Pound Ridge past and present

The area we now call Pound Ridge has been occupied for millennia.

The town traces its roots—and its name—to members of the Wappinger Confederacy, who used an enclosure, or “pound,” on one of the area’s ridges to corral game.

Europeans arrived during the first half of the 17th century, with English Capt. Nathaniel Turner purchasing land from local Native Americans. During Kieft’s War (1643–45), a conflict between Dutch colonists and Native tribes, the area became the site of one of the war’s deadliest episodes. In March 1644, Dutch forces under Capt. John Underhill, joined by English allies, launched a nighttime attack on a Native village in present-day Pound Ridge, surrounding and burning the settlement. Historians estimate that between 500 and 700 Native Americans, many of them women and children, were killed in what became known as the Pound Ridge Massacre.

By the early 18th century, Europeans began to settle in the area. Pound Ridge was officially incorporated in 1788—but how was the name spelled?

“For the last 250 years, there has been much controversy over the spelling of ‘Pound Ridge’ or ‘Poundridge,’” the Historical Society notes on its website. “In 1948, the Town Board declared the name to be two words: ‘Pound Ridge.’”

Pound Ridge was the site of a major British raid led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton on July 2, 1779. Tarleton got lost on his way to town, but even with more time to prepare, Patriot defenders were overwhelmed. The Redcoats laid waste to the town, eventually retreating when American reinforcements arrived.

Pound Ridge rebounded after the war and grew into a thriving agricultural and manufacturing community. In addition to dairy farming, residents operated mills, blacksmith shops and stores, while local industries included hat-making, shoemaking and basketmaking. The latter became so prominent that Scotts Corners was known as “Basket Town,” with many of its baskets finding their way to oyster fishermen along Long Island Sound.

The rail connection to New York City that transformed many neighboring communities largely bypassed Pound Ridge, which was located miles from the nearest station. By the early 20th century, farming and the town’s cottage industries were in decline, and its population had fallen to just 515 residents by 1920. A century later, it had increased nearly tenfold, yet the town still boasts Westchester’s lowest population density.

A turnaround began in the 1930s with the arrival of inventor and businessman Hiram Halle. After moving from New York City, Halle purchased and restored numerous homes, helping spark a revival that would reshape the community.

Beginning in the late 1930s and accelerating through the 1950s and 1960s, Pound Ridge became a center for Midcentury Modern architecture as architects, artists and New York City families brought contemporary design to the town’s wooded landscape. Architects such as John C.B. Moore, David Henken and later Vuko Tashkovich designed homes that emphasized open floor plans, expansive glass walls and a close relationship with the natural environment.

Rather than dominating the landscape, many of these homes were designed to blend with it, incorporating existing rock formations, trees and natural contours. The resulting collection of Midcentury Modern residences became a defining feature of Pound Ridge and remains an important part of the town’s character today.

Did you know? Swing-era bandleader Benny Goodman was a longtime Pound Ridge resident and even composed a tune titled “Pound Ridge.”