A Brief History of the City of Rye, New York
Rye, New York became the oldest permanent settlement in Westchester County as a result of a small group of settlers securing real estate in 1660 in the area now known as Rye. Peter Disbrow, John Coe, Thomas Studwell and later John Budd entered treaties with the Mohegan Indians. Accumulative purchases over numerous years provided these settlers with real estate first between Milton Point and the Byram River and later what is no known as Manursing Island, the City of Rye, Town of Rye, Harrison, White Plains, parts of Greenwich, North Castle, and Mamaroneck.
Rye received its name after ancestors living in Rye, England. From 1665 to 1788, the area of Rye had been transferred multiple times between Connecticut and New York states until the New York Legislature established official boundaries for The Town of Rye in 1788.
Rye started as a secluded community with residents involved in farming, cattle grazing, oystering, and grist mills. Residents in Rye became more exposed to people from other communities when The New York - Boston stagecoach, launched in 1772, stopped in Rye at the Square House, which served as an Inn. Rye later evolved into a popular summer resort when then the New Haven Railroad as well as steamboat service provided access to and from Rye in the mid 1800’s.
Trolleys helped make Rye and the surrounding communities more accessible. Lacking services from and representation on the Rye Town Board, this growing community, now known as the City of Rye, passed a bill incorporating Rye as a Village independent of the Rye Town Board. Rye grew significantly in the late nineteenth century as parkways and commuter trains made the community even more accessible.
Rye became Westchester’s sixth and smallest city when Rye residents adopted the Rye City Charter on January 1, 1942 to gain advantages offered to a city and obtain complete independence from the Rye Town government.
The City of Rye today offers about 15,000 residents 5.5 miles of beautiful water views and a traditional village atmosphere with historic landmarks and modern public facilities. Many residents living in Rye commute to work in New York City, which is about 25 miles away. Many other residents are employed in Rye as well as in other communities in Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Long Island.
The City of Rye, through careful planning, smart zoning, and controlled growth, has preserved its charm while allowing for the development of well designed office buildings located on the outskirts of the town, which have enabled Rye to broaden its tax base to benefit of the Rye community.