Defining the Landscapes of Bronxville by Monica Lake

�� the Landscapes of Bronxville he

at ral and B ilt nviron ent

PREFACE A decade and a half ago, as part of the centennial celebration of the founding of the Village of Bronxville, one hundred families, dedicated to preserving the best of the village’s past, joined together to establish the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. In a keynote address launching the nascent organization, Paul Goldberger, architecture critic of The New Yorker, spoke on “The Power of Place,” reminding residents of the rare treasure that is our small, one-square-mile village. Describing the various landscapes of the community—the Four Corners, our main street, the hilltops, the stone and brick roads — he noted the impact this special place has had on continuing generations of residents as it has imparted to each a sense of communal and civic dignity. He charged the Conservancy and the village citizenry never to let the distinctive character of this special place be lost. Those same overarching ideas also inspired the Conservancy’s mission statement —to further an understanding and appreciation of the history and current life of the village and to preserve its architectural, artistic, and cultural heritage. Members of the new Conservancy immediately launched a number of notable initiatives, which at that early time focused primarily on preserving the historical record and material culture of the community. Within its first decade of work in preservation, the Conservancy became aware that the interpretation of its vision had not been as expansive as it should have been in protecting the treasures that the community so greatly values. Reflecting on the village’s past, members found lessons in our history. Recalling that when William Van Duzer Lawrence climbed the sloping hillside near the train station that late-nineteenth-century afternoon, the craggy landscape, tall canopy of trees, and natural footpaths had inspired his creation of a park community where nature was allowed to dictate the random rather than conventional siting of his cottages and stately homes. These soon were inhabited by an influx of artists for whom the location’s beauty as well as the charming mix of rock ledges, hilltops, rivulets, and vistas inspired them not only to want to live there but also to paint, sculpt, or write about those landscapes both for self expression and posterity.

Lawrence may have been bolder, but he was not so different from earlier residents who for decades had inhabited the valley and meadows between Bronxville’s two hilltops, building houses and farms that seemed well-suited to their particular sites. By the end of the twentieth century, however, there existed the technological capacity to totally transform or obliterate our historic natural landscapes so that future generations would be unable to envision how or why nature once so greatly influenced Bronxville’s village life and its material culture. In response, the Conservancy began to expand its vision to include “whole place preservation” as a part of safeguarding our village history. We are committed to that larger vision. In discussing the importance of “place,” historian Ken Burns has stated: “Whatever we do, we leave some sort of residue of who we are, our intentions and hopes, our fears and dreams,” and these places represent us—they are our history.1 It is the close interrelationship of natural and man-made environments that has given identity to this special place of Bronxville, and we need to exercise a greater stewardship in preserving the whole so that what we leave for future generations—our “residue”—will not only be a place to live, but also a place to love. Marilynn Wood Hill Life Co-Chair The Bronxville Historical Conservancy

Ken Burns quotation from Gwendolyn Pardom, “History’s Documentation,” Preservation (Fall 2012), p.80.

Stairs on walking path along Masterton Road

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I

PART IV SYNTHESIS, CONSERVATION, AND ENHANCEMENT

Preface

Landscape Morphology

Aerial View of Bronxville

The Four Landscapes of Bronxville

Table of Contents Introduction Village History and Culture

PART II THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE OF BRONXVILLE

Valley

Hillside

Hilltop

Plateau

PART V CONCLUSION

Geology

Soils

Slopes

Vegetation

APPENDICES

Topographic Relief and Drainage

Appendix i: Native Plant Lists

Physiography

Appendix ii: Invasive Plant Species

Appendix iii: Soil Classifications

PART III THE DEVELOPED LANDSCAPE OF BRONXVILLE Figure Ground

Movement

Zoning, Land Use and Building Use

Open Space

Neighborhood Chronology

Building Chronology

Tying the Community to its Natural Landscape

SOURCES AND CREDITS General Sources for pages 20-80

Credits

Stream at a private home

Aerial view of Park Avenue

INTRODUCTION In the past, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy has concentrated on projects related to the art, architecture and history of the Village of Bronxville. Given its expanded vision, the Conservancy board determined that a close examination of the landscape and visual character of the village would yield vital information with regard to preserving and, perhaps, enhancing our surrounding environment. The overarching questions became: Can we learn how to protect the best of Bronxville by understanding how the natural features influenced the shaping of the man-made landscape? What stewardship is required to conserve the best features of the village? In order to answer these questions, the Conservancy funded fellowships for five graduate students in the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York. Their major task was to map the Village of Bronxville, including both its natural and manmade features. Lia Kelerchian, one of the students in the Master of Sustainability Program, authored much of the text accompanying the maps. The students were advised and directed by Peter Gisolfi, a practicing architect and landscape architect, professor and Chairman of the Spitzer School of Architecture. Christopher Tramutola, RLA, from Peter Gisolfi Associates was responsible for reviewing and revising the maps and providing the native and invasive plant lists in the appendix of this report. The co-director of the project was Nancy Hand, a former mayor of the Village of Bronxville and a Conservancy board member at the time. This study investigates the natural features that have determined the character of the landscape within the village so that we can understand how the cultural features have been overlaid on the natural setting. By mapping the physical geography of the village, we have been able to produce an analysis of its natural landscape, which includes subsurface geology, hydrology, topography, slopes, soils, vegetation, and other features.

A second series of maps provides an analysis of the cultural landscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;transportation, patterns of development, neighborhood and construction chronology, land use, and zoning, including the special characteristics of each area. The maps included in the cultural section of this study provide village officials with information that was not easily available to them until now. For the first time, we have created a map depicting the chronology of residential and commercial building development in the village. An updated zoning map shows land use categories that are color coded and should be helpful to both the planning and zoning boards. Many of the other maps included in this document, along with the accompanying written material, should aid village officials as they review and revise the community plan every five years. The study also identifies four landscape types in the village: the Valley and the Village Center, the Hilltop, the Hillsides, and the Plateau. The differences among the areas are very noticeable. For example, at the Hilltop and on the Hillsides, where the land is sloping, the streets tend to be winding in order to accommodate the change in grade. There are many exposed rock outcrops, and the houses are sited mostly in relation to topography and view. As a result, the landscape has an anecdotal quality with many outdoor spaces defined by the juxtaposition of built and natural forms. In the Plateau landscape, where the topography is relatively flat, the street arrangement is more grid-like and the buildings tend to be orthogonally situated with respect to each other. In this landscape, surprise and irregularity are introduced with occasional dead ends or streets that do not always carry through, thus exhibiting an unexpected sense of whimsy.

When we understand what currently exists, strategies can be developed to conserve and enhance the surrounding environment. For example, with regard to vegetation, the Village of Bronxville originally was native woodland on the hills and houses were built under a canopy of deciduous trees. Many of these trees have been lost and frequently were replaced with ornamental trees. This study can be used to help us develop a community strategy for planting trees in the future in order that will restore the canopy. In addition, it suggests specific native species that would thrive in varied settings. Besides the list of native trees suggested in Appendix i, an inventory of the most common native plants and flowers, along with pictures and a brief description of each, is also provided. This information can be used as a guide by residents, landscape architects, gardeners, and village officials when planning gardens or planting in Bronxvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open spaces. In addition, Appendix ii includes a descriptive list of invasive species of plants and trees to avoid. Perhaps the most useful aspect of this study is the holistic description of the physical environment of the Village of Bronxville. We tend to look at developed land in terms of street patterns and patterns of land use. This study changes that equation. Instead, it acknowledges that the natural landscape predated the man-made landscape, and the resulting terrain is a combination of nature and culture. This is particularly apparent in Bronxville, which had streams and wetlands in the Valley, and dramatic rock outcrops in the Hills. This studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose is to make explicit the remnants of nature and the influence that nature has had on the man-made landscape. Understanding this complex combination will allow us to be more informed stewards of our inherited legacy. Peter Gisolfi Nancy Hand Project Co-Directors

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VILLAGE HISTORY AND CULTURE

Although a colonial presence in lower Westchester County dates back to the mid-1600s, the Village of Bronxville is rooted in its humble foundation as a 19th-century settlement established as populations began to move north of Manhattan. There are several family names that have carried through history until today; the institutions and homes they built remain prominent fixtures throughout the village. The earliest of these settlers are believed to be the Underhill and Morgan families whose origins date back to the first half of the 18th century. Both families initially farmed and tended orchards, and the Underhills established the first local factory, a saw and grist mill. In addition to the first factory, the family also built a wooden bridge over the Bronx River which inspired the settlement’s first name, Underhill’s Crossing. This was the first of several factories to spring up along the Bronx River. Manufacturing continued to play a role in the development of Bronxville for almost two centuries. The last factory built in Bronxville, the Kraft Leather Tannery, was destroyed in a fire in 1922. The Morgans are remembered by the oldest surviving house in the village, the Abijah Morgan House, believed to date to around 1812.

