House Tours

One of the largest and most well-known houses in Lawrence Park is the “Owl House,” so named because of the figure of a large owl resting on its central gable. Although most contemporaries identify the house with Brendan Gill, architectural critic of The New Yorker, who lived there with his...Continue Reading

Crow’s Nest is among Bronxville’s oldest and finest homes. Well known Hudson River artist and financier Francis Edmonds chose this hilltop site for its commanding views extending to Manhattan, and in 1850, leading Bronxville citizen, quarry owner, and builder Alexander Masterton designed and constructed the stone Gothic-style country house. Edmonds...Continue Reading

In the mid-1890s, Elizabeth Custer bought her first Bronxville house, 20 Park Avenue, next door to a Michigan hometown friend. The house included two towers, one originally with a crenelated parapet that was said to be reminiscent of Western forts where the Custers had lived. In 1902 the Widow Custer...Continue Reading

The original manor house was built in 1870 for John Masterton, early founder Alexander Masterton’s youngest son, a politician and banker. In1884 he was arrested and soon lost his house and all his assets for using depositors’ money for speculating in mining stocks. Later owners, generous philanthropists, became well-known for...Continue Reading

As a tribute to the village’s artists, we presented for inspection the historic studios of WILL and MARY LOW (25 PRESCOTT AVENUE), Lorenzo Hatch (6 Lookout Avenue), and Hermann Schladermundt (8 Park Avenue). These studios have retained their large north-facing windows, while affording contemporary families the luxury of grand and comfortable indoor spaces. 25 Prescott...Continue Reading

This unique mid-nineteenth-century house boasts twentieth-century additions by Lewis Bowman and is set on one of the largest parcels of residential land in the village. Surrounded by old-growth trees and beautiful gardens, it is situated well back from the road that was carved through the woods by Masterton over 165...Continue Reading

Originally intended as a summer retreat from New York City, the 1835 Masterton homestead, built on an 11-acre plot, soon became the family’s major residence. It had the added benefit of being near the Tuckahoe marble quarry, the source of the material that was a trademark of Masterton’s extensive building...Continue Reading

The quiet house on the western edge of Prescott Avenue as it winds its way from Valley Road toward Wellington Circle is a collaborative effort by architects William A. Bates and Kenneth How and was originally built in 1912 for William Van Duzer Lawrence. Situated on a craggy hillside, the...Continue Reading

The house at 279 Pondfield Road was built by Lewis Bowman in 1926 at the height of his success in Bronxville. The first owner was William J. Morden, an internationally renowned explorer and naturalist who hunted for and contributed many exotic animals to the exhibits at the American Natural History...Continue Reading