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Ramapo, New York

Ramapo is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States. It was originally formed as New Hampstead, in 1791, and became Ramapo in 1828. It shares its name with the Ramapo River. As of the 2020 census, Ramapo had a total population of 148,919, making it the most populous town in New York outside of Long Island. If all towns in New York were cities, Ramapo would be the 12th-largest city in the state of New York.

The town's name, recorded variously as Ramopuck, Ramapock, or Ramapough, is of Lenape origin, meaning either "sweet water" or "slanting rocks". Early maps referred to Ramapo as Ramepog (1695), Ramepogh (1711), and Ramapog (1775).

The town is located south of Haverstraw and west of Clarkstown and Orangetown.

History
The present-day town was originally inhabited by the Munsee, a band of the Lenape nation. Their descendants now live on Stag Hill in Mahwah, New Jersey, where they form the New Jersey-recognized Ramapo Lenape Nation.

During the American Revolutionary War, Commander-in-Chief George Washington is said to have climbed the Ramapo Torne (near Sloatsburg) with a telescope to watch the July 24, 1777, sailing of the British fleet off Sandy Hook in New Jersey. General Washington and his troops set up an encampment in Suffern, in the west of Ramapo, due to its strategic location near a local mountain pass. In this encampment were two French soldiers, Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau and Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. The encampment was on the path to Yorktown, Virginia, where the final battle of the American Revolution took place.

The Town of New Hampstead was formed from part of the Town of Haverstraw in 1791, eight years after the end of the Revolution; the name was changed to Hempstead in 1797, and to Ramapo in 1828.

The first railroad line across Rockland County was built in 1841 and ran from Piermont to Ramapo. By 1851, the line was extended to Lake Erie, and was considered an engineering marvel.

Ramapo Iron Works, located near present-day State Route 17 at the base of Terse Mountain, was a producer of first cut nails made in America, wood screws, cotton cloth, and spring steel in the first half of the 19th century. Its founder, Jeremiah H. Pierson, was influential in building the Nyack Turnpike and the New York & Erie Railroad across the county. A cotton mill is still standing on the east side of the road.

In 1916, what would become State Route 59, which reached from Nyack to Spring Valley in 1915, was extended to Suffern and Hillburn.

Ramapo was one of the first cities to use Adequate Public Facilities acts to tier growth and infrastructure together. The 1971 court case Golden v. Planning Board of Ramapo is the basis for the subsequent expansion of growth management practices, including the use of development impact fees.

In 2006 Money magazine ranked Ramapo as the 49th best place in the United States and the best place in New York State to live. Arts and leisure, business, housing, low crime rates and open spaces/parkland determined the town's ranking. In the category of park space, percentage of land set aside for gardens and parks, the town finished first. Ramapo received the highest rating and one of the best in the country for its open spaces and parkland.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.9 sqmi, of which 61.2 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi, or 1.11%, is water.

The southern town line is the border of New Jersey, and the western town line is the border of Orange County. The break in the Ramapo Mountains at Suffern formed by the Ramapo River causes the town to be the site of the New York State Thruway and I-287, New York State Route 17, and a railroad line. The Palisades Interstate Parkway runs through the northeastern corner of the town, with an exit at the Haverstraw town line on the northern border.

Torne Mountain (1130 ft; shown on topographic maps as "High Torne"), in Harriman State Park, overlooks the Ramapo Pass and remnants of the once-thriving Ramapo Iron Works. During the American Revolution, the Torne served as a lookout for British ship movements on the Hudson. Legend tells that Gen. George Washington lost his watch on the mountain, and it may still be heard ticking up there in a crevice of rock.

The highest point in Ramapo is Squirrel Swamp Mountain near the northern border of the town, with an elevation of 1252 ft.

Communities

 * The hamlet of Antrim, near the southern town line
 * The village of Airmont
 * The village of Chestnut Ridge
 * The village of Hillburn, in the southwestern part of the town
 * The hamlet of Hillcrest
 * The village of Kaser
 * The hamlet of Monsey
 * The village of New Hempstead
 * The village of New Square
 * The village of Montebello
 * The hamlet of Ramapo, in the southwest part of the town. The hamlet of Ramapo and the town of Ramapo are often confused on many internet-based maps.
 * The hamlet of Sandyfield
 * The village of Sloatsburg
 * The village of Spring Valley
 * The hamlet of Sterlington, near Sloatsburg
 * The village of Suffern
 * The hamlet of Suffern Park, near Suffern
 * The hamlet of Tallman, in the southern part of the town
 * The hamlet of Viola, in the eastern part of the town
 * The village of Wesley Hills, in the northeastern part of the town

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 108,905 people, 31,561 households, and 24,870 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,778.2 PD/sqmi. There were 32,422 housing units at an average density of 529.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 72.54% white, 17.04% African American, 0.32% Native American, 4.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.65% from other races, and 2.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.19% of the population.

