Westchester Square, Bronx

{{Short description|Neighborhood in New York City}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Westchester Square | settlement_type = Neighborhood of the Bronx | image_skyline = File:Huntington FL front jeh.jpg | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = The front door to the historic Huntington Free Library on Lane Avenue | image =  | image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-lat=40.735|frame-long=-73.975|zoom=9|type=point|coord={{coord|40.843|-73.843}}}} | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = Location in New York City  | coordinates = {{coord|40.84124|-73.84324|type:city_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|New York}} | subdivision_type2 = City | subdivision_name2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of New York City.svg}} New York City | subdivision_type3 = Borough | subdivision_name3 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Bronx County, New York.svg}} The Bronx | subdivision_type4 = Community District | subdivision_name4 = Bronx 10<ref name="NYCPlanning">{{cite web|title=NYC Planning {{!}} Community Profiles|url=https://communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov/bronx/10|website=communityprofiles.planning.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Department of City Planning|access-date=25 February 2018}}</ref>  | area_total_sq_mi = | area_footnotes =   | population_footnotes =  | population_total = | population_as_of = | population_density_km2 =  | population_density_sq_mi= auto | population_demonym =  | population_note =  | demographics_type1 = Economics | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Median income | demographics1_info1 =

| postal_code_type = ZIP Codes | postal_code = 10461, 10462 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 718, 347, 929, and 917 | website = {{URL|www.westchestersquare.nyc}} }}

'''Westchester Square''' is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the eastern section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East Tremont Avenue and Silver Street, Blondell Avenue and Westchester Creek to the east, Waterbury Avenue to the south and Castle Hill Avenue to the west. The main roadways through Westchester Square are East Tremont Avenue, Westchester Avenue and Williamsbridge Road.

The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community District 10, and its ZIP Codes include 10461 and 10462.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haller |first=Vera |title=Westchester Square, the Bronx: Stay Awhile |newspaper=New York Times |date= November 26, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/realestate/westchester-square-the-bronx-stay-awhile.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1388296641-85v4OBkXqXVoOq2mNFOUiA |access-date=2013-12-29}}</ref> The area is patrolled by the 45th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.

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== History == The village was founded about 1654 by English settlers who left New Haven Colony for Dutch New Netherland, on land purchased by Thomas Pell in 1654 from the sachem Ann-hock, alias Wampage, and other Native Americans,<ref>Robert Bolton. A History of the County of Westchester, from Its First Settlement, Volume II. New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1848</ref> although his right to do so was disputed by the Dutch who also laid claim to the land. The settlers followed the Westchester Creek to a path behind what is now Herbert H. Lehman High School to where the Square is now. The settlement was called Oostdorp, or East Towne, and called '''Westchester''' by the English settlers.

In a war in 1655 between the Dutch and Native Americans, the Dutch suspected the settlers of Oostdorp of working with the Esopus and Woppinger Indians and being instigators, so as to drive the Dutch from the area. In addition, they were in communication with the New Haven Colony, which drove Peter Stuyvesant to order their removal and the destruction of their homes in March 1656.<ref>Stephen Jenkins. The Story of The Bronx: From the Purchase Made by the Dutch from the Indian in 1639 to the Present Day. New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Knickerbocker Press. 1912.</ref> Twenty-three men were placed on board the ship ''de Waagh'' ("the Scales") and taken to New Amsterdam, where they were held prisoner on the ship ''Ballance''. According to one account, they were "fed with rotten provision, creeping with worms, whereby some of them remained diseased to this day, after which they were carried away in chaines and laid in their dungeon at Manhatoes."<ref>Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan MD, History of New Netherland. New York: Bartlett and Welford, D. Appleton and Company, 1849</ref> Shortly afterwards, the settlers agreed to submit to Dutch law and authority and were permitted to remain at Westchester. Thomas Wheeler, Thomas Newman, and John Lord were selected as the first magistrates. At that time, the town consisted of twenty-five men and ten to twelve women.<ref>{{cite book | last=O'Callaghan | first=E.B. | title=History of New Netherland: Or, New York Under the Dutch | publisher=D. Appleton & Company | series=Collection canadiana de Louis Melzack | issue=v. 2 | year=1855 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4QAPAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA312 | access-date=August 15, 2018 | pages=312–316}}</ref>

