historic

The Bronx River Parkway Reservation, Westchester’s oldest park, is an 807-acre paved linear park that was created as an adjunct to the Bronx River Parkway opened in 1925.

The reservation touts a number of “firsts” -- it was the first linear park in Westchester, as well as one of the first in the country, and, the Bronx River Parkway was the first parkway in the nation. It extends 13.2 miles in Westchester from the New York City line north to the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.

The reservation also has the distinction of being the first official Westchester County park, whose establishment led to the creation of today’s county park system of more than 50 parks spanning nearly 18,000 acres.

The picturesque reservation, which runs through the heart of southern Westchester County, features ponds, wooden footbridges and hundreds of varieties of native trees and shrubs. It is a favorite place for bicycling, walking, running and nature study.

Two Pathway Segments Connected
The Bronx River Pathway is now a continuous paved path from Palmer Road in Bronxville to the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. The combined distance now spans 11.2 miles long. There is also a one-mile loop near Oak Street in Mount Vernon.

Learn the History of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation
The HAER (Historic American Engineering Record) report from the Westchester County Archives was completed in 2002. It is an extensive and detailed report consisting of historical documents and photos. Want to know more? Discover more history of the parkway from the Westchester County Archives.

Merestead is an exquisite country mansion tucked away in the hills overlooking the surrounding valley. Here you can imagine the elegance of life on a 130-acre estate with a staff of 12 to keep everything running smoothly.

The Merestead property is the former estate of Mrs. Margaret Sloane Patterson, daughter of William Sloane, President of W and J Sloane, and her husband Dr. Robert Patterson, a prominent orthopedic surgeon in New York City. Merestead features a 28-room Georgian mansion with beautiful gardens built during the early 20th century. In 1982, the Pattersons deeded the property to Westchester County, and upon Mrs. Patterson’s death in August of 2000, Westchester took full possession of the property. Continue reading about this park's history....

Hiking trails
Hiking trails are open daily 8 a.m. to dusk. As you explore this 2.3-mile system of trails, you’ll meander through woodlands, open fields and gardens that offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the northeast. Some of the trails are original to the property and were utilized by the Patterson family during the early part of the century and follow along old farm roads. Thanks to the efforts of park staff and the County’s Youth Conservation Corps, these old trails were rehabilitated and several new trails were developed during the summer of 2003.

Highlights along the trail include bridges that are remnants of 100-year-old farm bridges, restored fieldstone root cellars, the masonry milk spring, the old pet cemetery, and two Chinese lantern statuaries that lead the way to a magnificent vista of the Hudson Highlands. With its high terrain and varying habitats, Merestead is also an ideal site for watching local resident birds and migrating species throughout the year.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Miller House, is an 18th-century style farmhouse that served as a command post during the Battle of White Plains in 1776.

The museum is the former home of the Ann and Elijah Miller family, an average colonial Westchester family whose lives were changed forever when Washington and his army fought for American independence during the Battle of White Plains, which took place virtually outside their door in October of 1776. The home was acquired as a historic house by Westchester County in 1917.

The Miller House is open only for programs or by appointment by calling: (914) 428-1005.

Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow was built in 1883 in response to pleas by local steamship companies for assistance in navigating dangerous shoals. It was a critical guide for Hudson River shipping. The Lighthouse is a cast iron “sparkplug” lighthouse, whose superstructure rests on concrete and metal caisson and is the only conical steel structure in Westchester to include living quarters for its keepers, which housed eight keepers and their families when it was active. Once the Tappan Zee Bridge was built, the lighthouse was considered obsolete and taken out of service in 1961. The Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2024, Westchester County completed a capital project to restore the Lighthouse to its most authentic renditions, which was the time period between, 1937 and 1976.

The Tarrytown Lighthouse in Sleepy Hollow is located at Kingsland Point Park.

The 23-acre Jay property overlooking Long Island Sound in Rye is the boyhood home of New York State’s only native founding father, John Jay (1745-1829). It is part of the Boston Post Road Historic District, a National Historic Landmark and a stop on Westchester County’s African American Heritage Trail.

The 1838 Greek Revival mansion, which is the centerpiece of the property, was built by Peter Augustus Jay. The mansion is being restored and managed by the not-for-profit organization, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC). The 1907 Van Norden Carriage House is a second building being restored and serves as the JHC Visitor and Education Center.

The Jay property, originally acquired by Westchester County in 1992, is an important piece of designated parkland to the Westchester County parks system. It is an environmentally significant area that serves as the headlands of the watershed of the adjacent county park, Marshlands Conservancy. The Jay property has been owned in conjunction with New York State since 1997 and is managed by Westchester County Parks as dedicated state and county parkland. It is used for recreation, historic education and conservation purposes.

For information about hours of operation, directions and programming, visit the Jay Heritage Center Web site.