Description

New Castle documents the history of this New York community, from agricultural hub to suburban paradise.

New Castle: Chappaqua and Millwood chronicles the rich history of a northern Westchester town, located some 30 miles north of New York City. The present-day suburb was for almost two centuries an isolated agricultural area, and its chief products were milk and apples. The arrival of the railroads stimulated its growth and attracted affluent New Yorkers such as Horace Greeley to establish summer homes here. As farming declined toward the end of the 1800s, many farms were consolidated into large estates. In the 1900s, most of the former estates and remaining farms were subdivided into suburban residential neighborhoods. Families were drawn to the town by its reputation for religious diversity and outstanding public education.