Bill Frattarola, Jr. · Houlihan Lawrence

About Lewisboro

Lewisboro is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 12,324 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Lewis.

History of Lewisboro

After purchasing land from the local natives, the first settlers established themselves around South Salem. The town was formed in 1747 as the "Town of Salem." By 1790 the town assumed its current dimensions as lands were removed for other towns. The name also changed to South Salem in 1806. John Lewis, a financier, requested that the town be given his name and established a fund for the town, though he did not follow through on his promise of a railroad link. Lewisboro is noted for its elaborate gardens, most notable in its public traffic triangles. Dry-stone walls and elaborate colonial mansions are other dominant features.

Lewisboro also has two historical characters. Sarah Bishop is the hermit of West Mountain. Apparently mistreated by British soldiers at the time of the Revolutionary War, she retreated to a solitary life in the Lewisboro area. A spot known as "Sarah Bishop's Cave" is on the hill on the north side of Lake Rippowam, near Mountain Lakes Camp. The second historical character appeared around the time of the Civil War. The Leatherman was a wanderer who got his name from homemade leather garments. He is frequently mentioned as being in Lewisboro in the middle of the 19th century. He followed a route past homes that would offer him a meal and reappeared at the same doorsteps for 25 years. One of the hiking destinations in Ward Pound Ridge is to the Leatherman's cave, reportedly one of his more frequent homes.

Geography of Lewisboro

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.4 kmē), of which, 27.9 square miles (72.1 kmē) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 kmē) of it (4.36%) is water.

Lakes of Lewisboro

There are 7 lakes in the town of Lewisboro. Lake Waccabuc, Lake Oscaleta, and Lake Rippowam are interconnected and are collectively known as the Three Lakes, and are natural (not man-made) lakes. Lake Waccabuc is the largest and most well known of these, and the area of town named after it has a separate post office. Lake Oscaleta and Lake Rippowam are also called the Twin Lakes, probably because of Twin Lakes Village, a development which runs between them. The other lakes in town are Lake Truesdale, Lake Katonah, Lake Kitchawan, and Timber Lake. Recognizing the importance of the lake communities in the town, in 2007 a Lakes Committee was formed by the Town of Lewisboro.