A Neighborhood Shaped by Open Land
Ward Acres Reserve is one of those New Rochelle neighborhoods where the past remains visible in everyday life. Tucked into the city’s Wykagyl section near Quaker Ridge Road and Broadfield Road, the area is known for quiet residential streets, mature trees, nearby schools, and the remarkable green space of Ward Acres Park. It feels suburban and settled today, but the neighborhood’s character grew from a much older landscape of farms, horse fields, stone walls, and country estates.
For longtime residents, Ward Acres is more than a park. It is the center of a neighborhood identity—an enduring reminder that New Rochelle’s northern reaches were once rural countryside before becoming one of Westchester’s most desirable residential areas.
From Hillandale Farm to Ward Acres
The story begins in the late nineteenth century with Hillandale Farm. In 1884, Watson B. Dickerman purchased a large tract of land to establish an estate devoted to breeding American trotting horses. At its height, Hillandale extended across nearly 500 acres in New Rochelle and neighboring Mamaroneck.
The farm was an ambitious operation. It included barns, a dairy, a blacksmith forge, training facilities, stone walls, and a half-mile track. Horses were exercised and trained across land that is now crossed by walking trails and bordered by homes. Some of the property’s old stonework and farm features remain, allowing visitors to glimpse the working landscape that existed here more than a century ago. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
The estate’s history also survives in quieter details. Near the park’s historic stone bridge are markers associated with horses once considered important to the Hillandale breeding program. The bridge, stone fences, and former riding paths are reminders that the area was once organized around agriculture and equestrian life rather than automobiles and suburban streets.
How Ward Acres Got Its Name
The name Ward Acres comes from the Ward family, who acquired much of the former Hillandale property in 1925. William B. Ward and his wife, Ethel Haney Ward, purchased the land from Florence Dickerman after Watson Dickerman’s death.
The Wards continued the property’s equestrian tradition. Their son, Jack B. Ward, developed a nationally recognized American Saddle Horse breeding program. One of the family’s notable horses, Hickory Mistress, won 21 blue ribbons in 1947. The estate remained a place of horses, fields, barns, and rural pursuits even as New Rochelle itself was becoming increasingly suburban. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
The Ward family name became part of the wider community as well. Ethel Ward donated land for William B. Ward Elementary School in memory of her husband. Today, the school’s proximity to Ward Acres Park makes it one of the neighborhood’s most important institutions, linking education, recreation, and local history. Plans for a safer crosswalk on Broadfield Road reflect that connection by improving access between the school and the park. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
The Coming of Residential New Rochelle
The transformation from country estate to residential neighborhood unfolded gradually after World War II. During the 1950s, portions of the Ward property were sold for housing development. Roads and residential blocks replaced some of the former fields, but the development did not erase the area’s older character.
The neighborhood’s streets retain a leafy, low-density feel typical of northern New Rochelle. Quaker Ridge Road serves as a major local reference point, while Broadfield Road connects homes, the elementary school, and park entrances. Smaller residential streets around the reserve offer the quiet atmosphere that has long attracted families to Wykagyl.
The property was also connected to the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway, which operated from 1912 to 1937. The railway ran along the northern edge of the estate, with a siding near the forge used to load horses and equipment. Although the railway disappeared decades ago, its presence reflects how closely Ward Acres was once tied to regional transportation and commerce. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
New Rochelle Preserves the Remaining Land
In 1962, the City of New Rochelle purchased the remaining 62 acres of the Ward estate, using assistance from the New York State Park and Recreation Land Acquisition Bond Act. The land became Ward Acres Park and was largely preserved as natural open space.
That decision shaped the neighborhood in lasting ways. Instead of becoming another subdivision or a collection of sports fields, the property remained a mixture of woods, meadows, old pasture walls, trails, and historic remnants. Many of today’s paths follow the alignments of former farm roads and riding routes, so a walk through the park can feel like a journey through several layers of New Rochelle history. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
Over the years, proposals for additional recreational development were considered, but strong community support helped maintain Ward Acres’ natural character. The park hosted memorable local events, including the New Rochelle Country Fair from 1978 through 1985 and a popular Halloween haunted house that continued until 2001. For generations of children, these events became part of the neighborhood’s shared memory.
A Park for Modern Community Life
Ward Acres has continued to evolve without losing its historic identity. In 2008, the city established Paws Place, a fenced dog park within the preserve. The following year, the Ward Acres Community Garden opened with individual plots for local residents. These additions brought new forms of community activity to land once used for horse breeding and farming. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
Today, the park includes wooded trails, open fields, a biodiversity preserve, historic ruins, community gardening space, and one of the largest dog parks in Westchester County. Volunteers from the Ward Acres Conservancy work with the city to maintain trails, remove invasive plants, and encourage residents to appreciate the property’s natural and cultural resources. ([wardacresconservancy.org](https://www.wardacresconservancy.org/?utm_source=openai))
The old barn, long one of the park’s most recognizable landmarks, was demolished in 2024 after becoming structurally unsafe. Even so, portions of its stone and foundation elements remain, and the city is beginning a community planning process for the site. Other improvements include restoration of the historic stone bridge, new wayfinding signs, accessible pathways, landscaping, and a restroom and storage facility near Quaker Ridge Road. ([newrochelleny.gov](https://newrochelleny.gov/wardacres))
Why Ward Acres Still Feels Special
What makes Ward Acres Reserve special is the way history and daily life overlap. A family walking along Broadfield Road may be passing land once crossed by trotting horses. Children at William B. Ward Elementary School play near a preserve that was once part of a 500-acre estate. Gardeners tend vegetables where farm workers and trainers once worked, while dog owners and hikers use trails shaped by old riding paths.
The neighborhood has changed considerably since the days of Hillandale Farm and the Ward family estate. Yet its most defining feature—the sense of open land woven into a residential community—has endured. Ward Acres remains a place where New Rochelle’s rural past is not hidden behind plaques or archives. It is present in the stone walls, the tree canopy, the old bridge, the winding paths, and the affection residents show for this special corner of Wykagyl.