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.
​
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