In the late 19th Century, the wealthy elite of New York looked to the lowerHudson Valley as a country refuge from the City. Cyrus W. Field, who
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In the late 19th Century, the wealthy elite of New York looked to the lower Hudson Valley as a country refuge from the City. Cyrus W. Field, who laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic, created a country estate – “Ardsley” – that eventually extended over 600-acres from the Hudson River to the Saw Mill River along the border of Irvington and Dobbs Ferry. After suffering losses in the stock market, Field was forced to sell, and his Ardsley estate was ultimately purchased by the “Asphalt King”, Amzi L. Barber. Barber, a founding member of the Ardsley Casino (built in 1896), used the land he purchased to develop Ardsley Park.
IHS Board Trustee Chet Kerr tells the stories of Field and Barber and how their vision left its imprint on today’s neighborhoods along the border of Irvington and Dobbs Ferry.
