3. Claremont Mansion, Claremont Park
The Claremont Mansion or the Zborowski Mansion once stood on an estate where Claremont Park is today. The massive home was built in 1859 for Elliott and Anna Zborowski de Montsaulain. The 38 acres of land on which the mansion stood were in the northern part of what used to be the Morris family estate. One of the founding families of the Bronx, the Morrises established their estate in 1679. Much of the Morris land was auctioned off in 1848 as the city expanded.
Claremont Mansion was known for its white marble sculptural decor and terraced lawns that cascaded down to the Mill Brook, which is now Webster Avenue. After the 1884 New Parks Act went into effect, the city purchased land for Claremont, Crotona, Van Cortlandt, Bronx, St. Mary’s, and Pelham Bay Parks in 1888. The estate grounds became parkland and the mansion was converted into the administrative headquarters of the Bronx Parks Department. A dangerous incident occurred at the mansion in the early 1900s. One rainy day, while parkgoers sought refuge on the mansion’s veranda, the porch collapsed into the cellar. Over a hundred people tumbled down into the cellar and some had serious injuries. The Parks Department headquarters were relocated in 1938 and the mansion was demolished. Today, at the site of the lost mansion you’ll find a gazebo.