In 1844 the Harlem Railroad reached Underhill’s Crossing on its way to White Plains and shortly after the village changed its name to Bronxville. The village began its transformation from a tiny settlement of farm, orchard, estate and factory lands to become a premier metropolitan suburb, recognized nationally. The railroad brought new residents and, beginning in the 1890s, many buildings and institutions designed by prominent architects of the day began to dapple the landscape. Two major institutions that have helped to identify Bronxville are Concordia College and Sarah Lawrence College. Concordia relocated to Bronxville from

Hawthorne, NY in 1908. Today, it still thrives in the village as a coeducational, four-year liberal arts college with an enrollment of about 1,000 students. Sarah Lawrence College, also a four-year liberal arts college, was founded in 1926 by William Lawrence to honor his wife. While technically located in Yonkers, Sarah Lawrence has a Bronxville address and a long-standing association with the village; it is a source of pride for Bronxville residents. The Bronxville Public School, built in 1925, has been restored and enlarged. It still maintains the level of architectural quality that is present throughout the Village of Bronxville.

Next in the line of famous Bronxville names is Alexander Masterton, a prosperous stonecutter from Scotland. He supplied stone for Greek Revival buildings from Boston to New Orleans, including the Custom House (subsequently Federal Hall) on Wall Street in New York City. In 1835 Masterton built a neo-classical wooden home for his wife and five children. Today the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After the Mastertons, Reverend Robert Bolton, his wife and their 13 children bought 150 acres of land and an Underhill house, and developed Brook Farm as a model homestead and orchard. In 1849 they donated two acres on the crest of a hill to a fledgling religious group that built a Dutch Reformed Church. This pre-Civil War congregation in 2000 celebrated its 150th anniversary in their much larger 1926 stone building.

Friends and family on the porch of Robert Masterton’s home in 1889

Village History and Culture

In 1890 William Van Duzer Lawrence envisioned and launched plans for the neighborhood that would become the vibrant, residential community of Lawrence Park. The first streets and home sites Lawrence laid out were along cowpaths weaving among old stately trees and massive granite outcroppings. To design the park’s houses he called on the talents of his friend and fellow Michigan native, architect William A. Bates. Several architects including Bates set the standard for well-designed and gracefully-sited houses throughout the one square mile of rocky ledges found in the village. Several dozen Bates-designed structures survive today as well as buildings designed by local architects Penrose Stout, Lewis Bowman, George F. Root III, and Robert Scannell. Lawrence Park has sustained a national reputation both for its romantic design and the celebrity of its early inhabitants.

Architect William Bates designed apartment buildings to match Lawrence Park’s single family homes in size and architectural interest—a tradition that is still maintained today. Lawrence’s vision for Bronxville continues to inspire an eclectic mix of housing types ranging from rental studio apartments to million-dollar mansions.

History and Culture Sources: Building A Suburban Village: Bronxville, New York, 1898-1998, ed. Eloise L. Morgan. Bronxville, NY: Bronxville Centennial Celebration, Inc., 1998. Hill, Marilynn Wood and Mary Means Huber. Around Bronxville. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.

Lawrence Park has also maintained a cultural reverence for the many artists and literary figures who were its early residents. Among them was William H. Howe, an artist best known for his cow paintings. He was later joined by other prominent artists, including the landscapists Otto H. Bacher, George H. Smillie, and Walter Clark, whose works are revered today as a romantic window into Bronxville’s late 19thand early 20th-century past. This rich history has given Lawrence Park recognition as a National Historic District. The narrow, meandering streets, very irregular building plots, and an eclectic mix of large homes are still the dominant attributes making Lawrence Park as desirable today as it was in 1900. William Lawrence also built the 1897 Gramatan Inn perched high above the train station on Sunset Hill. In 1900 it caught fire, which led to the construction of the grand Hotel Gramatan erected in the same place in 1905. This 300-room hotel was a fashionable vacation destination for New Yorkers and international travelers alike before it was demolished in 1972. Lawrence also founded another village institution, Lawrence Hospital, which opened in 1909. Today Lawrence Hospital is a modern community hospital owned by New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Additionally, William Lawrence built many apartments in Bronxville, including Gramatan Court and the Alger Court complex (now Stoneleigh Plaza).

Bronxville’s original Village Hall built in 1906 at the corner of Pondfield Road and Kraft Avenue

View of Bronxville Lake looking toward Rivermere Apartments

PART II

The Natural Landscape of Bronxville

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GEOLOGY

The geologic formations in the Bronxville area originally arose from massive tectonic plate shifts that exposed the rock outcroppings we see today. These outcroppings, which date as far back as the Middle Proterozoic Era (1.3 - 1.0 billion years ago), are the oldest rocks in the region, and can be seen in a range extending throughout northern New Jersey, southern New York, and most of Connecticut. The local segment of this range is called the Manhattan Prong. As the name suggests, this is the same segment that protrudes south into the Bronx and Manhattan. All of Bronxville’s rocks were once under water, beneath the long-since vanished Iapetus Ocean. Submerged beneath those ancient waters, the area’s rocks were transformed by a sedimentation process. Ancient volcanic activity, tectonic plate movement, and glacial activity further transformed some of the area’s geology. Sedimentary and metamorphic rock formations are found in Bronxville. Sedimentary rock is not visible; it is buried deep beneath the surface at Bronxville’s lower elevations. The two types of sedimentary rock in Bronxville are dolomite and limestone. Shown on the map opposite, they were formed by the chalky remains of shellfish deposited on the ancient ocean floor. Four hundred million years of plant growth and decay have buried Bronxville’s dolomite and limestone beneath 80 inches of soil. Porous in nature, the dolomite and limestone are suffused today within the water table. Rain that seeps down through the soil will find its way to the aquifer, in the tiny pores of the dolomite and limestone. The area’s rock outcroppings hint at the metamorphic rock that lies close to the surface in the village’s higher elevations. Like iceberg tips, the outcroppings are just the visible portion of a much larger underground geologic formation, which is a few hundred feet thick. These outcroppings originated with the collision of Europe and North America more than 500 million years ago, and subsequently were subjected to volcanic activity and further tectonic plate shifting. Two types of metamorphic rock can be seen in the rock outcroppings: gneiss (pronounced “nice”) and schist. The outcroppings tend to be oriented in a northeast direction, and bear the characteristic scarring left by the Pleistocene glaciers, which receded about 12,000 years ago. To identify the local gneiss, look for folded stripes. Schist is similar in appearance, but has telltale glints of mica.

All metamorphic rocks were transformed by some extraordinary event that changed the mineral composition over the course of ages. In Bronxville, the gneiss and schist were originally igneous rock—the cooled magma from ancient volcanic activity one billion years ago. This rock experienced its first metamorphosis when it was submerged beneath ancient seas and layered with sediment. A second metamorphosis occurred during a massive event forming the Adirondack Mountains. Rocks were heated to 700 to 800°F and subjected to pressures 7,000 to 8,000 times greater than normal air pressure. The heat that cooked the rocks and the pressure that caused its layers to fold has given the local gneiss its distinctive bandings and striations. Bronxville’s gneiss is, thus, more specifically known as “tonalitic” gneiss (a reference to the stripes) which testify to ancient sedimentation, cooking, and folding. The shiny particles of mica that distinguish the local schist indicate the presence of quartz or other silicates not found in the gneiss.

Geology Sources:

Two distinct geologic provinces in Bronxville illustrate the manner in which the village’s geology is connected to the larger regions to the south and north, but these provinces also describe Bronxville’s connection to the ancient histories of geologic events. The Hudson Highlands Province, which gives nearby Tuckahoe its marble, is part of the same formation as the Appalachian Mountains, while the Adirondack Mountain Province is the source of its gneiss and schist. Even more local connections can be inferred. For example, notice how the Appalachian Province, shown in the map to the right, is located in the Hilltop section of present-day Lawrence Park.

United States Geological Survey. “Geology of National Parks: The Highlands Province.” http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/nyc/highlands/highlands.html

Much like a memorial, rocks serve as a record of critical events. A study of Bronxville’s geology reveals a temporal and physical link to cataclysmic events which shaped the continents we recognize today. Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent, broke apart roughly 560 million years ago due to rifting caused by the plumes of magma spurting from deep within the Earth’s mantle; this is the source of Bronxville’s gneiss. This same rifting opened the Iapetus Ocean, which gave Bronxville its dolomite and limestone. When the Iapetus Ocean closed again 450 million years ago, a suture was formed, joining the mainland with nearby Taconic Island. The suture is called Cameron’s Line, and it runs from Connecticut through Bronxville and the Bronx, to the East River, along the line that separates Bronxville’s metamorphic rock from its sedimentary rock.

American Museum of Natural History. “Geologic Map of Manhattan, The Bronx, and parts of Queens and Brooklyn,” Physical Sciences: Earth and Planetary Sciences. http://www.amnh.org/our-research _____. “New York City Geology,” Physical Sciences: Earth and Planetary Sciences. http://www.amnh.org/our-research Brock, Pamela Chase and Patrick W. G. Brock. “Bedrock Geology of New York City: More than 600 m.y. of geologic history,” A Field Guide. Flushing, NY: Queens College. 27 October 2001. Rensslaer Polytechnic Institute, Geophysics Department. “The Adirondack Mountains: New Mountains from Old Rocks,” adaptation of chapter 4 of The Geology of New York: A Simplified Account, ed. Yngvar W. Isachsen. New York State Museum Press, 2000. Rogers, Willliam B., Yngvar W. Isachsen, Timothy D. Mock, Richard E. Nyahay. “New York State Geological Highway Map,” Educational Leaflet 33 . Albany, NY: New York State Museum, 1990, adaptation as “Overview of New York Geology,” January 2012.

