and hiking trails, Orchard Beach, the Bartow-Pell Mansion, two golf courses, playgrounds and a breathtaking 13-mile saltwater shoreline that hugs Long Island Sound. 

2. Fascinating, Historic Grounds 

There is an immense and rich history to the lands that have been transformed into the beautiful public parks of The Bronx. 

Take for instance Pelham Bay Park. Before its creation, the land comprising the current park was part of Anne Hutchinson's short-lived New Netherland dissident colony. After its destruction in 1643, Englishman, Thomas Pell purchased 50,000 acres of the land in 1654 from the Siwanoy land which would become known as Pelham Manor.  

During the American Revolutionary War, this land would act as a buffer between British-held New York City and rebel-held Westchester, serving as the site of the Battle of Pell's Point, where Massachusetts militia hiding behind stone walls (still visible at one of the park's golf courses) stopped a British advance.
 
Van Cortland Park is another home with a rich history.  The third-largest New York City park, at 1,146 acres, was originally owned by John Barrett, and sold to Jacobus Van Cortlandt, two time mayor of New York City, in around 1691. His son Frederick built the Van Cortlandt House on the property, which would later be designated an historic landmark.  Additionally, the land was used during the Revolutionary War when the continental army unit of mostly native Americans, the Stockbridge militia, was destroyed by the Queen's Rangers, a loyalist military unit. 

Then there is the history of Crotona Park, the land from which was acquired by the city of New York from the Andrew Bathgate Estate in 1888. Known at the time as “Bathgate Woods,” the park was already famous for its views, its trees, and its pond. The park was renamed by a Parks Department engineer, after Croton, an ancient Greek colony famed for its Olympic athletes. Croton is also the name of the old New York City aqueduct.

3. Trees and Natural Species Galore
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 The 127.5 acre Crotona Park, not only contains a 3.3-acre lake and the Bronx's largest swimming pool, but it is also home to 28 species of trees! A sanctuary of rolling grass, lofty trees, Crotona Park is the largest park in the South Bronx and the sixth largest in the borough.

At the heart of the park is Indian Lake, a name that is believed to have been given by local youths who resided in the area in the late 1800s. Surrounding the lake stand native tulip, black cherry, hickory, sassafras, sweetgum, and twenty-three other species, including specimens that have flourished for more than a century. 

Some of the most majestic and diverse trees in all of New York City, Crotona Park is full of natural beauty and according to NYC Parks website, “when first settled, the area around Indian Lake was said to have some of the finest forest habitat downstate.”
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4. Bronx Park Had The First-Ever “Recycled Plastic Bottle” Pier
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Located on the East River waterfront in the Hunts Point is Barretto Point Park was referred to as “a secret oasis in the Bronx” by The New York Times and is also home to the Tiffany Street Pier.

The pier actually predates the park and was not officially part of the park until 2001. Previously used as a loading dock before earning a reputation as a refuge for for local residents and recreational fishermen, the pier was rebuilt by the city in 1995 out of an innovative material produced from 1.5 million recycled plastic bottles.

This new and inventive hard plastic structure was able to withstand damage caused by wood boring marine insects, destructive to wood. However, the plastic was not impervious to heat and a year later,  it incurred major damage when a lightning melted a third of the pier. 

Reopened in 2000, the new pier was built with more resilient materials but retains the same design as its plastic predecessor. 
​

 
5. Ecologically Diverse Wildlife and Fauna
Hard to believe, but Bronx Park is not only the natural habitat for a myriad of plants and wildlife stretching along The Bronx River, but it likewise houses two of the most iconic venues in all of New York City. 

Both the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Gardens are part of the vastness that comprises this ecologically divergent and expansive space. The two-mile stretch of The Bronx River in Bronx Park flows through its riverbanks surroundings of red maple hardwood swamp inhabited by fish, birds and invertebrates, which is paradise for any nature lover, as well as recreation areas that include bicycle paths, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, baseball diamonds, football and soccer fields. 

Varied species in Bronx Park include Benthic macroinvertebrates, which include insects, worms, bivalves and crustaceans; more than 30 species of fish, including striped bass and river herring; Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals that include muskrats, snapping turtles, salamanders, as well as plankton.


-Travelin' Elisa

If there is one thing I’ve learned from being a travel blogger, it’s that geography and the distance traveled is not always what defines being a travel buff.  It is actually the discovery and exploration of places to which one has never ventured, and the knowledge acquired in doing so. 

This insight has been the the driving force for Bronx Historical Tours founder, Alexandra Maruri.

Emigrating from Ecuador to the United States in the early ‘70’s to live the American dream, Maruri and her mom settled in the South Bronx and she is proud to call The Bronx home ever since her arrival.  Like most residents, Alexandra would embrace her new home, developing an identity as a Bronxite, first and foremost, which would lay the foundation for creating her local tour company, Bronx Historical Tours.
After being downsized from her corporate job some years ago, the young Bronxite took a job in a hotlel.  While working there, she would find herself being asked by guests about unique places to visit within New York City.  According to Maruri "I would mention my home (The Bronx), and our history,  and they would cringe with fear. I knew we had a bad reputation, but not to the level of fearing for their safety." 

Feeling passion about the many wonders, historical destinations and quintessential Bronx culture, Maruri encountered one guest that replied, "I would go with you" and that's when a lightbulb went off for the Latina entrepreneur. Up until this time, no one was helping people explore the many wonders of The Bronx and Maruri believed that she could bring awareness and a new sense of enjoyment for locals and visitors alike, to her hometown.