The village was the town seat of the '''Town of Westchester''' (the town hall being located at {{coord|40.842753|-73.844356|name=Westchester Town Hall}}<ref>[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~29891~1140187:Unionport,-W--Chester-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:Unionport;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=4&trs=6 1881 map of the Villages of Unionport and Westchester (David Rumsey Map Collection)]</ref>) until 1895, when that town became part of greater New York City. The Square is still laid out like a village, with the Owen Dolen Plaza, previously the village green, once again a central feature of the community. There are still many 19th-century homes throughout the neighborhood, including several old Victorian mansions, as well as the Huntington Free Library and Reading Room on the west side of the square. In 1920, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company's Pelham elevated line was opened with a stop at Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B0CE2DB1630E433A25751C2A9669D946195D6CF&legacy=true|title=Subway Extension Opens Sunday|date=October 22, 1920|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=December 14, 2016}}</ref>

The Westchester Square BID (business improvement district) was formally signed into law in March 2012. Led by business owner John Bonizio, the BID is funded by landlords and shopkeepers who pay a special property tax assessment to the city. It helps to patrol and promote the immediate shopping corridor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beekman |first=Daniel |title=Mayor Bloomberg signs Westchester Square Business Improvement District into law |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=March 8, 2012 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/mayor-bloomberg-signs-westchester-square-business-improvement-district-law-shopping-hub-article-1.1034991 |access-date=2016-09-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Walsh |first=Robert |title=The Bottom line For Small Business |date=September 26, 2016 |url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/audio/the-bottom-line-for-small-business/ |work=CBS News New York |access-date=2016-09-28}}</ref> ==Demographics== For census purposes, the New York City government classifies Westchester Square as part of a larger neighborhood tabulation area called Van Nest/Morris Park/Westchester Square.<ref>[https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/ntas.pdf New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.</ref> Based on data from the 2010 United States census, the population of Van Nest/Morris Park/Westchester Square was 29,250, a change of 2,115 (7.2%) from the 27,135 counted in 2000. Covering an area of {{convert|829.61|acres}}, the neighborhood had a population density of {{convert|35.3|PD/acre|PD/sqmi PD/sqkm}}.<ref name=PLP5>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p5_nta.pdf Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.</ref> The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 27.3% (7,987) White, 11.1% (3,245) African American, 0.3% (82) Native American, 10.6% (3,100) Asian, 0.1% (15) Pacific Islander, 1% (292) from other races, and 1.4% (410) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.3% (14,119) of the population.<ref name=PLP3A>[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/census2010/t_pl_p3a_nta.pdf Table PL-P3A NTA: Total Population by Mutually Exclusive Race and Hispanic Origin - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010], Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, March 29, 2011. Accessed June 14, 2016.</ref>

==Police and crime== Westchester Square and Co-op City are patrolled by the 45th Precinct of the NYPD, located at 2877 Barkley Avenue in Throggs Neck.<ref name="NYPD 45th Precinct">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/45th-precinct.page|title=NYPD – 45th Precinct|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Police Department|access-date=October 3, 2016}}</ref> The 45th Precinct ranked 28th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/bronx/throgs-neck/|title=Throgs Neck: City Island, Pelham Bay, Co-op City – DNAinfo.com Crime and Safety Report|website=www.dnainfo.com|access-date=October 6, 2016|archive-date=April 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415064635/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/crime-safety-report/bronx/throgs-neck|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 45th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 67% between 1990 and 2022. The precinct reported five murders, 13 rapes, 235 robberies, 265 felony assaults, 108 burglaries, 609 grand larcenies, and 323 grand larcenies auto in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs-en-us-045pct.pdf|title=45th Precinct CompStat Report|website=www.nyc.gov|publisher=New York City Police Department|access-date=May 9, 2021}}</ref>

==Fire safety== Westchester Square is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Squad 61/Battalion 20, located at 1518 Williamsbridge Road.<ref>{{cite web | title=Squad 61/Battalion 20| website=FDNYtrucks.com | url=http://www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/bronx/e61.htm | access-date=March 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite FDNY locations}}</ref>