Rock formation at private home on the Hilltop

at ral Landscape of Bronxville

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SOILS

Soil is a complex combination of organic and non-organic components, requiring hundreds—even thousands—of years to form. A section of soil 2.5 cm thick is the result of a process requiring 800 to 1,000 years. The soils of today’s Bronxville largely began to form in the 13th century, some even earlier. Ecological systems utilizing input from above-ground and belowground produce the end product—soil. Underground geology is a major factor in determining the soil type, which is ultimately formed at the earth’s surface. Tiny particles of fractured rock broken from Bronxville’s deposits of gneiss, limestone, and dolomite form the mineral component of the local soils. Other components of the ecological processes that form soil include the decay of fallen leaves, the digestive action of microscopic bacteria and castings from burrowing insects, and varying amounts of trapped moisture and oxygen. More than 15,000 types of soil can be identified in the United States, each unique type influenced by the ecosystem’s processes as well as other local factors, such as climate, geology, topography, and hydrology. Soil types in Bronxville are given their unique character by factors such as steep slopes or flat land, depth to the underground aquifer (water table) or underlying rock, and frequency of flooding.

Most of Bronxville’s soils are a well-drained, fine, sandy loam, but soils near the Bronx River are poorly drained because of the high silt content and the high water table. There are three main areas of somewhat poorly drained soils: one area follows the valley formed by Midland Avenue; another is found in the east section of the Concordia College property; and the third is an oval pocket crossing the eastern portion of Pondfield Road. Early on, these three poorly-draining areas may have been wet meadows or places where ponds formed with spring snowmelt. All are characterized by deep soils rich in organic matter that would have resulted from many years of lush grass growth and subsequent soil-enriching decay. The name “Pondfield Road” supports that theory. More detailed information on the specific soil classifications illustrated on the map can be found in Appendix iii, as well as within the narratives of the four landscapes of Bronxville. Soils Sources: Cunningham, William P. and Mary Ann Cunningham. Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 10th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008. World Resource Institute. www.wri.org

Basic categories of soil types correlate to a soil’s ability to hold moisture. The presence of larger particles, like sand, will help soils drain quickly; these soils may tend to dry out. On the other hand, fine particles, like silt, will help soils hold moisture; these soils may become waterlogged. Loamy soils combine both properties in moderation, and are high in organic content. There are 10 soil types in Bronxville, each with varying properties, such as depth to bedrock, ability to drain water, ability to hold water, and amounts of loam, silt, and gravel. They are shown on the map opposite in five main categories. The first category — urban land — has been altered from its naturally occurring state with imported soils and fill, and is primarily covered with buildings and pavement. The remaining four categories are shown in the map’s legend in descending order of drainage ability. Foundation for a butterfly garden at The Nature Preserve

at ral Landscape of Bronxville

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TOPOGRAPHIC RELIEF AND DRAINAGE

Topography describes the surface features of a place or region, indicating their relative positions and elevations. The highest elevation areas are situated mostly on metamorphic rock and lower-lying areas on sedimentary rock. If we think of the underlying geology as an armature or skeleton fleshed out with soils, water and vegetation, we can perceive topography as the above-ground expression of what lies hidden in the geologic substrate.

Rather it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any single year. Impervious surfaces, such as roads and driveways, do not allow rainfall to be absorbed in the ground. During heavy rainfalls, this water travels overland and downhill through the river valley. As development continues and impervious surfaces cover a larger percentage of the total drainage area, it becomes more likely that the river will breach its banks.

Topography records the elevation changes in a landscape, relative to sea level. By assigning sea level the elevation of zero, values can be given to the landscape, such as 10 feet above sea level (the approximate elevation of lower Manhattan), 130 feet above sea level (the elevation of the Village of Bronxville), or 230 feet above sea level (the elevation of the highest point in Bronxville).

The darkest areas on the map opposite indicate the lowest-lying areas, corresponding with areas most likely to flood during heavy rains. The lighter colored areas represent the higher elevations. Rainwater that falls in these areas will travel overland to the lowest point — the Bronx River — for drainage. Notice the two ridgelines on the map. Topographic elevations determine whether rainfall will drain into the Bronx River Valley or into the Hutchinson River Valley to the east of White Plains Road.

Westchester County is a series of ridge and valley provinces extending from the Hudson River in the west to the Hutchinson River in the east, with the Saw Mill River, the Bronx River, and the Sprain Brook between them. Each river valley is defined by parallel ridges. The ridges and the valleys run in a north-south direction, with elevations starting at or near sea level. A drive westward along Tuckahoe Road traverses the various descents and rises of the terrain as it crosses the ridges and valleys. The Bronx River is approximately 70 feet above sea level in the Village of Bronxville. As it drains on its southward journey, the Bronx River ultimately declines to an elevation of nearly zero in Long Island Sound. During heavy rains, the Bronx River can breach its banks, swelling above its normal 70-foot elevation and causing flood damage to buildings in Bronxville’s low-lying areas. The village’s 100-year floodplain is between 70 and 82 feet above sea level. The 500-year floodplain can cause flooding to elevations as high as 88 feet above sea level. It is misleading to think of a 100-year flood as one so severe it would occur only once every 100 years.

Midland Avenue marks the location of a historic brook, which serves as a property line boundary, as shown on the map dated from 1871 (see opposite). Long before it was paved, Midland Avenue was a spring that fed the Bronx River. Today, it is the route of overland drainage during heavy rainfalls. Two smaller brooks can also be seen in the historic map, traveling an east-west route: one brook is near Masterton Road and Midland Avenue, the other near Midland Avenue immediately south of the Mount Vernon border. It is clear from the observation of drainage patterns and soil types that Pondfield Road once passed along a pond or through a seasonally wet meadow.

House set on rock formation on the Hilltop.

See General Sources on page 81

Flooding in the valley at the Bronxville School

at ral Landscape of Bronxville

PART III

The Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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FIGURE GROUND

The most famous figure ground map is the Nolli Map of Rome, which was drawn in the 18th century by Giambattista Nolli (1701-1756), an Italian architect and surveyor. On his map, the shapes of every building are shown in black, and the spaces between the buildings are shown in white. It is a surprisingly revealing map, the most accurate picture of Rome that had been produced to that time. Similarly, the figure ground map of Bronxville shows the buildings in solid black, the streets in parallel lines, and open areas in white. Two patterns are clear: the first is the orthogonal grid with regularly-placed buildings, which occurs on the flatter land; the second is the winding streets and the irregular placement of buildings, which occurs on the more steeply sloped land. The Harlem Line of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad runs in a straight line on the east side of the Bronx River, through the relatively flat land of the river valley. The Bronx River Parkway runs parallel to the Harlem Line, but with a gently curving alignment. The more densely occupied portion of the village occurs on the flat land close to the railroad station. See General Sources on page 81

Aerial view of the Hilltop

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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MOVEMENT

North-South Bronxville has evolved from a 19th-century country hamlet to the densely populated suburb that it is today. Major transportation corridors, such as the Bronx River Parkway (on the west) and the Hutchinson River Parkway (on the east) feed south to the city over lower elevations and relatively flat grades, following patterns of development within the river valleys. The Bronx River Parkway, which skirts the Village of Bronxville, was designed by landscape architects Gilmore Clarke and Michael Rapuano and is America’s first scenic, divided-grade public roadway designed explicitly for cars. Tracks for the Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem Division also follow the north-south Bronx River Valley. The gentle grade of the river valleys allowed for construction of the parkways and the railroad. New York State’s Route 22, known as the White Plains Post Road, was originally an Indian trail, which today follows the highest elevations along a ridgeline within Bronxville. In addition to Route 22, other local north-south roads include Midland Avenue, Sagamore Road, and Kimball Avenue, which are parallel to the Bronx River Valley. East-West The dearth of major east-west routes is attributable to ridge-and-valley topography, which makes it difficult to build roads that run perpendicular to the highs and lows. A few “mountain passes” find their way through. The Cross County Parkway is the only major east-west corridor in the immediate area. In addition, Pondfield, Masterton, Tanglewylde, and Avon roads wind their way (east-west) through the hills of the village. See General Sources on page 81

Aerial view with Bronxville train station in foreground

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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ZONING, LAND USE AND BUILDING USE

Land use and zoning policies are a way to organize and structure development. Physical boundaries are drawn to contain type and intensity of use within specific geographic areas. Formulas or rules can then be applied to zones in order to control unintended or inappropriate consequences of development. By limiting building height, for example, population density is controlled and views are protected. Four categories of land use and nine categories of zoning exist in Bronxville. The first category of land use, the Central Business District A, comprises the highest intensity of land use found in the corridor formed by the railroad tracks and the business district. Included are retail/ commercial, institutional/public, and multi-family residential uses that have high intensity pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Within the Central Business District A, there are retail stores and banks, personal service stores (barbershops and tailors), businesses, and government offices, as well as apartment buildings and townhouses.

