Bronx County Historical Society Bronx STATS 2020
BRONX COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Address: 3309 Bainbridge
Avenue
The Bronx, NY 10467
Phone: (718) 881-8900
Fax: (718) 881-4827
E-mail: administration@
bronxhistoricalsociety.org
Web: www.bronxhistoricalsociety.
org
About: The Bronx County Historical
Society was founded in 1955 to
preserve the heritage of the thriving
community. The Society administers
the colonial era Valentine-Varian
House, which serves as the Museum
of Bronx History; The Bronx County
Archives; an extensive Research
Library; and Poe Cottage, the fi nal
home of America’s great 19th
century poet and author, Edgar Allan
Poe. Both historic houses are listed
in the National Register of Historic
Places.
The Society is not only dedicated
to preserving Bronx history. It also
offers a variety of programs for
the casual visitor, tourist, business
person, student, or researcher
interested in learning more about
contemporary life in The Bronx. Tours
of the borough are conducted by The
Society’s staff and volunteers, while
special publications, radio and cable
T.V programs, concerts, educational
programs, expeditions, art shows and
lecture series highlight today’s Bronx
as well as the borough’s heritage.
SITES
Research Library
3309 Bainbridge Avenue
The Bronx, NY 10467
Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. by Appointment Only
Contact: (718) 881-8900 or
librarian@bronxhistoricalsociety.
org
The Bronx County Archives
3313 Bainbridge Avenue
Bronx, NY 10467
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. by Appointment Only
Contact:
archivist@bronxhistoricalsociety.
org
EDGAR ALLEN POE COTTAGE
Address:
2640 Grand Concourse at East
Kingsbridge Road
The Bronx, NY 10458
Hours: The Cottage is undergoing
a major renovation and restoration.
Guided tours for groups and
individuals will be suspended until
further notice.
Contact: (718) 881-8900 or
education@bronxhistoricalsociety.org
Admission: $5 per adult, $3 for
students, children and seniors.
About: Edgar Allan Poe spent the
last years of his life, from 1846 to
1849, in The Bronx at Poe Cottage,
now located at Kingsbridge Road
and the Grand Concourse. A small
wooden farmhouse built about
1812, the cottage once commanded
unobstructed vistas over the rolling
Bronx hills to the shores of Long
Island. It was a bucolic setting in
which the great writer penned many
of his most enduring poetical works,
including “Annabel Lee,” “The Bells”
and “Eureka.”
Administered by The Bronx County
Historical Society since 1975, the
cottage is restored to its original
appearance, with authentic period
furnishings. A fi lm presentation and
guided tour help bring Poe Cottage to
life. Visitors can see the bed in which
Virginia died and the rocking chair Poe
used. In the kitchen, the dishes on the
table appear as if the great author had
just stepped out for air.
VALENTINE VARIAN HOUSE/
MUSEUM OF BRONX HISTORY
Address:
3266 Bainbridge Avenue
The Bronx, NY 10467
Hours: Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00
PM; Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Group and school tours are only
by appointment during the week.
Contact: education@
bronxhistoricalsociety.org
Admission: $5 per adult, $3 for
students, children and seniors.
About: Blacksmith Isaac Valentine
built this four-level fi eldstone
farmhouse in 1758 near the Boston
Post Road. His property included
a blacksmith shop, outhouses,
farmland, and a number of slaves.
His homestead was later the site of
six skirmishes between American
troops and British forces, who
occupied the house for most of
the Revolutionary War. After the
Bronx Arts Ensemble Bronx STATS 2020
54 BRONX STATS - NOVEMBER 20, 2020 BTR
Revolution, the Valentines fell on
hard times and the Dutch Reformed
Church seized the property. In 1791,
the house passed into the hands of
the Varian family. In 1905, William F.
Beller purchased it. In 1965, his son,
William C. Beller, generously donated
the historic house to The Society to
be used as a museum.
