text:
New City, New York

New City is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. An affluent suburb of New York City, the hamlet is located 18 mi north of the city at its closest point, Riverdale, Bronx. Within Rockland County, New City is located north of Bardonia, northeast of Nanuet, east of New Square and New Hempstead, south of Garnerville and the village of Haverstraw, and west of Congers (across Lake DeForest). New City's population was 35,101 at the 2020 census, making it the 14th most populous CDP/hamlet in the state of New York.

New City is the county seat, seat of the town of Clarkstown and the location of the Clarkstown Police Department, Rockland County Sheriff's office and corrections facility. The downtown area is one of the main business districts in the county. The ZIP code of New City is 10956.

Geography
New City is located at 41.14556°N, -73.995°W (41.145495, −73.994901).

New City is accessible from major Rockland arteries providing rapid access to Bergen County, New Jersey, Westchester County, Manhattan, and the Bronx in New York City.

History
Before the Revolutionary War, the land that would later become known as New City was inhabited mostly by Lenni Lenape American Indians. The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the area. Orange County was established in 1683 as one of the first 12 counties in Province of New York, which included present day Rockland County. In 1780, Major John André and Josh Hett Smith stopped at Coe's Tavern, located on what is now the corner of New Hempstead Road and Route 45.

New City was formed in 1798, when Rockland County was incorporated as a separate county from the south-easternmost portion of Orange County. With the formation of a new county, there were needs for a new county seat. The central location of New City was a convenient location for a county seat, since travel in 1798 was difficult, and the existing main towns in the county were not centrally located. At the time, the Squadron Cavalry of New York City had a summer encampment of what is now the busy streets of Squadron Boulevard and Cavalry Drive, hence how these streets were named. The community got its name because the founding fathers envisioned a "new" city when forming the new county seat.

Other than county and town government, the early downtown area consisted mainly of small retail shops in what was mainly an agricultural area. There was also a county fairgrounds and racetrack located on the Route 304 and Congers Road intersection.

In 1918, Paramount Pictures founder Adolph Zukor moved to New City where he bought 300 acres of land from Lawrence Abraham which already had a large house, a swimming pool, and a 9-hole golf course on the property. Two years later, in 1920, Zukor bought 500 more acres from Abraham and built multiple additions including a night house, guest house, greenhouses, garages, and more. He also hired A.W. Tillinghast to build an 18-hole championship golf course on the property. The land is now currently known as Paramount Country Club. Zukor Park, located just south of the country club, is also named after the producer. Zukor's property attracted a large number of artistic people to the area; including Maxwell Anderson, Henry Varnum Poor, Norman Lloyd, Kurt Weill, Martha MacGuffie, Lotte Lenya, John Houseman and more who all lived on South Mountain Road and formed an artist colony there.

Dutch Gardens, the oldest remaining park in the county, was built in 1934 by Italian artisans, known for its unique patterned brickwork. It was designed by West Nyack native Mary Mowbray-Clark. It was honored as the 1934 Garden of the Year by Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Located just south of the courthouse in the downtown area, it is still one of the most commonly visited parks in Rockland County today.

New City remained rural in character until the 1950s, when the idea of post-World War II suburbia, as well as the opening of the Tappan Zee Bridge and Palisades Interstate Parkway, made traveling between New York City and Rockland County faster, and easier. Many former New York City residents migrated to Rockland, which transformed New City from a quiet rural community to a busy populated suburb of New York City. Along with residential development, business development increased rapidly as well. The downtown area became home to many banks, retail, and real-estate companies; as well as restaurants, shops, a movie theater, bars, and many other forms of entertainment. Certain parts of the town, such as South Mountain Road and Lake Lucille, have been preserved, and remain quiet, wooded, historic old-wealth neighborhoods.

Community
New City has experienced rapid development, increasing by over 35 times in population between 1950 and 1980, yielding a wealthy stable tax base. The downtown area is the county seat, and one of the main business districts in the county, and attracts a large daytime population of workers, residents, and visitors. The neighborhoods towards the center of town are mostly middle class. Located within walking distance from most of New City's main attractions, these neighborhoods are more densely populated than the outskirts of town.

Despite booming development, many upper-middle and upper class residential areas towards the outskirts of town, particularly on the northern side, have remained tranquil and comprise wooded acres, winding roads, stone walls, trees, lakes, and streams. While undeveloped land for development is scarce, a few small farms still dot the landscape.

Neighborhoods

 * Braemar, a middle-class neighborhood just south of the downtown area.
 * Brownsell Corner, a community towards the northern side of town by Zukor Park, north of the New City Condominiums.
 * Camelot, a wealthy neighborhood towards the eastern side of town that was established in the early 21st century. It is known for its castle-like mansion homes.
 * Centenary, a community on the north-easternmost side of town, just south of Haverstraw.
 * Dellwood Park, an upper-middle-class neighborhood towards the northern side of town, south of Lake Lucille.
 * Downtown New City, the downtown business district towards the center of town. While mostly commercial, it does feature a small amount of residential structures including houses, apartment buildings, and townhouses.
 * Fieldstone, a wealthy neighborhood on the south-eastern side of town, along Lake DeForest.
 * The Hamlets of Rockland, commonly known as just The Hamlets a neighborhood of which one-third is within the New City border, the other two-thirds are in Nanuet.
 * Lake Lucille, an upper-middle-class neighborhood on the northern side of town, adjacent to the lake of the same name.
 * Laurel Plains, a middle-class neighborhood next to Route 304, only residential with an elementary school. Most residents work in the Hudson Valley or commute to New York City.
 * Mount Vernon Manor, a middle-class neighborhood towards the center of town, north of Omni Court.
 * Middlesex Heights Development, an upper-middle-class neighborhood located between Phillips Hill Road and New Hempstead. The development sits above the town of New City with large elevation changes or rolling hills. Center Hall and Side Hall Colonials are mostly what was built in the neighborhood starting in 1966.  Its streets are primarily named after famous landmarks in US History as well as Notable names. Concord, Lexington, Christopher, Liberty and Yale. The development also shares a community field for sports and events. It is one of the most desirable areas to live in New City.
 * New City Condominiums or Heritage Drive, a lower-middle-class neighborhood 0.8 miles north of the downtown area.
 * New City Gardens, a working-class neighborhood towards the center of town, just east of Omni Court.
 * New City Park, a community southwest of the downtown area, known for its man-made lake, small town atmosphere, a small business district, and Cropsey Farm.
 * Oakbrook, a community on the south-westernmost side of town by the Nanuet border.
 * Omni Court, a middle-class neighborhood towards the center of town.
 * Phillips Hill Road, an upper-middle-class neighborhood between New Hempstead Road and Main Street. The historic road is known for its wooded natural setting, large stream, ponds and waterfalls.
 * The Dells, A development on the north side of town, on the east border of Paramount Country Club.
 * The Promenade, an upper-middle-class neighborhood towards the northern side of town.
 * The Woods, a wealthy neighborhood on the south-eastern side of town, centered on Westerley Drive and Pepperidge Drive.
 * Sky Drive, a wealthy, private neighborhood north of Lake Lucille.
 * South Mountain Road, a two-lane, winding, historic road and former artist's colony on the northern border.
 * Squadron Gardens, a senior community towards the center of town.
 * Tarry Hill, an upper-middle-class neighborhood towards the northern side of town.
 * Tor Terrace and Smith Farms, a wealthy neighborhood towards the northern side of town located just off North Little Tor Road. In 2009, The Tor Terrace Development received a new neighbor off Pleasant Hill Drive and a new road called Harvest Drive. The "circle" is still one of its most famous locations for meet ups.

Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 34,038 people, 11,030 households, and 9,496 families residing in the CDP. New City is 15.6 mi2 in area. The population density was 842.4 /km2. There were 11,161 housing units at an average density of 715.3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.09% White, 4.67% African American, 0.08% Native American, 6.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.87% of the population. There were 11,030 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

As of a 2007 estimate, the racial makeup for the town was now 78.4% Non-Hispanic White, 4.7% African American or Black, <1% Native American, 9.1% Asian, <1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% other races, and 0.5% multi-racial. Hispanic or Latino of any race was now 7.4% of the population. The median income for a household in the CDP was $117,734 and the median income for a family was $128,200. Males had a median income of $62,234 versus $43,028 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $37,519. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line in 2007.

Most likely due to the building of the Tappan Zee Bridge, New City has been one of the fastest growing suburbs of New York City, and is still growing today.