There were 31,561 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 3.82.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,352, and the median income for a family was $67,004. Males had a median income of $46,286 versus $34,632 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,868. About 11.5% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2020 Census, there were 148,919 people residing in the Town of Ramapo.

Landmarks
The New Hope Church is a historic Reformed Christian church in Monsey, established in 1824. The congregation continues to meet every Sunday in their building dedicated in 1869.

In August 1887, the Ryan family purchased the former Groesbeck mansion, which was built in the 1860s. The estate was called "Montebello" (which gave its name to the village in which it now lies). It now lies across from Suffern Middle School, which was built in 1942, nearly 80 years after the estate.

Torne Brook Farm, on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in the town.

Recreation
The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community, Health, and Sports Complex (aka "Torne Valley Recreation Center & Fields") was dedicated and opened on November 19, 2006. The facility features a turf multi-purpose field with stands to accommodate 1800 spectators, a separate climate-controlled dome, a 60 x 40 yard, and a turf practice area. It also features three multi-purpose indoor courts, a running track, cardio equipment, weight training machines, two racquetball courts, a computer room, and a dance/aerobic studio. Sports include football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and field hockey, as well as year-round sports programs that were not previously available to Ramapo residents. Although the residents of Ramapo have the exclusive right to join the Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community and Health Center, paid memberships are available to others.

The Ramapo Amateur Basketball Association (RABA) offers youth leagues for those 7–15 years old and adult leagues (18+). The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Center also hosts adult racquetball leagues.

The New York Boulders are a professional baseball team based just outside the village of Pomona and a member of the Frontier League. Christopher St. Lawrence pushed through the financing of the park even after residents voted it down. A state audit found that taxpayers could be liable for up to $60 million for Provident Bank Park in Ramapo.

Government
Ramapo is run by a town supervisor, until May 19, 2017, Christopher St. Lawrence. In April 2016, federal prosecutors indicted St. Lawrence and a former town official, N. Aaron Troodler, on 22 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The fraud related to a number of projects such as a minor league baseball stadium and condominium development, falsified accounting entries made to sell Town bonds to investors, and misappropriating funds from the town's special tax districts (such as its ambulance fund) to use in its general fund. Troodler pleaded guilty to a number of the fraud charges on March 7, 2017. Jury selection for St. Lawrence's trial began on April 18, 2017. St. Lawrence was convicted on May 19, 2017, of 20 felony charges. Following the conviction, Ramapo Deputy Supervisor Yitzchok Ullman announced that St. Lawrence is disqualified from serving as supervisor.

On November 7, 2017, Democrat Michael Specht was elected to become Ramapo's next town supervisor. Specht was sworn in on January 1, 2018.

Ramapo is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Mike Lawler. In state government it is represented by Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, and assembly members Mike Lawler and Kenneth P. Zebrowski.

Colleges
Rockland Community College, a public two-year community college run by SUNY, is located in the CDP of Viola, about 4 miles (6 km) east of Suffern.

The Sunbridge Institute in Chestnut Ridge is a Waldorf-based adult learning center that specializes in training teachers. It offers Masters degrees in education in collaboration with the State University of New York (SUNY).

Public schools

The town is served by two school districts. The western part of the town (Suffern, Montebello, Airmont, Sloatsburg. Hillburn) is primarily served by the Suffern Central School District, and the eastern part of the town (Spring Valley, Monsey, Pomona, Chestnut Ridge, New Hempstead) by the East Ramapo Central School District.

Suffern Central School District
The western half of Ramapo is served by the Suffern Central School District. Up until August 2017, the district was known as Ramapo Central, but the district and community sought a name change to avoid continuing confusing with East Ramapo Central School District. The name change was approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The district operates five elementary schools that go from grades K-5, Cherry Lane, Montebello, R.P. Connor, Sloatsburg, and Viola; one middle school that goes from grades 6–8, Suffern Middle School; and one high school, Suffern High School. Both the middle and high schools' mascots are mountain lions, known colloquially as "mounties." Cherry Lane Elementary was awarded with a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award from the U.S. Department of Education in 2013, and is one of four schools within the district to receive the New York State High Performing Reward School award by the New York State Department of Education in 2014. The other three schools include Montebello Elementary, Sloatsburg Elementary, and Suffern High School.

East Ramapo Central Central School District
The eastern half of Ramapo is served by the East Ramapo Central School District. The district operates four elementary schools that go from grades 1–3, Grandview, Summit Park, Fleetwood, and Margetts; and five elementaries that go from grades 4–6, Lime Kiln, Kakiat, Hempstead, Eldorado, and Elmwood; totaling nine elementary schools. It also operates two middle schools that go from grades 7–8, Pomona and Chestnut Ridge; and two high schools, Ramapo and Spring Valley. Spring Valley High's mascot is a tiger, and Ramapo High's is a griffin.

