Ardsley Historical Society

02/21/2025

Then and Now! Addyman Square as it apperaed in the 1940s. Approximately 80 years later as we know it now. Note the buildings (far left and distant center) in the old picture that were soon demolished or moved to make way for the New York State Thruway which offically opened in 1955. Many of the businesses were able to relocate. Others simply closed down. Although many homes and businesses were demolished, the increased traffic from the thruway caused a boom in population and therefore increased housing.

02/13/2025

Ardsley Historical Society Unveils New Retractable Banner Showcasing Village History

Ardsley, NY – February 13, 2025 – The Ardsley Historical Society is proud to announce the unveiling of a new retractable banner celebrating the rich history of the Village of Ardsley and its school district. This visually engaging display highlights key moments, landmarks, and cultural icons that have shaped the community over the centuries.

To view the press release click the link below: https://www.ardsleyhistoricalsociety.org/press

02/11/2025

Then and Now! The former Ardsley Public School at 520 Ashford Ave. as it sat on a snowy day in February of 1971. 54 years later, the snow lays on the Ashford Court Condominium property. Ardsley History Fact: The current elementray school on Concord Road opened in 1953, the current high school on Farm Road opened in 1958 and the current middle school opened less than a mile down the road on Ashford Ave. in 1971.

12/30/2024

As we welcome 2025, the Board of Directors of the Ardsley Historical Society extends its warmest wishes to you and your family for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Please checkout our newest timepiece below!

For The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan  (1964)  Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrthum [Without music, life would be a mistake]  - Friedrich Nietzsche (1889) [1] What's past is prologue The Tempest (Act 2, Scene 1) - William Shakespeare. (1623) In ear

11/29/2024

Announcing: Ardsley From The Air

As part of our ongoing initiative to create a filmed overview of Ardsley’s history, we are proud to present Ardsley From The Air which is accessible below.

Sponsored by the Ardsley Historical Society, this video shows Ardsley, NY from the air showcasing a number of locations throughout the village.

11/11/2024

Veterans Day is a time to honor the bravery, sacrifice, and dedication of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, recognizing their commitment to preserving our freedom and security. It is a day for the nation to come together to express gratitude to all veterans, from those who served in peacetime to those who were on the front lines. This Veterans Day, we’re highlighting the story of Steve Wittenberg, a Vietnam War veteran and longtime Ardsley resident, as he reflects on his powerful experience at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.—where the names of over 58,300 men and women who died in service are etched in panels of black granite.

The average age of American soldiers in Vietnam was 19, and Steve was among those 19 year old teens who served after shipping out in 1968. Quoted in The Journal News on November 12, 1985, Steve recalls organizing a reunion with the men he served alongside, bringing them together at the memorial, which had been dedicated in 1982. "It was an emotional gathering that started early Saturday and went into the early hours of Sunday morning. Some of the guys said they spoke more about the war in the last four hours than they had in 17 years." Around 1 a.m., Steve and others visited “the wall,” touching its black granite panels. "When you lose someone, you have a grave, a place you go and mourn. Some of us never got the chance to mourn. We sat there, touching the wall," he said, describing the healing release of finally having a place to remember and honor lost friends.

07/04/2024

On the 4th of July, a day steeped in the celebration of American independence and freedom, the nation's history is woven with poignant moments that echo the complexities of its history. In 1826, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two of the five authors of the Declaration of Independence, passed away on this symbolic day, exactly fifty years after its adoption by the delegates to the Second Continental Congress. A century later, on July 4, 1939, baseball legend Lou Gehrig delivered his heartbreaking farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, announcing his retirement due to ALS. Gehrig's words, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth," resonated with a nation grappling with the challenges of the Great Depression. Three decades later, on July 4, 1970, Native American activists occupied Alcatraz Island to protest injustices against indigenous peoples. Finally, at the Seneca Falls (New York) Convention (the first women's rights convention which was held in July 1848), using the Declaration of Independence as a model, Elizabeth Cady Stanton authored the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments in which the preamble proclaimed "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal."

Happy 4th of July from the Board of Directors of the Ardsley Historical Society!

06/07/2024

Calling Ardsley High School Class of 1969!

