Local History Exhibits

The Battle of the Books - How Scarsdale Schools Became a Battleground During the McCarthy Era

On display in the Local History Center for the month of September, 2023, this exhibit spotlights a difficult era in the history of Scarsdale's schools. In 1949, a small group of Scarsdale residents, known as the Committee of Ten, began attending school board meetings and requesting the removal of certain books from the High School library. They argued that these books were subversive and were examples of Communist infiltration in the schools. They soon began targeting individuals who had been invited to speak or perform for students or teachers. The controversy gained national attention as part of a wave of McCarthyism affecting public schools, and only faded in 1954 when McCarthy himself was censured by Congress. The parallels between the Battle of the Books of the 1950s and issues of censorship in public schools today are striking, and provide a new perspective on our current issues. Click here to see the exhibit. Click here for a selection of primary source documents.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Scarsdale has a rich history with baseball. As far back as 1902, residents were organizing teams and games against other communities. By the 1920s the High School was fielding both male and female teams. Click on the image above to see the exhibit and learn more about the history of baseball in Scarsdale. Click here to see the exhibit.