It was then that Maruri decided to quit her hotel job and take money from her 401K fund to jump start her new small business, appropriately naming it, Bronx Historical Tours.  Founded on June 13, 2011, Maruri applied her knowledge and personal recollections from her life in The Bronx around famous landmarks, historical areas and cultural enclaves to create a selection of unique tours, which appeal to a broad audience and a plethora of interests.

From bus tours of City Island, the "Seaport of the Bronx" , Arthur Avenue Neighborhood Tour in the Belmont Section of the Bronx, better known as Little Italy, or The Bronx Immigrant Experience Tour, which explores the history and influences of the diverse immigrant groups that have called The Bronx home, to Walking Tours of Woodlawn Heights, better known as Little Ireland, Fort Apache or Bronx Churches, Maruri has ardently assembled a collection of captivating tours that have residents and tourists returning time and again to learn about this magnificent borough.

The BHT website is jam packed with artfully crafted local excursions that highlight everything from history, culture, religious, food, drinks and nature, as well as customized Bronx experiences.

With a lifetime of first-hand experiences from the immigrant turned life-long Bronx resident perspective, it is no wonder that Ms. Maruri has made a career of educating people about this fascinating borough.  In fact the mission of her company is to create awareness of the history and culture of The Bronx to local residents and tourists.  

This includes a deep dedication to promoting sustainable tourism practices in The Bronx by developing a business model that advances the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental, while raising awareness of the borough's historic preservation. ​ 

Her goal is to forge opportunities for local businesses by bringing tourism to the borough, and building awareness of the historic and cultural points of interest, galleries and houses of worship in The Bronx, while engaging businesses and travelers with information that improve the economy and support local culture.  A tall order, but one that Maruri has pledged her commitment.

Loyal to all things Bronx, it is her earliest memories living in The Bronx that have shaped her devotion to the people and businesses of the borough she calls home.  As a child, new to America, she and her mom experienced the ultimate act of kindness that is permanently etched in Maruri's mind and heart. 

When a fire ravaged the apartment building of her first Bronx home in 1971, she and her mom were among the residents whose lives were saved by the fearless and self-sacrificing efforts of New York firefighters. In fact, after a brave and harrowing rescue, one of these men, Battalion Chief William C. Rinsdale, suffered a massive heart attack, passing away a hero.  Maruri still remembers this traumatic event and has become eternally grateful to firefighters and their tireless efforts.  So much so, that she includes firehouses in several of her tours as a way to pay homage to the men risk their lives on a daily basis and who saved her, her mom, sister and stepfather that fateful night more than forty years ago.  ​

Maruri has led tours for visitors from around the globe, including Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as well as hundreds of local residents and visitors from around the United States.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed either.  BHT has received extensive press coverage, having been featured on a plethora of local and international news sites and publications, including Conde Nast Traveler, El Diario La Prensa, CNN Travel, Bronx Times, Fodor's Travel, Long Island Pulse, Italy Magazine, La Ventana Arte y Cultura (Buenos Aires, Argentina), NY1, The Daily News and my own blog, Travelin' Cousins.

I have had the pleasure of touring with Alexandra Maruri on several occasions, each time having been given a wealth of knowledge about the areas to which we ventured and the personal experience of meeting neighborhood residents and merchants while engaging in each local adventure.  My first tour was through Woodlawn Heights, which included an incredible in-depth tour of the neighborhood, world-renown Woodlawn Cemetery and the Bronx River area.

My second excursion was the awesome Bronx Church Tour, last summer.  Through rain and thunder, Alexandra escorted me and m;y Travelin' Cousin partner, Tanya, to several of the most cherished Catholic churches in the Bronx, which included Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto as well as an amazing opportunity to meet one of the oldest and well respected vendors in all of Little Italy, Borgatti's Ravioli & Egg Noodles.  (see previous articles Our Lady of Mount Carmel & St. Lucy’s Roman Catholic Church and Woodlawn Cemetery: A Must See National Historical Landmark in The Bronx)

Each tour was a beautiful experience, and it was evident to me that the personal relationship and rapport between Maruri and the local business owners and site managers was one of mutual respect and friendship.

With many tour companies in and around the New York area cashing in lately on tourism opportunities in The Bronx, the merchants, neighborhood leaders and who's who in the travel industry know that Maruri started it all with her vision of bringing tourism to the borough. One of her main objectives for her guests is that they stay in The Bronx during their visit, to get a true feel for the people and culture, as well as to support the small businesses in the neighborhood as they enjoy checking out the local landmarks.

General group tours are limited to a maximum of ten guests in order to make the experience more efficient for guests to enjoy, with prices ranging from $25 to $55 for the general public, and slightly higher for private tours.

For more information, visit Bronx Historical Tours website - www.bronxhistoricaltours.com and see how much you can still experience and learn about The Bronx.

-Travelin' Elisa

The month of March celebrates women all over - their accomplishments, their spirit and their contributions to the world.  One such woman who has made her mark in the literary world, known to readers around the globe is Mary Higgins Clark.

If you have not heard of this best-selling American author of suspense novels, whose books have sold more than 100 million copies, you’ll be delighted to know that the ninety-one year old creative force has humble beginnings that hail from the Bronx.

The acclaimed author was born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins on Christmas Eve 1927 to an Irish-immigrant father and an American mother of Irish descent. In spite of the difficult financial times she was born into, her family enjoyed a good life as a result of her parents’ Irish pub, which afforded them a home in the Bronx as well as a summer cottage on the Long Island sound.  

Unfortunately, the depression took its toll on the Pub’s clientele, unable to pay their bar bills, forcing Higgins Clark’s father to reduce his staff and put in extra hours.  His death was untimely and left his wife alone to raise and support three children, forcing her to take in boarders and do babysitting to keep the family afloat.