As of 2022, the district's public schools educate some 9,500 children, while about 30,000 children who live in the district and attend private schools, mostly yeshivas that serve a growing Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish community.

In 2005 the Orthodox Jewish population of the district received majority control of the school board. This new board began reducing the budget and lowering taxes. The communities using the public schools opposed these actions. In July 2010 the School Board of the East Ramapo Central School District voted to sell Hillcrest Elementary School — closed due to budget cuts — to the Hasidic Jewish Congregation Yeshiva Avir Yakov of New Square.

In 2010, the school board also voted to sell Merrill L. Colton Elementary School to Monsey-based Bais Malka Congregation and the Hebrew Academy for Special Children, a Brooklyn-based religious school for children with special needs. Transactions involving the two buildings were the focus of an ongoing state attorney general's investigation. Separately, hundreds of parent plaintiffs have also challenged them as part of their federal lawsuit against the district. The sale was finalized in 2014.

On June 30, 2011, former president of the East Ramapo Central School District Nathan Rothschild pleaded guilty to a mail fraud scheme which had been an attempt to eliminate his own private debt. The scheme involved selling public land to his creditors, then buying the land back at a higher price. He engaged in these activities as Fire Commissioner in Monsey. Questions arose as to whether the attempt to sell Hillcrest Elementary School was engineered for similar pursuits, as the sale of the 12-acre public school campus was engineered during his time in office as the school board president at East Ramapo Central School District.

In 2022, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that East Ramapo Central was the most "fiscally stressed" public school district in the state.

Private schools
Most private schools in Ramapo are Orthodox Jewish and Hasidic Jewish yeshivas, as almost half of the town's population is Jewish. Most yeshivas are located in the eastern part of the town. Some include Yeshiva Avnei Shlomo, Yeshiva Ohr Reuven, Yeshiva Darchei Noam, and Bais Yaakov Chofetz Chaim.

The sole Roman Catholic private school in the town is St. Joseph's School; Sacred Heart School closed in 2020. In addition, some Catholic county residents send their high school-aged sons to Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey.

There are four non-religious private schools in Ramapo: the Goddard School, the Skill Building Center, the Green Meadow Waldorf School, and the Rockland County Learning Center.

Sister cities
In recognition of Ramapo's substantial cultural diversity, former Town Supervisor Herbert Reisman, along with many volunteers from the various communities in Ramapo, started the twinning program. This program is made up of committees that raise funds and organize trips to Ramapo's twin towns around the world, providing local high school students the opportunity to experience life in other countries.

There are currently seven active twinning committees in Ramapo:
 * African Twinning Committee (Ghana)
 * Chinese Twinning Committee (China)
 * Indian Twinning Committee (India)
 * Irish Twinning Committee (Doneraile, Ireland)
 * Israeli Twinning Committee (Beit Shemesh, Israel)
 * Italian Twinning Committee (Andretta, Italy)
 * Philippine-American Twinning Committee (Makati, the Philippines)

title: Ramapo, New York


text:
Sloatsburg, New York

Sloatsburg is a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York, United States. Located east of Orange County, it is at the southern entrance to Harriman State Park. The population was 3,036 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Stephen Sloat, an early European landowner.

History
The land that would become the village of Sloatsburg was part of the hunting grounds of the Minsi band of the Leni Lenape Indians, whose people occupied much of the mid-Atlantic area at the time of European encounter. The area was the site of a major Indian path through the Ramapo Mountains. The path was later improved as the New York to Albany road and, in 1800, the Orange Turnpike. It remains an important thoroughfare today as the New York State Thruway, New York State Route 17 and the Norfolk Southern Railway line run along its route.

Wynant Van Gelder, an ethnic Dutch colonist, purchased the area from the Minsi in 1738. In 1747, he gave it to his father-in-law, Isaac Van Deusen. When his daughter Marritge Van Deusen married Stephen Sloat, Isaac gave the couple the land in 1763. They built a stone house on the property and operated a tavern, which was a regular stop on the New York-to-Albany stage route. During the American Revolution, the Sloat House was headquarters for American troops stationed in the Ramapo Pass. The house is a private residence, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There he established Sloat's Tavern, which became a regular stop on the New York to Albany stage route.

Sloatsburg, originally Pothat, was named after the Sloat family. During the American Revolutionary War, the stage route became an important military route and the Ramapo pass an important strategic point, occupied by American troops throughout the war. George Washington traveled through the area several times and stayed in Sloat's Tavern at least once, on June 6, 1779.

