Banksville, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Banksville
Hamlet
Banksville Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Town	North Castle

Banksville is a small community, called a hamlet, located in New York and Connecticut. It's part of the town of North Castle in Westchester County, New York, and also stretches into parts of Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut.

Banksville was likely founded in the late 1600s. It was important for local businesses and had a boarding school. Many brave people, including veterans from the American Revolution, Civil War, and both World Wars, called Banksville home. Today, it is a lively area with many families who have lived there for generations.

Banksville's Early History

The village of Banksville got its name from the Banks family. They settled in this area, which now covers parts of North Castle, New York, and Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut. Before European settlers arrived, Banksville was a hunting and fishing ground for Native Americans. The Mianus River, which flows through the area, was named by Chief Myn Myano.

Early European settlers were given land further out from growing towns. This helped expand the township of Greenwich. Before the American Revolution, Banksville was a community of independent farmers. Most of them were patriots who did not support King George III of England.

Patriots of Banksville

Many Banksville citizens fought in the American Revolution. Colonel David Hobby was part of the Westchester County Militia. Benoni Platt, one of Banksville's founders, was also a proud patriot. He was a Captain in the Second Regiment, Westchester County Militia, New York.

Among the first settlers were Samuel Banks and Joseph Finch. Samuel Banks was born around 1677 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. In 1737, he bought 300 acres of land in North Castle. During colonial times, Banksville also included Middle Patent, which borders Bedford, New York, and Greenwich.

When Samuel Banks died in 1743, he was buried on a hill on his farm. This place is now known as the Middle Patent Cemetery. The hill became a burial ground for local families. In 1907, it became "The Middle Patent Rural Cemetery Association." This cemetery is still located on Middle Patent Road in Bedford, New York.

Important families living in Banksville during this time included the Veeks, Hobbys, Platts, and Brushes. Many of these families attended Stanwich Church. This church was founded in 1731 and is now on Taconic Road in Greenwich.

Banksville's Unique Geography

Banksville has a very special geography. It covers land in three towns across two states: Greenwich, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, and North Castle, New York. The New York part of Banksville is a hamlet of North Castle. The Connecticut part is considered an area of Greenwich.

The oldest part of Banksville is where Taconic Road is today. It was originally called the Main Road. Today's main road, North Street, did not exist in the 1700s and 1800s. The Main Road was a stagecoach route from Greenwich and Cos Cob, Connecticut.

In the early days, all of Banksville, including Middle Patent up to Bedford Village, was part of Connecticut. In the late 1600s, Connecticut and New York had a disagreement about the border lines. The border was finally settled around 1731, before the Revolutionary War.

Banksville's Shoe Industry

The community of Banksville grew in the mid-1800s. It was named after John Banks, a descendant of Samuel Banks. John Banks lived across from the former Banksville Baptist Church on what is now North Street in Greenwich. He was born in 1811 and died in 1882.

By 1850, John Banks owned the country store in Banksville. He also made ladies' shoes. The shoe industry became very important in the area. Many people credit John Banks with bringing this industry to Banksville.

How Shoes Were Made

As cities like New York needed more shoes, the industry started making them in rural areas. These areas included North Castle, Greenwich, Bedford, and Stanwich. John Banks created a "cottage industry" of shoemakers in the 1840s and 1850s. This meant people made shoes at home.

He supplied shoes to John Dayton's Shoe Store on Greenwich Avenue. Greenwich Avenue was becoming a big shopping area. In 1850, a shoe store called "Hobby, Van Ranst and Parker" opened in Banksville. It later became Finch's Store in 1869. This store was on the Greenwich/North Castle border.

Making shoes became an important way for farmers and their families to earn extra money. Entire families would work together. Once the shoes were finished, they were taken to Finch's Store. Families would trade their shoes for goods like tobacco, kerosene, silk, coffee, and salt mackerel. The shoe business continued until the late 1880s. After that, shoes were mostly made in large factories in other parts of New England.

Miss Purdy's School

In the late 1850s and early 1860s, wealthy parents in New York City looked for schools outside the city for their daughters. In 1859, Ann Purdy came from Syracuse, New York. She opened "Miss Purdy’s Seminary for Young Ladies" in Banksville.

The school was known as a "fashionable" boarding school. It offered regular classes, French, proper posture, and etiquette. Girls came from Greenwich, Stamford, and New York City. Girls from nearby towns commuted, while those from New York City lived at the school.

The Banksville Stagecoach

Miss Purdy helped start a stagecoach service for her students. She loaned Silas Derby, a former shoemaker, $100 to begin the service. The stagecoach, known as the "Banksville Stage," ran from 1861 to about 1900. It traveled from the Greenwich Train station to Bedford, New York.

Silas Derby carried passengers, farm goods, and mail. His first trip was on June 23, 1861. The service stopped 39 years later on June 23, 1900. Miss Purdy's school was located across the street from what is now the North Street Shopping Center in Greenwich. The school operated for over 20 years.

The Banksville Community House

The Banksville Community House (BCH) was founded in 1937. R. Eugene Curry and Julian Howay started it. It was first located in Finch's Country Store. It served the community, especially children and a local Boy Scout Troop.

Howay saw a need for a place for children's activities and family gatherings. Many immigrants were moving to the area. The BCH helped them with citizenship papers and getting used to life in the United States. It helped both young people and adults.