Through it all, young Mary always showed talent for writing, and as early as seven years old she composed her first poem. At that same age, she began keeping a journal, noting in her first entry, “Nothing much happened today.” Her story telling abilities were well on their way as a little girl, developing short plays for her young friends to enact. 

Beginning her education at St. Francis Xavier grammar school, in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, Higgins Clark would eventually graduate with a scholarship to Villa Maria Academy, an all- girls school at the time. (In June of 1969, the high school's last class graduated, becoming an exclusively co-educational grammar school). The young writer had much encouragement from her teachers and even the principal and began her career endeavor with her first story submission at age 16 to True Confessions, a magazine targeted to young women readers. Her submission was rejected, but, her desire to be a great writer was not.

Even though it was necessary for her to work and contribute to the family’s finances, Higgins Clark notes in her book “Kitchen Privileges”  how, on her days off she would window shop, mentally choosing the clothes she would wear when she finally became a famous writer.

With yet another scholarship (partial), the young writer attended the Wood Secretarial School and secured a job as the secretary to the head of the creative department in the internal advertising division at Remington Rand and expanded her knowledge of advertising and promotion by enrolling in evening classes.  Her growing skills were matched by her natural beauty and the combination of her gifts did not go unnoticed by her superiors, who broadened her responsibilities to writing catalog copy and modeling for the company brochures. Interestingly enough, in both of these new roles, she worked alongside two individuals who would also receive acclaim - Joseph Heller, the future novelist and a young unknown model named Grace Kelly.

With growing success in her job, Higgins Clark was hit with the desire for a bit of adventure and decided to follow in the footsteps of a flight attendant acquaintance, in an effort to see the world.  Pretty daring for a woman in 1949!  And with that, she decided to leave her job at Remington Rand, spending more of that year globetrotting for Pan American as an international flight stewardess (as they were called in those days), with a number of exciting encounters and experiences.

Taking her all through Europe, Africa, and Asia, this soon to be best-selling author worked on the last flight allowed into Czechoslovakia before the Iron Curtain fell and was also the stewardess to escort a four-year-old orphan down the steps of the airplane to meet her longingly waiting adoptive mother, a moment that was massively televised.

Her thrilling year of roaming the globe was further enhanced by her marriage to Warren Clark. They would have five children together, during which time, she would hone her skills as a writer by taking classes at New York University and joining a writer’s workshop, for which she was a member for forty years.  

Her experience with rejection, submission after submission was adding up, as was her unsuccessful attempts to find a literary agent. After six years and forty rejections, finally, in 1956, Extension Magazine agreed to purchase one of her first stories called "Stowaway" about a stewardess who finds a stowaway from Czechoslovakia on her plane.  She was paid $100 and following its publication, the work began to flow, as did the author’s securing of an agent.  Through her writer's workshop,  she met an agent, Patricia Schartle Myrer, who represented Higgins Clark for twenty years until her retirement.

As is the case with most successful individuals, Mary Higgins Clark’s climb to success was filled with its share of challenges and obstacles to be overcome.  In 1964, after her husband Warren had suffered his third heart attack, she began looking for work to allow him to stay home. As fate would have it, on the day she accepted a job writing the radio segment "Portrait of a Patriot," for which a friend assisted her in securing, Warren would have another heart attack, which was fatal.

With five small children, under the age of 13, Higgins Clark found herself a widow, only to lose her mother-in-law the same day, in reaction to the death of her son.  This extraordinary woman would persevere through  this personal tragedy and further through the collapse in the short story market, for which she had become quite proficient.  In fact, in 1960, The Saturday Evening Post, named Higgins Clark's short story "Beauty Contest at Buckingham" one of their ten best of the year!  But, because her short stories were no longer able to find a publisher, Higgins Clark's agent suggested that she try writing a full-length novel.
 
Although her first novel, a fictionalized account of the relationship between George and Martha Washington, Aspire to the Heavens only commanded a small advance, it provided her with the confidence to pursue a new avenue for her writings. Unfortunately, the book did not do well in the market and it would take Higgins Clark a number of years before she would, under the encouragement of her agent, write another book.  

This time around, she decided to return to the genre she loved so much as a child - suspense stories - which incidentally had provided her first success as a short story writer. 
Having suffered a great many years of financial stress, raising her children and losing both her beloved mom and brother, Higgins Clark was finally at the pinnacle of a great return!  

Her first novel, Where are the Children? was completed, and publishing giant, Simon & Schuster agreed to purchase it for the small sum of $3000. Three months later, in July 1974, Higgins Clark received word that the paperback rights for the novel had sold for one hundred thousand dollars. Where Are the Children? became a bestseller and was favorably reviewed. Two years after its publication Higgins Clark sold her second suspense novel for $1.5 million.

It is from this point, that the expression, “the rest is history” well applies.

In the U.S. alone, her books have sold over 100 million copies and at ninety-one, she is still going strong.  Her most recent suspense novel, All By Myself, Alone, was published by Simon & Schuster in April 2017. In total, Mary Higgins Clark is the author of thirty-seven previous best selling suspense novels, four collections of short stories (the most recent, Death Wears A Beauty Mask), an historical novel, a memoir and two children’s books. As a mom, I’m sure she is so proud to have co-authored, with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, five suspense novels. Two of her novels were made into feature films and many of her other works into television films. 

But that’s not all. Her success is not just in her writing.  For, as a mom, she wanted to ensure that her children would not have to struggle financially, and was, therefore, determined that they should have good educations. To provide a good example she entered Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 1971, graduating summa cum laude in 1979, with a BA in philosophy.

Truly a role model woman to be celebrated during Women’s History Month!

