Sep. 2, 2009: With the death of Senator Edward Kennedy this past week and his sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver two weeks earlier, we thought our readers would be interested to know more about the Kennedys' ties to Bronxville. There are two noteworthy ones.

The First Bronxville Tie:  The Kennedy family lived in Bronxville from 1928 to 1938 and then again in 1939-40.

According to information contained in Building A Suburban Village, a history book on Bronxville, Joseph P. Kennedy, his wife, Rose, and their children moved to Bronxville in 1928. They bought a 1905 mansion called Crownlands. The house was originally "finished in light-colored stucco but was re-surfaced in red brick" by the time the Kennedys purchased it. The property (294 Pondfield Road) included 7.7 acres and was bounded on two sides by Locust Lane and Pondfield Road.

The family moved to London in 1938 when Joseph became the US ambassador to Great Britain. They moved back to Bronxville for the school year of 1939-40 because of the London Blitz. In 1940, Joseph resigned as ambassador, and Hyannis became their primary home. The Bronxville house was sold in 1942. It was torn down in 1953 when the property was subdivided and the then owner (James McCurrach) sold off lots. According to Building A Suburban Village, McCurrach attempted to sell Crownlands and its remaining 2-1/2 acres but was unsuccessful. There was discussion of turning it into a school or apartment building, but that was not permitted by the zoning and building codes. As a result, the house was torn down and developed as Crown Circle.

When the Kennedys moved to Bronxville, the children were the following ages: Joe Jr., 13; Jack, 11; Rosemary, 10; Kathleen, 8; Eunice, 7; Patricia, 4; Robert, 3; and Jean, a newborn. Edward was not yet born (he was born in 1932).

According to Building A Suburban Village, "Until they left for boarding school at Choate, the two older boys remained at Riverdale Country School, which was near a house the family had rented earlier. All the other children attended the Bronxville Elementary School, although two of the girls were enrolled for a time at a local private school, Brantwood Hall."

The family was a member of the Bronxville Field Club and the Siwanoy Country Club. The girls also attended Miss Covington's, the local dancing school, and the boys were involved in the Boy Scouts.

According to a book titled Robert Kennedy: Brother, Protector, by James W. Hilty, "Patricia Kennedy remembered the years in Bronxville as 'very, very happy times particularly on weekends and holidays when Joe junior and John returned from school usually with houseguests.'" The book reports that the Kennedy homes in both Bronxville and Hyannis Port had built-in movie theaters.

Pictures 1 and 2 in this photo rotation are of (1) The Kennedys' Bronxville home and (2) the family, taken within the home. Pictured in the family picture are: From left, seated: Eunice, Jean, Edward (on lap of his father), Joseph, Patricia, and Kathleen; standing: Rosemary, Robert, John, Mrs. Kennedy, and Joe Jr.

The Second Bronxville Tie: Ted Kennedy Married a Bronxville Girl

In 1958, Ted Kennedy married his first wife, Joan Bennett, a Bronxville girl, at St. Joseph's Church. Jack Kennedy was his best man and Robert was an usher. There was a reception at the Siwanoy Country Club. At the time, Joan and her family were living at 14 Eastway. Previously, it had been the home of Shirley Temple's father-in-law. Before they moved to 14 Eastway, the family, including Joan, had lived at Midland Gardens.

The third photo in the rotation above is of Ted and Joan getting married.