The nine categories of zoning are as follows: •

One-Family Residence AAA District

•

One-Family Residence AA District

•

One-Family Residence A District

•

Two-Story Multiple Residence B District

•

Three-Story Multiple Residence C District

•

Six-Story Multiple Residence D District

•

Central Business A District

•

Service Business B District

•

Controlled Development CD District

See General Sources on page 81

A small area between Parkway Road and Paxton Avenue comprises Service Business District B, the second category. This area includes all the land usages of the CBD, with the addition of storage and warehousing, gas stations, and manufacturing and printing, which require a special permit. The third category of land use is high intensity residential, located near the railroad tracks. Included here are the Residential B, C, and D districts. Residential B is limited to two-and-a-half stories, with only one professional office for every 25 residential units; the minimum lot size is 12,000 square feet (sf ). Residential C is limited to three and a half stories and includes hospital and hotel uses. Residential D is limited to six stories and allows age-restricted, multiple-residence facilities for residents ages 62 years and older. The fourth category of land use comprises the major portion of Bronxville’s one square mile, which is zoned for single-family residential use. This category contains three types of residential uses, all limited to two and a half stories, with a maximum of 30% lot coverage. Residential AAA stipulates a minimum lot size of 30,000 sf; Residential AA stipulates a minimum lot size of 15,000 sf; and Residential A stipulates a minimum lot size of 12,000 sf. Restaurants, retail stores and movie theater on Kraft Avenue

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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OPEN SPACE

During the Industrial Revolution, as cities became more densely populated and pollution began to affect the air and water, people living in urban settings sought open space for relief. In the 1850s, Frederick Law Olmstead began the design of Central Park as an antidote to the noise, crowds, and pollution of New York City. Another response, which arose in the middle of the 19th century, was the development of the picturesque suburban village—the garden city. Architectural pattern books, such as Jacob Weidenmann’s Beautifying Country Homes: A Handbook of Landscape Gardening, and Andrew Jackson Downing’s Cottage Residences, began appearing. These books extolled the virtues of the well-designed, pastoral village—the ideal setting for living.

Bronxville also maintains several so-called village green spaces. Most visible is the Four Corners in the Village Center, marked by the intersection of Pondfield Road and Midland Avenue. Here, four large institutional buildings—the Reformed Church, the Bronxville Public School, the Public Library, and Village Hall—maintain open lawn areas dotted with large American Elm, White Pine, and Red Oak trees. Leonard Morange Square, located on the west side of the railroad, contains a World War I memorial. As an example of small areas making a big impact, Bronxville maintains decoratively planted traffic islands in the Village Center, as well as triangular spaces in residential areas.

Park benches are provided in the remnant-spaces-turned-parkland on the west side of the Pondfield Road underpass. The Bronx River Parkway Reservation, maintained by Westchester County, comprises the parklands and trails around the Bronx River. The reservation is the county’s oldest park, originally completed in 1925 as a reclamation project that created hundreds of acres of recreational land. Scout Field, at the southern corner of the village near Midland Avenue, is located within the reservation, but is leased by Westchester County to Bronxville, Eastchester, and Yonkers. See General Sources on page 81

Concurrent with the focus on open space as a panacea, Bronxville began to develop as a suburban alternative to the city. With far less open space, however, Bronxville relied on the benefits conferred by private ownership of property within a community of houses with pristinely landscaped grounds. As a result, the village’s one square mile—640 acres—contains a total of only 70 acres of parkland. The village owns and maintains tennis courts at Dogwood Park (at Garden Avenue), and playgrounds at Maltby Park (at Paxton Avenue), and on Sagamore Road. Tucked into the corner of Meadow Avenue and Pondfield Road is Bicentennial Park, a landscaped garden with large trees, paved areas, and seating. A nature preserve is located on land owned by the Village of Bronxville, which technically falls within the Town of Eastchester at the foot of Dusenberry Road. Bacon Woods on Kensington Road is a small, natural area, where local gneiss and schist outcroppings can be observed.

Bicentennial Park

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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NEIGHBORHOOD CHRONOLOGY

The neighborhood chronology map was created to indicate the approximate time line of each neighborhood’s development. By studying the textures of these areas, we are able to identify elements common and disparate among them—elements that individualize them, leading us to understand why a certain neighborhood feels different from another. For example, the darkest brown color indicates the neighborhoods where most houses were built prior to 1909. Walking through these older neighborhoods, we find them quaint or picturesque. But what are the elements that communicate this impression? The map shows us that these older neighborhoods, built on the Hilltop or Hillsides, typically have winding streets that can yield surprises beyond a bend in the road. Because these houses were built prior to the dominance of the automobile, the roads are relatively narrow. Residents walked, rode horseback, or traveled in horse-drawn carriages. The slower pace of pedestrian and equestrian travel made it possible to see carvings in a gate or the carefully hewn stones of a wall that marked property lines. These details were valued, and they communicated graciousness in the era before the prevalence of automobile traffic.

Clearly the defining influence in these newer neighborhoods was the automobile. Cars became affordable and replaced the horse and buggy. As a result, the design of houses and their properties changed. Streets became wider and straighter, and the need arose for a new type of outbuilding — the garage. Driveways leading to the garage needed to be long enough to accommodate visitors, necessitating a greater setback of the house from the property line. Commercial districts were mostly developed before 1930, but now contain many later replacement buildings. For purposes of this chronology, in most instances the timing of the earlier commercial development is noted. See General Sources on page 81

A majority of the neighborhoods in Bronxville developed in the 20year period prior to 1929. Times were good in New York City, and it became possible to work in the city and commute to a suburb. This explains why so many houses were built during this time period — but it still does not explain why these newer neighborhoods feel distinctly different from the older ones. One major reason is that houses built during this period were not stately manor houses designed by architects, but rather were included in the first large-scale housing developments in Bronxville. Tracts of land were “lotted”—that is, the land was broken up into individual parcels and the houses built on speculation. As a result, we see similarities among the houses on a particular street.

Avon Road stone entrance with historic lantern

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

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BUILDING CHRONOLOGY

Patterns of development in Bronxville are represented by color groups on the map opposite. Note that this map reflects today’s Bronxville; it does not capture the dates when houses were demolished and/or replaced, or when large lots and farms were subdivided. The building footprints illustrated in red are the oldest houses still remaining in Bronxville. The darkest burgundy represents the manor and estate houses built prior to 1890; red indicates building that took place between 1890 and 1909. A great cluster of these older houses is located on the Hilltop, in the historic district of Lawrence Park, but stately older houses are also scattered singly or in pairs throughout the village. The owners of many historic estates subdivided their land for new housing sites in the 1920s. On the map, these buildings are surrounded by houses color-coded in orange, yellow or green. The period from 1910 through 1929 saw great prosperity and brought about a surge in construction. The multi-family apartment house made its first appearance near the Village Center, and hundreds of single-family homes sprang up in the Plateau and Valley areas. Concordia College and Lawrence Hospital were built during this time. A few single-family houses were built in the period from 1930 to 1949. Interestingly, all four buildings that mark the landscape at the Four Corners—village hall, the library, the high school, and the Reformed Church—were built just before or within this period, a time of significant civic development that shaped so much of the character of today’s village. By the 1950s and 1960s, few parcels were left for new development. Additions were made to the hospital, and a few houses were built on remaining lots in the eastern section of the Plateau. The newest development in Bronxville, indicated in blue, shows that larger houses replaced older ones. Townhouse construction took place on the former Hotel Gramatan site and an Avalon apartment complex was constructed on the west side of the village. See General Sources on page 81 Aerial view of Bronxville Central Business District and “Four Corners”

he Developed Landscape of Bronxville

Near the intersection of Prescott Avenue and Valley Road

PART IV

Synthesis, Conservation, and Enhancement

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LANDSCAPE MORPHOLOGY

Geomorphology refers to the shape of the land as determined by the subsurface geology and the geological processes that have acted on the landscape over time. Our study of Bronxville focuses on both the natural and cultural aspects of the landscape. The morphology of Bronxville is, in fact, a combination of natural features and the overlay of man-made interventions. Four different types of landscapes within the Village of Bronxville are described on the following pages: the Valley, the Plateau, the Hillside and the Hilltop. In each case, the natural features are explained: topography, geology, soils, slopes, etc. Then the man-made features are cited, indicating how human activity has adapted to the original land forms. For example, on sloping Hillside terrain and on the Hilltops, the typical road patterns are curvilinear or winding, whereas in the Valley and on the Plateau, gridded roads are more commonly found. The natural landscape, with its hills and hillsides, plateaus and valleys, and its rivers, streams, and wetlands, is a coherent place. It is possible to visit this landscape and to understand intuitively how it is organized. Walking uphill on a winding road and seeing rock outcrops is entirely different from walking along the edge of the Bronx River on flat ground. The human adaptation to these different land forms has not diminished the coherence of the village landscape. In fact, the human patterns of settlement and use help us understand the differences as well as the rationality of the place. See General Sources on page 81

