Join Damian Griffin and Stephen DeVillo for a look at Williamsbridge, where a strategic crossing of the Bronx River became the focus of an early crossroads community.
Learn about how this crossing was contested during the Revolutionary War, and how “Gun Hill” got its name. Witness the scene of one of the bitter Civil War Draft Riots, imagine the bucolic pleasures of French Charlie’s riverside resort, and see where medieval tapestries were woven on the Bronx River amidst a traditional French-speaking community. Hear the tale of the “Bronx River Soldier,” find out how the Bronx River Parkway altered the river, and maybe take in a radio-controlled model car race!
The free walking tour meets at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 4th at White Plains Road and Gun Hill Road, right outside the #2 Gun Hill Road subway station. The Ramble should take about two hours, so wear your comfortable walking shoes! The tour is part of the monthly series of Bronx River Rambles sponsored by the Bronx River Alliance.
For information or directions call Stephen DeVillo at 718-430-4613, or stephen.devillo@parks.nyc.gov.
