The Village of Mount Kisco Claimed

Mount Kisco is one of Westchester’s most vibrant communities.  Approximately 3 square miles, it is geographically small, but it delivers big.  Located 43 miles from New York City, it is easily commutable by train or car, though there is little need to ever leave as Mount Kisco is known as a premier destination for shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and award-winning medical care.  Boutiques, bistros, and a movie theater line the walkable downtown urban village, while a variety of residential neighborhoods featuring some sprawling lawns and historic homes fan around it.  Part of the highly regarded Bedford Central School District, Mount Kisco is a village of varied faiths, backgrounds, and income levels.  Residents and visitors value this tight-knit community, considering it a little village with a big heart.

History:

Mount Kisco was founded in 1850 shortly after the arrival of the railroad. It included two small settlements called Kirbyville and New Castle Corners. Kisco is derived from an Indian word –either kiskamenahook meaning “settlement near a brook” or cisqua meaning “a muddy place.” Mount comes from the 623-foot hill northwest of town.

Since 1875, Mount Kisco has been an incorporated Village under the Village Law of the State of New York. One half of the Village laid in the Town of Bedford, and on half laid in the Town of New Castle. In the mid-seventies, the administrations of the two Towns agreed to support the Village’s effort to “secede” from the Towns. Mount Kisco emerged from the Town of Bedford and the Town of New Castle as a coterminous and independent Village/Town of Mount Kisco effective January 1, 1978.

There is a statue named “Chief Kisco” in Mount Kisco. There never was a real person with that name. David F. Gorham gave the statue to Mount Kisco in 1907 as a decorative top to a water fountain. On the base of the pedestal are the words “God’s Only Beverage For Man and Beast.” Chief Kisco rules over the village from his perch at the intersection of Routes 133 and 117.

Source Text copyright The Village/Town of Mt. Kisco