Aerial view of Concordia College and surrounding neighborhood

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The Four Landscapes of Bronxville: Valley

Boundaries The Valley landscape in Bronxville is an area formed by the bottomland of the Bronx River drainage basin, bounded by the Bronx River Parkway along its western edge, and Sagamore and Pondfield roads to the east. It also is circumscribed by Midland and Tanglewylde avenues in a secondary drainage corridor, a tributary to the river. The boundaries are cumbersome to describe in terms of street names, but they are easily perceived by walking or driving through the village. The presence of the Bronx River curling along the western edge of the village is one way the Valley landscape can be observed. By contrast, the height of the nearby historic district to the north and east also calls attention to the Valley. Topography, Geology, Soils, Slopes, and Natural Features Topographically, the Valley’s boundaries are defined by the river bottom and flood plain, about 80 to 100 feet above sea level. The Valley landscape of Bronxville is noticeably the lowest and flattest land to be found in the village. Natural features of the Valley landscape are easily noted in the Bronx River Park Reservation, and include the Bronx River itself. The underlying geology is of sedimentary origin with dolomite the primary type of stone found below the soils. Here, the bedrock dolomite lies about 80 inches below the surface, deeper than in most other areas of the village. Most soils in the Valley are classified as urban fill—non-native soils borrowed from elsewhere to create building and road foundations in the central area of the village’s commercial district. However, along the western edge of the Bronx River, soils are largely untouched. Here, a native, poorly drained, gravelly silt-loam is likely the same type of soil that flanked the eastern edges of the Bronx River before development. Shown on the soils map as “Ff,” this is the Fluvaquent-Udifluvent soil type, occurring exclusively in the outwash plains of rivers. They are characteristically deep, poorly drained soils that are testimony to the buildup of sediment and gravel over millennia. These soils washed down the river and were deposited on its banks as the current of water made its southward journey to the East River and Long Island Sound.

The secondary Valley, found in the flatlands between Tanglewylde and Midland avenues, has a long, thin ribbon of gravelly loam known as Urban Land—Woodbridge Complex (UwB on the Soils map, page 13). This soil type is somewhat poorly drained and, by comparison, contains no silt particles as do the soils found directly along the banks of the Bronx River. The landform from this soil type tells an interesting story of Bronxville’s geologic past: the flat slopes bear testimony to the scraping action of glacial movement 40,000 years ago, an activity that left the bedrock near the surface, about 20- to 40-inches deep. Bedrock here is infused with the aquifer, which is found at a depth of 18 to 30 inches. To the east of the tributary Valley along Midland Avenue, the landscape slopes upward to a ridgeline highpoint. Rainfall on the west side of this ridgeline is channeled to the Bronx River. However, rainfall on the eastern side of the ridge is channeled through the Hutchinson River Valley and is carried off directly to the Long Island Sound via the Hutchinson River. The crossroads of Pondfield Road and Midland Avenue, known locally as “The Four Corners,” also offer an interesting geologic story. As in other parts of the Valley landscape, the glaciers receded 40,000 years ago, but in this location, human activity (i.e. excavation to create a level building lot for Bronxville High School and its athletic fields) has exposed the soils that were deposited 10,000 years after the glaciers receded. Hydrology As previously mentioned, the surface water hydrologic system has a strong presence in the Valley. The Valley serves as a funnel, collecting and channeling all rainwater that falls between the two ridgelines (shown on map page 21), carrying it overland to the Bronx River. Vegetation Existing vegetation is largely a homogeneous palette, ubiquitous throughout the suburban northeast. These plants, such as Arborvitae, Korean Azalea, English Yew, English Ivy, various lawn grasses, and

ornamental pear and cherry, were imported from foreign landscapes and are not particularly suited to the natural conditions of the Valley. Suitable native plants for the wetter and clay-like Valley soils include Nyssa sylvatica, Itea virginica, Ilex glabra, and Tussock Sedge. (Refer to plant list in Appendix i for more information about native plants suitable for this landscape type.) Man-made Features and Landscape Morphology Maps of the Valley area show the orthogonal relationships of the street grid. Pondfield Road and Kraft Avenue generally follow the same arc as the river itself. Thinking of Pondfield as a spine, we can see that the secondary streets are laid out at 90-degree angles from that spine. In this way, street layout in the Valley has been profoundly influenced by the presence and form of the river. The railroad also follows the river valley, albeit in a more generalized curve, through the lowest points in the village. Transportation networks that thread through the village from points north, south, east, and west come to a tangle at the pinchpoint created by the density of the street grid, railroad station, and the confluence of Pondfield Road and Palmer Avenue at the underpass below the railroad. Zoning and Neighborhoods The Valley landscape is largely zoned for commercial/retail, institutional/public, and multi-family—all high-density uses. This contributes to the bustling feel of the Valley landscape. But not all of the Valley landscape is defined by high-density uses. A slice of this landscape is given over to AA Residential—single-family houses on larger lots. This occurs to the north and east, in a narrow neighborhood known as the Lawrence Park Lowlands. This was a backwards-zoning designation, as the majority of houses in the Lawrence Park Lowlands were built between 1900 and 1909, which pre-dates the adoption of a zoning code. Also contributing to a balance between high and low density is the Bronx River Reservation, the largest parcel of open space land in the immediate area. See General Sources on page 81

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View of the Bronxville Library from Pondfield Road

Multi-unit dwelling on Midland Avenue

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The Four Landscapes of Bronxville: Hillside

Boundaries The Hillside landscape in Bronxville is that portion of steeply sloping land that connects the lowest and highest elevations. It can be easily understood as a midlands landscape, leading from valley lowlands to highland areas, characterized by slopes ranging from steep to extremely steep. Locally, there are three areas where this landscape type is found, and they are quite different from one another. The first two hillsides are located in the Bronx River Valley drainage basin. The third drains into the Hutchinson River Valley. Upper Hillside In the first, extremely steep slopes coil upwards around the knob of a hill to the north and west of the Village Valley. This upper Hillside is found between Park and Prescott Avenues on the east side of the hill, and on the west side between Sagamore and Kensington Roads. It is far easier to describe the boundaries of the Hillside experientially: if you find yourself breathlessly climbing uphill or trotting downhill on foot, or downshifting to first gear in your car, you are likely traversing the upper Hillside. Plateau Hillside The second Hillside landscape begins its eastward climb in a straight line from the tributary valley marked by Midland Avenue. Here in the eastern half of the village, steep terraced slopes ascend to a flat summit or plateau surrounding White Plains Road. The eastern edge of this Plateau Hillside is complicated, composed of a number of streets including Summit and Oriole avenues, and Masterton and Homesdale roads.

Topography, Geology, Soils, Slopes, and Natural Features Climbing from the Valley (100 feet above sea level) to the crest at either the upper Hillside or the Plateau, slopes become steep (15-to25%) to very steep (25% and higher). The upper Hillside crests at around 170 feet above sea level. Interestingly, the crest point at the Plateau Hillside is even higher — 210 feet above sea level — where it stretches from Valley to Plateau. This points to a seemingly counter-intuitive fact: upper Hillside is not higher in elevation than the Plateau Hillside. This misunderstanding is easily explained by the form of the roadways serving as “mountain passes” through the hillsides. To reach the upper Hillside, one must climb, over a short distance, a vertical difference of 70 feet. It is the short distances of the roads leading to the upper Hillside that give the impression of great height. For example, the drive up Latimer Lane, with its short 440 feet, results in a very steep grade of 16%. By comparison, the mountain passes traversing the Hillside from the Valley to the Plateau are longer roads. Woodland Avenue, for example, climbs from 100 feet to 210 feet above sea level over a distance of 1,700 feet, which provides a moderate, more manageable grade of 6%.

Looking down Tanglewylde Avenue

Upper Hillside Geology Natural features of the upper Hillside include the presence of rock outcroppings, which are the result of ancient volcanic activity, continental collisions, glaciation, and erosion over the course of 500 million years. These rocks are the oldest rocks in the region and are exclusively metamorphic, with picturesque ledges of gneiss and schist. Plateau Hillside Geology By contrast, the Plateau Hillside geology is predominantly sedimentary, which is much softer than the metamorphic rock found in the Hillside and Hilltop landscapes to the west. During centuries of glacial expansion, the ice advanced southward and scraped this softer substrate, smoothing it flat and picking up stones along the way. As the glaciers receded during the melting process, they left behind glacial till (unsorted, heterogeneous stone debris picked up from elsewhere during the earlier glacial advance). The resulting land formations—small, narrow hills oriented north-south—are called drumlins, which are the leave-behinds associated with the melting of the glacier.

Hutchinson River Valley Hillside A small portion of a third Hillside landscape is located within Bronxville’s borders before transitioning to the adjacent Town of Eastchester. While the first two Hillsides describe the path of rainwater overland to the Bronx River Valley, this third Hillside drains east to the Hutchinson River Valley. Within Bronxville, the Hutchinson River Valley Hillside begins its descent just east of White Plains Road (Route 22), and traverses many roads, including North, Middle, South, Dusenberry, Paddington, Fordal, Northway, and Eastway, as well as the easternmost section of Pondfield Road.