==Post office and ZIP Codes== Westchester Square is located within ZIP Code 10461 northeast of Zerega Avenue and 10462 southwest of Zerega Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Country Club, New York City-Bronx, New York Zip Code Boundary Map (NY) | website=United States Zip Code Boundary Map (USA) | url=https://www.zipmap.net/New_York/Bronx_County/Z_Country_Club.htm | access-date=March 17, 2019 | archive-date=August 6, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806212752/https://www.zipmap.net/New_York/Bronx_County/Z_Country_Club.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> The United States Postal Service operates the Westchester Station post office at 2619 Ponton Avenue.<ref>{{cite web | title=Location Details: Westchester | website=USPS.com | url=https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorDetailsAction!input.action?locationTypeQ=po&address=10461&radius=20&locationType=po&locationID=1433928&locationName=WESTCHESTER&address2=&address1=2619+PONTON+AVE | access-date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>

==Arts and culture== The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance is located on the grounds of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Westchester Square.<ref>{{cite web |first=Joe |last=Hirsch |title=Legendary dance group gone from BankNote |url=http://brie.hunter.cuny.edu/hpe/2013/10/28/legendary-dance-group-gone-from-banknote/ |date=October 28, 2013 |access-date=2016-06-05 |archive-date=2016-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221174710/http://brie.hunter.cuny.edu/hpe/2013/10/28/legendary-dance-group-gone-from-banknote/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) Headquarters is located at 2700 East Tremont Avenue in Westchester Square. A pioneering advocate for cultural equity since 1962, BCA nurtures the development of a diverse array of artists and arts organizations and builds strong cultural connections in and beyond The Bronx.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.bronxarts.org/about-us |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.bronxarts.org |language=en}}</ref> As of 2024, the [https://www.bronxarts.org/programs/connector/longwood-art-project/longwood-art-gallery Longwood Art Gallery] is located within BCA HQ.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Longwood Arts Project |url=https://www.bronxarts.org/programs/connector/longwood-art-project |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.bronxarts.org |language=en}}</ref> The gallery is part of the '''[https://www.bronxarts.org/programs/connector/longwood-art-project Longwood Arts Project],''' a flagship program of BCA. Founded in 1981, it was one of the first alternative gallery spaces in The Bronx and to this day maintains its pioneering focus on artists whose traditions and cultural practices are underrepresented by mainstream venues.

==Parks and recreation== * '''Owen Dolen Park''' is bordered by Westchester Avenue, Lane Avenue and Williamsbridge Road. It was recently renovated and rededicated in June 2013.<ref name="News 12 The Bronx">{{cite web |date=June 5, 2013 |title=Owen Dolan Park reopens in Westchester Square |url=http://bronx.news12.com/news/owen-dolan-park-reopens-in-westchester-square-1.5414610 |work=News 12 The Bronx |access-date=2014-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103124432/http://bronx.news12.com/news/owen-dolan-park-reopens-in-westchester-square-1.5414610 |archive-date=2014-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rocchio |first=Patrick |title=Owen Dolen reopens amid fanfare |newspaper=Bronx Times Reporter |date=June 14, 2013 |url=http://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2013/24/24_owen_2013_06_13_bx.html |access-date=2014-09-21}}</ref> The $4.72 million renovation of the park was started in September 2011.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rocchio |first=Patrick |title=Owen Dolen Park groundbreaking on $5 million renovation |newspaper=Bronx Times Reporter |date=September 30, 2011 |url=http://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2011/39/bronxtimes-yn_bronx_front_page-38-owen.html |access-date=2014-09-21}}</ref> It was named after Owen Dolen a lifelong community resident and teacher, in 1926. Dolen had died of a heart attack a year earlier after giving a speech at the Square to unveil a granite memorial honoring neighborhood soldiers killed in World War I.<ref>{{cite news |last=Armaghan |first=Sarah |title=Westchester Square rehab begins with overhaul of Owen Dolen Park |newspaper=New York Daily News |date=September 15, 2011 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/westchester-square-rehab-begins-overhaul-owen-dolen-park-article-1.955141 |access-date=2014-01-03}}</ref> * The name for the '''Pearly Gates Playground''' is derived from Christian tradition of the entranceway through which souls enter Heaven after death. The pearly gates are said to be guarded by Saint Peter, one of the founders of the Christian Church. The playground is named the Pearly Gates, because of its location on St. Peter's Avenue. The playground originally opened in 1952 under the joint operation of Parks and the Board of Education. The park was originally called the Westchester Playground until 1998, when Parks Commissioner Henry Stern renamed the site The Pearly Gates.<ref name="NYC.gov">{{cite web |title=The Pearly Gates |url=http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/thepearlygates/ |work=New York City Department of Parks and Recreation |access-date=2014-01-03}}</ref>

