Preserving History: Digitization of the Scarsdale Inquirer Continues

We are pleased to continue working with the Scarsdale Public Library to digitize issues of the Scarsdale Inquirer. Our latest grant will allow digitization of the issues from 1954 to 1977. Issues starting in 1901 are already online at news.hrvh.org. Here is the press release about the project:

Preserving History: Digitization of The Scarsdale Inquirer ContinuesScarsdale Historical Society and Scarsdale Public Library in Joint Effort

SCARSDALE, NY (May 5th, 2018)  In 2010 the Scarsdale Historical Society and the Scarsdale Public Library began a joint project to digitize back issues of The Scarsdale Inquirer, Scarsdale’s source for local news since 1901. Grants of over $50,000 given by the Historical Society funded the first two phases of the digitization project, covering the years 1901-1950. Now the Society has committed an additional $37,000 to continue the project through the year 1977. Anybody can access the digitized material at news.hrvh.org, an online resource housing historical newspapers as part of the Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH) service. You can also find links to the papers on the websites of the Scarsdale Historical Society and the Scarsdale Public Library. We anticipate full digitization through 1977 within a year.

Re-filming from the original papers and the generation of digital images for the project is being done by Hudson Archival, located in Port Ewen, N.Y. We are happy to continue working with this great local business for this part of the project. Generation of the metadata (METS/ALTO) necessary to put the images onto HRVH is being done by Digital Divide Data (DDD). DDD’s innovative social model enables talent from underserved populations to access professional opportunities and earn lasting higher income, including youth from low-income families in developing countries, as well as military spouses and veterans. 

The digitization of The Scarsdale Inquirer opens our history to students, researchers, and residents. In the past, access to back issues was available at the library in print and microfilm, with limited finding aids created by Scarsdale librarians. The creation of these indexes was very time intensive and did not allow for full text searching. Furthermore there is no index for the years 1958-1979. Once issues are put onto HRVH they are fully searchable and the content can even be found through Google searches.

“We are so grateful to the Scarsdale Historical Society for their continued support for this digitization project. The Scarsdale Inquirer is an important resource for our community and having online access will increase its availability exponentially.”
—Elizabeth Bermel, Scarsdale Library Director

Scarsdale’s 18th and 19th Century Heritage Homes

Scarsdale has a remarkable number of 18th and 19th century homes that have been beautifully restored and preserved through the years. To expand on our documentary film, Scarsdale in the 18th & 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates, we’ve created a new article with photos and information on many of the heritage houses in the film, as well as some additional houses.

The Wayside Cottage is one of Scarsdale’s oldest  houses. The date the cottage was built is unknown, but Caleb Heathcote, the founder of the Manor of Scarsdale, conveyed the land to Edmund Tompkins in 1717. 

Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting

THE SCARSDALE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2018 ANNUAL MEETING

Monday, February 5th, 7:30 p.m.  
Randy Guggenheimer’s residence
42 Butler Road, Scarsdale, NY

The purpose of the Meeting is to re-elect the following trustees:

• Class of 2021 – 3 year terms – Barbara Shay MacDonald and Lucas Meyer

Continuing trustees are:

• Class of 2019 – Randy Guggenheimer and Stewart Kagan

• Class of 2020 – Seth Kaller and Michael Zeller

All members are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting.
If you have any questions, please contact us at (914) 723-1744 

Watch Now: Scarsdale in the 18th & 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates

We are pleased to present our new documentary video “Scarsdale in the 18th & 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates.” The video is hosted by Scarsdale Historical Society V.P. and Historian, Barbara Shay MacDonald and was produced and directed by Scarsdale native Lesley Topping. Ms. Topping is an independent filmmaker, producer and film editor whose work includes dramatic films, documentaries, and television programs.

Scarsdale Historical Society Agrees to Sell Property; Cudner-Hyatt House to Be Protected

The Cudner-Hyatt House, circa 1900.

The Scarsdale Historical Society has entered into an agreement to sell its property at 937 Post Road, including the Cudner-Hyatt House and the Quaker Meeting House to a local residential developer.  The sale is subject to a Historic Preservation and Conservation Easement which will ensure the preservation and protection of the Cudner-Hyatt House. 

The sale of the property is contingent upon the approval of an application to be filed for a subdivision limited to three lots.  The purchaser intends to relocate (or rebuild, if necessary) the Cudner-Hyatt House to a location on the property closer to Post Road and Lee Road.

The sale is also subject to a number of other contingencies, including the approval of an application to be filed with the Village Zoning Board of Appeals, approval by the Scarsdale Historical Society members and the approval of the New York State Education Department and the Attorney General’s Office.

“The Scarsdale Historical Society is very pleased to enter into this transaction and is thrilled that the Cudner-Hyatt House will be preserved for future generations.  This transaction will enable us to expand our efforts to preserve and make available to the public historical information about Scarsdale and Westchester in new and exciting ways,” said Randy Guggenheimer, Scarsdale Historical Society President.

The Scarsdale Historical Society will continue to preserve and make history easily accessible to the public through grants to digitize, preserve and catalog primary source material that is part of the Society’s collection as well as primary source material owned by other organizations.  The public will then have access to all of this material through the Society’s website (www.scarsdalehistory.org) and other digital platforms.  The Society will also continue and increase grants to promote, fund and encourage the publication of books and materials regarding Scarsdale’s and Westchester’s history and to fund and produce documentaries regarding Scarsdale’s architectural and cultural history.  The Society currently has a video tour of the Cudner-Hyatt House available for viewing on its website.  The Society will continue to hold and promote events to display items from the Corporation’s collection and engage the public to share historical items and primary source material with the community and respond to telephone, email and social media requests regarding Scarsdale’s history.   

About the Scarsdale Historical Society

The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve, and disseminate historical information as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central mid-Westchester region.

Scarsdale Historical Society Provides Grant for Scarsdale Public Library Renovation

The Scarsdale Historical Society has provided a $100,000 grant to the Friends of the Scarsdale Library to assist in the renovation of the Library. “The Scarsdale Historical Society is very pleased to be able to assist in this important community project. We look forward to continuing to work with the Library on developing a Scarsdale History area as part of the renovated library,” said Randy Guggenheimer, Scarsdale Historical Society President.

“We’re thrilled by this gift, which will immediately be doubled through a one-to-one match offered by two very generous donors,” said Library Board President Terri Simon. “The Historical Society’s commitment underscores community recognition of the Library’s enduring value not only as a repository of materials, but as an active place of research for Scarsdale now and for generations to come.” "The Historical Society and the Library have had a successful partnership for many years. We are grateful for the continued support and look forward to collaborating on many future projects," said Elizabeth Bermel, Director of the Scarsdale Public Library. 

The Scarsdale Historical Society has previously given grants to the Library for digitization of the Scarsdale Inquirer newspaper and for funding summer internships.  The Scarsdale Historical Society and the Library are working together on a “Bring Your Scarsdale History” event which will take place this spring.

About the Scarsdale Historical Society

The Scarsdale Historical Society exists to discover, preserve, and disseminate historical information as well as inspire others to learn about and contribute to the history of Scarsdale and the Central mid-Westchester region.