Collections

The New York State Office for the Aging designated the Westchester County Office for the Aging in 1974 as the area agency serving all persons 60 years of age and older. In 2001, the office became the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (SPS).

Senior Programs and Services Files, 1988-2013
Series 401
4 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically and chronologically.

This collection consists of the files of the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services. The bulk of the materials dates from 2002 to 2013. Materials include flyers, brochures, invitations, and printed programs; surveys; program monitoring assessments; menus and activity calendars; newsletters and press clippings; and departmental and personal correspondence. In sum, the collection serves to represent at least in part the life of senior citizens of Westchester County in the early 2000s.

The files contain records of departmental events such as Senior Law Day, Salute to Seniors, and the Hall of Fame; documentation of the monitoring of services concerning transportation, housing, Medicare rights, in-home care, and assisted living facilities; graphics orders for flyers, brochures, and other printed material for SPS events and services; and photographs. These include portraits made by County photographer John Vecchiolla of attendees at the Hall of Fame and three scrapbooks showing people participating in various events.

The collection is housed in nine boxes, of which Box 5 and Box 6 are restricted for 75 years due to the personal information contained therein.

Series 401 Senior Programs and Services, 1988-2013
Series 402 African American Advisory Board Records, 1998-2009

The Department of Emergency Services (DES) plays a critical role in keeping Westchester safe. As a part of its complex activities, the department helps local communities by assisting in the coordination of emergency management efforts, providing support with specialized emergency apparatus and other equipment, and offering extensive training opportunities for firefighters, EMT's and other first responders.

Fire District Historical Records, 1922-1995 (bulk 1926-1933)
Series 359
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged alphabetically. View box and folder list.

The Fire District Historical Records reflect the creation and proposed incorporation of several Westchester County Fire Districts, by petition to the Westchester County Board of Supervisors, primarily during the period 1926-1933. The records are organized in alphabetical order by specific town / location. The primary records that make up this collection are the signed petitions submitted to the Board of Supervisors by local residents who were in favor of the creation of the fire districts. In addition, the collection includes official affidavits and notary files; correspondence between local officials with requests for information, such as for tax and land evaluations and tax equalization tables with regard to land purchased for fire houses; and reports and meeting minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the fire district applications.

The collection also contains maps of the proposed fire districts in Verplanck in the Town of Cortlandt, Glenville in the Town of Greenburgh and Harmon in the Town of Cortlandt.

Two separate folders, dated much later than the rest of the collection, contain information on the job responsibilities and duties of the state of New York regional fire administrator, the New York State fire prevention code, state fire plans; and the other materials pertaining to fire prevention codes.

The Department of Community Mental Health plans, oversees and coordinates services for individuals - and their families - with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

Community Mental Health Board / Community Services Board Minutes and Meeting Packets, 1970-1975, 1977-1992
Series 361
6.5 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

Board minutes and meeting packets of the Community Mental Health Board from 1970-1975 and 1977-1978, and its successor, the Community Services Board, from 1978 to 1992. Also includes materials from some annual meetings of the Department of Community Mental Health (1980-1988, 1990, 1992); a few minutes of the Community Coordinating Council (1980-1984, 1986); the Community Mental Health Board's Professional Committee (1973-1975); and some Community Mental Health Services materials (1978-1982). View complete finding aid.

Community Mental Health Board – Miscellaneous Records, 1955-1956
Series 369
Less than 1 cubic ft. Arranged chronologically. View box and folder list.

A 1955 transcript of a public hearing on the needs for community mental health support in the community, a 1956 program report and a 1961 procedures and policies manual document the activities of the Westchester County Community Mental Health Board.

Dates: 1912-1924
Quantity: 22 photograph albums
Arrangement: Unarranged.
Indexed: Available online.
Format: 8x10 black and white prints on album pages with typed notecards.

The Bronx Parkway Commission Photograph Albums primarily document conditions that existed along the Bronx River before construction of the Bronx River Parkway in the nineteen-teens and early 1920s. Gathered into twenty-two photographic albums by the Bronx Parkway Commission, many of the images in this collection are also part of the Archives’ larger Bronx River Parkway photograph collection (not yet available online). Some of the images in the albums are specifically identified as “before” and “after” photographs of particular locations, showing the tremendous efforts made to clean up the Bronx River in the early part of the 20th century; while others are identified by their map sheet and parcel numbers. To some extent, the album number in which a photograph was included represents the map “sheet” on which the property depicted was located. This may help explain why there are twenty-two albums that are numbered 1-30, with gaps. James Owen is the photographer for many of the images in this collection.

For more information about the Bronx River Parkway, see also Series 95: Bronx Parkway Commission Annual Reports and Series 118: Bronx Parkway Commission Minutes. In addition, Series 109: Bronx Parkway Commission Land Acquisitions includes material relevant to many of the properties pictured in these photographs. Finally, Series 254: Bronx River Parkway Reservation Historic American Engineering Record has both modern and historic photographs as well as engineering drawings relating to the Parkway.

Sample Photographs:

Cars on the Bronx River Parkway, n.d. (PBP-2486)