The Chronicle

A Publication of
What is a Gnomon?

FALL 2012

Bronxville, New York

INSIDE
Artists Studio House Tour-A big draw on the hilltop Sunny Brae The gift that will keep on giving Natural Resources Project Celebrating the villages natural and cultural landscapes Changing of the Guard Gratitude to Jayne Warman, Congratulations to Judy Unis! Anchors Aweigh Annual Boat Cruise best yet Eastchesters 350th Party planning in full swing History Mystery Do you know what a gnomon is?

100+ Conservancy Members Tour Three Artists Studios on the hilltop

By Robert Scott

n Sunday, October 21, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy hosted its annual house tour, this year visiting three artists studios on Bronxvilles scenic hilltop. More than 100 members participated. The artists Will and Mary Low, 25 Prescott Avenue; Lorenzo Hatch, 6 Lookout Avenue; and Hermann Schladermundt, 8 Park Avenue were originally attracted to Bronxville in the last decade of the nineteenth century. They joined many others to form a colony of artists and writers, where they lived and worked in grand cottages. For centuries, artists have understood the importance of north facing windows for the cool and controlled light value shifts during the day. As Conservancy members could easily see and appreciate, the large, north-facing windows in each of these studios still exist, affording current families the luxury of grand exterior views and naturally lit indoor spaces. The 25 Prescott studio home was designed by William Bates and built in 1891. Will and Mary Low became very well known for their murals and portraits, respectively, and resided in this beautiful shingled house until their deaths. Subsequently, Ronald McLeod, a commercial illustrator, and then noted Bronxville-born artist Nancy Ellen Craig lived there. The home is currently owned by Joseph and Erin Saluti. Ms. Saluti is a board member of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy.
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Photos by Judy Foley

Sunny Brae Enters the BHC Art Collection

By Sarah Underhill

Conservancy Members Tour Three Artists Studios

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ary Means Huber has once again enriched the Conservancy art collection, this time with the gift of an oil painting entitled Sunny Brae, by Robert Lorraine Pyne (1836-1905). Sunny Brae was the property of John Masterton Burke, who purchased the 70-acre estate in 1870. When Burke took possession of the house, originally known as The Homestead Farm, he renamed it Sunny Brae and marked the change with a stone, chiseled Sunny Brae 1872, that can be seen today near the driveway of 2 Woodland Terrace. As Burke was a lifelong bachelor with a primary residence in New York City, his widowed sister set up housekeeping in Bronxville until her death around the turn of the century. John Masterton Burke left school at 12 and built his early wealth in the mercantile business; he later enhanced his fortune by investing in railroad construction. After Burkes death in 1909, the house, said to be more than 150 years old, was repaired and refitted as the Sunny Brae Boys Home for the recuperation of boys from illness or injury. In 1921 Sunny Brae was torn down and the land was divided into building lots and streets, including Sturgis Road.

Robert Lorraine Pyne was a landscape painter known for his work in the style of the Hudson River School. He captured views of the Catskill and Berkshire mountains, and even depicted a few scenes of the Bronx River. His work was exhibited at the National Academy of Design in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Six Lookout Avenue, also designed by William Bates, was built a year later in 1892. It was home to Lorenzo Hatch, who, at 18, was the youngest bank note engraver in the United States Bureau of Printing and Engraving. His talent for engraving vignettes led him to design portraits of Abraham Lincoln for the five-dollar bill and U S. Grant for fivedollar silver certificates, among others. He also spent six years in China after the turn of the 20th century establishing that countrys Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Bill and Annette Dowling are the current owners. Bill is co-chair of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. Designed by Walker and Morris, 8 Park Avenue was built in 1897, and Herman Schladermundt resided there for 40 years. Best known for murals and architectural decoration, his work has graced the Library of Congress, as well as churches, courthouses, hotels and private residences locally and across the country. Kurt and Erin Krestinski currently reside in this beautiful, turn-of-the-20th-century home.