The BCH moved from Finch's General Store. Curry and Howay got money to build a new community house just for the BCH. Mr. Herbert Betrand, one of the founders, bought the Old Jensen Farm in 1939. This farm was once an apple orchard. Today, the BCH is located there on Banksville Avenue in Greenwich, near the New York state line.

Community Support During Wartime

Banksville has a proud history of its residents serving in the military. They have fought in almost every American war, starting with the American Revolution. The Middle Patent Cemetery is where many of these brave people are buried.

During World War II, many young men from Banksville went to war. The BCH became a meeting place for people from Connecticut and New York. They worked together to help the war effort, doing tasks like rolling bandages. For many years, the BCH also sponsored a summer camp with the United Way of Greenwich. The camp stopped in the early 2000s. The BCH has always been a place where people come together to strengthen their community.

Banksville's Clubs

During the Revolutionary War, the building that is now the French restaurant La Cremiere was home to the Widow Brush. Around the time of the Civil War, the Hobby family lived there. In 1925, it was sold and became the Westchester Women's Golf and Tennis Club. It had tennis courts and a golf course.

This club closed due to the Great Depression. It later became the Middle Patent Golf Club, open to both men and women. In 1947, it became La Cremiere, which it remains today.

Banksville Golf Club

Later in the 20th century, there was also the Banksville Golf Club nearby. This club was on the farmland of James Banks, who owned it during the Revolutionary War. Later, J. Hobby owned it in the 1800s.

In the 1960s, Joseph M. Auresto and Michael Sinistore planned a golf course on this farmland. It opened in the late 1960s or early 1970s. It was an 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse. It closed in the 1980s when Joseph Auresto sold the land. New homes were then built on what is now Hobby Lane and Hobby Farm Drive.

St. Timothy's Chapel and Conyers Farm

Before St. Timothy's Chapel, Catholic families in Banksville had no easy way to go to church. Three boys used to walk from Banksville to Glenville for religious education. Reverend John Burke learned about their struggles. He then arranged occasional religious services at the home of George Zygmont, a local family member.

In 1904, Conyers Farm was created by Edmund Converse. He was the founder of United States Steel. He bought twenty farms in the area to create Conyers Farm. Many Italian and Polish people worked at Conyers Farm, but they had no place to attend Catholic Mass.

Building a Church

The number of Catholic people grew, creating a need for a Catholic church. Catholic families asked to build a permanent Chapel. However, Bishop John Nilan, the Bishop of Hartford, turned down their request.

Still, the idea gained support. Local Polish, Irish, and Italian Catholic church members found a location for a church. They bought an abandoned building that used to be a creamery. This creamery processed milk from local farms and closed before World War I. Today, it is St. Timothy's Chapel on North Street in Greenwich.

The first Mass at St. Timothy's was on Sunday, December 21, 1919. As the church grew, a choir was formed. There were also lawn parties, carnivals, and many fundraisers. Today, St. Timothy's Chapel is part of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, a few miles south on North Street. The address of St. Timothy's is 1034 North Street, Greenwich, Connecticut.

Middle Patent School

The Middle Patent School was a small building. It was located at the corner of Round Hill and Banksville Bedford Road. In 1812, a plan was made to build a school. Many families with young children lived in the area because of the many farms. So, they decided to build a schoolhouse.

It first opened in 1813. It was built on land that had been part of the Hobby Farm. It was a one-room wooden schoolhouse. Early records show families like Mead, Banks, Finch, Hobby, Platt, Reynold, Smith, Lyon, Miller, and Palmer attended. The one-room school was active for over 100 years. It stayed open through the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. The Middle Patent School closed after 151 years in 1964. The building burned down in 1976.

Banksville Independent Fire Department

The Banksville Independent Fire Department was founded in 1949. Their first firetruck was an old, used 1926 American LaFrance. They bought it for $318. Before the firehouse was built, the first firetruck was kept in George Zygmont's garage on Banksville Avenue.

The Banksville Fire Department's first call was at Henker Farm. A bolt of lightning hit the barn. The fire department was able to save it. This event led to the fire department's emblem: a fire helmet with a lightning bolt over it. Every year, the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Banksville Fire Department and the BCH host the Turkey Jamboree. Residents gather for this fun community event.

Finch's Country Store

In 1860, Marvin Finch and George Derby partnered up. They bought the store "Hobby, Van, Ranst and Parker." They then opened Finch's Store, originally called "M. M. Finch and Son." The store has always been at its current location at 4 Bedford-Banksville Road, Bedford, New York. However, it was first in the automobile repair building. That building was later moved to 16 Banksville Avenue, Bedford, New York. Today, Finch's Country Store has changed from a general store to a local restaurant and deli.

Other Banksville Facts

• In 1925, when the United Nations was being planned, Banksville was considered as a possible location. Paris and other cities were also considered.
• In 1946, many Banksville residents gathered to protect their homes. If the UN had moved there, people would have lost their homes. The final location for the UN was chosen to be Manhattan in New York City.
• Until the 1920s, Banksville had its own post office. It first opened on the Connecticut side and later moved to the New York side.
• Banksville School was a one-room schoolhouse. It was located on what is now "The Avenue," formerly known as School Street. It was open in the late 1800s.
• Across the street from St. Timothy's today was the Baptist Church. It was built in 1853 and had a baptistry. In 1918, it closed. The building, looking the same on the outside, was turned into a private home.

This information was put together partly for a Girl Scout Gold Award.