Nestled among the reservoirs which supply New York City water and steeped in history, our town offers quiet, bucolic surroundings with urban centers nearby. Centrally located in northern Westchester County, our local communities are Somers, Yorktown and Mahopac. We are less than an hour from Manhattan by car or train and close to the attractions of the Hudson Valley. To the north lie the rolling hills and farmland of Putnam and Dutchess Counties. To the south lie the cities of White Plains (15 miles) and New York (35 miles). Danbury, Peekskill and Poughkeepsie are a short drive away. There are many interesting historical sites in the area, plenty of possibilities for active recreation and many opportunities to enjoy a variety of performing arts. Nearby theater productions feature local and professional talent. Summer brings open-air concerts and festivals. Winter offers the chance to cut a Christmas tree at a local farm. We enjoy an incredible diversity of activities in the immediate area. Within a thirty-minute drive it is possible to fish in a reservoir, pick apples or pumpkins in a local orchard or stroll along a beach on Long Island Sound. The church and rectory are located in Granite Springs, a hamlet of Somers.
The Somers school system and recreational programs are excellent. Somers Central Schools includes; Primrose School (Grades K – 2), Somers Intermediate School (Grades 3 – 5), Somers Middle School (Grades 7 – 8), and Somers High School (Grades 9 – 12). Reis Park, an 82-acre town park, houses the library, baseball fields, soccer fields, and even a skate park. Koegel Park offers hiking. The North County Trailway, a 22-mile trail, provides safe biking, rollerblading and walking. Muscoot Farm, an operating 19th century farm, hosts farmers markets throughout the year, a great attraction for families. A wonderful place to live and work!
Our church community, drawing from a neighborhood of small hamlets, is quite diverse. Some of our congregants have been with us for more than thirty years. Our Sunday School appeals to young families with growing children. After Sunday School, our youngsters attend sporadically, but we continue to see their parents. We are proud that many of those same youngsters return as young adults with their new families. We see many empty–nesters every Sunday and embrace the seniors in our midst. We welcome differences in all people including racial, cultural and family structure and support each of our members as individuals.
We open our doors to the community at large, hosting one of the area’s Bright Beginnings Preschool programs on weekdays and acting as a polling station during elections. We offer our buildings and grounds to local camps and soccer programs. Community groups such as AA and the Boy Scouts use our facilities regularly. Boy Scout Sunday is an annual event, well attended at our 10 a.m. service by regular parishioners and visitors equally. Recently we organized an interfaith gathering on behalf of Unity Made Visible, the local cooperation of United Religions Initiative. We believe that our presence in the community is measured not only by the physical structure of our church, but by our actions and activities in the area.
The Church of the Good Shepherd is located at 39 Granite Springs Road in the Hamlet of Granite Springs within the Town of Somers, New York. Good Shepherd occupies 4-acres of hilltop land. The grounds are bounded by mature trees and are planted with shrubs and flowers. The church property includes four buildings, a Memorial Garden, a large parking area, and extensive wooded areas. The Church was built 1954 and the first service was held there on Christmas Eve, 1954. The Parish Hall was built in 1958. Originally the Parish Hall and Church were not connected. In the 1960s the Breezeway & Guildroom were added connecting the two. The Rectory is a wonderful cape cod style home for the exclusive use of the rector and his or her family. It was built in 1958, and it is located on the Easternmost edge of the parish property.
Additional information such as summer concerts, antique shows, and Hudson Valley events such as the annual Riverfest may be found on the following websites: