The Kingsbridge Historical Society

The Kingsbridge Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) charity that was founded in 1949.  It was the first, and is the oldest, local historical society in the Bronx.  The society’s focus is on the history of the greater Kingsbridge area, located in the north-west Bronx.  The society’s name is derived from the historic King’s Bridge and its environs, which include present-day Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Spuyten Duyvil, Marble Hill, Inwood, Van Cortlandt, and Fieldston.

It is comprised of members interested in all aspects of local history and has an archive of photos, maps, books and other items that document this area that is rich in history.

The Greater Kingsbridge area was home to the Native Lenape people and their ancestors, European colonists, and enslaved Africans.  This area contains the boundary of the original Manor of Fordham of Jan Archer and the farm of Adrian van der Donck.  It was home to over six American Revolutionary fortifications, battle sites, and the historic King’s Bridge, once the only land route out of Manhattan.  With the industrial era came the Johnson Iron Foundry, Hudson River Estates, and the private community of Fieldston.  The greater Kingsbridge area has just about something of interest for everyone.

The Kingsbridge Historical Society’s charter is to help preserve and keep alive the history of this area.  Our motto says it all – “To lose our History is to lose our destiny.”