Bedford Hills is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in the town of

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, New York, United States. The population was 3,001 at the 2010 census. Two New York State prisons for women,

Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women a women's prison in the town of Bedford, New York, is the largest women's prison in New York state. The prison previously opened under the name Westfield State Farm in 1901. It lies just outside ...

and

Taconic Correctional Facility Taconic Correctional Facility is a medium/minimum security women's prison in Bedford, New York operated by the New York State DOCCS. Although the prison has a maximum 387-person capacity, the incarcerated population was under 170 as of Novembe ...

, are located in the hamlet.

History

When the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

was built in 1847, Bedford Hills was known as Bedford Station. Bedford Hills extends from a business center at the railroad station to farms and estates, eastward along Harris, Babbitt and Bedford Center roads and south along the Route 117 business corridor up to Mt. Kisco. Bedford Hills is the seat of government of the town of Bedford. The Town House, built in 1927, and Town buildings containing the Police Department and Town offices are located in Bedford Hills. The Richard H. Mandel House, designed by

Edward Durell Stone Edward Durell Stone (March 9, 1902 – August 6, 1978) was an American architect known for the formal, highly decorative buildings he designed in the 1950s and 1960s. His works include the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City, the Museo de A ...

, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1996. Bedford Hills is the site of

Stepping Stones Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. U ...

, the historic home of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. and his wife Lois Burnham Wilson, founder of

Al-Anon Al-Anon Family Groups, founded in 1951, is an international mutual aid organization for people who have been impacted by another person's alcoholism. In the organization's own words, Al-Anon is a "worldwide fellowship that offers a program of rec ...

/Alateen. The home, located at 62 Oak Road in Katonah, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and has become a tour destination for members of

12 Step Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its members ...

organizations. The Community House located on Church Street, was originally built in 1919 to serve the needs of returning World War I veterans. Following that time, it was used for potluck suppers, theater productions, and sport activities.

Geography

Bedford Hills is located at (41.2367613, -73.6945751) and its

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

is . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, Bedford Hills has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

Local media

''The Record-Review'', a weekly newspaper, reports on local issues in Bedford, Bedford Hills, Katonah, and Pound Ridge. The newspaper began publishing in 1995.

Schools

Bedford Hills Elementary School is a K–5 school which many children in the town attend. Bedford Hills is one of five schools in the

Bedford Central School District Bedford Central School District is a school district located approximately 50 minutes north of New York City in northern Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populo ...

where older students attend Fox Lane Middle School and High School. The Bedford Hills Free Library is located in Bedford Hills and is a member of the Westchester Library System.

Centennial

In May 2010, Bedford Hills celebrated its centennial with a number of community-wide events, including a scavenger hunt and a pie baking contest. This event celebrated the town's name change from Bedford Station to Bedford Hills. This event was organized with help from the Bedford Hills Historical Museum and its co-presidents, Ellen Cohen and Elin Peterson.

Notable people

Gertrude Berg Gertrude Berg (Born Tillie Edelstein; October 3, 1899 – September 14, 1966) was an American actress, screenwriter, and producer. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce, and star in a long-running h ...

, actress, screenwriter, producer. *

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

, actress *

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the A ...

and

Catherine Zeta-Jones Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...

, actors *

Kimya Dawson Kimya Dawson (born November 17, 1972) is an American folk singer-songwriter, one half of the anti-folk duo the Moldy Peaches. Dawson's work with the Moldy Peaches earned them a cult following and critical acclaim, with their 2001 song "Anyone El ...

, musician *

Charles Frankel Charles Frankel (December 13, 1917 – May 10, 1979) was an American philosopher, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State, professor and founding director of the National Humanities Center. Early life and personal life Born into a Jewish family in New ...

, philosopher *

Nan Hayworth Nan Alison Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former Congresswoman for . A Republican, she was elected in 2010. In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district ...

, former Congresswoman. *

Barnard Hughes Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes (July 16, 1915 – July 11, 2006), known professionally as Barnard Hughes, was an American actor of television, theater and film. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles; his most notable roles came after mi ...

, actor * Abbie Ives, professional ice hockey player * Michael J. Knowles, American conservative political commentator *

George Soros George Soros ( name written in eastern order), (born György Schwartz, August 12, 1930) is a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist. , he had a net worth of US$8.6 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated mo ...

, billionaire hedge fund investor * Julie Strauss-Gabel, editor of acclaimed young adult literature *

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

, actor

References

External links

All About Bedford: Connecting Our Community With a Click—the most local of news sites on the Town of Bedford, its people and its schools
{{authority control Hamlets in New York (state) Census-designated places in New York (state) Census-designated places in Westchester County, New York Hamlets in Westchester County, New York 1847 establishments in New York (state)