After the war, the Sloats added a tannery and a cotton mill. One of the sons, Jacob Sloat, was a gifted mechanic. He opened a mill in 1815 for making cotton cloth, importing cotton from the South. He successfully turned to making exclusively cotton twine after patenting a process for dressing it in 1840. At peak, he produced around 8000 lb of twine per week. The family operated the mill until the Civil War, when it close temporarily for lack of cotton. It was one of numerous mills near New York City that produced cotton textiles; in 1860 half the exports from New York were cotton products. The mill ceased operations in 1878, after the South developed its own textile mills.

In the early 19th century, Abram Dater built an iron forge on the Ramapo River, and a grist mill and a saw mill soon followed. Between 1836 and 1841, the Erie Railroad built a line through Sloatsburg, resulting in a major increase in the population and prosperity of the village. After the Civil War, the village prospered until the great flood of 1903 destroyed most of the factories in the town. First built close to the river for its water power, many were never rebuilt.

During Prohibition, Sloatsburg's rural setting and proximity to New York City made it an attractive location for stills and bootlegging; the gangsters running the operations also occasionally used the local woods to dispose of bodies of those killed in the course of business. In 1929, with a population of 1,559, Sloatsburg was incorporated as a village, with David Henion elected as the first mayor.

The rise of the automobile early in the 20th century had a profound impact on the area. Prior to construction of the New York State Thruway and the Palisades Parkway in the 1950s, Sloatsburg was cut in half by automobile traffic, which could back up for miles in the 1940s and 1950s on the Orange Turnpike. Over the Fourth of July weekend in 1952, the backup extended for 8 mi.

Geography
Sloatsburg is located at 41.16189°N, -74.18771°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.5 km2, of which 6.4 km2 is land and 0.1 km2, or 1.54%, is water.

The western part of the village borders Orange County.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,117 people, 1,046 households, and 826 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,162.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 401.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 90.95% White, 3.53% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.58% of the population.

There were 1,046 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. Of all households, 15.9% were made up of individuals, and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $70,721, and the median income for a family was $78,529. Males had a median income of $51,549 versus $39,464 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,180. About 0.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Sloatsburg lies within the Suffern Central School District. Sloatsburg Elementary School serves the village, students in grades 6-8 are zoned to Suffern Middle School, and older students are zoned to Suffern High School.

Transportation

Sloatsburg station provides Metro-North train service on the Port Jervis Line to Hoboken - where connecting PATH train service is available to New York and Jersey City - and to Secaucus, the connecting point to New York Penn Station and points in New Jersey. In the opposite direction, the line goes to Port Jervis. Sloatsburg is the western terminus for Transport of Rockland's bus line number 93.

New York State Route 17 travels through Sloatsburg as Orange Turnpike. Interstate 87, the New York State Thruway, passes through Sloatsburg; while there is no direct access from the Thruway to other roads in Sloatsburg, exit 15A is signed for Sloatsburg. Seven Lakes Drive through Harriman State Park has its southern terminus in Sloatsburg.

Notable people

 * John Drake Sloat, (July 6, 1781 – November 28, 1867) was a commodore in the United States Navy who, in 1846, claimed California for the United States and became the 1st Military Governor of California.
 * Robert H. Gittins, former US Congressman
 * Scott Wright, professional wrestler and bodybuilder, known as "Scotty Charisma".

Historic landmarks
Four properties in Sloatsburg, all associated with the Sloat family, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are some other sites of historical interest in the village.

 * The Glenwood Hotel, est. 1908, was owned and operated by Henry and Kathleen Tobin. For 50 years it was a favorite dinner stop for many travelers en route to upstate New York, Vermont, and Canada, prior to the opening of the New York State Thruway. Wealthy patrons from nearby Tuxedo Park were also regulars at the Glenwood. The upper floors operated as a boarding house for workers in the mills of Sloatsburg until 1950. In 1998, the building was preserved and restored to its original appearance.
 * Sloatsburg Cemetery 20230610 134148.jpg Old Sloatsburg Cemetery, has 1700 gravesites, 1400 marked with headstones. The earliest burial was Private John Sloat, 1781, during Revolutionary War. It is a settlement-era burial ground associated with the development of Sloatsburg, including the Sloat Family Burial Ground. (NRHP)
 * Sloatsburg Historical Society - includes a display of Lenape and other Native American artifacts
 * Sloatsburg Public Library - Permanent exhibit of prehistoric artifacts excavated from the Spring House Rock Shelter in Sloatsburg. Artifacts date back thousands of years. Library building originally housed the St. Francis Episcopal Church, itself once a mission chapel of St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church.
 * Sloat House & Inn, a stone house dating to the mid-18th century. It served as a meeting place for local politicians and officials during the Revolution, and was home to Sloat family members for many years. (NRHP)
 * Sloat's Dam and Mill Pond. Only remaining dam on this stretch of the Ramapo River, originally built by Isaac Sloat in 1792. (NRHP)
 * Jacob Sloat House, (Harmony Hall) 15 Liberty Rock Road. 1848 mansion transitions from Greek Revival to Picturesque. Possibly co-designed by Sloat's friend, painter and occasional architect Jasper Cropsey. The Town of Ramapo and Friends of Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House have been working together since 2006 to restore the mansion for future use as a regional cultural center. It is estimated that as much as 95 percent of the 1848 footprint of the house has survived. Harmony Hall was listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places in 2006. (NRHP)