Historical markers

 * Collyer Farm Pond & New City Park – Collyer Avenue and Lake Drive
 * H. R. Stevens House – 234 Congers Road
 * The Jacob Blauvelt House, 20 Zukor Road
 * Rockland County Court House, 1 South Main Street
 * Martinus Hogenkamp Cemetery, South Little Tor Road
 * One Germonds, 1 Germonds Road

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Coe's Tavern – Formerly at northeast corner of Route 45 & New Hempstead Road – On two occasions Continental Army troops encamped here. Major Tallmadge and his dragoons halted here when taking Joshua Hett Smith and Major John André from West Point to Tappan in 1780.
 * Contempora House - (NRHP)
 * Cropsey Farm, 230 Little Tor Road – This is one of the five remaining vegetable and fruit farms in Rockland County. The farmhouse and its twin, China Echo farmhouse, were built of native red sandstone around 1769 by the Blauvelt brothers and is one of the oldest existing barns in the county.
 * Dellwood Country Club (now Paramount Country Club) hosts The Kennedy Funding Invitational, an unofficial tennis tournament that raises money for breast cancer research. Notable players who have participated include Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Dudi Sela, Sam Querrey, Michael Russell, Justin Gimelstob, Amer Delic, Bobby Reynolds, Kevin Kim, and Noam Okun. Dellwood was once the home to Paramount Pictures founder Adolph Zukor.
 * Dutch Garden – Designed by Mary Horgan Mowbray-Clarke, a West Nyack native, in 1933–34 as memorial to the county's early settlers, it won "Garden of the Year" from Better Home and Gardens magazine in 1935. Master craftsman Biaglo Gugliuzzo of Garnerville created walks and latticed walls of Haverstraw brick. Still standing is the Tea House, with carvings of mountains, windmills and other serene symbols representing aspects of Dutch-American history, others of motifs popular in the 1930s – Popeye, the Baker Cocoa and Old Dutch Cleanser maids. Over the years, it served as a site for weddings and for concerts. Folk singer Burl Ives once performed there and Eleanor Roosevelt visited the garden. Markers on site. It is now a county park with a beautiful display of flowering bulbs in spring. (NRHP)
 * English Church and Schoolhouse (New Hempstead Presbyterian Church), 484 New Hempstead Road. The first English-speaking church established in the county, organized by English settlers from Hempstead on Long Island in 1734 who wish to have services in English rather than Dutch as in the Reformed Church. Celebrated its 275th anniversary in 2009. (NRHP)
 * H. R. Stevens House – 234 Congers Road (NRHP)
 * High Tor Mountain. The highest peak of the Palisades Range. The Southern base is in New City. The peak is in Haverstraw.
 * Historical Society of Rockland County, 20 Zukor Road
 * Jacob Blauvelt Farmhouse, 20 Zukor Road – A farmhouse of Dutch colonial style built 1882. Contains an open fireplace for cooking demonstrations. The 4 acre site also has a museum, herb garden and nature trail. (NRHP)
 * Law Enforcement Museum – The walls of the county Sheriff's Department are lined with photos and interesting memorabilia about enforcement in Rockland County, New York City and around the nation.
 * New City Library – 220 North Main Street
 * Peter DePew House – 101 Old Route 304 (NRHP)
 * Saint Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church – celebrated 100 years in November 2007
 * South Mountain Road – A winding, two-lane historic road.
 * Street Community Center Veterans Museum - 31 Zukor Rd, New City, NY 10956.
 * Van Houten Gardens – 241 S. Little Tor Road – Formerly part of the Cropsey Farm. Across the road is a Dutch sandstone house, built around 1769 and owned by the Cropsey family since 1893.

Notable people

 * Keith Bulluck, American football player
 * Tracy Wolfson, sportscaster
 * Adam Schein, sportscaster
 * Adam Rodriguez, actor, screenwriter and director
 * Skylar Astin, actor
 * Corey Baker (born 1989), baseball pitcher
 * Julie Buxbaum, author
 * John Masters, author
 * Thomas Morahan (1931–2010), New York State Senator and State Assemblyman
 * Hayden Panettiere, actress
 * Henry Varnum Poor (1888–1970), architect, painter, sculptor, muralist, and potter. Designed the Henry Varnum Poor House in New City.
 * Hugo Robus, sculptor
 * Sam Rosen, sportscaster
 * Phil Rosenthal, TV writer and producer. Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond
 * Jordan Rudess, keyboard player for Dream Theater
 * William Sloane, publisher and writer of fantasy and science fiction literature

title: New City, New York


text:
New Hempstead, New York

New Hempstead is a village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of New Square, east of Wesley Hills, south of Pomona, and west of New City. The population was 5,132 at the 2010 census. Residents utilize the Spring Valley and New City post offices.

History
New Hempstead was incorporated on March 21, 1983. Joseph Berger of the New York Times said in a 1997 article that New Hempstead was one of several villages formed in Ramapo by non-Jews and more secular Jews "to preserve the sparse Better Homes and Garden [sic] ambiance that attracted them to Rockland County."

Geography
New Hempstead is located at 41.14583°N, -74.04667°W (41.145945, -74.046641).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.8 sqmi, of which 2.8 sqmi is land and .35% is water.

New Hempstead is located roughly 14 mi north of the Tappan Zee Bridge and roughly 30 mi northeast of New York City.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,767 people, 1,282 households, and 1,160 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,678.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,300 housing units at an average density of 457.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 69.96% white, 17.54% African American, .17% Native American, 7.26% Asian, .08% Pacific Islander, 3.06% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.04% of the population.

There were 1,282 households, out of which 48.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.5% were non-families. 7.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.69 and the average family size was 3.88.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 35.7% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $95,472, and the median income for a family was $100,127. Males had a median income of $64,013 versus $44,028 for females. The per capita income for the village was $32,917. About 1.2% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government
As of July 2021, the mayor of New Hempstead is Abe Sicker, the deputy mayor is Shalom Mintz, and the trustees are Jennifer Eisenstein, Adam Reich, and Moshe Schulgasser. The village is located within the East Ramapo School District.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * The Brick Church - 220 Brick Church Road - The church was founded by Dutch settlers in 1774 and was once known as the Reformed Church of West New Hempstead. Its present home was built in 1857 with bricks made from clay mined during the heyday of Haverstraw's brick industry. The graves of Revolutionary War soldiers and some original settlers are found in its church yard. Its cemetery building once served as the town hall for Haverstraw and later for Ramapo. Due to overcrowding in the East Ramapo school district buildings in the 1960s, the district made use of the Brick Church school.  Recently the church celebrated its 150th anniversary. (NRHP)
 * The English Meeting House (now the New Hempstead Presbyterian Church) - first English-speaking church west of the Hudson River in New York state.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: New Hempstead, New York


text:
New Square, New York

New Square (שיכון סקווירא) is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Hillcrest, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of New City. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 9,679. Its inhabitants are predominantly members of the Skverer Hasidic movement who seek to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle disconnected from the secular world. It is the poorest town (measured by median income) in New York, and the eighth poorest in the United States. It also has the highest poverty rate, at 64.4%.

History
New Square is named after the Ukrainian town Skvyra, where the Skverer Hasidic group originated. The founders intended to name the settlement New Skvir, but a typist's error anglicized the name. New Square was established in 1954, when the Zemach David Corporation, representing Skverer Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky, purchased a 130 acre dairy farm near Spring Valley, New York, in the town of Ramapo. At that time, most Skverer members lived in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. New Square's founders had felt that the Hasidic community in Williamsburg was being "threatened by assimilation", as The New York Times later described it. Construction began in 1956, and the first four families moved to New Square in December 1956. In 1958, the settlement had 68 houses.

The development of New Square was obstructed by Ramapo's zoning regulations, which forbade the construction of multi-family houses and the use of basements for shops and stores. Multiple families sharing single-family houses said that they belonged to extended families, and businesses in private homes had to be secret. In 1959, the community asked for a building permit to expand its synagogue, located in the basement of a Cape Cod-style house. The Ramapo town attorney requested condemnation of the entire New Square community, claiming that it threatened sewage lines. In response, the community requested incorporation as a village, but Ramapo town officials refused to allow it. In 1961, a New York state court ruled in favor of New Square, and the village was incorporated in July of that year.

After incorporating, New Square set its own zoning and building codes, legalizing the existing houses, and the liens disappeared. Lots were sold, and new houses were built. The basement businesses could trade openly, and new businesses were founded, including a watch assembly plant and a cap manufacturer. Three knitting mills and a used car lot opened, but most men continued to go to work in New York City. A Kollel was opened in 1963. In 1968, Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky died; he was succeeded as Grand Rabbi by his son David Twersky.

In New Square's first mayoral election in 1961, Mates Friesel was chosen unopposed. Friesel was re-elected every two years until his death in 2015, thereby becoming one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States.

Culture
The population of New Square is made up exclusively of Hasidic Jews, mostly from the Skverer Hasidic movement, who wish to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle while keeping outside influences to a minimum. The predominant language spoken in New Square is Yiddish.

Young people typically marry around 18 to 20 years of age. Girls finish high school at around age 17, and then marry. Custom dictates that women who marry men from other Hasidic communities leave New Square. Some women who left New Square settled in the Borough Park community in Brooklyn and the Monsey community in Ramapo, where the community is not as tightly knit. Men who marry women from outside of the community are encouraged to leave New Square. This is due to a shortage of space; thus, new housing is granted to couples of which both members are from the community.

