10538 - Larchmont

Larchmont is a village in Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,864 at the 2010 census.[1] It is located within the Town of Mamaroneck, on the shore of Long Island Sound, 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Midtown Manhattan. Larchmont is served by the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad.

In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Larchmont 11th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States.[2]

Originally inhabited by the Siwanoy (an Algonquian tribe), Larchmont was discovered by the Dutch in 1614. By 1720, few Siwanoy remained in the Larchmont area and the land had been largely bought up by British and Dutch settlers.

Larchmont's oldest and most historic home, the "Manor House" on Elm Avenue, was built in 1797 by Peter Jay Munro.[3] Munro was the nephew of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and was later adopted by Jay. At the beginning of the 19th Century, Munro was active in the abolitionist movement, helping to found the NY State Manumission Society, along with his uncle and Alexander Hamilton. Munro's house faced towards the Boston Post Road (the back is now used as the front), which tended to generate a lot of dust in summer months. To combat this, his gardener imported a Scottish species of larch trees that were known to be fast growing. These were planted along the front of the property, eventually giving the village its name. The Village of Larchmont was incorporated in 1891.[4]

Before the advent of the automobile, Larchmont was a resort community serving wealthy New York City residents. Many of the Victorian "cottages" and a few of the grand hotels (such as the Bevan House and Manor Inn) remain to this day, though these have been converted to other uses such as private residences. The Larchmont Yacht Club hosts an annual Race Week competition (2007 marked the 110th running of this event). It is adjacent to Manor Park, which was designed by Jeremiah Towle, an early summer resident of Larchmont Manor and an engineer. The Larchmont Shore Club (near the Larchmont Yacht Club) hosts an annual "Swim Across America" challenge, across Long Island Sound.

Larchmont and neighboring Mamaroneck and New Rochelle are noted for their significant French American populations.[5]

Education
The Village of Larchmont contains one of the six schools in the Mamaroneck Union Free School District, Chatsworth Avenue School, which was established in 1903. Other elementary schools and the high school are in the Village of Mamaroneck. Central School, Hommocks Middle School, and Murray Avenue School, although they have a Larchmont postal address, are located in the unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck. The Mamaroneck school district has a long history of being well-regarded, and is a major factor for families with young children choosing to settle in Larchmont.

Parks and recreation
Flint Park - offers a variety of sports facilities, including tennis and paddle tennis, three baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, a picnic area, and a playground for both toddlers and young children. Flint Park is home to the famed "Mani Bowl" played each year on Christmas Day, and features the village's preferred sleigh riding hill.

Lorenzen Park - home to village Little League and Soccer League fields.

Manor Park - situated along Long Island Sound, with walking paths and views of the water. The park is open to the public but is privately owned by the Larchmont Manor Park Society (which also maintains a beach within the park).

Pine Brook Park - a play area for young children, along with a ballfield.

Vanderburgh Park - also known as "Turtle Park", a play area for small children and toddlers.

Willow/Woodbine Park - an opportunity for observing nature along the Premium River (includes basketball courts, soccer field, and a play area for both toddlers and young children).

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