Talkin’ Bout Warburton – Teaming Up with Yonkers Historic James H Farrell Masonic Lodge #34

October 31, 2022 | LWalter

Warburton Avenue’s southern end is still one of Yonkers’ most charming streets, with old house rooftops low enough to catch long views of the Palisades cliffs. Girl Scouts, Scout Moms, Mason brothers and Friends volunteers tidied up Warburton on a sunny morning in late October, and caught the cliffs’ fiery color.

At the center of the volunteer activity was the historic James H Farrell Lodge (est. 1879), on Warburton near Lamartine Avenue. The lodge is one block from the aqueduct trail. Teamwork made it all come together!

Tom Meier, Department of Public Works Commissioner, came to inspect and commend! We all appreciated his encouragement.

Girl Scout Makaylah Jones works with Masonic brother Harold McKoy. Harold wants every Yonkers teen to know where to find the historic aqueduct trail.

Volunteer Dorothy DeWitz, pictured with The Friends’ President Mavis Cain, rode the train to Warburton – and then walked 5 miles home to Spuyten Duyvil in The Bronx!

Girl Scout Brook worked with her mother Gail. They are both meticulous!

Preservation

The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct are committed to preserving the historic structures atop and underneath the trail. The Friends took part in the reopening of the High Bridge and undertook the complete renovation and reopening of the Keeper’s House in Dobbs Ferry.

Advocacy

The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct advocate for the Old Croton Aqueduct and Tunnel, fighting to preserve the integrity of the park and to protect it from encroachments by private landowners. Please find below examples of our work.

Stewardship

The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct work to maintain the beauty of the undeveloped trail and the integrity of the entire length of the tunnel from Croton into New York City. We are always looking for volunteers interested in getting involved with adopting a part of the trail for invasive management and native plant restoration. We also have an annual cleanup of the trail in Yonkers.TENDING THE TRAIL: INVASIVE PLANT MANAGEMENT & RESTORING WITH NATIVE PLANTS HISTORIC WALL RESTORATION

Education

The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct educate the public about the history or the tunnel and trail. SCHOOL TOURS LECTURES, WALKS AND TOURS NEWSLETTERS Please find below some of our educational content.