Kensico: Views of a Lost Village

What was once a thriving village is now only a monument by the side of Rt. 22 and some old photographs. The village of Kensico was situated at the intersection of what is now Stevens Ave. And Rt. 22, on the banks of the Bronx River. It began as a collection of several mills, and a village of homes, shops, and a school grew around it. George Washington used Wright's Mill as a meeting place during the Battle of White Plains. The 1885 earth dam flodded several buildings, but it was the building of the present stone dam which spelled the end for Kensico--the foundations of the village are now under about 100 feet of water. Some of the buildings were moved, many razed, and one--the Lakeview Hotel (see picture below) was burned by a motion picture company for one of its films before it was submerged in the reservoir.

church in Kensico
This was the Methodist Church in Kensico village. It was built in 1835, and dismantled when the area was flodded by the Kensico Reservoir.

Kensico P.O.
The Kensico Post Office, which also sold groceries and provisions, as could be seen on the sign were this picture a bit bigger!

hotel in Kensico
Raven's Lakeview Hotel and Bottling Works in Kensico village. This building was burned for a motion picture company for one of their films before the reservoir covered it over.

state road in Kensico
The "state road in Kensico" is now Rt. 22, and doesn't look a thing like this!