In 2005, the community's rabbinical court ruled that women should not drive cars. In a 2003 article, Lisa W. Foderaro of The New York Times described New Square as "extremely insular", and said that the community's residents do not own televisions or radios.

Economy
Young women, prior to entering marriage, and before they have children, work as teachers, secretaries, and bookkeepers, or they work in the New Square shopping center as cashiers and clerks. Some of the women, after having children, work as bookkeepers in their homes. Young men work as teachers, bus drivers, deliverymen, and store clerks. Some work as computer programmers, or as craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the diamond industry. Many study in the kollel, a yeshiva for married men, and receive stipends to support their families.

In 1970, the village had the lowest per-capita income in New York State. In 1963, four persons received welfare due to illness. One dozen people received welfare in 1975. In 1992, the village administrator said that in 1975, about two thirds of the families received food stamps and Medicaid.

According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the village was $12,162, and the median income for a family was $12,208. Males had a median income of $21,696, versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $5,237. About 67.0% of families and 72.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 77.3% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

2007 and 2008 reports from the State of New York stated that 89.8% of the village consisted of low-income and moderate-income residents.

, New Square is by far the poorest town in New York, with a median annual household income of $21,773, which is nearly $5,000 below that of Kiryas Joel, the next poorest town in the state, and only about a third of the median income across the state as a whole.

Not only is it the poorest town in New York state, but New Square also has the highest poverty and SNAP (food stamps) recipiency rates of any town in the United States. Some 70.0% of New Square residents live in poverty, and 77.1% of area households rely on SNAP benefits to afford food. In comparison, 15.1% of Americans live below the poverty line, and 13.0% of households nationwide receive SNAP benefits.

Geography
New Square is located at 41.13972°N, -74.02833°W (41.139745, -74.028197).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.4 square mile (0.9 km2), all land.

Demographics
In 1963, the settlement had 85 families and a total of 620 inhabitants. By 1967, this increased to 126 families and 812 total residents. The community celebrated ten marriages in 1967. In 1970, the village had 1,156 inhabitants, with 57% of the population under the age of 18.

The village had around one hundred births each year from 1971 to 1986. By that year, the village had 140 one-, two-, and three-family houses, a 45-unit low-rent apartment complex, 2,100 people, and 450 families, with an average of 7 to 8 children per family. During the late 1970s, the Town of Ramapo denied New Square's attempt to annex land. Six years later, in March 1982, New Square gained the legal right to annex 95 acre of land.

New Square's population increased 77.5% between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, the village contained approximately 7,830 residents; 1,350 families, with 5.8 persons per family. Robert Zeliger of Rockland Magazine described New Square in 2007 as "a densely packed haven where Hasidic residents live largely by their own customs and laws". In November 2008, a new water tower serving New Square and the hamlet of Hillcrest opened, increasing residents' water pressure.

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,624 people, 820 households, and 786 families residing in the village. The population density was 12,811.8 PD/sqmi. There were 838 housing units, at an average density of 2,321.9 /sqmi. The racial make-up of the village was 96.95% White, 1.64% African American, 0.89% Asian, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. 87.26% speak Yiddish at home, 7.68% English, and 4.11% Hebrew.

There were 820 households, out of which 77.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 92.6% were married couples living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.1% were non-families. 3.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.64, and the average family size was 5.81.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 60.5% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 15.9% from 25 to 44, 7.1% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 14 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males. The median income for a household in the village was $21,172, and the median income for a family was $21,758. Males had a median income of $35,871, versus $21,389 for females. The per capita income for the village was $6,585. About 58.0% of families and 58.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 60.9% of those under age 18 and 36.2% of those age 65 or over.

A 2007 report stated that each year, one half of the women between ages 18 and 25 gave birth.

Government and infrastructure

As of 1992, the Village of New Square has a mayor, a mayor's assistant, a board of trustees, a village clerk, and a justice of the peace. The mayor's assistant performs the bulk of administrative work. The justice of the peace mainly handles harassment cases perpetrated by outsiders within New Square.

The Hillcrest Fire Department (also known as the Moleston Fire District) provides fire protection services to New Square. In March 2007, the fire district met with Town of Ramapo supervisors, and proposed removing New Square from its fire district, after a February 7, 2007, fire that destroyed two buildings in New Square. Further hazards stem from the fact that the town has only one main access road (Washington Avenue), and the failure of some residents to yield to emergency vehicles, or to the crowd of people on the streets surrounding an incident. There also have been isolated cases of residents tampering with fire equipment while responders are on scene.

The fire department felt concern about a lack of fire protection in buildings in New Square. On March 29, 2007, Ramapo town officials met fire district officials and fire department chiefs. On April 4 of that year, the fire district announced that New Square would remain in the fire district. Christopher St. Lawrence, the Town of Ramapo supervisor, said that the town is considering a "public safety loan program" to help New Square residents install life safety devices such as smoke alarms and sprinkler systems.

In 1989, New Square funded their own health clinic, called Refuah Health Center. The New Square Cemetery is located on Bais Hachaim Way. The village has a Hatzalah ambulance service branch, part of the Rockland County chapter, and has a public safety department that patrols the village.

New Square is within the 97th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly, which is represented by John W. McGowan. New Square is within Senate District 38 in the New York State Senate, which is represented by William Weber Jr.

Community norms
There is a strong expectation that residents of New Square will conform to community norms; for example, by worshiping at the community's synagogue and conforming to the Hasidic lifestyle. Generally, conformity by those who do not comply voluntarily is enforced by the powers of the kehillah, a council appointed by the rebbe, whose members control most community institutions. Those who have not conformed voluntarily have faced vigilante justice, as exemplified by the New Square arson attack and other incidents. The rebbe has denounced this practice, saying, "The use of force and violence to make a point or settle an argument violates Skver's most fundamental principles."

Education
Yeshiva Avir Yakov, a private school with its own locations and separate boys' and girls' schooling, is the sole primary and secondary school in the community. It is statistically counted as Avir Yaakov Boys School (Yeshiva Avir Yakov Boys' School) and Avir Yaakov Girls School.

Although the town is within the East Ramapo Central School District, all children of New Square attend the local private Jewish pre-K-12 schools. The zoned public schools are Summit Park Elementary (Kindergarten-grade 3), Kakiat Elementary School (grades 4–6), Pomona Middle School (grades 7–8), and Ramapo High School (grades 9–12).

Notable People

 * Mayer Schiller
 * Lipa Schmeltzer

Rabbis

 * Ephraim Padwa
 * Yehoshua Rokeach of Machnovka
 * Menachem Mendel Hager

Famous companies located in New Square

 * Monsey Trails
 * chesed24/7
 * Ostreicher's Cookies.

Fraudulent grant controversy
Four Hasidic men from New Square—Benjamin Berger, Jacob Elbaum, David Goldstein, and Kalmen Stern—created a non-existent Jewish school and enrolled thousands of students, to receive US$30 million in education grants, subsidies, and loans from the U.S. federal government. Some of the money were used to enrich themselves, but also to benefit the community institutions. The fraud scheme in New Square was tied into larger schemes in other ultra-Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and across the country. The men were convicted in 1999. In October of that year, all four men received prison sentences ranging from 30 months to 78 months. Two other suspects who were indicted left the United States. The indictment drew sharp criticism in New Square. A statement by village representatives accused authorities of having a vendetta against New Square residents, and acting "in a manner remindful of the Holocaust," during the investigations.

Hillary Clinton met with New Square-area Hasidic leaders as part of her Senate campaign. Michael Duffy and Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine said that "as far as anyone knows, that was a campaign event only; no pardons were mentioned". Hillary Clinton attended another session with the men, who wanted to see the four Hasidic leaders released. After Hillary Clinton was voted in as a senator, during the morning of December 22, Twersky and an associate visited Bill Clinton in the White House Map Room in Washington, D.C., and asked him to pardon the four men. Hillary Clinton attended the meeting; she said that she did not participate in it and did not discuss the meeting with her husband.

On January 20, 2001, President Clinton commuted the sentences of the men; Berger's sentence became two years, and the other men each had 30 months. Federal prosecutors investigated the pardons to see if they were made in exchange for political support. A 2001 ABC News article stated that some people wondered whether the pardons occurred as a kind of favor because the Village of New Square had voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton for her first senate term (1359 out of 1369 votes – in contrast to two other Hasidic communities nearby who voted overwhelmingly Republican) – or if the pardons occurred as part of a quid pro quo swap for votes. Hillary Clinton said that she was not involved in the pardons, and that her husband pardoned the men out of clemency. In 2002 the prosecutors closed the investigation with no action.

Kiryas Square
Due to population growth and a housing shortage in New Square, the Skver Hasidim had plans to expand to a new 400 acre village named Kiryas Square in the hamlet of Spring Glen, New York. The property, the former Homowack Resort, was purchased by the Skver community in 2006. Dedication of the site was in August 2007. The New York State Department of Health cited the property which was used as a summer camp for girls for "numerous, persistent, and serious violations", including inoperable fire alarms, pervasive mold, and water running over electrical boxes. The health department issued a mandatory order of evacuation. In addition to problems with the health department, some local residents have also voiced opposition to the building of a Hasidic village. The site was evacuated in August 2009, as a result of a judge's deadline.

