Gilbert Kerlin papers on the Riverdale Community Planning Association
Information, Description, and Finding Aid
Collection Information
Reference: MS-KERLIN
Dates: 1930s–1994
Extent: 9 linear ft. across 9 archival boxes
Digital Extent: 2.41GB
Finding Aid Information
Creator(s): Steven Payne, Ph.D., Librarian and Archivist
Date created/updated: April 23, 2020
Administrative History/Biography
Gilbert Kerlin (1909–2004) was an attorney as well as an environmental conservator and founder of the Riverdale Community Planning Association. He worked for 50 years to preserve the natural landscape and residential character of the Riverdale section of The Bronx.
Riverdale is a neighborhood of modest apartment buildings, single-family homes, winding roads and quiet streets, some of them resembling country lanes. That it remains this way is due in great part to a successful rezoning effort that Kerlin led in the early 1950s. At the time, Riverdale faced growing pressure from developers hoping to build high-rise apartments and shopping centers. In response, Kerlin, who had moved to the neighborhood with his family after World War II, founded the Riverdale Community Planning Association. The association developed a rezoning plan to restrict construction of apartment buildings and encourage the building of one- and two-family homes. The plan was approved by the NYC Planning Commission in 1954; it covered nearly three-square miles and was considered one of the largest rezonings in the city’s history.
Kerlin was also instrumental in saving Wave Hill. In 1961, he persuaded its owners, who were considering selling the 20-acre estate to an apartment building developer, to donate it instead to the city. Later in the decade, he helped convert the estate to a public arboretum and center for art and environmental science.
Description/Scope and Content
As per the donor-supplied general box descriptions and date ranges, the material consists of documentation/paperwork relating to planning and environmental conservation efforts by Kerlin and the Riverdale Community Planning Association such as board and committee meeting minutes, maps, resident mailings, title searches and appraisal reports, correspondence, press coverage, etc. The folders identified in this collection are not archival file folders, they are large expandable folders with flaps and ties*.
The donor employed a service to compile a general description for the materials as they were reboxed into 9 cubic foot archival storage boxes. In addition, a digital copy of the records was created for the benefit of having these records available online for research purposes through The Society’s website. Currently, these digital files are available for viewing via our electric shared folder access by request. The donor's private curator for this collection established a coded system for the Digital Files (see Box List table below).
Provenance
Kerlin’s daughter, Sarah Gund, approached The Society to donate the papers of her father that largely related to the Riverdale Community Planning Association and its work preserving the quality of the community against real estate incursions. The materials, including the original papers as well as a donor-funded digital copies of the records, were donated to The Society on November 15, 2017.
Preferred Citation
[Item name or description,] Gilbert Kerlin papers on the Riverdale Community Planning Association, box _, folder _, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Points of Access
- Bronx Neighborhoods -- Delafield/Delafield Gardens -- Riverdale -- Wavehill
- Bronx Organizations -- Hebrew Home for the
Aged -- Park District Protective League -- Riverdale Community Planning Association -- Riverdale Greenbelt Stewardship Council -- Riverdale Nature Preservancy -- Riverdale Neighborhood and Library Association - Colleges and Universities -- Columbia University
- Individuals -- Kerlin, Gilbert -- McGill, William
- Landmarks -- Campagna Mansion -- Campagna Property -- Delafield Botanical Garden -- Dodge Mansion -- Gibson House
- New York City -- City Planning Commission -- Community Board #8 -- NYC Board of Standards and Appeals -- NYC Planning Commission
- Real Estate development -- Keibel Property -- Manoussoff Associates -- Rezoning -- Riverdale Realty Company
- Religious Institutions -- Riverdale Temple
Related Collections
- Herman Badillo papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Mario Biaggi papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bill Bigelow papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Jonathan Bingham papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Political Campaigns collection. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Decatur Democratic Club records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Elias Karmon papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Rev. Wendell Foster papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- G. Oliver Koppell papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Murray Lerner papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Hansel L. McGee papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Joseph F. Periconi, Jr. papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Urban League, Bronx Branch Records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- West Bronx Young Republican Club records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Women's Republican Club of Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Box List