- Elisa

References:
Wikipedia
Higgins Clark, Kitchen Privileges, 
"Mary Higgins Clark Interview". Book Reporter.2007
Levitsky, Jennifer; Niloufar Motamed (April 21, 1998). 
MaryHigginsClark.com

During my most recent trip to Walt Disney World (a place I visit once a year with my daughters and absolutely love!), I became preoccupied with the idea of there existing some sort of connection between the most magical place on earth and the Bronx. Seemed like a fun topic for a Weekday Magazine article and so with a bit of  research, my persistence paid off and I'm pleased to tell you my findings.
 
So here’s the deal folks. Back in the day when Disneyland California was in the planning stages, a man by the name of Cornelius Vanderbilt "CV" Wood, originally from Texas, actively worked in the planning, construction, and management of the new theme park.

Wood was actually hired by Walt Disney himself in 1953, and one of his biggest contributions to Disneyland was in selecting the orange grove site in Anaheim, California where Disneyland was eventually built.

The two men would become very close over the next two years, but would, unfortunately have a falling out, and by January 1956, Wood had been fired from Disneyland. The reason for Wood's firing has never been definitively confirmed, however three theories have been speculated. Either Wood was embezzling money from the park; Wood was taking too much public credit for Disneyland; or Wood had betrayed Disney by planning his own amusement parks, effectively stealing Disney's original concept. In any event, it must have been something that was so egregious to Walt, that,  to this day, The Walt Disney Company refuses to acknowledge any role played by Wood in the creation of the first Disney theme park.

Now, interestingly enough, Wood would go on to develop his own amusement parks all across the country. Sadly, for him, they would not have the same kind of staying power as his former employer's theme park(s), which is still going strong and expanding six decades later.  ​

At the age of thirty-six, Wood began to actualize his vision and began planning and building three of his own amusement parks around the United States. The first of these, Magic Mountain, opened in 1958, near Denver, but would close two years later.  Next came Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts, built in 1959, closing ten years later in 1969.  His third theme park endeavor would bring him to the Bronx, four short years after leaving The Walt Disney Company.

The park was called Freedomland U.S.A. and it was an American history-themed amusement park in Baychester, created with the slogan, "The World's Largest Entertainment Center." Opening on June 19, 1960, Freedomland was designed in the shape of a large map of the contiguous United States, with guests entering at the approximate location of Washington, D.C.

A few fun facts about Freedomland include:

• Freedomland was divided into a variety of themed areas based on the history of the United States, and each containing its own attractions, retail shops and restaurants. These included Little Old New York (1850-1900); Chicago (1871), The Great Plains (1803-1900), San Francisco (1906), The Old Southwest (1890), New Orleans - Mardi Gras, Satellite City - The Future, and State Fair Midway (added in 1962). 
• The property was spread out over 205 acres, with 85 acres dedicated to the actual amusement park itself.
• Wood assembled a research and design team comprised of 200 top artists and architects, including 19 Academy Award nominees.
• Original music for the park was written byJulie Styne, the composer of numerous Broadway musicals including Funny Girl and Gypsy.
• Freedomland included 8 miles of navigable waterways and lakes, 10,000 newly planted trees, 18 restaurants and quick service stations and a parking lot able to accommodate 72,000 cars.

At a cost of $65 million to build, the park  officially opened on June 19, 1960 and welcomed 65,000 visitors.  Opening day was even featured on the Ed Sullivan Show that evening with a promotional tour of the park, referring to Freedomland as Disneyland's equal on the East Coast. 

Size-wise, Freedomland was more than three times the size of Disneyland's 65 acre park and off to an amazing start! In fact, by June 20th, day two of operation, it was forced to stop selling tickets because of traffic jams leading to the park.

So, what went wrong?  Well, the signs of trouble began to appear during its first year with a few hard financial hits.  Only two weeks after opening, one of the stagecoaches overturned in the "Great Plains" section, resulting in ten guests to be hospitalized, including one with a broken spine. Large lawsuits were filed against the park from the accident and then a front office robbery of $28,000+ further depleted funds. By 1961, Wood's Freedomland was $8 million in debt. 

In an effort to appeal to the teen population, Freedomland expanded with more conventional amusement park rides like rollercoasters and bumper cars as well as hosting music concerts.  However, certain big sponsors who were there because of the historic and educational nature on which the park was originally branded, sued to be released from their leases and contracts. 

In the end, on September 14, 1964, Freedomland filed for bankruptcy.  Demolition of the park began in the latter part of 1965. 

Today, the large residential development Co-op City and the Bay Plaza Shopping Center now occupy the site of the former park.  A plaque commemorating Freedomland was put up near its one-time entrance in 2013.

-Elisa


 References
Wikipedia
"Celebrating the Short, Sweet Ride of Freedomland" (The New York Times - June 19, 2010)

The Bronx is home to twelve colleges, four of which have NYC Landmarks and/or buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places found on their respective grounds.
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With such an enormity of structural treasures right in our own backyard, enjoying a close up and personal visit is easy for Bronx history buffs like myself! The College of Mount St. Vincent has two NYC Designated Landmarks, both of which, date back to the 1850’s.
Located in Riverdale, the 70-acre, urban College of Mount St. Vincent is home to Fonthill Castle and the Administration Building, two landmarked historic buildings.

To fully understand the significance of these celebrated national historic structures, let’s take a step back in time to examine the foundation of the college on whose grounds they reside.

Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York, and serving over 1,800 students with professional undergraduate programs, the college is under the care of the Sisters of Charity of New York, one of several Sisters of Charity congregations that trace their lineage back to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who established the order in the spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1809.