In 1968, the restored house was
opened to the public as the Museum
of Bronx History. Visitors today can
touch the fi eldstones Isaac Valentine
used to construct the house and walk
on the oak and pine fl oorboards he
fashioned. The main level contains
three galleries that feature rich
rotating bi-annual exhibitions, and
the museum gift store. The upper
levels are not open to the public.
Books about the Bronx sold at the
Bronx Museum Shop:
Annotated Primary Sources:
From the Collections of The Society:
Colorful, lively historical documents
contextualized by annotations
and classroom implementation
questions.
History in Asphalt: The Origin of
Bronx Street & Place Names: Did you
ever wonder how your street got its
name? This fascinating book describes
the history of Bronx names.
The Bronx: Then & Now: The
Bronx: Then and Now book highlights
the major transition The Bronx has
gone through over the years with
fascinating images.
The Northern Borough: A History
Of The Bronx: This book is an
updated history of the Bronx. Lloyd
Ultan puts together a one volume
work of Bronx history since the
prehistoric era until the present
time. It is a book all Bronxites must
have in their collection.
The South Bronx and the
Founding of America: The South
Bronx and the Founding of America
- An Activity Book for Teachers and
Students
Yankee Stadium 1923-2008:
This is a great book about the
rise of Yankee Stadium during the
early 1920s until the present. This
book consist of great images of
memorable baseball moments with
excellent descriptions.
Bronx Accent by Lloyd Ultan and
Barbara Unger: This work takes a
look at The Bronx’s relationship
to writers over the years and
provides historical context and
documentation to important literary
works. It is perfect for the coffee
table! 310 pages
Bronx Views: Postcards of The
Bronx: Wonderful images of The
Bronx with an essay on the origin
of post cards.
By The El: Third Avenue and
Its El at Mid-Century: Author
Lawrence Stelter takes a look into
the past and remembers one of the
fi xtures that connected Manhattan
to The Bronx. Although it has
been gone for decades, the Third
Avenue El was very important to
the development of The Bronx
and lives in many New Yorker’s
memories. 132 pages.
Chief Justices of The U.S.
Supreme Court by George Lankevich:
Touching essays of sixteen of our
nation’s highest judicial post. This
work also includes sections on
the origin of the Court and judicial
review. 127 pages.
Legacy of The Revolution. By
Lloyd Ultan: A concise history of the
Valentine-Varian House and its role
in the American Revolution. 130
pages
McNamara’s Old Bronx. by John
McNamara: John McNamara’s
articles from his “Bronx in History”
column in “The Bronx Press Review”
that span the centuries with Bronx
history. 254 pages
Morris High School: The story
of the extraordinary educational
reforms of the 1890s that led to
the opening of Morris High School
and the creation of the Public High
School System. by Gary Hermalyn
247 pages
The Beautiful Bronx: 1920-1950:
Memories of an exciting time in The
Bronx. 192 pages
The Birth of The Bronx: 1609-
1900: Accounts from diaries, letters
and notes describing The Bronx as it
began and developed, accompanied
by rare illustrations. 182 pages
The Bronx In the Innocent Years:
1890-1925: Colorful fi rst-person
reminiscences and rare historical
photographs provide a nostalgic
glimpse into the past. 164 pages
Bronx Arts Ensemble
Address: 80 Van Cortlandt Park
South Suite 7D-1
Bronx, NY 10463
Phone Number: (718) 601-7399
Fax: (718) 549-4008
Email: info@bronxartsensemble.org
Website: http://bronxartsensemble.org/
The Bronx Arts Ensemble is a
not-for-profi t organization founded
in 1972 to enrich the cultural
environment of the Bronx with a
year-round schedule of concerts and
special programs for families and
a full music and arts-in-education
program for schools.