, a new location for the construction of a new Skverer village, also named Kiryas Skver, was found and construction has begun, with many Skver members from Boro Park already having purchased homes in the village.

title: New Square, New York


text:
Talk:Gothic horror

More please. "Contemporary music with themes of Gothic horror:" isn't even a defintion and Wikipedia is not a dictionary. --mav

title: Talk:Gothic horror


text:
Nyack, New York

Nyack is a village located primarily in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. Incorporated in 1872, it retains a very small western section in Clarkstown. The village had a population of 7,265 as of the 2020 census. It is a suburb of New York City lying approximately 15 mi north of the Manhattan boundary near the west bank of the Hudson River, situated north of South Nyack, east of Central Nyack, south of Upper Nyack, and southeast of Valley Cottage.

Setting
Nyack is one of five southeastern Rockland County villages and hamlets that constitute "The Nyacks" – Nyack, Central Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack and West Nyack. Named after the Native Americans who resided there before European colonization, the village consists mostly of low-rise buildings lying on the hilly terrain that meets the western shore of the Hudson River. Adjacent South Nyack is the western terminus of the Tappan Zee Bridge, connected across the Hudson River to Tarrytown in Westchester County by U.S. Interstate 87, an important commuter artery.

The village is approximately 1.6 sqmi in area, over 50% of which falls within the Hudson River. It is in the Nyack Public Schools.

History
Native American stone relics and oyster middens found along the shore of the Hudson indicate today's Nyack was a favorite pre-Colonial fishing spot. The first Europeans settled in there in 1675, calling the general area "Tappan".

Harman Douwenszen is thought to be the first white settler. He came to America as a toddler and grew up in Bergen, New Netherland, which became New Jersey after the British assumed control and divided New Netherland in 1664. In the State Archives in Albany there is a 1687 letter on file petitioning Governor Dongan to buy a strip of land in the west hills of Tappan (today Nyack), in which he had lived on for 12 years. His petition was granted and he bought the land from the Native Americans. He called his farm New Orania (Oranje in Dutch). This section of Nyack became known as Orangetown in 1683. The Tappan Register of 1707 claimed it was pronounced Nay-ack. Nyack became part of Rockland County in 1798. Harman's younger brother Theius changed the family name from Douwse (Frisian for first son) to Talma (Dutch for first son). His children became Talman and eventually Tallmans. The New Orania farm became the Tallman homestead, at the northeast corner of what is now Broadway and Tallman Place. The building was demolished in 1914.

Letter dated 31 August 1687 on file at New York State Archives at Albany: "The humble Peticon of Harman Dowse of Tappan Neare Ye River Side, Alias New Orania farm ... your peticonr is a farmer that hath nothing wot comes by his hard labour but by God's Blessing out ye Produce and ye ground, and hath a family to provide for." On the north wall of the Key Bank building at South Broadway and Burd Street in Nyack is a plaque installed in 1938 that reads: "The Tappan Indians, from time immemorial, occupied these lands fronting the river shore. Here, in summer they lived upon fish and oysters. In Algonkian dialect spoken by them they called this location NAY-ACK which means the fishing place. The first settlement of white people within the limits of the present Rockland County, New York, took place in 1675 when Harmen Dowesen (Tallman), a young Dutchman of Bergen, New Jersey relocated here."

The Tallmans erected a mill upon a stream which still is known as Mill Brook. Abraham Lydecker purchased land from the Tallmans when there were but seven homes in Nyack in 1813. Nyack became an incorporated village in 1872 according to the same plaque on the Midland Trust Building.

Three major industries once thrived in Nyack: sandstone quarrying for New York City buildings (c. 1800–1840); boat building—sloops, steamboats, then pleasure craft and World War I and II submarine chasers (ca. 1915–1948); and shoe manufacturing (ca. 1828–1900).

Following the extension of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey into the community in the mid-19th century, rapid growth ensued. Because town government was no longer seen as an effective way to deal with the community's needs, village incorporation was discussed. Fearing higher taxes, those in what would have become the northern part of Nyack village formed their own municipal corporation first, named Upper Nyack. Nyack village was incorporated, although without this northern portion. Residents in the southern part of Nyack village, however, soon became dissatisfied with the notion of paying taxes that more heavily benefited the rest of the village. After succeeding in dissolving Nyack's corporation, the southern portion of the former village incorporated as the village of South Nyack. The area between Upper Nyack and South Nyack was reincorporated thereafter, again as Nyack.

The Nyack Rocklands were a minor league baseball team based in Nyack, New York. The Rocklands were unofficially nicknamed the "Rockies" and played as members of the Class D level North Atlantic League from 1946 to 1948. The Nyack Rocklands were an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Nyack was known for its shipbuilding and was the commercial center of Rockland County. In the 19th century, a number of factories manufactured shoes. The Erie Railroad connected with Jersey City, New Jersey, where ferries took passengers to Chambers Street, New York City, until it was discontinued in 1966. With the completion of the Tappan Zee Bridge in December 1955, connecting South Nyack with Tarrytown in Westchester County, the population increased and Nyack's commercial sector expanded.

In the 1980s, the village underwent a major urban revitalization project to commercialize the downtown area and to expand its economy. The Helen Hayes Theatre was built, and the downtown area became home to many new business establishments.

In 1991 the landmark court case Stambovsky v. Ackley ruled that a house at 1 LaVeta Place on the Hudson River was legally haunted and that the owner (but not the real estate agent) was required to disclose that to prospective buyers. The owner, Helen Ackley, earlier had organized haunted house tours and was party to an article about it in Reader's Digest. After Ackley sold the house to another buyer there were no subsequent reports of hauntings.

On August 10, 2010, Highland Hose Company No. 5, a two-story brick firehouse located at 288 Main Street, celebrated 100 years at the firehouse. The firehouse was built in 1910 – fifteen years after Highland Hose was founded. The company's 1949 Ahrens-Fox fire engine was polished to bright, gleaming red and is still in use after more than 50 years.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 sqmi, of which 0.8 sqmi is land and 0.8 sqmi (51.88%) is water.

Nyack is on the west bank of the Hudson River, north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The village is also home to Hook Mountain and has hilly terrain, especially along the shore of the river.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,737 people, 3,188 households, and 1,511 families residing in the village. The population density was 8,749.1 people per square mile (3,378.1/km2). There were 3,288 housing units at an average density of 4,270.0 per square mile (1,648.7/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 63.8% White, 26.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.6% of the population.

There were 3,188 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 42.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $54,890, and the median income for a family was $69,146. Men had a median income of $50,043 versus $35,202 for women. The per capita income for the village was $32,699. About 2.2% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Roads
Nyack is located along the New York State Thruway, in its concurrent section with Interstate 87 and Interstate 287, just to the north of the Tappan Zee Bridge (officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge). Other important arterial roadways include U.S. Route 9W and New York State Route 59.

Rail
Nyack was formerly served by the Northern Branch of the Erie Railroad, with service to Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City. (The southern terminus was shifted to Hoboken in 1958 and the Erie Lackawanna operated the train after 1960.) Passenger service was discontinued in 1966, and the rail line has been converted into a walking path. As a result, Nyack no longer has direct passenger rail service. The nearest railroad stations with current passenger service are Tarrytown 8 miles away and Nanuet 5.8 miles away.

Bus
Nyack is served by the Lower Hudson Transit Link (known colloquially as Hudson Link), which connects Nyack with rail stations in Tarrytown and White Plains. The bus station is located adjacent to the municipal parking lot on Artopee Way. Nyack is also served by Rockland Coaches 9T buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and 9A buses to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in New York City. The Rockland Coaches main bus stop is located at the intersection of South Broadway and Cedar Hill Avenue. A secondary stop is located at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Castle Heights Avenue. Local bus transit is provided by Transport of Rockland.

