Roxbury

The headwaters of the Delaware River flow through bucolic Roxbury, meandering past tree-lined streets and the stone walls of the 11-acre Kirkside Park. The area was mainly known for its dairy farms, the number of which dwindled significantly in the second half of the 20th century. After naturalist John Burroughs (1837-1921) wrote lovingly about his home here and the surrounding mountains, the area captured the interest of city dwellers.

In the 19th-century Roxbury was shaped by financier Jay Gould and his family, whose fortune was made in railroads and the Western Union Telegraph Co. Ensuing Gould generations used their money philanthropically, building churches and community centers that still stand today.