We all know that Westchester County is loaded with history and historical sights. Many of us travel far and wide in the County seeking out the interesting sights frequently without knowing much about their history.
One of the most interesting places is one right next door to us in Croton. On Monday, June 17th Kendal will be fortunate in having Marc Cheshire, the Croton Village Historian, on hand to give us some background on our neighboring village. His talk will begin at 7:30 pm in the Gathering Room.
Croton Point, now the site of Croton Point Park, was once one of the largest tidal marshes on the Hudson. Its human history dates back 7,000 years to the time of the first Native American settlements. Today, you can find oyster middens on the northern tip, abundant evidence of a major brick-making operation, and vaulted wine cellars from an early commercial vineyard. There are tales of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure, and links to the capture of Major John Andre during the Revolution.
Mark Cheshire’s interest in local history began when he first moved to Croton-on-Hudson and met his next door neighbor, then the Village Historian. When she told him that the foundation of his house was made of stone left over from the construction of the New Croton Dam and that a Native American skeleton had once been discovered at the end of his driveway, he became fascinated by the rich history of the Croton area. In 2012 he started a blog, “Croton: History and Mysteries,” to share his research with the community. He was appointed Village Historian in 2018.