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Spooky Spectacular Haunts Hilltop in "Ghosts of Bronxville:" See Photos!

Pictured: The Ghosts of Bronxville Committee. Photo by Emily Tull Pollakowski 

By Suzanne Davis

Nov. 6, 2024: It was the perfect fall evening for Ghosts of Bronxville (GOB) to haunt the hilltop neighborhood on Friday, October 25th. The air was crisp and autumn leaves danced in the breeze as more than a dozen eerie apparitions appeared for the Bronxville Historical Conservancy’s (BHC) biennial event.

Ghostly guides clad in crimson robes led groups of 225 first through fifth graders and their chaperones along a pre-selected route through the hilltop’s winding roads. They stopped at five historic homes to hear spooky stories from famous 19th century residents, played by Sarah Lawrence College student actors in period attire. When traveling from house to house, participants encountered silent, wandering ghosts dressed in Victorian clothing. This year, the BHC added a new ghost story, the true tale of the Leatherman —  a nameless, leather-clad vagabond who wandered throughout Westchester and Fairfield Counties in the 19th century. GOB guests also visited the hilltop’s Northern Triangle to play old-fashioned games and enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and penny candy.

“I was overwhelmed by the support and dedication of the committee, the volunteers and the actors who made the latest iteration of this beloved event such a success” said Charlotte Sullivan, GOB Committee Chairperson. “It was an honor to lead the GOB, which was created eleven years ago by an inspired group of village residents to share Bronxville’s storied history with children and parents alike in a fun and engaging manner.” 

The planning and execution of GOB 2024 was a herculean job, with more than 75 volunteers involved in the evening’s activities. This year’s GOB was the sixth time that the BHC organized and sponsored the popular event, and more than 200 tickets sold out in less than five minutes. The BHC first introduced GOB in 2013 in an effort to educate the Bronxville community about village history.

Under the guidance of Director Gianna Morin (a Sarah Lawrence student), Nino Even-Karl played William Augustus Bates (architect of many Bronxville homes); Joshua Graham played William Van Duzer Lawrence (founding father of Lawrence Hospital); Hudson Halverstadt played Edmund Clarence Stedman (the “Poet of Wall Street”); Sydney Lennon played Harriet Hubbard Ayer (cosmetics tycoon); and Sophia Prichard played Mary Fairchild MacMonnies Low (artist).

Bronxville School students Annie Jacquette and Alexandra Seuffert were cast as Victorian-era girls, who recounted the Leatherman story in front of 7 Valley Road.

Bronxville students portrayed the wandering ghosts, including a spectral servant (Zadie Doria), a spooky violinist (Catherine Dorr), a macabre mother (Caris Erman-Thurmond), a morbid milkman (Max Gilmer), a spooky boy (Jamie Putnam), and ghostly tea party girls (Emily Mak, Diana Sullivan and Tobin Zeigler).

The members of the 2024 GOB Committee were Tina Adams, Nora Barry, Suzanne Davis, Kate Fixmer, Michelle McBride, Betsy Putnam, Lisa Rao, Maureen Stapleton, Charlotte Sullivan and Lyndal Vermette.

The BHC was founded in 1998 to record and preserve Bronxville’s history and to celebrate the culture and life in the village today. For more information about the BHC or to become a member, please visit bronxvillehistoricalconservancy.org.

Photos below by Kalil Salkey

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Bronxville Overview

Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.

While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.

Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.

The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.

Bronxville Village Government Directory

Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends

Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours

Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends

Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400

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