General sources

 * Bartlett, Ted, Historic Structure Report for Harmony Hall/Jacob Sloat House, Crawford & Stearns Architects and Preservation Planners, 2008.
 * Kuykendall, Eugene L., Historic Sloatsburg, 1738-1998: The Way It Was, Is and Can Be, Sloatsburg Historical Society, 1998.

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

title: Sloatsburg, New York


text:
South Nyack, New York

South Nyack is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Grand View-on-Hudson, northeast of Orangeburg, east of Blauvelt State Park, south of Nyack and west of the Hudson River. The hamlet is the western terminus of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Its population was 3,510 at the 2010 census. The hamlet was formerly incorporated as a village from 1878 until 2022.

History
Following the extension of the Northern Branch of The New Jersey Railroad into the area in the mid-19th century, rapid growth ensued. Town government no longer being seen as an effective means of dealing with the area'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 still 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 benefitted 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.

On December 17, 2020 residents voted 508-292 to dissolve the village in favor of becoming an unincorporated area within the town of Orangetown. The dissolution vote did not take immediate effect, and the village continued to exist until March 31, 2022, after which it became a hamlet within the Town of Orangetown.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet has a total area of 1.7 sqmi, of which 0.6 sqmi is land and 1.1 sqmi, or 63.31%, is water. South Nyack is located adjacent to the Hudson River.

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) passes through the hamlet after passing over the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,473 people, 1,201 households, and 690 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,665.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,258 housing units at an average density of 2,052.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 71.32% White, 16.04% African American, 0.20% Native American, 5.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 4.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.91% of the population.

There were 1,201 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $53,000, and the median income for a family was $62,262. Males had a median income of $45,735 versus $39,850 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,135. About 6.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Historical markers

 * Carson McCullers House – 131 South Broadway – (NRHP)
 * Ross-Hand Mansion – 122 South Franklin Street - (NRHP)
 * Joseph Cornell House - 137 South Broadway

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Nyack College – Established 1897 by Dr. A.B. Simpson as the "Missionary Training Institute". It is considered to be the first school of its kind in North America. Simpson Hall, built 1897, is believed to be one of the oldest wooden institutional structures and largest the Victorian structure in the Hudson Valley.
 * St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – 134 South Broadway at Division Avenue

Other sites of interest
The Nyack Ice House, formerly located at 90 Clinton Avenue, which opened in 1881, producing and delivering blocks of ice to homes, restaurants, bars and stores, was demolished on April 2 and 3, 2008. During the 19th century, the Nyack Ice House was the only ice plant between Englewood, New Jersey and Newburgh, New York. When sold in 1921, production of coal and later oil began at the site and the name changed to "Nyack Ice and Coal Co." In 1965, the business also sold milk and was operated under the original name. Recently, the company sold mostly to ice carvers and supermarkets and supplied the ice for magician David Blaine's stunt in 2000 when he suspended himself in a block of ice over Times Square.

Orangetown Fire Company No. 1, located at 90 Depot Place, was founded in 1834 and was Rockland County's first fire company. Today it is one of eight components of the Nyack Fire Department. The company was unofficially formed in 1832 with 16 members and was organized in 1834. The company still holds in its possession its first apparatus, which dates back to 1749 and survived a fire in the firehouse some years ago. The Orangetown Fire Company No. 1 also serves Upper Nyack and Nyack.

Transportation
The Hamlet of South Nyack is the western terminus of the Tappan Zee Bridge, which connects the village to Tarrytown in Westchester County. The hamlet is served by the New York State Thruway (in its section concurrent with Interstate 87 and Interstate 287) at Exit 10 (westbound only). Another important arterial roadway serving the hamlet is U.S. Route 9W.

South Nyack was formerly served by the Northern Branch of the Erie Railroad, with service to Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City. The hamlet had its station near the corner of Broadway and Cornelison Avenue. Passenger service was discontinued in 1966, and the right-of-way has been converted into the Raymond G. Esposito Trail.

Today, South Nyack is served by Lower Hudson Transit Link buses, with South Nyack's bus stop located on Franklin Street Extension. H07 buses connect South Nyack to Tarrytown while H05 buses connect to White Plains. South Nyack is also served by Rockland Coaches/Red and Tan Lines Buses (operated by Coach USA) to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in New York City.