The Bronx Arts Ensemble
serves its diverse community with
a repertoire of many cultures,
educational services for children and
adults and concerts. The concerts
feature guest artists and conductors
of varied backgrounds, including
Willie Rodriguez, the Valerie Capers
Quartet, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Jay Lee,
Christine Dookie, Marina Piccinini,
and Stewart Goodyear, among others.
Genres featured include chamber
music, jazz, Latin music, and classical
music. These concerts frequently
include new works or commissions
or rarely performed music of all
periods. Some performances
accompany notable stories, like
the Three Little Pigs, Hansel and
Gretel, The Emperor’s New Clothes,
and Beauty and the Beast, and are
geared toward children. Programs
are taken to areas free of charge or
at low admission so that our cultural
outreach is accessible to all.
The organization commands
the respect of the music world
for its high artistic standards,
innovative programming and
acclaimed recordings, as well
as its demonstrated service and
commitment to the Bronx community.
The Bronx Arts Ensemble engages
some of New York’s fi nest freelance
musicians who perform on a regular
basis. The cultural institution also
comprises all instruments of the
standard orchestra, performing as a
small group or full symphony. They
present over 100 concerts each
season, reaching an audience of
over 50,000 annually at such Bronx
institutions as The New York Botanical
Garden, Fordham University, Lehman
Stages, Lehman Center for the
Performing Arts, Hostos Community
College, Bartow-Pell Mansion
Museum, Philipse Manor Hall and
numerous Bronx school districts.
Youth and Education
Programs:
The Bronx Arts Ensemble
has displayed a commitment to
enriching the lives of students
through performance programs and
curriculum-related arts projects. Its
programs take place throughout the
Bronx as well as in other boroughs
and Westchester County. Teaching
artists work with school faculty in
developing programs to enhance
their teaching curriculum. Some of
the schools that have worked with
BAE include P.S. 126, P.S. 64, P.S.
58, Bronx International High School,
Bronx International Community High
School and University Heights High
School.
BAE Arts in Education programs
combine a workable balance
of hands-on teaching, student
participation in interdisciplinary
projects, teacher training and
professional performances, which
are acclaimed throughout the New
York City region.
BAE’s programs are praised
for directly involving children in the
creative process, making them aware
of the arts’ importance and exposing
them to great music of both Western
and other cultures. In addition to
education students about music and
boosting their self-esteem through
the arts, the program serves State
Learning Standards and helps to
improve reading and writing skills as
well as English comprehension. Their
projects involve the interdisciplinary
learning of English, history and social
studies, as well as art and music.
Auditorium Programs
As an extension of its
educational programs, the Bronx Arts
Ensemble makes it easy for students
to enjoy shows at either the Lovinger
Theatre or Hostos Center for the Arts
& Culture. Through BAE, schools may
book groups to attend professional
performances each fall and spring.
The 45-minute shows are performed
in the morning and are geared for
both younger and older students.
All programs offer teachers’ guides,
introduce the instruments with
musical examples and invite student
participation.
Residency Program
The Bronx Arts Ensemble
has had a Residency at Fordham
University since 1979 which include
a free summer concert series; free
chamber music programs for both
University and general community at
University Church; annual Christmas
and Spring concerts with Fordham
University Concert Choir, conducted
by Robert Minotti; and an annual
music competition for Fordham
students, the winner of which
performs with the organization.
Competitions
In addition, the organization has
hosted its Young Bronx Artist Contest
since. The competition is open to
music students between ages 14
and 20 who either live in or at least
go to school in the Bronx. Whether
the applicant is a instrumentalist
or vocalist, the competition affords
talented students with valuable
public performance experience. Many
have gone on to have professional
solo or orchestra careers. This year,
Madeleine Manasse, a violinist and
sophomore at Bronx High School of
Science, was awarded fi rst prize in
the competition and was awarded
$500 and a solo performance with
the Bronx Arts Ensemble that will take
place during one of its subscription
concerts during the upcoming 2012-
13 season. Runner-ups were also
awarded.
Bronx Arts Ensemble
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