Bartow-Pell Mansion

While the original manor built by Englishman John Pell burned during the American Revolution, his descendent Robert Bartow constructed the 1842 Greek Revival mansion currently located near the shore of Long Island Sound in the Bronx. The Bartow-Pell Mansion and grounds, which today include gardens, a stone carriage house, and a botanic conservatory, stand as the last of the wealthy estates that occupied the Pelham Bay area in the late 1800s. The mansion displays maps, photographs, paintings, and historical writings to recreate elements of mid to late 19th-century life and illustrate its past context and surroundings. The exhibit In Search of the Lenape examines art and archaeological objects of the Native American Lenape tribe that first lived in the region. A wigwam is also available for viewing.

On-site programs: In the Family Life on a 19th-Century Country Estate program, an educator will visit classrooms prior to a visit to the Bartow-Pell Mansion to introduce aspects of 19th-century life through examination of artifacts such as a chamber pot, a geography book from 1852, a slate board used by students in lieu of paper, coal used for heating, census records, journal entries written by Robert Bartow's brother, and architectural drawings of the house. Students break into small discussion groups and practice answering document-based questions. A postvisit activity book of 19th-century crafts and activities is also available. As part of the Original Bronx Natives: Who Were They? program, teachers receive previsit materials including the text of a treaty signed between Thomas Pell and local Native American tribes. During the on-site component, students sit inside a reconstructed wigwam where an educator describes various elements of the structure. Students also walk a trail to the water's edge and visit the site where the Pell/Lenape treaty was signed. Other activities include learning Native American methods of food preparation, ceremonial face painting, social dancing and signing a facsimile of the treaty with quill pen and ink. (Grades K–6; free for NYC public school students)

Professional development: Individual groups can schedule training sessions. (For teachers of grades K–6; $).

General information: Address: 895 Shore Road, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, NY 10464; Phone: (718) 885-1461, x7; Web: www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

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