Vessels
USS Nyack

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Edward Hopper House Art Center – 82 North Broadway – This home of the realist painter Edward Hopper was built in 1858. One room is devoted to materials about Hopper's work and life in Nyack. Three other rooms provide space for monthly exhibits by local artists. The restored garden is the setting for jazz concerts on summer evenings. (NRHP)
 * First Methodist Episcopal Church of Nyack 1812–1813 (NRHP)
 * John Green House – Main Street – Built in 1817 by John Green of local sandstone, now covered with stucco, painted yellow. This is the oldest house standing in Nyack. Green started the first lumber yard in Nyack and later opened a store. House is a private residence.
 * Memorial Park, a short walk from downtown, has a children's playground, a cement skateboard park, tennis courts, a basketball court and a butterfly garden. Canoes and kayaks can be launched from the shores of the park into the Hudson River. Memorial Park hosts many special events including weekly music concerts in the summer, numerous festivals and outdoor movies.
 * Nyack Library – 59 South Broadway - the 1903 Carnegie Library building.
 * Nyack Post Office – 48 South Broadway - The 1932 building is a rare example of an American post office constructed between the world wars in the Classical Revival architectural style. The post office is located on South Broadway in the center of the village. It serves the 10960 ZIP code, which covers South Nyack and Upper Nyack in addition to the village. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. (NRHP)
 * Nyack-Tarrytown Ferry – foot of Main Street – begun 1834 by Isaac S. Blauvelt on a vessel named Donkey, an Anglo corruption of Dutch dank je, or "thank you". The ferry remained in service until the opening of the Tappan Zee Bridge in the 1950s. This spot was also the start of the Nyack Turnpike, the first direct highway across Rockland County.
 * Oak Hill Cemetery – 140 N. Highland Avenue (Rte. 9W) – since 1840. Dedicated on June 27, 1848, it reflected a change from small family and religious burial grounds to community cemeteries. Graves include founders of Nyack, Novelist Carson McCullers, playwright Charles MacArthur and his wife, actress Helen Hayes, scientist and inventor William Hand, and artist Edward Hopper.
 * Pickwick Bookshop - 8 S. Broadway. A local bookstore open in the village since 1945. Sells old classics and new bestsellers.
 * Red Cross Center – 143 North Broadway. A cross gable Queen Anne building, it was built by Julia and Garret Blauvelt, a physician, surgeon and director of Nyack Hospital, in 1882 and given to the Red Cross in 1915. During World War I, World War II and the Korean War, the center was a hub for food and blood drives, gathering of clothes and supplies for shipment overseas. Helen Hayes, who lived nearby, was chairwomen of the war fund drive during World War II. Camp Shanks, one of the military's major wartime staging areas, relied heavily on the Red Cross volunteers and services.  Today the center continues to provide clothing, food and shelter in times necessity and emergencies. The center has also provided certification courses in first aid and lifesaving skills since 9/11.
 * River Rowing Association (RRA) – In 1881, Julian O. Davidson, a local artist and marine painter, founded the Nyack Rowing Association (NRA), which was dedicated to the sport of sculling (two-oared rowing). The grand boat house, built in 1882 was designed by William Smith and built in the Stick style architecture found in many river homes in the village.
 * Riverspace Arts in Nyack – 119 Main Street. Home of the Rockland Symphony Orchestra
 * St. Paul's United Methodist Church – 134 South Broadway, South Nyack - A Romanesque Revival church built in 1894. (NRHP)
 * Tappan Zee Playhouse – 20 South Broadway – (NRHP) It was demolished in April 2004.
 * Pretty Penny — 235 North Broadway — A Victorian river home that was formerly owned by American actress Helen Hayes and comedian Rosie O'Donnell

Historical markers

 * First Milestone from Nyack, Route 59 and Mountainview Avenue, Central Nyack
 * Couch Court, 46 South Broadway
 * Edward Hopper House Art Center, 82 North Broadway
 * First Reformed Church, 18 South Broadway
 * Historic Underground Railroad, 298 Main Street
 * Historic Underground Railroad, 176 Main Street
 * Memorial Park, Piermont and DePew Avenues
 * Liberty Street School, Cornerstone Placement, Depew Avenue near Liberty Street
 * Nyack First Settlement, 17 South Broadway
 * Nyack Library, 59 South Broadway
 * Oak Hill Cemetery, 140 North Highland Avenue
 * "Pretty Penny," 235 North Broadway

Education
Nyack Public Schools serves Nyack. Nyack High School is the village's high school. Nyack was also home to Nyack College, a Christian liberal arts college and one of the four colleges in the United States affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance church.

 * Nyack Public Schools
 * In 2018, ranked 68 Best School Districts in Nyack by Niche's.
 * In 2021, Nyack Schools changed their mascot from the Indians to the Redhawks.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York operates Catholic schools in Rockland County. St. Ann Parish School in Nyack staffed by the Sisters of St. Dominic closed in 2003.

Notable people
Audric Estime, running back for Notre Dame
 * Joseph Alessi, classical trombonist
 * Caroline Lexow Babcock, suffragist and pacifist
 * Stephen Baldwin, actor
 * Thomas Berger, novelist
 * Coheed and Cambria, rock band formed in 1995 in Nyack
 * Joseph Cornell, artist and sculptor
 * Welles Crowther, an equities trader and 9/11 hero
 * John Francis Daley, actor, musician, writer, and director
 * Dorothy Delay, violinist and teacher
 * Aaron T. Demarest, carriage manufacturer
 * Jonathan Demme, director
 * Terrence Fede, Miami Dolphins defensive end
 * Wilson P. Foss Jr., art collector and businessman
 * Ryan Grant, NFL running back
 * Bill Gunn, playwright, novelist, actor, and film director
 * Helen Hayes, actress
 * Matt Hennessy, NFL center for the Atlanta Falcons
 * Edward Hopper, painter
 * Michael E. Horowitz, United States Inspector General
 * Joe Humeres, professional skateboarder
 * Sakina Jaffrey, film and television actress
 * Zita Johann, actress
 * Van Johnson, actor
 * Mondaire Jones, first openly gay Black congressman
 * Mike Kellin, actor
 * Joseph A. Komonchak, Roman Catholic priest and theologian
 * Chuck Loeb, jazz musician
 * George Marshall, conservationist
 * Charles MacArthur, playwright
 * James MacArthur, actor
 * Devin McCourty, New England Patriots starting safety
 * Jason McCourty, Miami Dolphins starting cornerback
 * Carson McCullers, author
 * Toni Morrison, author
 * Rosie O'Donnell, talk show host and actress
 * Jansen Panettiere, actor and artist
 * Regret the Hour, Indie rock band
 * Norman Rose, stage, television, and film actor
 * Charles Samuels, writer and journalist
 * Michael S. Schmidt, journalist
 * Jim Shooter, comic book writer and former EIC for Marvel comics
 * Fabrizio Sotti, jazz guitarist and music producer
 * Glynis Sweeny, cartoonist
 * Sub Urban, musician
 * Henry D. Todd, U.S. Navy rear admiral
 * Robert Ward, composer
 * Sarah Weeks, author

title: Nyack, New York


text:
Orangeburg, New York

Orangeburg is a hamlet and census-designated place, in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Tappan, south of Blauvelt, east of Pearl River and west of Piermont. The population was 4,568 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Orangeburg is located at 41.04472°N, -73.95333°W (41.044796, -73.953404).

History
Orangeburg was the site of Camp Shanks, known as "Last Stop USA", the largest World War II Army embarkation camp. A total of 1.3 million US service personnel en route to Europe were processed at a sprawling camp that covered most of the town. The hamlet also has one of the world's largest psychiatric hospitals, Rockland Psychiatric Center, formerly called Rockland State Hospital. Orangeburg pipe was once manufactured here. Before plastic pipes, it was the standard alternative to metal pipes, especially for sewer and outdoor drainage applications.

After World War II, even through it lies only 19 mi north of New York City, Orangeburg was very rural with few residents, many of whom lived quite modestly in former soldiers' housing. That lasted until the late 1950s when developers introduced modern suburban housing to young couples who saw it as an alternative to city living. Today, Orangeburg is a suburb of New York City.

Demographics
At the 2010 census, there were 4,568 people, 1,531 households and 840 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,473.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of 504.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 77.3% White, 4.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 13.2% Asian, 3.2% from other races and 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.9% of the population.

There were 1,531 households, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.1% were non-families. 42.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.33.

25.4% of the population were age 19 or under, 10.1% from 20 to 24, 15.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.4 males.

The median family income was an estimated $70,859 and the median family income was $128,342. Males had a median income of $50,724 and females $31,477. The average home or condo value in 2009 was $463,300. About 10.73% of families and 27.00% of the population were below the poverty line.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Camp Shanks Museum and Monument - Independence Avenue - During World War II, over 1.3 million G.I.s were processed from Camp Shanks to Europe and North Africa. Italian and German prisoners of war were housed and repatriated here. The monument is located at Independence Avenue and Lowe Lane off Western Highway. The museum is located on South Greenbush Road near the intersection of Routes 303 and 340 and is open at weekends.
 * Douglas House - a Dutch Colonial farmhouse owned by Marjorie Douglas and her late husband Henry that since 1981 has been used for several New York-based film and television productions, including Saturday Night Live and Daredevil.
 * New York City FC's training facility is located in Orangeburg.

Tallest buildings in Rockland County
Orangeburg has some of the tallest buildings in Rockland County, including

 * Blue Hill Plaza
 * Rockland Psychiatric Center

Historical markers

 * Clausland Cemetery - Greenbush Road at Mountain Avenue
 * Colonial Orangetown - Orangeburg and Hunt roads
 * Michael Salyer (March 8, 1757 - April 9, 1810) House - 213 Blue Hill Road
 * Shanks Village - 26 Orangeburg Road
 * Veterans Memorial Park

Notable people

 * Zita Johann, actress.
 * Lew Leslie, Broadway writer and producer.
 * George Worth, born Gyorgy Woittitz (1915–2006), Olympic medalist saber fencer and chief commissioner of the Orangeburg Fire Department.