Conservancy members Dale Walker, Jane Staunton, Bob and Mimi Wein, Marilynn Hill, Judy Unis and Kathy Gray served as docents. The house tour concluded with the Conservancy's annual meeting held at Siwanoy Country Club and coordinated by board member Judy Foley. Outgoing co-chair Jayne Warman reviewed a very busy and successful year for the Conservancy, followed by remarks by co-chair Bill Dowling, cofounders Marilynn Hill and Bob Riggs, and treasurer David McBride. Judy Unis was unanimously elected as new co-chair.

Robert Lorraine Pyne, Sunny Brae, oil on canvas

Bronxville Natural Resources Project Nearing Completion

By Peter Gisolfi
As previously reported, the Conservancy is currently undertaking a project that will provide the community with an inventory of the natural resources in the Village of Bronxville. Most of the work has been done by four graduate students in the Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York: Jennifer Nemecek, Leatt Beder, and Amanda Lilly in the Master of Landscape Architecture program, and Lia Kelerchian in the Master of Sustainability program. The students have been advised and assisted by Peter Gisolfi, a member of the Conservancys board of directors. Also overseeing the project is Christopher Tramutola, a licensed landscape architect at the office of Peter Gisolfi Associates. BHC board member Nancy Hand is coordinating the project with village officials, the architects and the Conservancy. The purpose of the study is to investigate both the natural and cultural landscapes of the Village of Bronxville in order to better understand the unique physical patterns that exist within the village. The analysis of the natural landscape includes examining subsurface geology, hydrology, topography, slopes, soils and vegetation. The analysis of the cultural landscape includes transportation, patterns of development, neighborhood and construction chronology, land use and zoning, and the unique characteristics of each area. The final report will also contain a listing of the types of trees and plantings that are native to Bronxville and would thrive in the village. The study identifies five unique landscape typologies in the village. They include the Village Center, the Valley, the Hilltop, the Hillsides, and the Plateau. The differences among the areas are quite 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 flatter, the street arrangement is more orthogonal, 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 and streets that do not always carry through. From this emerges an unexpected sense of whimsy. When the study is complete, it is intended that one would be able to understand the natural features that determine the character of the landscapes and the cultural features that have been overlaid on the natural setting. A secondary purpose of the study is to recommend ways to conserve and enhance these five landscape types, as they exist within the Village of Bronxville. The 11 x 17 publication will be available in early 2013 and should be invaluable to Village officials in their work on the Community Plan. Local landscape architects, gardeners and residents will also benefit from the information contained in this document.

Photos by Judy Foley

Jayne Warman Retires As BHC Co-Chair Judy Unis Elected New Co-Chair
Jayne Warman has served the Bronxville Historical Conservancy with distinction since its creation in 1998, and before as a member of the Bronxville Centennial Celebration Committee. In addition to serving most recently as co-chair, Jayne, a professional art expert, has chaired our Art Acquisition Committee. Through her talent, her diligence in watching the art market, and her negotiating skills, we have
Photo by Judy Foley

assembled an outstanding collection of the works of our Bronxville artists. Jaynes writing on our artists can also be found in the Bronxville Journal, the Chronicle, the art catalogue for the OSilas show Bronxvilles Artists and Friends, and Building a Suburban Village. Judy Unis succeeds Jayne as co-chair. Judy and her husband George moved in 1972 to Bronxville, where they have raised three sons. She has been an invaluable Conservancy board member since 2007, responsible for chairing many successful events, including our annual boat cruises. We are delighted she will continue to play an important role in the Conservancys future.