In 1847, the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent was established as a school for women in Manhattan on land known as “McGowan's Pass,”  which would eventually become part of Central Park. It was named to honor Saint Vincent de Paul, the 17th-century French priest who worked with the poor and founded the original Sisters of Charity.

As the city of New York began acquiring land for Central Park in 1855, the sisters, under the leadership of Mother Angela Hughes, sister of Archbishop John Hughes (founder of Fordham University), purchased the 70-acre "Fonthill" Estate in Riverdale, owned by the famed and arguably the most important Shakespearean actor of the 1800s, Edwin Forrest.

The focal point of this estate was Fonthill Castle, set high above the Hudson River with breathtaking views. The residence took four years to build from 1848-1852, and its construction was under the watchful eye of Edwin Forrest’s wife, actress Catherine Norton Sinclair. 

In 2006, Texas A&M University professor Steven Escar Smith is quoted as saying “that in laying the cornerstone, Forrest set into it a few coins and a volume of Shakespeare.” The name Fonthill was derived from English Novelist, William Beckford's Gothic Fonthill Abbey in England.

According to the Historic Campus Architecture Project, Fonthill was not intended to parallel Fonthill Abbey in England, but there are some similarities in interior decoration and in certain architectural details which were copied. An example is the fan faulting of Forrest's drawing room ceiling, probably modeled off of Beckford's St. Michael's Gallery. 

There is a bit of controversy regarding the architect of what is now recognized as an historic building, as some believe it was built by Thomas C. Smith, and others claiming it was Alexander Jackson Davis. From the research that stands, it cannot be accurately determined.

One thing that cannot be disputed, however, is the Gothic Revival style of Fonthill, which consists of a cluster of six octagonal towers at varying heights, built of hammered grey stone. Five of the towers radiate from a three-story central tower. 

Interestingly and quite ironically, Fonthill Castle was never occupied by the acting couple as they divorced before they could occupy it, at which point Forrest sold the estate to the Sisters of Charity.

Throughout the years, the building has served multiple functions for the College of Mount St. Vincent, including a chapel, a residence for the Sisters, a museum, an annex to the main building, a chaplain's residence, the Elizabeth Seton Library from 1942 to 1968, and  in 1969, the college admissions office. It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1966 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Adding to this already illustrious and historic background, The Administration Building on the campus was also designated a NYC Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the same time as Fonthill Castle.

Built between 1857 and 1859 in the Early Romanesque revival style, there is no uncertainty about the architect, with the initial structure of the Administration Building designed and built by Henry Engelbert,.  

The original building is a five-story red brick building on a fieldstone base. It features a six-story square tower topped by a copper lantern and spire. The tower is flanked by five story gabled sections. At the base of the tower, a double stairway rises from a porte cochere to the level of the veranda, leading to the entrance. Subsequently, the building was expanded in 1865, 1883, 1906-1908, and in 1951 respectively. 

-Elisa

References

• Wikipedia
• The Trials of 19th-Century Bibliophilia, Knickerbocker, By GARY SHAPIRO
• Historic Campus Architecture Project
• New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

​If you have been following my column for the past year, you know how enamored I am with history and namely, the remarkable gems of the past found locally in the Bronx.

The more exploring I do around the borough, the more astounded I am with the notable treasures and their special part in laying the foundation of the Bronx.

Take for instance the community of Riverdale. Today it is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City, a reputation it has maintained from its days as a 19th-century estate district where many of Manhattan's moguls built their country estates, 

In addition to boasting one of the highest elevations in New York City, with scenic views of the Empire State Building, George Washington Bridge, Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades, this three-square mile section of the Bronx is also home to designated historic districts. In fact, the Hudson Hill neighborhood still retains many of its historic mansions.

Filled with expanses of greenery, original forest and a characteristically hilly landscape, it is no wonder that Riverdale is one of the most sought-after residential areas in all of the city today.  It also stands to reason that it was the perfect rural setting in the 19th century for Manhattan’s wealthy elite to build country estates and escape the crowds and congestion of the city.

Today, there are seven subdivisions to Riverdale - Central Riverdale (the "downtown" area of Riverdale); Fieldston; North Riverdale, Hudson Hill (also known as Riverdale Estates); Mosholu; Spuyten Duyvil or South Riverdale and Villanova Heights.  

Fieldston, in particular, has a noteworthy history to its founding, and in fact, the wooded, scenic enclave of Fieldston was designated a historic district by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2006.  Additionally, northwest of the neighborhood lies a 15-acre Riverdale Historic District, designated in 1990.

Located in in northern Riverdale, Fieldston was originally part of the estate of Major Joseph Delafield. Purchasing 250 acres in 1829, Delafield named it after his family's estate in England. The Delafield family laid out lots in Fieldston in 1909, intending to develop the land and named it “Delafield Woods.”  The timing of their neighborhood development coincided with the one-year prior extension of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line (present-day 1 train) to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street, creating more ease and convenience for Manhattan-bound commuters.

Working with the natural contours of the land and preserving as much of the wooded areas as possible, civil engineer for the project, Albert E. Wheeler, heeded the advice of Frederick Law Olmsted, the American landscape architect, popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, and worked with the land’s innate characteristics rather than employ a grid pattern.

In 1910, the first house was begun, with its completion in 1911 and by the beginning of the 21st century, Fieldston, a privately owned community, was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City. ​

Leland Weintraub, the commissioner who moved for the district's creation, noted that "most of the features commonly associated with the American romantic suburb of the mid-19th century", including "a picturesque site, landscaping and architecture; connection to the city by accessible transportation and a layout adapted to the topography" are present in the area.