Public transportation
Orangeburg can be reached from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on Coach USA Rockland Coaches bus route #20. The #20 bus travels through Orangeburg along Western Highway, where there are stops on Highview Avenue and Orangeburg Road. Additionally, Transport of Rockland (TOR) Bus #92 offers service to Artopee Way in Nyack and to the Spring Valley Transit Center, and TOR Bus #97 offers service from Orangeburg Road and New York State Route 303 to Oak Tree Road in Tappan and to the Park and Ride on Highway 9W in Stony Point.

Economy
The Streit's kosher food company is headquartered in Orangeburg.

Pop Culture
Orange is the New Black was filmed in Orangeburg.

title: Orangeburg, New York


text:
Orangetown, New York

Orangetown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States, located in the southeastern part of the county. It is northwest of New York City, north of New Jersey, east of the town of Ramapo, south of the town of Clarkstown, and west of the Hudson River. The population was 48,655 at the 2020 census.

History
Orangetown was first settled around 1680. The first settlers were Dutch men who purchased a tract of land from the Tappan Indians in 1686; their patent of the same year called the place Orange, but it was also known as Orangetown and Tappan (after the first village). When the state's first twelve counties were established in 1683, the territory that would become Orangetown lay within Orange County. It became part of Rockland County when that county was created in 1798.

Historical material from the Gazetteer of New York, 1860 & 1861: ORANGETOWN—was formed March 7, 1788, and was named from Orange co., of which it then formed a part. It lies upon the Hudson, in the S. angle of the co. Its surface is broken by abrupt and rocky hills in the E. ; but in the center and W. it spreads out into a rolling or moderately hilly region. The Nyack Hills, extending along the river, are 300 to 500 feet high, with steep, rocky declivities upon the E., but more gradual slopes upon the W. Their summits are rocky and covered with a light growth of forest trees. Snake Hill, in the N.E. corner, upon the line of Clarks- town, is one of the principal peaks. The principal stream is Hackensack River, flowing S. through the W. part. Pascack Creek flows through the extreme W. angle, and Spar Kil is a tributary of the Hudson. Near the N. line are several bog or peat meadows, generally well drained and under cultivation. The red sandstone which crops out on the E. declivities of the hills, within a few rods of the river, between Piermont and Nyack, is extensively quarried and exported for building stone. The soil is a reddish, sandy loam intermixed with clay. Fruit growing and furnishing milk for the New York market have become leading pursuits. Nyack, (p.v.,) upon the Hudson, in the N.E. corner of the town, contains 5 churches, 5 shoe manufactories, a steam tub and pail factory, the Rockland Female Institute, and a private academy. Pop. 1,458. Piermont, (p.v.,) upon the Hudson, in the S. part, was incorp. May 21, 1850. It is the E. terminus of the Piermont Branch of the N. Y. & Erie R. R.,—the one over which the freight is carried. Nearly the whole business of the place is connected with the R.R. establishment. A pier 1 mi. long has been built into the river, where the freight is transferred to and from the cars and barges in the river. Upon each end of the pier are extensive offices for the transaction of the busi- ness of the road. At this place the R.R. co. also have a large iron foundery and extensive repair shops. Pop. 2,204. Tappantown, (p.v.,) near the N. J. line, contains 2 churches and 30 dwellings. This place was the scene of the trial of Andre, and for a time in 1780 was the head- quarters of Gen. Washington. Rockland, (Palisades p.o.,) upon the Hudson, in the S. part of the town, contains 3 churches and 40 dwellings. Orange Mills, Middletown, and Blauveltville, (p. o.,) a station on the N. Y. & E. R. R., are hamlets. The first settlement is supposed to have been made by the Dutch, as early as 1680. The first church (Ref. Prot. D.) was formed Oct. 24, 1694; and the first preacher was Rev. Guilllam Bartholf. The first church edifice was erected in 1716. There are 16 churches in town.

The Orangetown Resolutions, a protest of the imposition of duties and the closing of the port of Boston by the British Parliament, were passed in Tappan on July 4, 1774, a precursor of the American Revolution.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.4 sqmi, of which 24.2 sqmi is land and 7.2 sqmi, or 22.92%, is water.

The eastern border is defined by the Hudson River, and the southern border is New Jersey. The town is bordered to the north by the town of Clarkstown and to the northwest by the town of Ramapo.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,711 people, 17,330 households, and 11,940 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,973.1 PD/sqmi. There were 17,827 housing units at an average density of 737.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 83.97% White, 5.88% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.66% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.02% of the population.

There were 17,330 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $70,477, and the median income for a family was $87,341 (these figures had risen to $91,497 and $111,742 respectively as of a 2007 estimate. Males had a median income of $53,596 versus $39,886 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,170. About 2.4% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2020 Census, there were 48,655 people residing in the Town of Orangetown.

Education
Education in the city is provided by the South Orangetown Central School District.

Elected representation
Orangetown has a Town Supervisor, presently Teresa Kenny (R). Orangetown is represented by the council-form of government, with four councilmen elected alternating years for four year terms. Presently the Orangetown Town Council consists of Gerald "Jerry" Bottari (D), Paul Valentine (R), Thomas F. Diviny (R), and Brian Donohue (R). Orangetown is part of New York’s 17th Congressional District represented in the United States House of Representatives by Mike Lawler. In state government, it is represented by Senator Bill Weber and Assemblyman John McGowan.

Incorporated villages

 * Grand View-on-Hudson
 * Nyack
 * Piermont

Unincorporated hamlets

 * Blauvelt – A hamlet in the central part of the town.
 * Nauraushaun – A hamlet east of Pearl River.
 * Orangeburg – A hamlet in the southern part of the town.
 * Pearl River – A hamlet in the western part of the town.
 * Palisades – A hamlet in the southeastern corner of the town.
 * South Nyack – A hamlet south of the village of Nyack. Was formerly incorporated from 1878 until 2022
 * Sparkill – A hamlet southwest of the village of Piermont.
 * Tappan – A hamlet in the southeastern corner of the town.
 * Upper Grandview – A hamlet south of the village of South Nyack.

Other notable locations

 * Blauvelt State Park – A state park northeast of Blauvelt.
 * Dederer Stone House-Stonehurst - (NRHP)
 * Lake Tappan – A reservoir running north to south, roughly bisecting the town, and entering New Jersey at the southern town line.
 * Tallman Mountain State Park – A state park in Palisades, south of the village of Piermont.

Former Unincorporated hamlets

 * Sickletown – A hamlet.
 * Middletown – A hamlet.

Transportation
Pearl River station in Pearl River gives commuter rail service from Spring Valley south to Hoboken Terminal, on New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line.

The New York Thruway carries I-87 through the town. The highway continues to the east, on the Tappan Zee Bridge, over the Hudson River, to Westchester County.

Notable people

 * Bill Murray
 * George Worth, born Gyorgy Woittitz (1915–2006), a Hungarian-born American Olympic medalist fencer, served as captain of the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps

title: Orangetown, New York


text:
Pearl River, New York

Pearl River is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is east of Chestnut Ridge, south of Nanuet, west of Blauvelt, New York, and north of Montvale and Old Tappan, New Jersey. The population was 15,876 at the 2010 census.

Pearl River is 20 mi north of midtown Manhattan and just north of the New Jersey border. It is the first (traveling north) of three New York stops on New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line.

History

In 1696, Pearl River was part of a larger piece of land known as the Kakiat Patent that was granted to Daniel Honan and Michael Hawdon. In 1713, the land was split into north and south plots. After the Revolutionary War, the land was further divided and sold. Pearl River was a piece of land made up of woods and swamps originally called Muddy Creek.

In the early 1870s, the town was divided into five different parts: Middletown, Sickletown, Pascack, Muddy Brook, and Naurashaun.

There are conflicting accounts on how Muddy Creek came to be named Pearl River. According to some historians, a town resident named Ves Bogert found small pearls in mussels that thrived in Muddy Brook and, upon hearing this, the wife of John Demarest, the president of the New Jersey and New York Railroad, suggested the name "Pearl River" to him.

Another account is that the name change was made to make the station sound more appealing on railroad schedules. A third account is that Julius E. Braunsdorf wanted to enhance the hamlet's business image by renaming it Pearl River. In any event, there is no body of water near the hamlet called Pearl River; the most significant stream is Muddy Brook.

Braunsdorf, an industrialist and German immigrant, purchased Muddy Creek in 1870. He donated a long strip of land through the center of his property to the New Jersey and New York Railroad to enable it to bring an extension of the line from Hillsdale, New Jersey north to Nanuet.

Braunsdorf was the "Father of Pearl River" and established Aetna Sewing Machine Company to produce his patented home sewing machine in 1872. Later that year the first post office was established in the hamlet and from then on it was known as Pearl River.