Annual Boat Cruise Hailed By Many As The Best Yet B

By Robert Scott y all accounts, this years Bronxville Historical Conservancy Boat Cruise up the Hudson River to Historic Huguenot Street near Poughkeepsie was a huge success. The weather was perfect for the 66-mile trip north on the river as the boat traveled under countless bridges, around majestic twists and turns, past a formidable West Point and many historic sites along the way. The venue for this years annual voyage, Historic Huguenot Street, was a treasure, unknown to many in the group. A National Historic Landmark District, the site is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the United States. Nearly one hundred+ voyagers were greeted by the director of Huguenot Street and then were divided into smaller groups for a personal, docentguided tour of seven stone houses dating to the early 1700s, a burial ground, and a stone church, all in their original village setting. The distinctive architecture, antiques and paintings provided the perfect backdrop for the groups immersion into the rich history of the Huguenot settlers and their descendants, some of whom still live in the area.

Photos by Bill Dowling

CELEBRATING EASTCHESTERS 350TH ANNIVERSARY

By Robert Riggs

The Masterton Gnomon: A History Mystery

By Marilynn Hill
hen one mentions the word gnomon, most people respond: What is a gnomon? Or, as the TSA officer at LaGuardias security gate more authoritatively responded when he questioned the metal object in my handbag -- it didnt look like a gnome to him! Instead of a little old man, the Conservancys little bronze bird was being transported to Charleston, South Carolina, where some experts in historic objects and metal crafting had promised to examine it. A gnomon is the object that sits vertically on a sundials plate and casts a shadow for telling the time of day. Bronxvilles gnomon belongs on top of the Alexander Masterton familys sundial that was recently installed on the steps leading up to Village Hall a project of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. The sundial originally resided on the lawn of Ridgecroft, the Masterton homestead on White Plains Road, from the 19th century until 1986 when the house was sold outside the family. After the death of the last heir, the house contents were sold at auction and the home was purchased by Bud and Berta Hanson. Following a small incident of vandalism, the Hansons moved the little mythical bird inside for safe keeping. Last year, when the sundial was donated to the Conservancy, the Hansons presented the gnomon to the BHC. After considering the potential hazards that could befall the gnomon in a public place, the Conservancy concluded it should be replaced with a replica of the original. With contacts in the historic community of Charleston, that city was the first stop in our search for a metal crafter. Glenn Keyes, Charlestons most prominent preservation architect and an advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, took over the project and began to make introductions. The experts interest in the object was heightened by the fact that there was a BronxvilleMasterton-Charleston connection. Alexander Mastertons local quarry had provided marble for Charlestons grand old customs house, one of that citys most prized 19th-century buildings. The gnomon was first examined by Bill Mehard, an 80-yearold craftsman who got his initial metalwork training in naval

he Town of Eastchester in 2014 will celebrate the 350th anniversary of its founding. In 1664 Thomas Pell granted a deed to ten families from Fairfield, Connecticut, to settle down at Hutchinsons, that is, the meadows and uplands near St. Pauls Church, the still-surviving church erected in the 18th century and now a national historic site located on South Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon. A year later, 25 families who settled in the area signed, many with anX, the Eastchester Covenant, a written agreement, now resting in the Eastchester Town Hall vault, spelling out rules for the governance and operation of the community. The Town Supervisor and the Bronxville and Tuckahoe mayors have appointed a steering committee to plan for appropriate celebrations of the semiseptcentennial occasion, several members of which are members and directors of the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. Robert Riggs, BHC Lifetime Co-chair, is serving as co-chair of the 350th Celebration Committee, on which former BHC co-chair Robert Wein also serves. Former BHC co-chair Nancy Vittorini is in charge of publicity. An early start has been taken on celebrations that require significant research, preparation and advance scheduling. Eloise Morgan and Richard Forliano, Historians of Bronxville and Eastchester, respectively, are currently directing the research and writing of a hardcover book that will include text, photographs and maps illustrating important

