In 1839 a professor of Greek and Oriental Languages bought a house in Ossining, NY about 2 miles from where I'm writing this post in Briarcliff Manor. The professor never lived in Ossining, turning over the title to his son, Benjamin soon after purchasing it. But he did visit the house often.

The “Crossways” was built in 1820 by Joseph Whitson and was the home of John Whitson. The Whitson Family owned 400 acres of farmland and had several houses in the area and so the intersection of Pleasantville and South State roads became known as Whitson’s Corners.

This house at 25 Studio Hill Road may be more familiar to you as Maison Lafitte, La Petite Affair, Unique Affairs at Mansion Hill, Tara on Hudson, Hudson at Haymount House, or most recently as The Briarcliff Manor/Antipasti di Napoli. 

Driving down Scarborough Road, one might notice a long brick wall running from Philips Laboratories to one of its distant entrances on Holbrook Road.  I often wondered why this wall was there.  I eventually discovered that this wall once served as the border of the “Waldheim” estate of James and Ellin Speyer. 

The Briarcliff Library was started in 1914 by the Briarcliff Manor Community Club which was organized to conduct lectures, hold theatrical performances and meetings of literary, political and religious societies. According to the 1914 issue of “Community Notes” published by the club “The library is open for the lending of books. 

One of the many well-known people who have called Briarcliff Manor home is Flora Ettlinger Whiting. Flora was a pioneer in collecting American antique furniture and decorative arts. Much like Henry DuPont at his “Winterthur” estate in Delaware, Flora Whiting at the “Ashridge” estate in Briarcliff Manor filled it with the prized specimens of this aesthetic of American design.

Our first entry into the Briarcliff Notebook features the columns along the west side of Route 9. These columns mark the former entrance to Beechwood, the estate of Frank and Narcissa Vanderlip.