How did people get around White Plains before and during colonial days? How did new modes of transport transform WP from a "sleepy" small village into a modern city? Horses: John Rosch photograph part of White Plains Public Library Digital Collection. Remember, that modern day horses did not come to America till Europeans brought them…
Category: White Plains History
How Well Do You Know White Plains?
Not until I joined Facebook did I find out how many people reminiscence about old White Plains (WP). Many were former residents who remember the City before Urban Renewal (1966-1980) when much of the Business District (BD) demolished for revitalization. Just a start for my questions about White Plains: 1.Where was the location of the…
White Plains Revitalization; Its Vanishing Past
In February 2019, one of White Plains' older homes was demolished. Former Rocco Briante house was built around 1913. Rocco Briante was a builder of homes and other structures. House at 40 Chatterton Parkway had become a "zombie" property. Neglect obviously caused severe deterioration of not only the house but to the stone stairs that…
Book, White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts
The book White Plains, New York: A City of Contrasts by Sandra Harrison was published in 2013. This website contains updated versions of the book broken into separate entries. In addition, other things about White Plains are included on the website but not in the book. A full preview of the book can be found on Lulu.com the publisher of the printed…
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Notable Afro-Americans of White Plains
Copied here is information from handout given out at White Plains Local History Roundtable Feb 2018. NAACP in area covers Greenburgh & White Plains (WP). Housing in WP was segregated and Battle Hill was part of Greenburgh till 1916 when WP annexed the area as a City. Many Afro-Americans lived in the Business District till…
Rosa Kittrell
This a copy of the text from Ben Himmelfarb's blog on Local History on Rosa Kittrell for which White Plains (WP) named one of its parks : Local History: Rosa Kittrell By Ben Himmelfarb October 10 has been designated World Mental Health Day by the World Health Organization. In honor of it, here is a story…
White Plains Demographics
White Plains (WP) today is a "diverse" community but has not always been. Census reporting gives the best way to examine the changes. WP's first settlers came from Rye in 1683 and were English Puritans. The first US census of 1790, recorded WP with a total population of 550. This number included 40 slaves. In…