Notable people

 * Carson McCullers, novelist, playwright, and poet.
 * Rosie O'Donnell, comedian and LGBT activist.
 * Arthur Zegart (1916-1989), American documentary film producer.

title: South Nyack, New York


text:
Spring Valley, New York

Spring Valley is a village in the town of Ramapo and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Chestnut Ridge, east of Airmont and Monsey, south of Hillcrest, and west of Nanuet. The population was 33,066 at the 2020 census, making it the second most populous community in both Clarkstown and Rockland County, after New City.

Spring Valley spans the border of two towns, occupying an eastern portion of the town of Ramapo and a small western portion of the town of Clarkstown. The village is next to the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87) and is served by a New Jersey Transit train station at the terminus of the Pascack Valley Line.

Spring Valley is 22 mi north of Manhattan and 5 mi north of the New Jersey border.

History
Before the opening of the railroad, there were no homes in Spring Valley.

In 1842, the New York & Erie Railroad called this part of the territory "Pascack", after a stream by the same name. The residents of the area decided to call the place Spring Valley – one certain large spring in the Valley Pond being responsible for the name. Prior to naming the territory Spring Valley, it was called Scotland, named after their homeland, by Scotsmen who had settled in the area.

In 1885, E. P. Lespenasse, of Spring Valley, walked from Haverstraw, New York to Washington, D.C. to settle an election bet. He carried a live pig and a rooster on his month-long journey. Lespenasse sold over 600 copies of picture post cards of himself and the animals he carried before the start of his walk and along the way as souvenirs and to support his journey.

In 1914, President Theodore Roosevelt, visited Spring Valley to discuss the political issues of the day, speaking at Lyceum.

On July 21, 1919, the Valley Theatre was first opened.

In 1923, the Edwin Gould Foundation was incorporated. The Lakeside School for Girls and the Kingsland Industrial Schools for Boys opened on South Main street.

In 1929, Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the principal speaker at the Fourth of July celebration in Spring Valley.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman stopped at Spring Valley while touring the country in the last whistle-stop campaign by train.

Around World War II, Spring Valley had summer resorts that had many New York City Jewish people as customers. After World War II large resorts in the Catskill Mountains and other areas began to attract Jews instead, leaving the Spring Valley hotels empty. William Casey, Rockland County historian, said that many Hasidic groups began to settle during this period.

The final steam locomotives on the Erie Railroad were commuter engines that ran between Jersey City and Spring Valley. Steam last operated on the Erie on March 17, 1954, when the fires were dropped on K-1 class Pacific locomotive No. 2530.

In 2007, Spring Valley Mayor George Darden was elected vice president of the World Conference of Mayors during the organization's 23rd annual mayors' conference held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The organization includes mayors from the National Conference of Black Mayors and the Union of African Villages, whose goal is to foster constructive relationships among mayors around the world.

Revitalization measures are currently underway in the downtown area of the village, including a mass demolition of abandoned buildings on Main Street and the construction of new mixed-use commercial/residential buildings in its place.

For over 50 years, Spring Valley was the site of a military parts distributor, Sarafan Auto Supply, which supplied military parts all around the world. This third-generation business became part of the community; as business expanded, it grew to take up a large portion of the industrial section of the downtown area. Recently the business moved out of Spring Valley, but the lot which it occupied still has many of the original buildings built by Jacob Sarafan in the early 1900s.

Corruption in Spring Valley

 * On August 4, 2014, Mayor Demeza Delhomme was locked up in the county jail after a state Supreme Court justice found him in contempt of a court order to open the village's civic center to host its summer camp.
 * In 2015 the former mayor of Spring Valley, Noramie Jasmin, was convicted in federal court in the Southern District of New York of taking kickbacks to push through a community center and catering hall. She was also convicted of extortion and wire fraud and for selling her vote for $5,000 and a 50-percent ownership stake in the building. She served out a four-year prison term at Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia.
 * In June 2015 former Spring Valley deputy mayor Joseph Desmaret was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his part in a corruption scheme involving a proposal to build a village-owned catering hall on Route 45 in Spring Valley.
 * In November 2017 Spring Valley trustee Vilair Fonvil was found guilty of corruption charges that accused him of stealing $11,000 from a summer camp program, which ended his career as a village official.

Geography
Spring Valley is located at 41.11444°N, -74.04778°W (41.114445, −74.047771).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.2 km2, of which 0.01 sqkm, or 0.10%, is water.

