“Lost” Bronx River Photos Now On Display at Scarsdale Public Library

Bronx River Parkway, July 30, 1922. Courtesy of the Westchester County Archives

A box of 50 photo prints was recently uncovered in the Village Hall server room. Originally used in a 1991 display created by then–Village Historian Richard Lederer, the photographs document the transformation of land along the Bronx River between 1912 and 1922. A curated portion of the collection is now on view in the Local History Center at Scarsdale Public Library.

The photo prints were discovered by Assistant Scarsdale Village Manager Emily Giovanni (center) in the server room at Village Hall.

The photos come from the Bronx Parkway Commission Photograph Collection, courtesy of the Westchester County Archives. Established in 1906 to address the severe pollution of the Bronx River, the Commission soon broadened its mission to include creating a scenic parkway and public recreational space along the river’s banks. It meticulously photographed parcels along the river to show progress in cleaning up the land and developing the new parkway.

A major success, the pioneering Parkway set a precedent for future parkway developments in the U.S. At least 3 leaders of the Bronx Parkway Commission were Scarsdale residents: James Cannon (Commissioner) and Frank Bethell (Commissioner) and Jay Downer (Chief Engineer).

Visitors will see everything from polluted riverbanks in White Plains, to the Commission’s cleanup operations, to the restored and scenic landscapes of Scarsdale. Among the scenes are Scarsdale Falls and the Greenacres Tea House, two of the most popular attractions for motorists during the early days.

The exhibit is on display now in the Local History Center at Scarsdale Public Library.

Special thanks to Assistant Scarsdale Village Manager Emily Giovanni and Deputy Mayor Dara Gruenberg. The exhibit is co-sponsored by the Scarsdale Public Library