topics in the history of the town such as the story of Anne Hutchinson, and slavery in Eastchester in the 17th and 18th centuries. Also being researched is the shifting of the boundaries of the town as it first expanded north to include what is now Tuckahoe and Bronxville and then saw its boundaries reduced with the incorporation of Mount Vernon and the annexation of its southern perimeter by the City of New York. Writing for this project are Conservancy members Janet Lentz, Regina Baio, and Marilynn Hill, BHC Lifetime Co-chair. Conservancy Board member Jack Bierwirth is assisting in the coordination of the Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester schools projects keyed to student research and presentation of Eastchester history. Former Conservancy Board member Patty Dohrenwend is working with the librarians of the three public libraries in the town to sponsor a Big Read of appropriate historical material for children and young adults. Several Conservancy members are working on designating surviving historic properties in the town and then presenting narrative and enlarged old and current photographs in an exhibition to be held at the OSilas Gallery at Concordia in the Fall of 2014. Much remains to be done and the 350th steering committee is soliciting volunteers to help on all of its projects. If you are interested in the book project, please e-mail Eloise Morgan at rcmelm@aol.com; for any other steering committee project or if you wish further information on 350th anniversary plans, please e-mail Robert Riggs at riggs@clm.com.

ordinance -- making bombs, bullets, and torpedoes. That mechanical training led to his lifelong hobby and passion of handcrafting metals. For years he has been making metal hardware and decorative replacements for some of Charlestons most historic buildings, including its oldest church, St Michaels, and the well known large Pineapple Gate House. This latter estate established a second Bronxville-Charleston connection for Mehard, since it is owned, and was magnificently restored, by a man who grew up in Bronxville and whose family still resides here. On examining the gnomon, Mehard immediately noted that, based on the angle of the style, or V bar, the gnomon was appropriate to its current and historic geographic home, New York. (Apparently, a horizontal sundial must be designed for the particular latitude where it is to be used, and the style height of the gnomon must be equal to the latitude of its geographic location.) He then observed that the screw at the bottom of the gnomon was not original to the 19th century, which meant that this gnomon probably had been the property of the third and last generation of Bronxvilles Masterton family, Miss Amie Dusenberry and her siblings. He also pointed out that the blue-green patina had been artificially created, as was sometimes done because bronze will naturally age to a blackish patina, which is not considered attractive by many. To confirm the age analysis, the gnomon was then sent to the curator at the Historic Charleston Foundation, and to a local silver and metal expert. Although fascinated by the gnomons provenance, all agreed with Mehards evaluation. Nevertheless, since the little bird had belonged to the last of the Bronxville Mastertons, the Conservancy wanted the sundial to continue to appear as that generation had known it. Mehard was entrusted with the gnomons recreation and used a fine sandcasting process to produce a mold that can be used only once. Bronze, a mixture of copper and tin, was then heated to a near-2000 degrees and poured into the sand mold. After making a couple of reproductions, Mehard finished them with a chemical vert patina, and the Masterton gnomon triplets were ready to fly home to Bronxville.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy is dedicated to an understanding and appreciation of the heritage and culture of Bronxville.
I wish to become a member.
Enclosed is my check payable to The Bronxville Historical Conservancy Or join online: www.bronxvillehistoricalconservancy.org $35 Dusenberry Donor $50 Lawrence Friend $100 Chambers Champion $250 Prescott Patron $500 Underhill Fellow $1,000 Masterton Benefactor

Each membership, at any level, is a household membership for the calendar year. Corporate memberships are also available. Please print clearly: First Name(s)__________________________________Last Name_____________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone____________________________________Email__________________________________________ Please mail your check to Bronxville Historical Conservancy, P.O. Box 989, Bronxville, NY 10708

The Chronicle
Fall 2012
Editor: Bob Scott Designer: Ken Gudaitis Contributing Editors: Peter Gisolfi, Marilynn Hill, Nancy Hand, Robert Riggs, Sarah Underhill, Jayne Warman Contributing Photographers: Bill Dowling, Judy Foley Submissions welcome!

P. O. Box 989 Bronxville, NY 10708 The Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded in 1998 to further the understanding and appreciation of the history and current life of the Village of Bronxville, New York. The Conservancy furthers its mission through the presentation of programs, publications, lectures and special events that foster an awareness of the villages architectural, artistic and cultural heritage and lends its support for projects designed to strengthen and preserve those legacies.