As far as notable Riverdale buildings go, the historically designated “Stonehurst”, the Robert Colgate House, whose name was subsequently changed to the Katzenbach House, was built by one of America’s foremost  business families.

I always love knowing the back story, so I’ll share with you, the details on how “Stonehurst” came to be.  The Colgate family history in America began with William Colgate, an English manufacturer who, in 1806, founded what would become the Colgate toothpaste company.  

Born January 25, 1783, William emigrated to America with his parents, Robert and Sarah Colgate in 1798, leaving their farm in Shoreham, Kent England.  Robert (for whom William’s future son would be named), was a farmer, politician and sympathiser with the American War of Independence and French Revolution, which was eventually the impetus for his moving to America.

The family settled on a farm in Baltimore, Maryland, where William’s father started a soap and candle manufacturing business, where the young Colgate would help his father. The business lasted only two years, and thereafter, the family would re-settle in Delaware County, New York.
 
William Colgate, however, would move to New York City in 1804 as a young man, where he became an apprentice to a soap-boiler. Closely observing the methods practiced by his employer, he not only garnered the craft, but would also become savvy in the ways of business management. By the end of his apprenticeship, he had developed valuable contacts with dealers in other cities, setting himself up for success. 

In 1806 William established a starch, soap and candle business in Manhattan, on Dutch Street. Then, fourteen years later, in 1820, he started a starch factory across the Hudson in Jersey City. His success as a pioneer soap manufacturer led him to become one of the most prosperous men in the city of New York, with his legacy still alive through the Colgate-Palmolive Company and Colgate University. 

His marriage to Mary Gilbert produced three sons, Robert, James and Samuel. His son Robert (1812–1885), purchased land in 1860, on which he had built a two-story picturesque Italianate villa that he would name, "Stonehurst."  The building was constructed of ashlar Maine granite.  According to the Landmark Preservation Commission, "the noted historian of Westchester county described the Robert Colgate House as "one of the finest residences on the Hudson," added that "the resources of wealth and refined taste have joined to make it a thing of beauty." "

It was designated a New York City Landmark in 1970, with the Landmark Commission's report stating, " "Stonehurst has a classical flavor and a symmetry which are most unusual within the romantic and generally asymmetrical Anglo-italianate villa tradition...(and) displays a sensitive response to its splendid setting.  This is characteristic of the age of Emerson and the transcendentalists and illustrates the rise in landscape architecture and landscape painting."

In 1983, Robert Colgate House was additionally listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

- Elisa

Resources
The NYTimes (Postings: HIstoric Designations: Recognizing Riverdale) Oct. 21, 1990
Wikipedia
The Encyclopedia of New York City
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
Revolvy.com

The Bronx Zoo is iconic and world-renowned for its large and diverse animal inhabitants and award-winning exhibitions, with most New Yorkers having visited this hundred year old point of interest at one time or another.  As one of the largest zoological parks in the United States, comprising 265 acres of park lands and naturalistic habitats, it has, on average, 2.15 million visitors each year. What most folks may not be aware of is that several of the architectural components within the venue are New York City Landmarks and/or listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Here's a bit of inspiration for embracing the architectural gems on your next visit, as you revel in the wonders of the creatures that call this Bronx destination home. 

The idea of founding a zoo to promote the study of zoology and preserving wildlife was conceived in 1895 by a group predominantly comprised of members of the Boone and Crockett Club.  This group would go on to found the New York Zoological Society, which would later be renamed to Wildlife Conservation Society, which is the name it goes by today.

Opening its doors to the public on November 8, 1899, The Bronx Zoo featured 843 animals in 22 exhibits, under the leadership of its first zoo director, William Temple Hornaday, who would go to provide 30 years of service at the zoo and have significant input into its overall design.
​
Architecturally speaking the focus herein will be on the zoo's elements that have been recognized for their historical value by both the city of New York and the United States of America. Big picture view, the entire area from the Rainey Memorial Gates entrance on Fordham Road to the far end of Astor Court at Zoo Center are landmarked as of 2000. Now let's look at the specific architectural features within this locale in greater detail.

The Rockefeller Fountain
A gift from William Rockefeller became, what stands as a centerpiece in the circular plaza at the north entrance to Astor Court, now called Fountain Circle.  In 1902, Mr. Rockefeller bought the elaborate marble fountain in Como, Italy, once a famous landmark built in 1872 by Italian sculptor Biagio Catella. The three-tiered, octagonal fountain featuring sculpted sea creatures once stood in the main square, Piazza Cavour, by the lakeside and was purchased by its donor for 3,500 lire (the estimated equivalent then of $637 or $17,600 in today's terms). It was subsequently donated to the Zoological Society by William Rockefeller in 1903, and moved to its present spot in 1910.  The fountain was designated an official New York City Landmark in 1968 and underwent a restoration in 2008. ​
​

The Rainey Memorial Gates
Perhaps one of the most iconic Bronx Zoo features is the magnificent bronze sculpted Rainey Memorial Gates at the original Fordham Road entrance. Crafted by artist Paul Manship in Art Deco style, the double arches feature 22 full-sized sculpted bronze animals and connect to two granite gatekeeper lodges. This New York City designated landmark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was, in 1934, dedicated as a memorial to noted big game hunter Paul James Rainey and were subsequently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.


- Elisa


Resources:
en. Wikipedia.org
6 sq feet
NYTimes
2000 NYCLPC Report
1967 NYCLPC Report
Emilio Guerra/Flickr

​

1. Designed by famed architects of the time 
Both Alfred T. Fellheimer and Alen M Stein  were nationally known specialists in railroad station architecture, having originally designed many famed structures including the Grand Central Terminal, also designated a New York City Landmark in 1967.

