Katonah is one of the three hamlets in the Town of
Bedford in northern Westchester County, New York. For
information about the Town of Bedford and other local
attractions, jump to http://bedfordny.com and/or http://www.katonahny.com
and/or http://www.katonahchamber.org
The hamlet of Katonah has an
unusual history, and the Library has moved and changed
with the community.
"Old Katonah" was the
third settlement in this part of Westchester County in
the first half of the nineteenth century, following the
villages of Cherry Street and Whitlockville. The main
streets of Old Katonah parallelled and crossed the
railroad tracks where milk trains stopped to pick up
produce for New York City sale.
The Katonah Village Improvement
Society (then known as the Katonah Village Improvement
Association) was organized on October 21, 1878. The
intention of the founders was to involve the citizenry in
projects to add to the beauty and safety of the village.
Planting trees, building wooden sidewalks, and installing
kerosene street lamps were early projects.
On December 10, 1880 the first
Library and Reading Room was opened with 400 books
donated by Association members. In 1886 the Association
incorporated and became the K. V. I. S., an organization
owning the library furniture and book collection. The K.
V. I. S. and the Library have remained intimately tied
ever since.
Twice in the 1890's, the City of
New York Water Supply condemned and purchased parcels of
land upon which Old Katonah stood. New York City needed
water, and the buildings of the village stood too close
to the banks of the Croton and Cross Rivers, which would
be dammed for the creation of reservoirs. The members of
the Katonah community wished to remain together so they
formed a syndicate and planned a new village on land
nearby that would not be submerged. A street plan
including wide boulevards and regular building lots was
conceived, and members of the K. V. I. S. worked together
to physically move more than 50 buildings from Old
Katonah to New. The houses were drawn along soaped timber
tracks by horse power.
1997 was the centennial of the
move from Old Katonah to its current location. The
Centennial celebration began on April 5, the exact
anniversary of the day when the trains first stopped at
the new train station. The celebration, marked by
displays, lectures, tours of the old village site, and
activities for young and old alike, took place from April
5 to July 5, 1997.
The planners of the new village
kept a nice corner lot for the library in their future.
The Reading Room continued to be a room in a house moved
from Old Katonah to 21 Edgemont Road (now the William
Nicholas store), until enough money was raised to erect a
new brick and stone building on the saved corner lot in
the late 1920's. That building, and the large addition
constructed in the late 1960's, houses the Library
collection to this day.
Katonah Historical Museum
Katonah's interesting history inspired local residents
who want to keep the events of the past in focus for
current and future residents. The Katonah Historical
Museum opened in 1984. Exhibits of historical interest
are on display in the Library's lower level hallway
concerning the moving of Katonah. There is an accurate
diorama of a house on the move from Old Katonah to New
Katonah (the model is a couple of feet tall -- the actual
building is two blocks away.)
In 1985, 37 buildings moved or
built in situ in the early years of the twentieth century
were cataloged and admitted to the National Register of
Historic Places.
Katonah Gallery/ Katonah
Museum of Art
In 1954, a committee of the Katonah Village Improvement
Society established a small art gallery in a single room
on the upper floor of the Library building to display
works by local artists. In 1956, the Katonah Gallery
obtained a charter as an independent organization, and
grew over the years into new space on the ground floor
following the library expansion of the 1960's. The scope
of Gallery exhibitions also expanded. In 1991, the
prestigious organization became the Katonah Museum of Art
and moved half a mile to their own new, architecturally
outstanding building.
For hours and
current exhibit and program information, please call the
Museum of Art at 914/232-9555. Don't miss a trip to their
gift shop!
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