Local Spuyten Duyvil resident, Stephanie Coggins, is encouraging families, friends and neighbors to attend the co-naming ceremony of Palisade Avenue / John J McKelvey Sr. Villa Rosa Bonheur Way, on April 8, an event hosted by District 11 Councilman Eric Dinowitz.

On December 15, 2021, legislation created and advanced by the councilman was passed at City Council which paved the way for the co-naming of the intersection of Palisade Avenue and Independence Avenue. According to Coggins, the co-naming celebrates the wide-ranging and historical contributions of McKelvey Sr. to modern day Spuyten Duyvil and the larger community encompassed by Bronx Community Board 8, as well as the legacy of the former architectural jewel, Villa Rosa Bonheur, created by McKelvey Sr. in 1924.

“This co-naming is the culmination of a two-year effort to historically recognize the contributions of John J McKelvey Sr. and Villa Rosa Bonheur to our community after the demolition of Villa Rosa Bonheur in 2020,” Coggins said. “On April 8, at 12 noon, an unveiling ceremony will take place, hosted by Council Member Eric Dinowitz. Various community members will speak, including myself, as well as descendants of Mr. McKelvey.”

She added, “Please join us on April 8 for the festivities along with elected officials, community activists and your neighbors. The ceremony begins at 12:00 noon. Please gather at 11:45 am.”

According to Coggins, the co-naming was made possible by the endorsement of community organizations: Along the Hudson Homeowners Association; Bronx Council for Environmental Quality; Friends of Spuyten Duyvil; Kingsbridge Historical Society; the Spuyten Duyvil Neighborhood Coalition; Riverdale Nature Preservancy; and the Coalition to Save Brust Park.

“The endorsement of these organizations was an integral part of the nomination process, and I am exceedingly grateful to each and every organization,” Coggins added. “Thank you so much.”

According to a press release issued by the councilman’s office, John Jay McKelvey, Sr. (24 May 1863 – 19 October 1947) was an American author, attorney, and preservationist who set precedents in establishing the Harvard Law Review, as its first editor-in-chief, and in framing case law to craft the environs of his Spuyten Duyvil community, New York. He is also the builder of Villa Rosa Bonheur, which was located at 2395 Palisade Avenue.

According to the councilman, community activists tried to earn landmark status for the building in both 1998 and 2005, but were unsuccessful because of the owner’s objection. They tried again in 2005, but failed once again. The property was bought by Timber Equities in 2017, and demolished two years later to make room for a new apartment complex, as reported by Norwood News. 

“It is beyond unfortunate that our community lost a historic landmark that has contributed to our community’s character and has been a source of pride to our neighbors for decades,” Dinowitz said of the situation. “John McKelvey, Sr. deserves to be honored for his determined vision to maintain the tranquility that our neighborhood and open spaces have to offer. I also want to thank Stephanie Coggins, who has been at the forefront of getting community-wide support for this co-naming.”

For her part, chair of Community Board 8, Laura Spalter, said, “It is an honor to pay homage to a great architect and preservationist, John Jay McKelvey Sr., who has done so much to add to the unique history and character of Spuyten Duyvil.”

Coggins concluded, “In spite of the tragic loss of this architectural gem, I see the street co-naming as a way to permanently honor the historical footprints of John J. McKelvey Sr.  and Villa Rosa Bonheur to the Spuyten Duyvil/Riverdale community. I  hope it will serve as a catalyst for future attempts to preserve our long legacy of important NYC history, because Villa Rosa Bonheur’s greatest contribution was waking us up to the existential crisis for the survival of the character of the place we call home.”

Further information about the history of the event can be found via the following links:

Wikipedia_John McKelvey Sr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jay_McKelvey_Sr

Wikipedia_Legacy in Spuyten Duyvil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jay_McKelvey_Sr….