Hillside Soils Nearly all of the soils in the Hillside landscape are a fine, sandy, acidic loam. These soils are noted for being well drained and fertile—an ideal South side of Masterton Road

Synthesis, Conservation, and Enhancement

soil for vegetation. However, the depth of the soils to the bedrock below varies considerably from the western portion (connecting to the Hilltop) to the eastern portion (connecting to the Plateau). This is due largely to differing bedrock geology, steepness of slope, effects of glaciation, hydrology, erosion and sedimentation. In Bronxville, wherever metamorphic rock is the bedrock type, soils will be relatively shallow, around 20- to 40-inches deep. Elsewhere, soils are built on sedimentary rock and may be as much as 80 inches deep. Upper Hillside Soils The upper Hillside encircles the knob of the Hilltop. Around that knob, is a large area of what soil taxonomists call the Urban Land Charlton-Chatfield Complex (UlD on the Local Soils map on page 13). This same soil type is found in two smaller areas on the steepest hillsides leading to the Plateau. Wherever this soil type is found in Bronxville, the water table will be deep below the surface, at 80 inches or more, and metamorphic bedrock will be either above or near to the surface at 20 to 40 inches. Percolation velocity is low, which is often the case with soils on steep slopes; rainfall on this soil has insufficient time to be absorbed because of the fast pace it runs downhill, gathering both speed and volume, from rivulets to small streams. To the west of the tributary Valley, the upper Hillside is less steep. These more moderate slopes also have a unique soil type: Urban Land

Charlton Complex (UhB). These soils have a better water-holding capacity than the steeper areas upland, capable of draining up to six inches of water per hour. They become gravelly and sandier at a depth of 8 to 14 inches. The sand and gravel support good drainage through the buried deposits of sediment eroded from the rocky outcrops on higher ground. Long ago, the sediments were carried down by overland water flow on its way to the outwash plain of the Valley. A small area of the upper Hillside, located in the northwestern corner of Bronxville, is close to the Bronx River. The river widens at that point to what some refer to as a lake. The nearby soils are a unique class—a gravelly silt loam called Udorthents with wet substratum (Uc). This area has the flattest slope to be found in the Hillsides, a characteristic which, combined with the nearness to the river, translates to a somewhat poorly drained and permanently wet layer not far beneath the surface. Unlike all other areas in the Hillside, bedrock is deep, at 40 to 60 inches, and the water table is high—just underfoot at 6 to 24 inches. This area is prone to flooding. Plateau Hillside Soils The Plateau Hillside also has a unique soil type not found in the upper Hillside, owing to the sedimentary parent bedrock. Urban LandPaxton Complex (UpB) soils were formed in areas where glaciers receded over soft, sedimentary rock and left behind drumlinoid land formations. This soil type is characterized by moderately steep slopes (8 to 15%), sedimentary parent material, and a high water table. The soils are shallow, well-drained, fine sandy loam at the surface, but change to loam in middle layers from 10 to 20 inches, becoming gravely and sandy at greater depths until hitting dense material at 20 to 60 inches. The gravel in the deeper layers is made up of the remnants of till left behind by the receding glaciers around 12,000 years ago. The Hutchinson River Valley Hillside Soils After climbing up from the Bronx River Valley to a ridge just east of White Plains Road, the Plateau Hillside landscape descends again, this time to the Hutchinson River Valley. A small section of this Hillside lies within Bronxville’s border before continuing eastward into the town of Eastchester. As it begins its descent, in locations where the

North side of Masterton Road

slope is moderately steep (8 to 15%), and the land formation is drumlinoid, the soil type is the same Urban Land-Paxton complex (UpB) described above. A large area in the Hutchinson Valley Hillside is less steep (2 to 15%), and soils are concomitantly different than soils on adjacent steeper land. The Urban Land-Charlton-Chatfield complex (UlC) soils here have metamorphic gneiss and schist as their parent material, and although they are similar to the loamy soils of the CharltonChatfield Complex (UlD) soils found on steeper terrain to the west and described above, they are unique in that they have flaggy till in lower layers, and they do not show visible rock outcroppings. A small corner in the northeast section of Bronxville has a loamy soil called Urban Land-Woodbridge Complex (UwB). This soil type is found on drumlinoid hills and ridges, but has a slight slope of only 2 to 6%. It forms in areas where the bedrock is sedimentary, and is a deep, well-drained, loamy acid ideal for vegetation. The upper 12 inches is loam, but due to the glacial till that sits atop the parent bedrock, it becomes gravelly at depths greater than 12 inches. Hydrology The above-ground hydrology of the Hillside landscapes has been altered by human activity. In pre-development times, seasonal springs would have carried melt water and rainwater overland to the Valley below. Today, roads and buildings interfere with the natural drainage pattern of the Hillsides, causing flooding at lower elevations. As a result, the Hillside soils are subject to erosion. Below-the-ground hydrology varies from upper Hillside to Plateau Hillside. In the Plateau Hillside, which is dominated by sedimentary rock, the water table depth is near the surface. The water table is much deeper, or non-existent, in the upper Hillside areas, where metamorphic rock is the bedrock layer.

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The Four Landscapes of Bronxville: Hillside (continued)

Man-made Environment Many houses in Bronxville’s Hillside neighborhoods are distinctive because of the stone materials used in their construction. This is a direct influence of the landscape, which supplied building stone only in Bronxville’s high, steep locations. The metamorphic rocks—gneiss and schist—are near the surface and readily accessible for building projects, such as foundations and chimneys. In some cases, entire houses were built from the stone excavated from the building lot. Gneiss and schist, which are durable like granite, were a favored building stone in the region at the turn of the last century, and a great many institutions standing today were built from these local stone types. The flurry of industrial activity during the late 1800s, provided the gneiss and schist used for St. John the Divine Cathedral and City College of New York in upper Manhattan. In fact, the use of gneiss and schist is so prevalent in stone buildings of this era that it can be said that these stone types characterize a “regional vernacular.” Other man-made features, such as road width and layout, are intertwined with Bronxville’s natural features; the presence of the rock outcrops has dictated the way man has developed the land. Roads are steep and narrow, curving around hills, and houses situated along these curving roads are not aligned in a regular, orthogonal pattern in either vertical or lateral aspect. For example, some houses face east while their immediate neighbors turn northeast, to follow a bend in the road. Experientially, traveling the Hillside roads is a sequence of restricted and then open views, choreographed according to the bend in the road. These views contribute to the picturesque ambiance of the Hillside neighborhoods. The upper Hillside’s roads contribute even further to the picturesque quality. Located here, Bronxville’s historic yellow brick roads are composed of fine-textured pavers. Their narrow widths convey an intimate feeling.

Lower Valley Road leading to the Hilltop

At the intersection of Valley and Pondfield roads, a pair of entry piers made from locally quarried gneiss and schist, stand as sentries at the entrance to the neighborhoods of the upper Hillside. The effect is subtle: an awareness that the traveler is leaving one place, the Valley, and entering another, the upper Hillside. Few roads traverse the upper Hillsides east to west owing to the steep slopes required to climb them. Avon Road in the northern section makes a fairly direct route, but Tanglewylde in the southern section is meandering and curvilinear. However, the Plateau Hillside has no shortage of roads leading east-west to Route 22—Tanglewylde, Woodland, Elm Rock, and Pondfield roads among them. Vegetation Because of the steep slopes, the Hillside landscapes are subject to erosion and are challenging to plant. Also, naturally vegetated hillsides have drainage corridors along the path of least resistance to the lowest point. The designed landscape in a hillside environment can overcome these challenges by utilizing a dense groundcover and shrub layer to protect against erosion, and to plan for overland drainage routes. It is worth noting that in the native, natural landscape, grassy areas are limited to gently sloping meadows in sunny, open locations. Steeper sites in the northeast are wooded, with large trees occupying pockets of deeper soils and a shrub layer at sunlit edges. Suitable native plants for the steep acid loam of Bronxville’s hillsides include Red Oak, Hickory, White Pine, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Bayberry, and Sedges. [Refer to the plant list in Appendix i for more information about native plants suitable for the Hillside landscape type.] See General Sources on page 81

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View of Prescott Avenue from above

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The Four Landscapes of Bronxville: Hilltop

Boundaries The Lawrence Park Historic District, known colloquially as the Hilltop, is a prominent peak in the northeast section of Bronxville, rising more than 150 feet above the Valley. It is characterized by narrow, curvilinear roads that follow the sloping topography, among them Sunset and Prescott avenues and Ridge Road. Plateau Circle loops around the highest point—the knob of the Hilltop, at 260 feet above sea level. Topography, Slopes, Geology, Soils, and Natural Features Although the Hilltop may give the impression of being flat in comparison to the Hillside, it is actually a rolling landform. Five smaller knobs and two larger knobs compose its uppermost surface. These are expressions of the underlying geology, uniformly metamorphic, near to the surface, and/or protruding. One band of moderately steep slopes encircles the Hilltop like a great coil. Most of the area is flat to slightly sloped. Elevations are generally within the 160- to 200-foot range, with the outcrops of the seven knobs reaching to 260 feet in undeveloped locations. These outcrops of gneiss and schist are visible from nearly every location in the Hilltop. Soils are uniform, owing to the consistency of the slopes and parent bedrock. Urban Land Chatfield Rock Outcrop Complex (UmC on the Soils map on page 13) is the predominant soil type, and is unique to the Hilltop. This soil type is similar to that found on parts of the western upper Hillside (UlC); however it is distinct in that soils become flaggy (stony) and silty at a depth of 7 to 14 inches. These flaggy stones and silts are remnants of glacial till and sedimentation left behind 12,000 years ago during the glacial retreat. With bedrock so near the surface, these soils have a low water-holding capacity, and are vulnerable to erosion, similar to the neighboring upper Hillside soils. Natural features of the Hilltop landscape include many exposed rock outcrops and ledges, as well as glacial erratics—large stones of nonnative composition.