2. The Railway was supposed to reach as far as Boston 
The former New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, was conceived to eventually reach Boston, but instead it never made it that far north and the electric railway only ran 21 miles from Harlem River Terminal in the Bronx to White Plains in suburban Westchester. 

3. "The Westchester," as the line was popularly known, never made a profit 
There were a number of reasons for this.  One problem was a result of timing and growing progress in transportation.  With the automobile industry beginning to explode by the 1920s and the development of scenic parkways proving a success in managing intracity auto traffic, the NYW&B could not successfully compete as a commuter railroad.  Additionally, at this time, the "Westchester"  offered lower fares but required riders to transfer to the IRT in the Bronx, as opposed to higher fares for a one-seat ride to Grand Central.  Convenience won out as most commuters chose the latter, causing the line to continually lose money.
After forging on in spite of not making a profit, the company declared bankruptcy in 1937, ending service after 25 years.

4. It is the only free-standing National Register building that serves as the entrance to a NYC subway station.
Since the 1940s the building has functioned as the entrance to the 180th Street station of the New York City transit system, with administrative offices on the upper floors.  However, artistically, it is one of a series of fabulously ornate stations that were built along the line in the early 1900's, which include this station (at E. 180th St) and others at the time, including Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Gun Hill Road, Baychester Avenue, and Dyre Avenue. Giving such attention to detail , with artistic architectural style was unique, especially at a time when other railroad lines settled for sheds or shacks for their stations.

5. The NYW&B was considered state of the art for its time 
Conceived in 1872, it was delayed for a few decades by the Panic of 1873, essentially a depression. The railroad began construction in 1906, after coming out of receivership in the early 1900s,  and built north, with the northernmost stations at Rye and Port Chester opening in 1928 and 1929. When most stations opened in 1912, the NYW&B was considered state of the art for its time, taking power from overhead lines, no grade crossings, high platforms to enable comfortable boarding, and spacious, architecturally attractive ticket offices/station houses.

6. Italian Renaissance Style was a nationwide favorite with architects of the period
According to Emilio Guerra and the 1976 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report, "The Westchester's" railroad stations ... is one of the two surviving stations inspired by the Italian villa style in the city; the other is the Paulding station nearby on Esplanade. ​

7. The Centennial of the NYW&B was celebrated in 2012 with a renovation project
In 2012, the The New York City Transit Authority budgeted $66.6 million for renovation of the structure led by Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects in association with Weidlinger Associates. Renovations included the conversion of a damp and humid passageway between the administration building and the passenger platforms to a more inviting and brightly lit corridor, as well as new artwork commissioned by Luisa Caldwell.  

8. The clock on the building was not part of the original renovation plans
It's hard to believe that with such a large renovation budget, it did not include the restoration of the clock beneath the sculpture of Mercury on the building's facade.  However, the president of Citnalta Construction Corporation, general contractor for the project, didn't like the building's appearance without a clock and as a result, located a 45-inch diameter clock with Roman numerals and covered its $8,000 price and labor to install it as an extra contribution to the renovation project.

-Elisa
​

Reference:

• www.flickr.com/photos/emilio_guerra/3595178680
• www.forgotten-ny.com/2012/04/new-york-westchester-boston-railroad-part-1/
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York,_Westchester_and_Boston_Railroad_Administration_Building
• Dunlap, David W. (2013, February 1). A Revived Century-Old Landmark (Not That One). The New York Times, p A19.
• www.nywbry.com

​As a graduate of Fordham University, it warms my heart to hear stories about graduates from my Bronx Alma Mater. Of course, coming out of this prestigious institution of higher learning are countless success stories in virtually every area of life. I was particularly moved by one graduate’s journey and accomplishments as I paged through my latest issue of Fordham magazine. 

Who would have thought there would be a connection between Fordham’s prestigious law school, a determined African American woman and notorious mob boss, Lucky Luciano. 

In a time when it was the rarest of circumstances for a woman - let alone a black woman to pursue a professional life in law enforcement, Eunice Carter achieved a few firsts. With a dream and s desire from the time she was 8 years old, Ms Carter is quoted as saying that she wanted to be a lawyer “to make sure the bad people went to jail.“

Put the bad people in jail indeed, as she would go on to do. As this granddaughter of slaves persevered in an era when women were not looked upon as equals in the work force, least of all law enforcement, Ms. Carter graduating from Smith University, and went on to earn a law degree from Fordham Law School in 1932.

A graduate of the class of 1932, Ms Carter attended law school while raising her son and working a full-time position as a supervisor in the Harlem division of the Emergency Unemployment Committee.  No easy task even in today’s world of modern conveniences and equal rights. 

After receiving her law degree, she became the first African American woman to serve as a New York assistant district attorney, as well as the only woman and person of color on the team. Her team was led by the future New York governor Thomas E. Dewey and what they would accomplish would go down in the annals of law enforcement history for bringing one of the country’s biggest gangsters to justice.  

According to Fordham magazine article, Pioneering Prosecutor, written by Ray Legendre, Carter's grandson, Yale Law School professor and best-selling author Stephen L. Carter, recounts his grandmother's time at Fordham, her meteoric rise as a prosecutor, and her work on the Charles "Lucky"Luciano case in his new book, Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster, published last October by MacMillan. 

Spearheading the investigation was Eunice Carter and through her efforts and ability to convince witnesses to attest to the fact that   Luciano ran New York City's brothels, was the proof needed to eventually sentenced the mob boss to 30 to 50 years in prison in 1936.  In speaking about his grandmother, Stephen L. Carter states, "She was black and a woman and a lawyer, a graduate of Smith and the granddaughter of three slaves and one free woman of color, as dazzlingly unlikely a combination as one could image in New York of the 1930's and without her work the Mafia boss would never have been convicted."