The village is approximately 5 mi north of the New Jersey border.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 31,347 people living in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 39.4% White, 36.8% Black, 0.6% American Indian, 3.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 15.6% from some other race and 3.7% from two or more races. 30.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,464 people, 7,566 households, and 5,523 families living in the village. The population density was 12,122.7 PD/sqmi. There were 7,812 housing units at an average density of 3,719.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 32.23% White, 59.98% African American, 0.40% Native American, 5.56% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 5.33% from other races, and 6.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.40% of the population.

There were 7,566 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.79.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $41,311, and the median income for a family was $42,097. Males had a median income of $31,182 versus $26,350 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,861. 18.7% of the population and 15.2% of families were below the poverty line, 24.2% of those under the age of 18 and 16.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Spring Valley has the highest African American and Caribbean population in Rockland County. Spring Valley has a large Haitian and Jamaican population, along with a large and growing Hispanic population.

Historical markers

 * United States Post Office – 7 North Madison Avenue

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Finkelstein Memorial Library – 24 Chestnut Street – Built in 1940. Books, maps and news-clipping files on Rockland County history and local newsworthy events.
 * Holocaust Museum & Study Center – 17 South Madison Avenue – Permanent exhibit combines graphics, montages, artifacts, and audiovisual displays to detail every phase of the Holocaust. Changing art exhibits.
 * St. Paul's Episcopal Church – 26 South Madison Ave – The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The first service took place in 1868, four years before the first service in the new church was held December 18, 1873. (NRHP)
 * Spring Valley's Columbian Fire Engine Co. No. 1 celebrated its 150th anniversary with a county fire parade on September 10, 2011.
 * Spring Valley (Metro-North station) – Municipal Plaza, 1 North Main Street
 * Spring Valley High School – Route 59.
 * U.S. Post Office – North Madison Avenue (NRHP)
 * Spring Valley Memorial Park - Memorial Park Dr - Large park in the middle of Spring Valley that contains a pool, tennis court, football/soccer field, and basketball courts.

Education
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York operates Catholic schools in Rockland County. St. Joseph Parish School in Spring Valley closed in 2005.

Notable people

 * Phil Bogle, football player
 * Keith Bulluck, former NFL linebacker
 * Junior Galette, NFL linebacker
 * Lucy Grealy, author
 * Mondaire Jones, politician
 * Seth Joyner, former NFL linebacker
 * Julianna Margulies, actress
 * Bishop Nehru, rapper
 * Gerald S. O'Loughlin, actor
 * Murray Olderman, sports cartoonist
 * Jermaine Paul, singer on NBC's The Voice
 * Doc Powell, musician
 * Samuel Reshevsky, chess grandmaster
 * Saigon, rapper
 * Rob Senderoff, college basketball coach
 * Matt Siegel, radio personality
 * Shyne, rapper (deported back to Belize in 2009)
 * Leander Tomarkin, imposter
 * Beri Weber, musician
 * David Zaslav, CEO Discovery Communications

title: Spring Valley, New York


text:
Suffern, New York

Suffern is a village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Sitting adjacent to the town of Mahwah, New Jersey, Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 census, Suffern's population was 11,402.

History

"The Point of the Mountains" or "Sidman's Clove" were names used before the American Revolution to designate the present village of Suffern. The area originally was inhabited by the Ramapough, a tribe of Munsee, who were a division of the Lenape tribe. Upon Sidman's death, this land passed into the hands of his son-in-law, John Smith, who sold it to John Suffern.

The village of Suffern was founded in 1796. John Suffern, first Rockland County judge, 1798–1806, settled near the base of the Ramapo Mountains in 1773, and called the place New Antrim, after his home in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. His French Huguenot ancestors had settled there after fleeing religious persecution in France. New Antrim's location was considered strategically important in the Revolutionary War because it was at an important crossroads near Ramapo Pass. General George Washington and other important military leaders used John Suffern's home as headquarters when they were in the area.

This history has been recognized by the town. Suffern is a stop on the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, under the auspices of the National Park Service. This trail commemorates the route followed by General Washington and the French Comte de Rochambeau as they traveled to the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, which led to victory for the United States in gaining independence.

Rochambeau made encampment with his 5,000 soldiers in Suffern on August 25, 1781, on his way to Yorktown, and again on September 13, 1782, as he retraced his steps to New York. An historical marker on the Washington Avenue side of the Lafayette Theatre identifies this site of "Rochambeau's Encampment 1781–1782". The National Park Service has installed a wayside panel near the gazebo in Suffern to commemorate Rochambeau's encampment in Suffern. At the time of the encampment, this site was directly across the road from village founder John Suffern's home and tavern where the Count de Rochambeau stayed. Based on an 1860 painting of John Suffern's home that showed the well in the side yard, his home would have been in at the area of Licata Insurance. The well is in the basement of the furniture store.

During the war, Commander-in-Chief General Washington and his regiment made camp in the village several times. Lafayette Avenue, the main street of Suffern, is named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette.

