Preserving History Archives - The Inside Press

When one thinks back on the past year, a few words stick out: family, friends, love and togetherness. These are the important things in life that have really come to the forefront in 2020 and beyond. Life as we know it has changed in many ways and people are learning how to live in this “new normal.”

Armonk resident John Diaconis is one of those people.

A partner at White Plains law firm Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP, he is also a former New Castle Town Board member. Diaconis is now President of Friends of Miller House/Washington’s Headquarters, having been a longtime advocate for the North White Plains historical site.

Diaconis moved to Chappaqua in 1990, when he says, the area was semi-rural and very quiet. He relocated to Armonk ten years ago, where he now lives with his wife Ann Dantzig and her 91-year-old mother, Janice Rabinowitz, whom he says “has more energy than all of us.”

Diaconis served on the New Castle Town Board for five years and was the Town Prosecutor until moving to Armonk in 2010. He credits his time on the board with his eventual involvement with Miller House.

“I moved to Armonk in 2010 and the first thing I became involved with was Miller House,” says Diaconis. He was asked to participate by Dorrie Watson, a founder of the North Castle Historical Society and town historian, whom he says was a legend in North Castle. The first order of business was to help work on getting the house refurbished and renovated, as it had been neglected for a number of years.

“Credit goes to George Latimer: he spearheaded the renovation,” says Diaconis. The Miller House hopes to be back open to the public in the near future, but for now they will offer virtual programs.

As the world began to shut down last March, working from home became the norm for many, including Diaconis. As he says, no one was pressured to go into the office and that it is fortunate that most of the work he does can be done from home. Now, the firm is back up and running at 100% with all safety features, such as protective glass in place. Diaconis works in the office as much as he can now, but employees still have the option to stay home when what they are doing does not require them to be in the office. In many ways, it seems the work-life balance has greatly shifted for everyone over the past year.

Appreciating One Another

Diaconis definitely understands the vast importance of family, especially at this time in the world. Unfortunately like most of us, he has also experienced loss. Diaconis’ son Ari passed away three years ago at the age of 33. While he was sick, he spoke a lot about the importance of relationships. As Diaconis says, “He was a really smart kid. My family and I are very attuned to appreciate one another and our friendships. If anything, the social distancing and stay-at-home parts of the virus have reinforced the importance of connection with people.” Ari and his sister Alix both attended school in Chappaqua. After graduating from Horace Greeley High School, Alix is now living in Brooklyn and working as a video editor. Ari went on to graduate from Cornell Law School and practiced law in New York City.

Diaconis also has two step-daughters. Natasha graduated from Byram Hills High School while Lexi graduated from the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. Lexi lives in Providence and Natasha in San Francisco. The family does a lot of Zoom calls and speaks regularly on the phone. Alix comes up to visit after quarantining and Diaconis visits her in Brooklyn as well.

Everything that’s been happening this last year has made them all closer. The community has definitely come together during this time as well. Diaconis says, “Armonk is an interesting town: everyone is pulling together.” North Castle Town Supervisor Michael Schiliro always starts each board meeting with “Dorrie TIME”. These are good deeds that people in the local community have done inspired by Dorrie Watson. “A lot of people are involved in community efforts to help homeless people,” says Diaconis.

Community Involvement

Local churches are doing outreach and are doing what they can to provide shelter as well as community members volunteering with food distribution and at soup kitchens. There is also a large effort to preserve local history: many in the community are actively involved with helping to fund the library and historical society.

Diaconis really enjoys the sense of community Armonk provides as well as many of the local spots in town–La Mer Seafood, David Chen and DeCicco & Sons included. He spends a lot of time downtown, as it is so walkable and vibrant. As for his role in public service, it all comes down to one thing. “My mentor was Marion Sinek, former New Castle Town Supervisor. People are in public service to try and do good things for people. I try to follow that motto now, as do others in public service.”

Opening Soon: The Landmark Miller House

Situated on a stretch of Virginia Road in North White Plains sits the Elijah J. Miller House. Once almost lost to disrepair, the historic home has undergone an extensive renovation thanks in part to Westchester County and Friends of Miller House/Washington’s Headquarters. The site was the home of Elijah and Ann Miller and it is where George Washington once stayed during the American Revolution. Unfortunately, it had spent more than 20 years with sustained structural damage and visitation was not allowed.

In 2019, County Executive George Latimer led efforts to renovate the house so that visitors could once again come and learn about its historical significance. John Diaconis, President of Friends of Miller House says, “Credit goes to George Latimer, he spearheaded the renovation.” And Kathy O’Connor, Commissioner of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation goes on to say, “We were thrilled that the restoration of the Miller House was a priority for the Latimer administration. We look forward to the day when we can begin programming again to educate children about this important landmark and history of their County.”

John Diaconis, outside the Miller House with Philip Sieverding, a Greeley grad who is on the historic house’s board of directors.
Photo by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

Storied History

Originally situated on a 100-acre farm, the house is an 18th Century Rhode Island-style farmhouse, built in 1738 with an addition built in 1770. Miller House served as General Washington’s sleeping quarters and command post during the 1776 Battle of White Plains. Shortly before the battle, Elijah, along with his two sons, John and Elijah, Jr. were killed.

Ann then turned the house into a field hospital, and many soldiers were tended to by her and others in the house and on the grounds. Eventually Charles Lee, Washington’s second-in-command was court-marshaled and the last phase of his trial was held at Miller House. In 1976, Miller House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Local Historic Landmark by the Town of North Castle.

Diaconis is looking forward to the day Miller House can re-open its doors to the public. “We would love to get school trips up and running again, it’s an important part of what we plan to do–to get things back to where they were.”