==Libraries== The Huntington Free Library is a non-circulating, privately operated library at 9 Westchester Square. It is one of the oldest libraries in the Bronx.<ref>{{cite web | last=Hu | first=Winnie | title=Huntington Library in Bronx Struggles for Relevance | website=The New York Times | date=August 8, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/nyregion/private-library-labors-to-be-relevant-again.html | access-date=March 17, 2019}}</ref> It remains largely unchanged from its opening in the 1890s, although it formerly contained a large Native American collection. The library includes a special collection of books and photographs on local Bronx history, as well as a collection contains current newspapers, magazines, and reference books.<ref name="Hu 2014">{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Winnie |title=Bronx Library May Get a New Neighbor: Another Library |newspaper=New York Times |date=November 23, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/nyregion/bronx-library-may-get-a-new-neighbor-another-library.html?src=twr&_r=0 |access-date=2014-11-29}}</ref>

The New York Public Library (NYPL)'s Westchester Square branch is a circulating branch of the NYPL located at 2521 Glebe Avenue. The branch started operating in 1937 and moved to its current two-story location in 1956.<ref>{{cite web | title=About the Westchester Square Library | website=The New York Public Library | url=https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/westchester-square | access-date=March 14, 2019}}</ref> There are plans to move the Westchester Square branch to the Huntington Library annex.<ref name="Hu 2014"/>

==Transportation== thumb|right|Looking west bound on the Westchester Square platform with St. Peter's church in the distance.

The following New York City Subway stations serve Westchester Square:<ref>{{NYCS const|map}}</ref> *Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue ({{NYCS trains|Pelham north}}) *Zerega Avenue ({{NYCS trains|Pelham north}})

The following MTA Regional Bus Operations bus routes serve Westchester Square:<ref name=busbx>{{cite NYC bus map|Bx}}</ref> *{{NYC bus link|Bx4}}: to Westchester Square ({{NYCS Pelham}}) or Third Avenue–149th Street ({{NYCS trains|White Plains}}) (via Westchester Avenue) *{{NYC bus link|Bx4A}}: to Westchester Square ({{NYCS trains|Pelham local}}) or Simpson Street ({{NYCS trains|White Plains}}) (via Westchester Avenue and Metropolitan Oval) *{{NYC bus link|Bx8}}: to Williamsbridge or Locust Point (via Williamsbridge Road) *{{NYC bus link|Bx21}}: to Third Avenue–138th Street (via Morris Park Avenue) *{{NYC bus link|Bx24}}: to Country Club or Hutchinson Metro Center *{{NYC bus link|Bx31}}: to Woodlawn (via Eastchester Road) *{{NYC bus link|Bx40}}/{{NYC bus link|Bx42}}: to Throggs Neck or Morris Heights (via 180th Street, Burnside Avenue, Tremont Avenue)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Westchester Square, Bronx}} * [http://www.bronxnyc.com East Bronx History Forum] * [http://www.huntingtonfreelibrary.org Huntington Free Library and Reading Room] * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110208041053/http://www.stpetersbronx.com/ St. Peter's Episcopal Church]}} * [http://www.wsbid.org/ Westchester Square Business Improvement District] * [http://www.wszio.org/ Westchester Square-Zerega Improvement Organization]

Category:Westchester Square, Bronx Category:Former towns in New York City Category:Neighborhoods in the Bronx Category:Squares in the Bronx

Westchester Square, Bronx

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