These large boulders were carried to the Hilltop from points north, potentially hundreds or even thousands of miles, during the advance of the Wisconsin glacier from Canada and the Arctic. Twelve thousand years ago, the great wall of ice melted, dropping these large stones in place. Hydrology The hydrology of the Hilltop is not particularly evident. It is here, at the highest elevations, that rainfall begins its descent overland to the Valley, gathering in volume as it runs down through the upper Hillside. Hilltop soils are subject to erosion from rainwater travelling downhill. Vegetation Vegetation is dense in the Hilltop, noticeably in the warmer months, when tree canopies meet overhead, arching across the narrow roadways. In the northeast, this landscape type is wooded in pockets where soil depth supports it. It is common to see large trees, such as Red Oak and Tulip Poplar, native to the great northeast forest ecotype, in small areas of soil near rock outcrops.

Northern Avenue triangle on the Hilltop

Man-made Development In the historic district of Lawrence Park, William Van Duzer Lawrence built large houses around the turn of the 20th century. The story of the development of Bronxville’s first suburban houses is well chronicled in the volume, Building A Suburban Village, published by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. There, interested readers will find a wealth of information about famous residents and noted architects. Road layout on the Hilltop follows the natural landform. Loop roads encircle each of the seven knobs, bringing the Hilltop’s lumpy topography into sharp focus. The historic yellow brick road survives as segments of Valley Road between Paradise/Northern Road, Red Oak Road, and Park Avenue. See General Sources on page 81

View of home on Wellington Circle on the Hilltop

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House on the Hilltop

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The Four Landscapes of Bronxville: Plateau

Boundaries A plateau is a relatively flat land area that is higher in elevation than neighboring lands. A broad expanse on the eastern side of the village —about one quarter of Bronxville’s total land area—has the characteristics of a plateau. Fulling Avenue at the northern boundary that Bronxville shares with Eastchester marks the western boundary of the Plateau landscape type within the village. South of this, the Plateau is not indicated by a street, but is some distance east of Summit and Oriole avenues. In its southernmost portion, the Plateau arcs westward to include Elm Rock Road where it originally intersected with Studio Lane. Topography, Slopes, Geology, Soils, and Natural Features The Plateau landform is the rolling type associated with drumlinoid land formations. When glaciers retreated 12,000 years ago, they scraped and smoothed the ground’s surface. The softly rolling landscape of the Plateau has short, flat hills made from deposits of the glacial till left behind during the melting process. Elevations of the Plateau are fairly high in comparison to the rest of the village, all within the 190- to 210-foot range, with a gradual downslope to 180 feet occurring on the east side of the ridgeline at Bronxville’s eastern border with Eastchester. At this point, the ridgeline denotes the change from the Bronx River Valley to the Hutchinson River Valley. Elevations in the northern section of Bronxville’s plateau are slightly higher than in the south. Bronxville’s section of the Plateau landscape is part of a much larger land formation caused by glacial erosion and tectonic plate uplifting that affected the larger region. A survey of the topography of Westchester County shows that this Plateau land formation extends about nine miles north to White Plains. Elevations on the plateau rise gradually from Eastchester to Scarsdale, topping off at 300 to 399 feet in White Plains. The name White Plains is, in part, a reference to this landform and a reference, some say, to the vast forest of white pines that once colonized the native landscape.

The Soils in the Plateau The majority of the soil on the Plateau is a variety of the Urban Land Paxton complex (UpB as shown on the Soils map on page 13), which is similar to the Plateau Hillside Paxton soils (UpC). The difference between the two soil classes is derived from the gentle slopes of 2 to 8%, which is considerably flatter than the moderate 8 to 15% slopes on the Plateau Hillside. The Plateau soils formed in the drumlinoid ridges left behind by ancient glacial movement. These soils are a fine sandy loam in the uppermost 10 inches, changing to a wet loam in the middle 10 to 20 inches due to the high water table. Just above the dolomite bedrock, the final layer of soil is a gravelly sandy loam. An elliptical patch of Urban Land Woodbridge complex (UwB) suggests the presence of a long-vanished wetland. This soil differs little from the surrounding Paxton formation except that it is less well drained. Like Paxton, this soil is deep, but the soil texture is loamier. Loam, as an indicator of high organic content, suggests that long ago, a greater amount of decayed organic material occurred in this elliptical area. Tall wetland grasses, which would have grown and then decayed each season, would have produced a far loamier soil than one occupied by trees. The name Pondfield Road reinforces the idea that there was once a wet meadow or pond in this location. Finally, two connected square-shaped areas in the northern Plateau are composed of smoothed Udorthents (Ub). This has been described in the Valley section dealing with the soils around Bronxville High School and its athletic fields. Here and at Concordia College, the soils were first exposed by glaciations and then further excavated and smoothed by mechanical operations to reshape and flatten the land. Likely, prior to exposing the glacial till, the native soils were of the surrounding Paxton class. Hydrology On the Plateau, the water table is close to the surface. The groundwater just underfoot will supply vegetation with little need to add supplemental water.

Vegetation Native vegetation on the Plateau would have been forest in pre-development times. White Pines in the northeast prefer the light-textured soils found on the Plateau. If the legend is true, the white pines may have been accompanied by Red Pine, Pitch Pine, Gray Birch Aspen, Maple, Pin Cherry, and White Oak. Left undisturbed, this community of trees would have been taken over gradually by the northeast climax forest of Beech, Maple, and Red Oak. Man-made Development The Plateau, with its flat topography, has been developed in a regular, orthogonal pattern. Streets are laid out at right angles, and are wider than elsewhere in the village. Many houses in the Plateau neighborhoods were built after the advent of the automobile, giving rise to the wider streets. See General Sources on page 81

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PART V Conclusion

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Tying the Community to its Natural Landscape

Enhancing Native Vegetation in the Suburban Environment As previously noted, when the developers of Bronxville built on the Hilltop and Hillsides, they preserved a significant portion of the original canopy layer of native vegetation. Over the years, some of the original canopy has remained, but other parts have gradually died or been removed and were often replaced with non-native or ornamental plantings. This practice has lead to a slow reduction of canopy trees in the village, which could be corrected easily if residents and village officials considered the importance of preserving our original landscape. The original forest had a canopy layer composed mostly of hardwoods, an understory layer of familiar smaller trees, such as birches, dogwoods and cherries, and a shrub layer. Beneath that, a ground cover or herbaceous layer maintained a pervious surface that absorbed rainwater into the soil and reduced runoff. It is possible to approximate this original configuration again in residential portions of the village, but there are two big impediments: (a) the over-use of certain ornamental plantings (such as Colorado Blue Spruce) and (b) the desire to have green lawns surrounding the houses. Likely influenced by British colonists, it is not surprising that lawns, which grow so happily in Great Britain, have become such an important part of our landscape. However, the lawn is not native to our environment and requires extraordinary maintenance to survive. If we were to reduce the areas of open lawn and replace portions of it with native groundcover and trees, the soil would be significantly more pervious. If we re-planted a native canopy tree when one was lost or taken down, we would help preserve the original character and beauty of the village and aid the environment. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, and they release oxygen into the air. In fact, one large hardwood tree can provide one day’s supply of oxygen for four people. Canopy trees could also be added in the areas where the village government has the right-of-way along the curb lines of residential streets.