| Box | Title | Folders | Digital Files |
| 1 | 1-2 | A1-A2 | |
| 2 | 3-5 | A3-A5 | |
| 3 | 6-9 | B6-B9 | |
| 4 | 10-11 | R10-R11 | |
| 5 | 12-15 | B-12-B15 | |
| 6 | 16-17 | B16-B17 | |
| 7 | 18-21 | C18-C21 | |
| 8 | 22-25 | C22-C25 | |
| 9 | 26-28 | C26-C28 |
Container List
|
Box |
Folder* |
Contents |
Date |
| 1 | 1 | Delafield/Delafield Gardens (owned by Columbia University); Columbia Arboretum; Meeting with President William McGill; “de-mapping”; Rezoning; Transition from low- to medium-density housing; Riverdale Temple negotiations with Columbia University |
1969-1975 |
| 1 | 2 | Riverdale Community Planning Association; Riverdale Neighborhood and Library Association; Community Council join with Riverdale Community Planning Association (1953–1958); Charter of Community Planning Association (1953); Treasurer’s Report (1960–1961); Amendments to By-laws (1958); Minutes of Planning Association Board; Park District Protective League Minutes (1953) |
1953-1962 |
| 2 | 3 | Riverdale Community Planning Association—Multiple dwelling zoning; NYC Board of Standards abd Appeals—hearings, filings, variances sought in zoning; Seton Hospital site matter; “Rothkreig Unpleasantness” (see also: Rothkreig matter in following entry) |
Ca. 1958 |
| 2 | 4 | Board of Standards and Appeals—Riverdale Realty Company, multiple dwellings; Rothkreig matter (see also: Folder 3) |
1958 |
|
2 |
5 | Delafield filing by Riverdale Community Planning Association; Proposed development of Columbia University’s Delafield Botanical Garden (1965–1977); Deed (1968); Delafield and Columbia University correspondence re: gift of property (1969); Clippings re: planning and various issues; environmental and natural features references |
1965-1977 |
| 3 | 6 | Various Community Board land use variances | 1989-1990 |
| 3 | 7 | NYC Board of Standards and Appeals hearings; Riverdale (Greenbelt) Stewardship Council (1988–1991); Community Board #8 hearings (1989); Gibson House; press coverage; Dodge Mansion (1989) |
1988-1991 |
| 3 | 8 | Landmarking—Campagna Property | 1993-1994 |
| 3 | 9 | Land Use Review—Campagna Mansion | 1989 |
| 4 | 10 | Campagna Mansion (Gilbert House) Board of Standards and Appeals Hearings, submissions, etc. |
1989-1990 |
| 4 | 11 | Board of Standards and Appeals Hearings—transcripts, press coverage re: decision |
1990-1991 |
| 5 | 12 | Board of Standards and Appeals hearings—Campagna Mansion; documents submitted to Planning Commission |
1990 |
| 5 | 13 | Landmarking—Campagna Mansion; background on building and property |
1992-1994 |
| 5 | 14 | Campagna Mansion—press coverage and documents re: application for variance to convert Mansion to corporate headquarters |
1989-1991 |
| 5 | 15 | Documents submitted to City Planning Commission | 1989-1990 |
| 6 | 16 | Working File—Campagna Mansion conversion and variance |
1989-1990 |
| 6 | 17 | Riverdale Greenbelt Stewardship Council—Opposition to Variance Application; Riverdale Sanitation Corp. references; submissions to Board of Standards and Appeals |
1989 |
| 7 | 18 | Riverdale Nature Preservancy; Hebrew Home for the Aged—submissions, correspondence, application for variance; terms of agreement to variance |
1989-1993 |
| 7 | 19 | Community Board #8—Laws and regulations re: Campagna Mansion |
1987 |
| 7 | 20 | Title searches and lane appraisal project; Use variance record and zoning changes (1943–1982); title search for Campagna Mansion; Tree Inventory |
Ca. 1988-1989 |
| 7 | 21 | Riverdale Community Planning Association Board minutes and financial statements; 990A forms (1965–1967) |
1965-1972 |
| 8 | 22 | Press coverage re: zoning plan, etc.; financial information (1962); Treasurer’s report (1953); Park District Protective League (1953); Riverdale plan (1960); Gilbert Kerlin statement |
1953-1962 |
| 8 | 23 | Riverdale Park (1968); Riverdale Community Planning Association (RCPA) By-laws (1953, 1958); Certificate of Incorporation; RCPA Certificate of Amendment; Park District Protective League; RCPA By-laws (1972) and Minutes (1972); Bella Vista (1973); RCPA Minutes of special meeting (December 3, 1965); RCPA Officers and Directors (1965, 1972); RCPA List of Members (1972); RCPA meeting of Members (1965); RCPA Registration as charitable organization (1967); RCPA Treasurer’s report (1966) |
1953-1973 |
| 8 | 24 | Riverdale Community Planning Association (RCPA) Minutes of Board Meetings (1951–1958); Executive Committee Meeting (September 17, 1951); Regional Plan Association, 1953 |
1951-1953 |
| 8 | 25 | Riverdale Community Planning Association (RCPA) Correspondence (1965–1976); Long-range Plan, 2000 (January 1988); RCPA Members List, 1972; South Bronx Development, 1980 |
1965-1980 |
| 9 | 26 | Miscellaneous, 1960s–1970s, including maps, Executive Committee mailings to members, NYC Master Plan, Riverdale Phase 1 by Manoussoff Associates (1968); Keibel Property deed (1966); Background on Riverdale sewers, etc. |
1960s-1970s |
| 9 | 27 | Miscellaneous, 1950s, material regarding 1950s zoning | 1950s |
| 9 | 28 | Miscellaneous, 1930s–1940s, including Riverdale Neighborhood and Library Association; mailings to residents; Park Plan; “Planning Northern Riverdale” (1930); “A Vision Realized” |
1930s-1940s |