West Farms, west of the Village of Westchester, established in 1664
When Thomas Pell established
REPRINTED FROM 8-5-2010
The photographer was facing north from about 180th Street looking toward
the Bronx Zoo circa 1909. Note the wagons to the right and the
light colored building in front of them where row boats were rented in
years gone by. It’s a view of West Farms that was developed from a glass
plate and came from the John McNamara collection.
Bronx YMCA
2 CASTLE HILL AVENUE, BRONX NY 10473
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2019 55
BRONX SCENE
Bronx YMCA | 2 CASTLE HILL AVENUE, BRONX NY 10473
APRIL 27, 2019
The Y’s Safety Around Water program helps kids learn essential water safety skills, which can
open a world of possibilities for them to satisfy their curiosity.
Pre -School
(3 – 5 years)
Youth
(5 - 12 years)
Teen
(13 - 17
years)
Adult
(18+)
Adaptive
Aquatics
(with Parents in
the water)
Aqua Fun
for
Families
10:20 – 10:50am
11:00 – 11:30am
2:40 – 3:10pm
3:20 – 3:50pm
9:40 – 10:10am
10:20 – 10:50am
11:00 – 11:30am
11:40am – 12:10pm
2:40 – 3:10pm
2:00 – 2:30pm
3:20 – 3:50pm
9:00 – 9:30am
11:00 – 11:30am
11:40am – 12:10pm
2:40 – 3:10pm
3:20 – 3:50pm
9:00 – 9:30am
(Ages 3-5 years)
10:00 – 10:50am
(Ages 6-12 years)
2:00 – 2:50pm
(Ages 13-18 years)
1:00 – 1:50pm
To register, visit the membership desk or contact the Aquatics Director,
Nadia Arroyo | 212-912-2492 | Narroyo@ymcanyc.org
EVENT SCHEDULES
--- 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM ---
SAFETY AROUND WATER
------11:00 AM ------
TODDLER PLAY
Ages 12 mos. – 4 years
(Munch Center – Side A)
FAMILY CATCH
(Munch Center – Side B)
------ 12:00 PM ------
*YMCA PRESENTATION*
(Munch Center)
FAMILY ZUMBA
(Munch Center)
SOCCER
Ages 6-8 years
(Field)
------ 1:00 PM ------
CATCH
Ages 6-8 years
Ages 9-11 years
(Munch Center)
SOCCER
Ages 9-12
(Field)
------ 2:00 PM ------
KIDS BOOTCAMP
(Outdoor Area)
Face Paint, STEM, Giveaways and more!
*Swim cap required for all water activities
10 am – 3 pm
his colony in the area
we now know as Westchester
Square, two of those who settled
there were John Richardson
from Stamford and Edward
Jessup, a Quaker from
Fairfi eld, Connecticut. Later,
in 1663, these two men sought
permission to purchase much
of the land west of the Bronx
River from the Native Americans.
Negotiations were held
over a period of time and an
agreement was reached and
signed on March 12, 1664 with
nine Native Americans led by
Shonerokite. It was witnessed
by Edward Waters, Richard
Ponton and Nathan Bayly of
the Village of Westchester and
the land grant was confi rmed
by Governor Richard Nicolls
on April 25, 1666. The land was
called West Farms because
it was west of the village of
Westchester and since it was
later divided into twelve pieces,
it came to be known by some as
the Twelve West Farms.
John Richardson left his
interest in the settlement primarily
to his wife, Martha, and
daughters in his will dated November
16, 1679. Martha received
the use of all housing
and orchards along with all
the land in the planting neck
and all of Long Neck. He left
100 acres to his nephew Joseph
Richardson in England provided
that he come here within
a year to claim it otherwise it
too would go to his wife, Martha.
John Richardson’s three
daughters, Berthia Ketcham,
Elizabeth Leggett and Mary
Hadley divided the rest among
themselves which amounted
to over 200 acres each. Mary’s
husband, Joseph, received eight
acres. Jessup’s share went to
his daughter, Elizabeth, who
married Thomas Hunt from
which we get the current name
of Hunts Point for the acreage
he held to the south.
Wherever there’s a new
settlement, pathways or roads
are soon to follow. The earliest
roadways followed the Indian
paths. Among the fi rst
were Kingsbridge Road which
opened in 1704 and later became
182nd Street and West
Farms Road which bore various
other names such as the
Queens Road, and it, too, followed
a Native American path
but south toward today’s Hunts
Point. There was also the old
post road from Boston used by
the post riders as early as 1673.
It was widened in 1707 to accommodate
wagons and stagecoaches.
One stagecoach stop
was later located at Boston
Road and 182nd Street which
was run by Levi Hunt after
the Revolutionary War. It was
then run by Robert Hunt and
became known as the Planters
Inn and then Johnson’s Inn.
A village grew up around the
inn and the area became locally
known as the Stage Village
in deference to the Mill
Village which was located at
the Bronx River where all the
mills were located. Eventually
the land between them
was settled and the two little
villages merged and West
Farms became one.
Mike Bosak, the police historian,
once told me that a man
named John Ryer killed Constable
Isaac Smith at the tavern
run by Robert Hunt in May
of 1792. Ryer was tried at the
courthouse in White Plains
where he was convicted and
hanged. A huge crowd gathered
for the occasion and what
followed became more like a
festival than a funeral. Strange
mores for strange times.
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