Did you graduate from Ardsley High School in 1969? If so, your 55th reunion has been scheduled for this summer. Please click the link below to find out more information on how to attend.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eEoannY546lV1SxtoICAtxrp59A_FNsd/view?usp=sharing

**Please note, this reunion is not associated with the Ardsley Historical Society. All questions should be directed to the event organizer.**

05/24/2024

The Ardsley Historical Society hopes that members of our community will attend this year’s Memorial Day parade and service. In 2010, the Ardsley Historical Society filmed the parade, capturing the powerful solemnity at the heart of the service – the remembrance of the 14 young men from Ardsley High School who made the supreme sacrifice. Apart from the remembrance, the film includes the nearly 25 veterans (including ten WWII veterans) who participated, and many of our then fire and ambulance personnel, Little Leaguers, scouts, and young parade watchers, the youngest of whom is now well beyond college age, also appear. The link is below.

That was but one Memorial Day, and each year it is a measure of our community that we do our best to honor those who gave their lives for our freedoms.

The 2024 Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 27, starting at 10:00 am. Beginning immediately after the ceremony in Pascone Park, the Ardsley Historical Society will be conducting tours of the American Legion building until 1:00 pm. There will be no charge for these tours.

Also on Memorial Day, interviews with many Greenburgh veterans, including some from Ardsley, are shown on the Greenburgh Public Access channels (Optimum 75/76 and Fios 34/35). These interviews (Veterans Living History) can be viewed throughout the year on the Greenburgh Town website linked below.

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]

2010 Parade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=cLYZJ9iccxg

Interviews: http://www.greenburghpublicaccess.com/search?search%5Bglobaltoo%5D=Living+History

05/13/2024

On Sunday, May 19, 2024, starting at 2:00 pm, as required by its By-Laws, the Ardsley Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at the Ardsley Firehouse (Second Floor), located at 505 Ashford Avenue in Ardsley, NY. At the annual meeting, Board members will be elected and several exciting new initiatives in the planning stage will be discussed. We welcome your input and hope you will attend.

After the annual meeting, there will be a presentation by Barbara Davis, co-director of the Westchester Historical Society. The title of her presentation is “Touring Westchester.”

The stories of Westchester County’s rich and varied history can be told in many ways, but one of the most effective ways is through the buildings and landscapes it has chosen to identify and preserve. This illustrated slideshow provides a glimpse of Westchester’s sites on the National Register of Historic Places that have some public access, with interpretation.

03/31/2024

Today is Cesar Chavez Day, a state holiday in California and either an optional or commemorative day in nine other states - Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island.

50 years ago in 1974, as reported in the Ardsley edition of The Reminder Weekly newspaper, a debate was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ardsley featuring Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s sister-in-law, and the co-founder with Chavez of the United Farm Workers, about the effectiveness of boycotting lettuce, grapes, and wine as a means to advance the labor rights of farm workers. Huerta is believed to have coined the phrase “Si, Se Puede” (Yes, We Can), which was adopted in 2008 by Obama's Presidential campaign as its slogan and reiterated as his final words in his farewell speech eight years later. The phrase was referenced in the 2023 film “Barbie."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%AD_se_puede

Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) was a prominent American labor leader and civil rights activist, best known for co-founding the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), later renamed the United Farm Workers (UFW). Chavez dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of agricultural laborers, particularly focusing on improving their working conditions, wages, and treatment. Through nonviolent tactics such as strikes, boycotts, and marches, Chavez mobilized farm workers and garnered national attention to their plight. His leadership played a pivotal role in securing historic labor agreements and legislative reforms, including the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which granted farm workers the right to collectively bargain. Chavez's legacy continues to inspire social justice movements and advocacy for marginalized communities in the United States.

According to Chavez, "The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.”

02/10/2024

Do you know that Ardsley was originally known as Ashford and it had three pickle factories? Peter Marcus, President of Ardsley Historical Society, visited second graders in Mrs. Rogovic's class via Zoom, shared his knowledge about Ardsley's history and encouraged students to think like historians.

01/15/2024

Today, we are honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. We commemorate his contributions to the civil rights movement and strive to continue his dream of a more inclusive society.