Pictured: Marilynn Hill, Co-founder of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy, Grace Heraty, Bronxville School 9th Grader, and Bill Zambelli, Bronxville Historical Conservancy Board Member

By Grace Heraty

Feb 5, 2025: On Sunday February 2nd, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy (BHC) sponsored the eighth annual “Building Bronxville Brick By Brick” – a workshop in which Bronxville families use LEGO to recreate village buildings.

Held in the main gym at Bronxville School and offered to kids in grades third through sixth, the event is designed to spread awareness of Bronxville’s unique architecture. It exposes the kids and their parents to the beautiful homes and buildings, which have been here for decades. It also aims to remind residents of the importance of historic preservation and to appreciate the town's beauty. 

Stephen Schwartz, the founder and creator of “Building Blocks Workshops,” leads similar workshops in multiple towns, and said, “We want to teach people about the architectural heritage of their community.” It can take Schwartz nearly six months to research, select the buildings, photograph them and create a large floor map to place the LEGO structure on once they are built. “It’s a family program, so the idea is there aren’t a lot of activities where your children want to work with you, or you want to work with your children, but this is one,” said Schwartz.

BHC Board member Dana Burns chaired this year's LEGO event. He said, “Bronxville has a rich history, getting kids to understand the history of the town where they live, the buildings that they interact with, it’s a nice opportunity.” He added that the two-hour workshop is special as the families work together to reconstruct the village.

BHC Co-Founder Marilynn Hill has watched the program evolve and grow and explained that it is designed “to raise consciousness of the history of the town, the historical homes, and the importance of preservation. I just love meeting all the people and seeing the end product.” Hill went on to add that recreating the buildings we walk past every day in the village reminds us of the history behind the architecture, and why it is so important to respect and preserve the original designs.

Jennifer and Thaddeus Rudd attended the LEGO workshop with their daughter Clover, who said her favorite part of the day was building the actual LEGO structure. Her parents acknowledged how much they enjoyed the event for its exposure, and added they loved that their daughter was familiar with a lot of the reconstructed buildings.

Families who participate in the activity value it for various reasons including the time spent with their children, learning about the history of the buildings, and that it gives them another reason to love our village and community.

See more photos from the Lego event below.