Braunsdorf invented and manufactured the carbon-arc light bulb in 1873, six years before Thomas Edison's carbonized filament version. It was installed and used on ships in New York harbor for loading and unloading operations. He also designed generators, one of which powered the first incandescent electric lights, which he also invented, in the nation's capital.

When Braunsdorf designed the street layout, the only existing streets were Pearl Street and Washington Avenue. He drew a wide main street through the middle of town and called it Central Avenue. Parallel to Central Avenue he drew Franklin, after his hero, Benjamin Franklin. To connect Washington, Central, and Franklin he drew three streets and named them William, John and Henry, after his sons.

Braunsdorf built:
 * 1872 – The Aetna Sewing Machine Company, the largest factory in Pearl River, and ceded land to the railroad company so workers from New York City could get to his factory.
 * 1872 – The Pearl River Post Office and became the first Postmaster.
 * 1873 – Two brick train stations (passenger/freight) still in use today.
 * The Pearl River Hotel
 * Low-cost housing for the factory employees he attracted from Germany and Scandinavia.

In 1894, Talbot C. Dexter moved his Dexter Folder Company to Pearl River. On August 25, 1885, Dexter filed a patent for an automatic folding machine that changed the way newspapers, books, and magazines were folded and assembled. Between 1885 and 1913, Dexter filed many patents, some still in use today.

In 1907, Ernst J. Lederle, former New York City Health Commissioner, established the Lederle Antitoxin Laboratories in Pearl River. In 1930, it became Lederle Laboratories, a division of American Cyanamid. During World War II, Lederle was a major supplier of vaccines and blood plasma to the U.S. armed forces.

In 1931, Gottfried (Fred) Schmidt invented the automatic pinsetter. Brunswick was not interested in an automatic machine at the time. In 1937, AMF acquired the patent rights to this early machine—The “Sch-Bec-Roy”, which stood for Schmidt (inventor), Beckerle (bowling alley proprietor) and McElroy (blueprint designer).

In 1955, Pearl River was the setting for Norby, an NBC situation comedy that aired from January to April of that year and was one of the first regular television series filmed in color. It starred David Wayne as a small-town banker who lived and worked in Pearl River, where the 13 episodes of the series were filmed.

In 2011, CNNMoney.com ranked Pearl River 78th on its annual "100 Best Places to Live" list.

Geography
Pearl River is located at 41.05911°N, -74.02025°W (41.0591,-74.02025). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has an area of 7.2 sqmi, of which 6.8 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi, or 4.87%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,042 people, 5,539 households, and 4,209 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,273.2 PD/sqmi. There were 5,636 housing units at an average density of 823.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 72.37% White, 6.39% African American, 0.05% Native American, 7.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.44% of the population.

There were 5,539 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $76,692, and the median income for a family was $91,618. Males had a median income of $58,966 versus $39,452 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $31,417. About 2.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Pearl River has a large Irish community and, under the auspices of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, hosts New York State's second-largest Saint Patrick's Day parade, typically on the Sunday after St. Patrick's Day. This large Irish-American population also supports the nation's largest youth Gaelic Athletic Football team.

Commerce
Lederle Laboratories (which became Wyeth) was founded in 1907 on a Pearl River farm by Ernst J. Lederle. The site grew to encompass 550 acre and 40 buildings, and employ 4,000 workers. After Pfizer acquired Wyeth in 2009, the number of employees at the site was greatly reduced, and most of the campus was sold in the mid-2010s. Streets and a pond on the campus are named after scientists and inventors:

Pearl River is the site of Blue Hill Plaza, an office complex that includes Rockland County's first commercial skyscraper, completed in 1972.

Education
The community is served by the Pearl River School District. Pearl River High School serves students in grades 8 through 12. It enrolls about 1,000 students. 96% of the class of 2009 continued on to college, university, or technical school.

 * In 2001, the Pearl River School District won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
 * In 2008 and 2014, Franklin Avenue Elementary School was a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award winner.
 * In 2011, Pearl River Middle School was a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award winner.
 * In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked Pearl River High School with a Silver award as the 76th Best High School in New York State and 727th in the nation.
 * U.S. News ranked Pearl River High School the best high school in Rockland County in 2019.
 * In 2020, Niche.com ranked the Pearl River School District's COVID-19 pandemic school reopening plan as "excellent".

Saint Margaret School is a Catholic school serving grades Pre-K through 8.

Sports
The Pearl River High School Pirates have athletic programs such as baseball, basketball, football, swimming, softball, ice hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, bowling, soccer, track, wrestling, and chess club.

The 2010 Pearl River High School girls' softball team won the New York State Championship.

Historical markers

 * Cuyper-Van Houten House, 66 Sickletown Road
 * Johannes Perry House, 49 Elizabeth Street
 * Scherer House, 599 Orangeburg Road

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Braunsdorf Park Pearl River, Central Avenue & South Main Street – named after Julius Braunsdorf, first industrial developer of Pearl River and inventor of various models of sewing machines, newspaper printing presses, carbon arc light bulbs, and electric generators. His sewing machine factory is now the Dexter industrial complex. Braunsdorf installed the world's first indoor lighting at the U.S. Capitol.
 * Edward Salyer House (NRHP)
 * Jacob P. Perry House, 15 Sickletown Road – Built in 1801, it is one of Rockland County's oldest Dutch Colonial Style houses and is in the historic Nauraushaun area (NRHP)
 * Maria's Rock, front lawn of Lederle Laboratories, North Middletown Road – An 18th- century legend tells of a little girl named Huffy who wandered from her home in nearby Tappan and died of hunger and exposure. Tradition says that villagers found her bones near the massive boulder.
 * Orangetown Museum & Archives – 213 Blue Hill Road
 * “The Spot” - The formerly wooded area along Railroad Avenue
 * Pearl River United States Post Office (NRHP)
 * Van Houten Farms, 68 Sickletown Road – on the eastern edge of Pearl River. Adjacent is the Van Houten/Kuyper Dutch Sandstone House, the main section built in 1732 and purchased by Van Houten circa 1812.

Notable people

 * Lori Barbero, drummer and musician
 * Christopher Carley, actor
 * Robert Clohessy, actor
 * Macduff Everton, photographer
 * John Flaherty, television baseball broadcaster and retired Major League Baseball player
 * Dan Fortmann, professional football player and physician, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
 * Brian Gaine, American football executive who was the general manager of the Houston Texans from 2018 to 2019.
 * Aline Griffith, socialite, spy, and writer
 * Mary Beth Keane, writer
 * Mike Lawler, Republican U.S. representative for New York's 17th congressional district
 * Dan Masterson, poet
 * Mario Perillo, Perillo Tours owner also known as Mr. Italy
 * Josephine Pucci, ice hockey player and Olympic silver medalist
 * John Jurasek, YouTube personality, food critic, and radio host
 * Dan Hanzus, NFL analyst, co-host of the Around the NFL podcast

title: Pearl River, New York


text:
Piermont, New York

Piermont is a village incorporated in 1847 in Rockland County, New York, United States. Piermont is in the town of Orangetown, located north of the hamlet of Palisades, east of Sparkill, and south of Grand View-on-Hudson, on the west bank of the Hudson River. The population was 2,517 at the 2020 census. Woody Allen set The Purple Rose of Cairo (1984) in Piermont.

The village's name, in earlier years known as Tappan Landing, was given by Dr. Eleazar Lord, author, educator, deacon of the First Protestant Dutch Church and first president of the Erie Railroad. It was derived by combining a local natural feature – Tallman Mountain – and the most prominent man-made feature of the village – the long Erie Railroad pier.

History

Sparkill Creek cuts through the north end of the Hudson Palisades, providing easy access to the fertile valley of the unnavigable upper Hackensack River. "Tappan Landing," "Tappan Slote", or "Taulman Landing," as the little port on the Hudson River was called, thus became the original port for southern Orange County. The valley in the Palisades created by the creek also provided an obvious route for the Erie Railroad's first-built line (now known as the Piermont Branch), which originated at Suffern, New York, to reach eastward to the Hudson (with water connection to New York City). The railroad built a long pier into the river near the creek in 1839 as its principal terminal. The pier and the nearby mountains suggested a new name for the community, which was incorporated as a village in 1850. During World War II the pier was the ferry terminal to which troops from Camp Shanks marched in order to be transported to New York Port of Embarkation piers for transfer to overseas transports bound for the European Theater. A memorial plaque notes that history at the pier.

Late in the 20th century, Piermont became a modest tourist attraction for day-trippers from New York City, particularly those bicycling on Bike Route 9.

Piermont Station
The Piermont Branch was not the only Erie rail line that served the village. Piermont Railroad Station, located on Ash Street, is a Victorian Stick style structure built in 1873 which served as Piermont's stop for the former Erie Railroad Northern Branch north-south line, which went from Nyack, New York, to Jersey City, New Jersey. Service on the Northern Branch stopped running through Piermont in 1966. The branch was abandoned in the 1970s as a result of railroad consolidation.

