THE BEDFORD HILLS HISTORICAL MUSEUM TO PRESENT
“AN AFTERNOON WITH THE WOOD FAMILY OF BRAEWOLD FARM”
ON SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2026
For more information, please contact the Museum at bhhm.newyork@gmail.com or (914) 809-2281.
In the words of Bedford Town Historian John Stockbridge, “Few families have had as broad and enduring an impact upon the Bedford community as the Wood family of Braewold Farm.” Eight generations of Woods lived and farmed along Bedford’s Croton Lake Road, beginning with James Wood I’s purchase of 225 acres of land in 1809 and ending two centuries later with the late James III’s sale of the last family parcels in 2005.
Leaders within their Quaker faith, members of the Wood family were founders and key early figures of such local institutions as the Westchester County Historical Society, the New York State Reformatory for Women, the Bedford Farmers Club, the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Kisco, and the District Nursing Association. Their civic-mindedness and dedication to issues of social justice extended beyond Bedford’s borders as well, with family members being instrumental in founding and/or nurturing the American Friends Service Committee, Fisk University, and the International Rescue Committee—to name just a few.
A much-beloved community member and leader in his own right, Jim Wood III passed away in 2024 at the age of 97. In his final years, Jim penned a volume of personal memoirs and family history that tell of his life’s adventures and endeavors, as well as those of his late wife, Twink, and his accomplished forebears—such as those who built the stately homes along Croton Lake Road that, together with Braewold, came to be known as “The Woodpile” and have been designated a National Landmark District.
The March 8 program will feature local Bedfordites reading short passages from Jim’s book— stories humorous and poignant—depicting the lives of the Woods and their neighbors, friends, and farm workers. Photographs, dating from as early as the 1870s, will help to bring these stories to life. The afternoon will include a brief introduction to the Wood family by Bedford Town Historian John Stockbridge, and Elin Peterson will tell of her collaboration with Jim Wood in the writing of his book.
The event will take place on Sunday, March 8, 2026, from 3 to 5 pm, at the Bedford Hills Community House, located at Main and Church Streets (74 Main Street) in Bedford Hills. The program is free and open to all. Donations to the Museum will be accepted. Refreshments will be served.
Jim Wood’s book—The Wood Family of Braewold Farm: Reminiscences of James Wood III—is available through online book retailers, as well as directly from the publisher at: bit.ly/4jns8IV. A limited number of volumes will be available for sale at the March 8 event.
This program is being promoted in collaboration with the Town of Bedford’s 2026 RevUp initiative.