He has received emails from people all around the Northeast saying how they used to go to Miller House on field trips and that it was a highlight of their elementary school experience.

Millennial Interest

The Friends of Miller House board includes some millennials, whom the group hopes to connect with younger kids to help expose them to the important local history right here in Westchester County. “Anyone can join the Friends; we always want input from people with suggestions about programs they’d like to see and more. We want to hear from the public.”

For now, Miller House is planning a variety of virtual events including its George Talk book club series, which will feature a book written about Charles Lee. As Diaconis says, “We are grateful for County Executive Latimer’s leadership in preserving this historic landmark. John Nonna, Sharon Tomback and many others also worked countless hours to save the house,” which incidentally also included the saving of a 300-year-old sycamore tree.

Latimer says, “While we may not be able to gather at the Miller House in person, the meaning behind the historic home should never be forgotten. This building tells us the story of the American Spirit.” And we will all look forward to the day when we can once again take in its vast history on its grounds and inside its walls.

The Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society Preserves Village Lore for all to Learn and Enjoy

At the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society (L-R): Kathleen Zawacki, Arnold Feist, Carine Feist, George Behling, Karen Smith and Charles Trainor Photo by Donna Mueller

The stories about Briarcliff Manor seem unlimited. The documentation about the village that was incorporated in 1902 appears endless. And all those tales and eye-catching information can be found within the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society.

“I love stories and that’s what this place is all about,” historical society executive director Karen Smith said. “It’s not so much the dates–it’s the stories.”

The BMSHS’s mission emphasizes local history, including promoting original research connected to Briarcliff Manor, gathering and preserving artifacts, books, manuscripts, papers, photos and materials related to the village and the greater region and marking local places of historic importance. It’s a wealth of knowledge for people that want to learn more about the community they live in.

The historical society started in 1974 on the heels of the United States bicentennial when longtime resident William Sharman decided he wanted to spearhead one. Sharman, who is now deceased, grew up in Briarcliff and had all kinds of stories about the village and how it evolved through the years, Smith said.

There were about 30 founding members of the society, including Smith, who was neighbors with Sharman. Now, the society has about 230 members with most living in Briarcliff. Others are scattered around the country, but with some connection to the village.

What’s in a Name

The name Briarcliff Manor comes from an Episcopal reverend whose summer estate was called Brier Cliff after his family home in Ireland, Smith said, citing the book A Changing Landscape by Mary Cheever. James Stillman, president of First National City Bank, named his property Briar Cliff Farm before Walter Law, the founder of the village, purchased 235 acres. Law’s friend, business magnate Andrew Carnegie, gave Law the title “Laird of the Manor,” which resulted in Briarcliff Manor, Smith said.

1906 Early business in Briarcliff corner North State Road

Smith, who previously worked in finance, got more heavily involved when she retired and wasn’t commuting to New York City daily. She became Board of Trustees secretary, then co-president and is currently the executive director, a title she earned this year.

Smith shared that before the historical society became situated in the basement of the newly renovated library, the organization never had a real home base. Storage of historical papers and artifacts were placed in the wet basements and hot attics of BMSHS members’ houses.

Occasionally, there were one or two places in the village where the historical society could make a display for a couple years, but it was only temporary, Smith said. Renting modest space in the library has been crucial for the historical society, she added. In fact, the BMSHS can be found on the bottom floor of the library.

Recognizing Heroes

Some of the work of the BMSHS has helped give recognition to people and places in the village that might have been forgotten or never discovered.

For instance, Smith inquired why a Korean War veteran, John Kelvin Koelsch, didn’t have his name donned on a street sign in the village like many fallen war heroes. After she was left with an unsatisfactory answer, Smith and the BMSHS worked to bring his story to light.

Koelsch, who attended Scarborough School (now Clear View School) in the 1930s, was the first helicopter pilot to earn the Medal of Honor. He was posthumously honored after he died of illness in a prisoner of war camp in 1951.

Eventually a bronze plaque honoring Koelsch and detailing his inspiring heroism was placed in the Walter Memorial Park in 2016 by the village and the BMSHS.

“To have such an exemplary person to have lived here shouldn’t be one that is missed,” Smith said. “And he is not.”

Efforts Toward a Permanent Charter

Pointing toward the future, the BMSHS wants to earn a charter from New York State, which it is currently lacking. There are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled, and while Briarcliff’s historical society is as active as its peer organizations in the region, they are still working toward attaining a permanent charter.

“We’ve been in business for 45 years with a provisional charter,” Smith said, adding in order to get that charter the state “really wants you to know where your stuff came from,” which is tough to do. Smith said the historical society is going to get itself organized, go to the state capitol and make its case to the appropriate officials with hopes of getting that elusive charter.

Board president George Behling said the BMSHS acts as a treasure trove for residents whether it is someone looking at an old photo of their house and looking up a friend that they knew in the village. The goal is to always find items and documents that would intrigue people, he said.

“It’s just a continuous thing as we try to educate the people as much as we can about the history of the village,” Behling, who grew up in Briarcliff, said.

By attaining a charter, the BMSHS would reap more benefits, like the ability to apply for grants, and would hopefully help the historical society grow, Behling said.

Board trustee Charlie Trainor, who has lived in the village for 37 years, said he never knew so many cool facts and stories about Briarcliff until he got involved with the BMSHS a few years ago.Trainor said without Smith and the historical society, “you wouldn’t understand how much went on here.”

As an indispensable resource, the BMSHS continues to collect facts, figures, photos and most importantly, stories, that continue to shape the past and future of Briarcliff.