An amazing woman and a role model for young girls today, Carter proclaimed in her own words, spoken at the International Council Women triennial conference in Greece years later, "Skill, talent, and ingenuity prevail in woman-kind as well as man-kind. A country or community which fails to allow its women to choose and develop their individual beings in an atmosphere of freedom thrusts away from itself a large part of the human resources which can give it strength and vitality." ​

-Elisa

If you squint your eyes and cover your ears while observing The Andrew Freedman Home, you’d be hard pressed to ever guess that you were standing in the middle of the Grand Concourse. 

Architecturally, this century-old building is designed more akin to a French or Italian Renaissance edifice with its soft gray and yellow limestone rather than structure found on a main avenue in the South Bronx. 

Today, and as of 2012, The Andrew Freedman Home is known as a daycare center as well as an event space venue for a variety of artwork exhibitions in various mediums including photography, live installations and video projections. ​

But just how did this exquisitely designed building originate and for what purpose? The creation of The Andrew Freedman Home was the vision of the man for whom it is named. While there is not much information to be found about Andrew Freedman, which causes me a great deal of frustration, being a history fanatic, I will share the few facts that I was able to ascertain in my research. 

Andrew Freedman was born in NYC in 1860, becoming a successful businessman, who built a multi-million dollar fortune by the end of the 19th century.  There is not much known about his personal life, except that he was Jewish and attended Grammar School No. 35 in lower Manhattan.  It appears that he was never married, nor did he have any children.  Records do not really exist for exactly how he created his personal wealth.  

HIs business accomplishments are, however, pretty impressive. Freedman became the principal owner of the New York Giants of the National League in 1895, after purchasing a controlling interest in the ball club from Cornelius C Van Cott, at a cost of $53,000, which in today's dollar terms would amount to approximately $1,596,148.  He would remain owner until 1902, but not after first purchasing a controlling interest in the Baltimore Orioles of the American League that same year.

According to a New York Times Article published on December 1, 1901, Freedman's difficult personality, which led to many run-ins with his players, resulted in NL presidential candidate Al Spalding calling Freedman an "impossibility in baseball," further stating that the "only condition under which he would accept the Presidency of the National Baseball League would be that Andrew Freedman should be forced out of baseball." Freedman refused.

Apart from baseball, Freedman's financial interests extended across other areas of industry. For one, he was director of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), which was founded and owned by August Belmont and John B. McDonald, for which Freedman reportedly invested $1.7 million (or approximately $49,228,077 by today's standards) into the company in 1901 and 1902.

This business mogul also served on the board of directors of the Wright Company, established in 1909 to market the Wright brothers' airplanes in the United States.  Further, as the owner of an ice yacht, named "Haze", Freedman won a pennant race in North Shrewsbury, New Jersey in 1904.  

Quite an interesting resume of business ventures for a man whose methods for financial accumulation is not very clear. According to Christopher Gray's NYTimes article on May 23, 1999, "He (Freedman) had been involved in real estate and subway financing, owned the New York Giants baseball team and was a close associate of the Tammany Hall boss Richard Croker. But Freedman's entry in the authoritative Dictionary of American Biography ventures only that ''by ways that are no longer traceable he achieved a conspicuous success.''"

The facts remain that Andrew Freedman was a man of substantial means, who lived a wealthy lifestyle, realizing that life could very easily take a turn for the worse, leaving even the richest individuals poor and destitute, after he encountered a scare during the Panic of 1907, when he nearly lost his entire fortune. 

His fear would prompt him to create a charitable trust, with which to build a home for older individuals who had lost their fortunes, where they could live in their retirements in a style they had grown accustomed. At the time of his death in 1915, Freedman left an estate valued over $4 million ($99,100,000 in current dollar terms) and bequeathed money to build the Andrew Freedman Home.  

​The home was intended to serve as a retirement home for "aged and indigent persons of both sexes", who had formerly been of "good circumstances" financially, offering each resident a rent free place to live, along with free servants, This exquisite retirement home included formal English gardens, a well-manicured lawn, public rooms with fireplaces and oriental rugs and each private residence contained a white marble shower stall. The Home could accommodate 130 residents at a time.

Interestingly, another prominent Bronx individual, Samuel Untermyer, lawyer, civic leader and former owner of the Yonkers estate which is now Untermyer Park, served as executor of Freedman's estate, and it was he who would oversee the construction of The Andrew Freedman Home, in the purchasing of the land on the Grand Concourse in The Bronx and hiring architects Joseph H. Friedlander and Harry Allan Jacobs to design the two-story building. At a cost of $1 million ($14,620,000 in current dollar terms), the new edifice took two years to construct, being completed and opened in 1924. An expansion would be added between 1928 and 1931,with the addition of two new wings designed by architect, David Levy.

Unfortunately, as the years went by, the trust's money decreased and by 1965, residents were required to pay rent. Shortly thereafter, as the area around the Grand Concourse began to decline, people started to move out.

In 1992, The Andrew Freedman Home was named a New York City Designated Landmark and remains today one of the grandest buildings in the Bronx.

-Elisa

Resources:
* New York Times - December 1, 1901 (reprinted 2012) 
* New York Times - January 4, 1904 (reprinted 2012)
* New York Times - October 3, 1913 (reprinted 2012)
* New York Times - November 23, 1909
* New York Times: Streetscapes/The Andrew Freedman Home; A Retirement Home Built for the Formerly Wealthy By Christopher Gray, May 23, 1999  
* Landmark Preservation Center, 1992