Lewisboro, New York

Lewisboro is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 12,411 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John Lewis, an early settler.

History

After purchasing land from the local natives, the first settlers established themselves around South Salem. The town was formed as "Salem" in 1747. By 1790 the town assumed its current dimensions as lands were removed for other towns. The name changed to South Salem in 1806. John Lewis, a financier, requested that the town be given his name and established a fund for the town, though he did not follow through on his promise of a railroad link. Lewisboro is noted for its elaborate gardens, most notable in its public traffic triangles. Dry-stone walls and elegant Colonial mansions are other dominant features.

Lewisboro has had two noteworthy historical characters. Sarah Bishop was the hermit of West Mountain. Apparently mistreated by British soldiers at the time of the Revolutionary War, she retreated to a solitary life in the Lewisboro area. A spot known as "Sarah Bishop's Cave" is on the hill on the north side of Lake Rippowam, near Mountain Lakes Camp. The second historical character appeared around the time of the Civil War. The Leatherman was a wanderer who got his name from homemade leather garments. He is frequently mentioned as being in Lewisboro in the middle of the 19th century. He followed a route past homes that would offer him a meal and reappeared at the same doorsteps for 25 years. One of the hiking destinations in Ward Pound Ridge is to the Leatherman's cave, reportedly one of his more frequent homes. In 1987 a 10k trail race called "The Leatherman's Loop" was started to honor his legacy and continues every spring at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

Peter Parsons

Peter Parsons (1951–1993) was a ceramic artist.

A large number of cartons, albums and a trunk containing diaries, personal notes, schematic sketches and prototypes of some of his finished pieces was found in 2008 which, for a non commercial artist is proving an invaluable insight into the thought processes of an artist representative of the sub culture that flourished in the fabled sixties and seventies.

Life and work

Parsons was a prolific ceramic artist whose works spanned several decades up until the last year of his life.

Peter Parsons was born in Sydney, Australia. His paternal great-grandfather was of Chinese origin who came to work the gold fields during the nineteenth century.

His ceramic ideas reflect a fantasy world. In his youth he created a make-believe Atlantis city in the backyard of his family home. This city was built over a number of years and this extensive collection of buildings became the embryonic forms that later developed into his castle series. His artistic talent could be seen even in these early years.