Videos

The following documentaries about Scarsdale were produced by Scarsdale Historical Society in collaboration with board members, local historians, and filmmaker Lesley Topping.

  • The Village: A History of Downtown Scarsdale

  • The Road to Heathcote and the Forgotten Railway

  • Greenacres Tales: Building a Scarsdale Neighborhood

  • Scarsdale’s Quaker Ridge: Its Heritage and History

  • Arthur Manor: Scarsdale’s First Suburban Community

  • Path to a Scarsdale Community: Fox Meadow and the Butler Estate

  • The Life and Art of Anna Richards Brewster (1870-1952)

  • A River Returns, a History of the Bronx River

  • Scarsdale in the 18th & 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates

  • A Tour of the Cudner-Hyatt House Museum

You can watch the documentaries by clicking the links below.

The Village: A History of Downtown Scarsdale

Take a historic journey through Scarsdale's business district and learn how it expanded from a humble train stop into today's iconic Tudor-style shopping center. The film features rare archival images and interviews with local historians including Jordan Copeland, Leslie Chang and Peter Blier. Directed by Lesley Topping in collaboration with the Scarsdale Historical Society.

The Road to Heathcote and the Forgotten Railway

Discover the origins of the Heathcote neighborhood and the abandoned remains of the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway (NYW&B) that had stations throughout Westchester including one at Five Corners in Scarsdale. Topping takes viewers inside iconic buildings at Five Corners, Scarsdale Congregational Church, Heathcote School and more. Featuring local historians and residents including Randy Guggenheimer, Jordan Copeland, Leslie Chang, Michael Zeller, Eliot Goldfinger and others. Produced by the Scarsdale Historical Society, directed and edited by Lesley Topping. A video of the Q&A that took place after the film premiered is here.

Greenacres Tales: Building a Scarsdale Neighborhood

Exploring the unique and surprising history of the Scarsdale neighborhood known as Greenacres. Featuring local historians and residents including Barbara Shay MacDonald Randy Guggenheimer, Jordan Copeland, Leslie Chang, Jay and Marc Shulman, Andrew Sereysky and Rev. Katherine Pater. A Scarsdale Historical Society Production. Music by Marc Shulman, Directed and Edited by Lesley Topping. Videos of the Q&A sessions that took place after the two showings on the night the film premiered are here and here.

Scarsdale’s Quaker Ridge: Its Heritage and History

This half-hour film explores the history of Quaker Ridge; its Quaker legacy, abolitionists, historic sites and transformation into a modern Scarsdale community. Featuring local historians Barbara Shay MacDonald, Jordan Copeland, Barbara Davis, Patrick Raftery, the Boulder Brook Equestrian Center and current residents. A video of the Q&A that took place after the film premiered is here.

Arthur Manor: Scarsdale’s First Suburban Community

In 1891, the Arthur Manor Suburban Home Company began construction of a housing development that initiated Scarsdale’s transformation from a rural town of farms and estates to a modern suburb. This 20-minute film features Jordan Copeland, SHS board member and newly appointed Scarsdale Associate Village Historian, as he guides us through Arthur Manor to learn about the history of this unique community and how its growth impacted the nearby neighborhood of Edgewood. Additional information and a video of the Q&A that took place after the film premiered is here.

Path to a Scarsdale Community: Fox Meadow and the Butler Estate

This is the story of Charles and Emily Butler who owned the magnificent 500-acre estate that became became the neighborhood of Fox Meadow in Scarsdale. Using rare photographs and new research, the film portrays the life of Charles Butler (1802-1898), a brilliant financier and philanthropist who also had a surprising influence on national events. The second part of the film is about his daughter, Emily Ogden Butler (1840-1927) who played an important role in the community and early suburbanization of Fox Meadow and Greenacres.

The Life and Art of Anna Richards Brewster (1870-1952)

This short, poignant film rediscovers the magnificent work of Anna Richards Brewster (1870-1952), a Scarsdale resident, who in her day was recognized as one of America’s finest Impressionist painters. Her work was widely exhibited in Europe and America, and she painted many familiar stunning landscapes of Scarsdale. A biography and brief slide shows of her paintings and oil studies in the Scarsdale Library Collection can be found here.

A River Returns, a History of the Bronx River

This 40-minute film provides a historical journey down the Bronx River and a tale of how it was rescued from severe pollution to become a model for restoring natural resources nationwide. The Bronx River may be a small river but it played a large role in shaping the towns and lives of people in Westchester County, including Scarsdale. Additional information about the history of the river and a guide to important sites along its banks can be found here.

Scarsdale in the 18th & 19th Centuries: From Hardscrabble Farms to Gracious Estates

This half hour documentary explores the history of Scarsdale through its early farmhouses and 19th-century estates. To find out more about the history of slavery in New York and Scarsdale see this article. Additional photos and information on Heritage Homes can be found here.

A Tour of the Cudner-Hyatt House Museum

This film looks at the history of the Cudner-Hyatt House and the 19th-century museum created by the Scarsdale Historical Society. The Cudner-Hyatt House is one of Scarsdale's earliest existing farmhouses and it was the home of two families, the Cudners and Hyatts, for over two centuries. Barbara Shay MacDonald, Historian for the Scarsdale Historical Society, guides us on a tour of this museum and its history. For additional information see this article.