In addition, it is possible to use native planting in more urban settings, such as the Village Center, where additional native canopy trees could shade streets and parking lots. Hardwood trees reduce air temperatures and act as natural air conditioners in the summer, help absorb and block noise, and reduce the amount of emissions from gas tanks – all of which are greatly beneficial in a highly developed setting, such as the center of the village. In addition, no-mow grasses which are more pervious could be used at the edges of playing fields and in other areas where mowed lawns are not essential. Controlling Surface Water Runoff in the Village Controlling surface water flow in the Village of Bronxville is a challenge. The Valley is surrounded by the Plateau and the Hills. Midland Avenue and Pondfield Road were given those names with good reason. In heavy rain, the water flows over the surface of the ground and pools in the Valley by the school complex along Midland and Garden avenues. However, the most serious flooding at the school occurs when a storm causes the Bronx River to rise to an elevation higher than the main trunk lines that carry the storm water runoff. This causes a backwater effect that limits the amount of runoff the pipes can carry. As a result, the runoff accumulates as floodwaters in and around the school property, which is the lowest point in the Midland Valley Drainage Basin. The FEMA Midland Avenue Drainage Project, which will be undertaken in the future, is designed to relieve and, essentially, eliminate the flooding on the school campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. This problem could also be mitigated by reducing the amount of impervious surface in the drainage basin, including the Hills, the Plateau, the Hillsides, and the Valley itself. In most new residential districts in our region, each property is required to eliminate all offsite runoff. Bronxville residents and property owners could work to achieve this result by rainwater harvesting from rooftops, or recharging of rooftop, driveway and lawn runoff. On the soft surfaces, the water runoff problem can be averted by creating detention basins to capture water, by reducing the area devoted to lawns, and by replacing those

surfaces with more natural groundcover. Less lawn area calls for less irrigation, which would help to reduce the overall runoff as well. Within the commercial part of the village, it is possible to increase permeability by implementing new paving and tree planting strategies. This would increase the health of the vegetation and decrease the amount of excess runoff. It is common practice to design parking lots that eliminate runoff; in fact, this is required in most jurisdictions throughout the region today. Strategies to reduce or eliminate runoff include sunken tree pits, pervious paving, bioswales, and either surface or underground detention basins. Imagine a Village Center with virtually no runoff; imagine the residential Hills and Hillsides with virtually no runoff. Seeking the Sustainable Village Center We accept the notion that the Village Center is the most “unnatural” portion of the village. Here, a greater portion of the land is covered with building footprints, which are by nature impervious. Village officials should be commended for repaving the Garden Avenue lot recently with a more pervious surface to aid with drainage in the area. But much more can be done. For example, as a counter-measure to runoff, New York City now requires every new building to divert water from the roof to interior detention tanks. Green roofs are another strategy for detention. In Bronxville’s Village Center, one parking lot—perhaps the Kraft Avenue lot—could be the location for a pilot project where pervious paving and intense planting would be installed. The result of this would be healthy vegetation, no heat island, and no runoff. Additional strategies to be considered in the Village Center are alternative green energy sources, such as solar panels (which work well on flat roofs) and geothermal heating and cooling systems. A closedloop geothermal system at Village Hall provides efficient cooling and heating for that building. Similar energy-efficient systems augmented by solar panels would effective as well.

Conclusion

Because Bronxville is a small village of only one square mile, it is an ideal place for walking and bicycling. Many communities across the country have experimented with planning strategies that empower pedestrians and cyclists. These strategies could be applied easily to the Village Center and, in fact, to the entire village. Fostering Sustainable Residential Districts Planting expansive lawns, raking and blowing leaves, and removing organic matter in the spring and fall are antithetical to nature. We deprive the soil of its natural source of organic matter, and then often replace it with chemical fertilizers. The basic strategy should be to emulate nature as much as possible. This can happen by reducing areas of lawns, as mentioned previously. It can also happen by allowing organic matter to return naturally to the soil— by allowing leaves to remain in place whenever possible, by using mulching mowers, and by increasing the use of native vegetation in place of exotic and ornamental plant material. Better techniques for lawn maintenance would include reducing the use of chemicals and using tension meters to measure moisture in the lawn, so that watering takes place only when necessary. It is clearly feasible to design residential lots to eliminate runoff. Sustainable energy strategies also apply to private residences. A typical house in Bronxville can be heated and cooled with three closed-loop geothermal wells. These wells work best when drilled into bedrock, and Bronxville has plenty of that just beneath the surface. Imagine low-energy, residential districts with no runoff, where vegetation emulates the original forests and meadows of 150 years ago. Celebrating Diverse Landscapes This study has carefully identified and described four predominant landscapes in the Village of Bronxville: the Valley, the Plateau, the Hillside and the Hilltop. In the natural order of things, the differences in these landscapes would be expressed in more than just the topography. Already, it has been noted that the patterns of road layout differ dramatically between the Plateau, which is mostly orthogonal, and the Hillside and Hilltop, which are mostly winding.

In the Plateau, the houses are parallel or perpendicular to the roads, whereas on the Hillside or Hilltop, the houses are situated at various angles in order to accommodate the steep slopes. In nature, the vegetation on the Hilltop would be different from the vegetation in the Valley. Plants adapted to wetter conditions would grow in the Valley, and plants adapted to dryer conditions and shallow depth to bedrock would thrive on the Hillside and Hilltop. Our purpose might be to emphasize the differences between these landscapes by reinforcing them with the appropriate choices of plant material. It is also possible that signage, street lamps, or gateways might indicate the transition from one landscape to another. Supporting Incremental Change Defining the Landscapes of Bronxville is an effort to inform and educate the community. The village could change incrementally. In order to do so, some long- and short-term goals should be established. These might include changes in managing storm water runoff, changes in the planting of vegetation, and changes in energy consumption. Perhaps the most productive strategy would be to emphasize changes that could be implemented quickly and at low cost. How difficult would it be to move gradually to reduce the runoff from all the properties in the village? Would this be done voluntarily? Would it be accomplished through education? These are reasonable questions to ask. What about reestablishing the native canopy trees in the village? Every time a new tree is planted, it could be a native tree appropriate for the site. This would not be onerous, and since there are many choices, it would not deprive property owners the pleasure of making a selection. This report is essentially a landscape analysis. It considers the manmade environment, the underlying setting, and the remnants of nature that still exist. Based on this investigation, it is possible to develop an ecological analysis that describes a series of changes that can be made, so that the village landscape resembles more closely the original, natural landscape of this one square mile.

Based on that ecological plan, it would be possible to prepare an overall master plan for Bronxville that incorporates those ideas into the zoning and physical planning for the village. It is possible that the ecological plan and some ecological zoning would be sufficient, and a master plan would not be required. Balancing Nature and Culture The most intense urbanization of the Village of Bronxville began about 125 years ago. At that time, the land was valued for its natural beauty, and most of the construction in the earlier periods was responsive to that aspect of the landscape. This analysis demonstrates that the built environment (culture) responds to the natural environment (nature). This is relatively unusual. The extreme opposite example of “suburbanization” would be the construction of Levittown on former agricultural land on Long Island in the early 1950s with identical streets, identical houses, and anonymity—a culture that ignored nature. Bronxville is unique because of an approach to development that respected nature. Sadly, it is possible that this uniqueness could be disguised or significantly reduced. Our purpose is to understand how these two factors—culture and nature—reinforce each other, and how their integration can be preserved and enhanced. In his book, Landscapes, J. B. Jackson describes numerous examples of patterns of settlement in the United States, where a special way of using the land creates a place that is man-made, yet still respects nature. Understanding that ours is a living environment that is always changing, it is incumbent upon us to work towards being better stewards of our natural landscape, thereby insuring the uniqueness of Bronxville for future generations. See General Sources on page 81

View from railroad overpass of the intersection of Pondfield Road and Kraft Avenue

SOURCES AND CREDITS

Sources

Credits

Bronxville Historical Conservancy (BHC) Nancy Hand

Project Co-Director and Editor

Marilynn Wood Hill

Preface and Editor

Eloise Morgan

Village Historian and Map Consultant

Nancy Vittorini

Layout Assistant and Photo Placement

A special thanks to Maureen Hackett, horticulturist, for her consultation on this study.

Photo Credits Judith Watts Wilson Commissioned by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy Cover photo, Preface photo, pages 3, 4, 10, 14, 18, 20(top right), 22, 24, 26, 28, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 44(top right), 45, 46, 47, 48(top right), 49, 51(top left), 52, 56, 74.

Peter Gisolfi Associates, Architects â&#x20AC;˘ Landscape Architects, LLP Peter Gisolfi, AIA, ASLA, Project Co-Director, Contributing Author and LEED AP Editor, Professor / Former Chair, Spitzer School of Architecture

Nancy Vittorini Pages 12, 16, 30, 44(middle bottom), 51(bottom left), 80, 81.

Chris Tramutola, ASLA, LEED AP

Project Manager Graphics

Bronxville Local History Room Pages 6, 7.

Monica Lake

Layout

Judith Blau Page 19(middle bottom)

Spitzer School of Architecture City College of New York Lia Kelerchian

Contributing Author, BHC Intern

Peter Gisolfi Associates Page 8.

Sam Berkheiser

Graphic Production, BHC Intern

Nancy Hand Page 48(bottom right).

Amanda Lilly

Graphic Production, BHC Intern

Jeannie Murrer Page 20(bottom right).

Jennifer Nemecek

Graphic Production, BHC Intern

Leatt Beder

Graphic Production, BHC Intern

Neely Bower Page 32.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy P.O. Box 989, Bronxville NY 10708 www.bronxvillehistoricalconservancy.org

P E T E R G I S O L F I A S S O C I AT E S A r c h i t e c t s â&#x20AC;˘ L a n d s c a p e A rc h i t e c t s , L L P 566 Warburton Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706 1140 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511 www.petergisolfiassociates.com â&#x20AC;˘ (914) 478-3677