North Castle

The town of North Castle in Westchester County is about 35 miles north of New York City and includes Armonk, Banksville and the Eastern District, and North White Plains. Home to half of the 2,145-acre Kensico Reservoir and Dam (primarily built by Italian stone masons using locally quarried stone), North Castle protects New York City's water supply, which inundates the lost Kensico Village. During the early 1920s, Route 22 became the "Gateway to the Berkshires," bringing prosperity to farm stands, restaurants, dance halls, bars, and hotels. During the late 1920s and through the 1930s, hundreds were treated to barnstorming, weekend rides, stunt flying, and parachuting at the Armonk airport. Lavish country estates at the turn of the 20th century became country clubs, housing subdivisions, and corporate parks by the beginning of the 21st century. Today, international corporations IBM and Swiss Re headquarter in town. More than 200 photographs in this book celebrate the remarkable people, places, and events that helped shape North Castle into the exceptional community it is today.