The exterior of the building was renovated to its original architecture and French gray, light-green and oxide-red color scheme in 2006 by the Piermont Historical Society. They replaced the roof and installed a new 9 ft cupola. The train station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Piermont Fire Department
Piermont Fire Department, Rockland County department 13, is an all-volunteer fire department, providing fire, EMS, and water rescue services, and is located on Main Street. Piermont is one of the few districts in Rockland County having a Dive Rescue team, providing water rescue services from the Tappan Zee Bridge to the Palisades.

Piermont hand-cranked drawbridge
The Piermont hand-cranked drawbridge, also known as the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge, was originally built in 1880 by the King Iron Bridge Company, a company from Cleveland, Ohio, that constructed more than 10,000 bridges over six decades. The hand-cranked drawbridge is used as a pedestrian walkway providing a link to Tallman Mountain State Park. This bridge is the only hand-cranked drawbridge in Rockland County and perhaps in the United States. Back in the day, fishermen on sloops heading up and down the creek got out of their vessel, cranked up the drawbridge, sailed across, got out of their vessel and cranked down the drawbridge for vehicular traffic. The whole bridge was dismantled piece by piece, sent off-site for restoration and restored to its original state after a complete forensic analysis. Allan King Sloan, the great-great-grandson of the company's founder, provided some of the information that is on the historical marker nearby and attended the dedication ceremony on August 7, 2009.

Geography
Piermont is located at 41.04056°N, -73.91889°W (41.040623, -73.918788).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 sqmi, of which 0.7 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi, or 41.74%, is water.

Piermont is on the west bank of the Hudson River, south of the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,607 people, 1,189 households, and 672 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,878.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,320 housing units at an average density of 1,964.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 78.75% White, 4.72% Black, 0.19% Native American, 7.79% Asian, 5.49% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.62% of the population.

There were 1,189 households, out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $61,591, and the median income for a family was $89,846. Males had a median income of $50,659 versus $43,176 for females. The per capita income for the village was $43,731. About 3.0% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Alfred Bristol, A 100-year-old World War II veteran of Piermont who served his country in a segregated Army unit is the recipient of this year's Rockland County Buffalo Soldier Award. The award, presented since 1993, is named after the black 10th Cavalry Regiment that was stationed near the railroad construction camps of the Kansas Frontier in 1867. Regiment members were nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers” by the Plains Indians, based on their exceptional and fearsome fighting reputation. They were never defeated during 23 years of service in the Indian Wars, from 1867 to 1890. Bristol enlisted in the segregated New York Army National Guard in 1931. He belonged to the “Harlem Hellfighters,” the nickname for the 369th Infantry Regiment, which was later reorganized into the 369th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion and was sent to the Pacific during World War II. It participated in the 10th Army Division's invasion and occupation of Okinawa, a Japanese stronghold, in 1945. Upon completing Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant, a rarity for blacks at the time. Bristol and his wife, Carolyn, who married in 1941, moved to Shanks Village in Orangeburg after World War II where Bristol organized meetings, dances, parades and the 25-cent “Shanks Carpool” to and from New York City. Bristol played a role in the creation of Tappan Public Library and from 1963 to 1995 served as a trustee and president of the library's board. In 1967, he organized the Art for the Mountain auction to help save Clausland Mountain from development, with the 550-acre site later becoming a county park.
 * Grady Anderson of Nanuet, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and the 1996 award recipient, stated “The purpose was to honor African-American unsung heroes in Rockland County who served in the military and, like their predecessors, experienced the wrath of racism, and were successful in their fields and for giving back to the community,” Anderson said.
 * Army veteran David Smith of Montebello, who saw combat in Vietnam and was the 1994 award recipient, thanked Bristol “for allowing me and others to climb up your back, for the path that you laid for us. So I say that with appreciation, affection and love, and I’ll salute you again, sir.”
 * William Gaddis, American novelist, lived in Piermont while writing his second novel, J R (1975). The house he lived in served as the setting for his third novel, Carpenter's Gothic (1985).
 * Mimi Bryan was elected Piermont's first woman mayor in 1974.
 * John W. Ferdon (December 13, 1826 – August 5, 1884) Served in the United States House of Representatives, New York State Assembly (Rockland Co.) and New York State Senate (7th D.).
 * Pierpoint Isham, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
 * Al Markim, actor and producer, starred as Astro in the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet television series.
 * Paul E. Olsen, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and member of the National Academy of Sciences
 * Dennis D. Sweeney (1853–1912), of Piermont, Employed as Yard Conductor in the Erie Yards, Jersey City since about 1885, Veteran in yard service; was a Yard Master of the Rail Road in 1900s, Member of Lodge 56 and Master Switchman then later Grand Master of Lodge 115 in Jersey City, New Jersey of the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association, was regarded as an industrious and sober man, had money saved in the bank, frequently attended lodge meetings, wrote numerous articles and newsletters in the Switchmen's Journal, was a delegate to the Dallas Convention as Chairman of the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association, died from a bullet in 1912 while walking in the streets of New York at the corner of Doyers and Bowery at 3:00 p.m. the shots of which were intended for another person supposedly from a Chinese battle (“Pell Street” Battle”) also known as “Tong Fight” going on in the vicinity.

Historical markers

 * Bogertown - 102 Paradise Avenue
 * Sneden House - 38 Paradise Avenue
 * Dederer Stone House or Stonehurst

Landmarks and places of interest
Eleanor Stroud Park - A pond and small surrounding park next to Sparkill Creek and under the U.S. Route 9W viaduct. The park is named after a woman who lived near the pond on Ferdon Avenue. For decades she looked after the children who ice skated at the pond and served hot chocolate, coffee, hot dogs and cookies from a nearby shed. The pond is free to the public and open until 9 PM every day the green signal flag is posted.
 * Dederer Stone House or Stonehurst
 * William Ferdon House (NRHP)
 * First Reformed Church (NRHP)
 * Haddock's Hall - 300 Ferdon Avenue (NRHP)
 * House at 352 Piermont Avenue (NRHP)
 * "Last Stop USA" memorial statue that honors the soldiers that died in World War II. Piermont Pier was the area of disembarkation for soldiers heading to Europe.
 * Onderdonk House - 758 Piermont Avenue (NRHP)
 * Piermont Library
 * Piermont Railroad Station - Ash Street (NRHP)
 * The Piermont Historical Society
 * Rockland Road Bridge- between Piermont & Ferdon Avenue. (NRHP)
 * Rockland Road Bridge Historic District (NRHP)
 * Sneden House - 38 Paradise Avenue
 * Sparkill Creek Drawbridge- Bridge Street (NRHP)
 * Swamp Church - Carteret Avenue (St Charles A. M. E. Zion Church) In 1865 the black community around the Slote attended the Swamp Church at Skunk Hollow pastored by "Reverend Billy" Thompson.

title: Piermont, New York


text:
Pomona, New York

Pomona is a village partly in the town of Ramapo and partly in the town of Haverstraw in Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of New Hempstead, east of Harriman State Park, north of Monsey and west of Mount Ivy. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 3,824, a 23 percent increase from the 2010 figure of 3,103.

History
The village of Pomona was incorporated February 3, 1967, within the towns of Ramapo and Haverstraw. Actor Burgess Meredith provided the seed money for the incorporation. Pomona was named after the goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards, for the area's many apple orchards.

Geography
Pomona is located at 41.18639°N, -74.05556°W (41.186504, -74.055417).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.4 sqmi, 1.4 sqmi of which is in the town of Haverstraw and 1.0 sqmi of which is in the town of Ramapo. All of Pomona's total area is land.

Demographics
At the 2010 census there were 3,103 people, 1,011 households, and 863 families in the village. The population density was 1,292.92 PD/sqmi. There were 1,054 housing units at an average density of 439.17 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 66.0% white, 19.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.3% Asian, 2.2% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.1%.

Of the 1,011 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 10.7% of households were one person and 3.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.01 and the average family size was 3.22.

The age distribution was 24.2% age 19 and under, 4.4% from 20 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% 65 or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.

The median household income was $103,608 and the median family income was $108,399. Males had a median income of $72,857 versus $48,958 for females. The per capita income for the village was $43,946. About 1.5% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government
As of April 2023, the Mayor of Pomona is Ilan Fuchs and the Trustees are Marc Greenberg, Mendy Lasker, Raanan Zidile and Joel Grunwald. The former Mayor(s) are Brett Yagel and Ian Banks.

Historical markers

 * Ladentown United Methodist Church, 14 Ladentown Road (NRHP).
 * The Pig Knoll School, 584 Route 306 - currently the Pomona Cultural Center.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Clover Stadium (formerly Provident Bank Park, formerly Palisades Credit Union Park)
 * Pomona Cultural Center, 584 Route 306, Pomona NY 10970
 * Seaman-Knapp House

Parks

 * Burgess Meredith
 * Secor
 * Van den Hende

Sports

 * New York Boulders (formerly Rockland Boulders) - an independent professional baseball team. They are a member of the Frontier League.

title: Pomona, New York