Other guests who took advantage of Suffern's hospitality included Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr, who later became the third Vice President of the United States; General George Clinton, who became the first (and longest-serving) elected Governor of New York, as well as the fourth Vice President of the United States (under both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison); and Alexander Hamilton, first United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington.

From Suffern to Monroe was a main route of travel through the western Hudson Highlands. The main road was the Albany Post Road, one of the oldest roads in the state, which served as the stagecoach line between Albany and New York City. Once the Hudson River froze in winter, the Post Road was heavily traveled as an alternate. The 20 mi of road through Ramapo Pass was later developed as the Orange Turnpike (now known as Route 17). Tolls were collected from 1800 until 1886 to maintain and improve the road. The New York State Thruway now runs through the pass. The south entrance to the town was garrisoned during the Revolution, with General Washington ordering as many as 400 soldiers to be stationed there at all times.

The first railroad line across Rockland County, the Erie Railroad, was built in 1841 and ran from Piermont to Ramapo. By 1851, the line was extended to Lake Erie, and was considered an engineering marvel. The tracks are now owned by the Norfolk Southern line. In consideration for the right-of-way given it by Judge Edward Suffern, son of founder John, to lay track across his 6 mi of land, the Erie Railroad named their depot "Suffern's Station." The village became known as Suffern, not New Antrim, as it had been called by John Suffern.

In 1897, Avon Products, known then as California Perfume Company, built a 3000 sqft laboratory in Suffern. By 1971 the lab had been expanded into the 323000 sqft Avon Suffern Research and Development facility. In late 2005, construction was finished on a state-of-the art, 225000 sqft facility that would become Avon's global hub for research and development. The new building was constructed on the same site as their previous R&D facility, which was demolished for site parking.

In 2023, Avon sold to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to be used for Research & Development Laboratories

In 1916, what would become New York State Route 59, which reached from Nyack to Spring Valley in 1915, was extended to Suffern and Ramapo Hamlet.

In 1924, the Lafayette Theatre, named for the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette, opened its doors.

In 1972, the Salvation Army moved their School for Officer Training to a 30 acre site in Suffern. They took over the former School of the Holy Child, a Catholic school for girls.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.1 sqmi, of which 0.04 sqmi, or 1.42%, is water.

Suffern is designated as a gateway to the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,634 households, and 2,836 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,265.8 PD/sqmi. There were 4,762 housing units at an average density of 2,278.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 86.83% white, 3.53% African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.83% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 4.52% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.87% of the population.

There were 4,634 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $59,754, and the median income for a family was $74,937. Males had a median income of $46,959 versus $36,093 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,208. About 3.5% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Novartis had a manufacturing facility in Suffern, employing approximately 525 workers. In January 2014, the company announced closure of this facility by 2017, citing loss of patent exclusivity on Diovan as a major factor in the decision. The facility was engaged in the "production of tablets, capsules, vials and inhalation products".

Avon's Global Research and Development facility is located in Suffern, employing 350 scientists and technicians in developing cosmetics.

Historical markers

 * Rochambeau Encampment, Lafayette and Washington avenues
 * Soldier's Monument, also known as Washington Ave. Monument, Washington and Lafayette avenues (NRHP)
 * Suffern's Depot, 1 Erie Plaza
 * Suffern Grammar School, 41 Wayne Avenue
 * Suffern's Sacred Heart Parish, 129 Lafayette Avenue
 * Suffern's Tavern Site, Washington and Lafayette avenues – Suffern's tavern sheltered many Continental Army officers, including Gen. Washington and Aaron Burr, commander of the troops guarding the Ramapo Pass. Torn down about 1856.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Brooklands Park – Lake Road – Site of Brooklands, home of Daniel Carter Beard, a founder of Boy Scouts of America.
 * Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area – Suffern is a designated gateway to the HRVNHA.
 * Lafayette Theatre – 97 Lafayette Avenue. Rockland's only surviving movie palace, opened in 1924, and having a renovated 1931 Wurlitzer pipe organ installed by the American Theatre Organ Society in 1992.
 * Suffern Free Library – 210 Lafayette Avenue. The Ramapo Room contains historical books, clippings and photographs of western Ramapo.
 * Suffern Railroad Museum – 1 Erie Plaza
 * Suffern Village Museum – 61 Washington Avenue – Exhibits relating to the history of Suffern and the Ramapo area. Includes displays relating to American Indians, original Avon products, nearby iron mines, and Dan Beard, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America. Traveling Trunk program is available for classroom use.
 * U.S. Post Office – Built during the New Deal, is located on Chestnut Street between NY 59 and US 202, on the northern edge of the village's downtown business district. (NRHP)
 * Washington Avenue Soldier's Monument and Triangle – Washington Avenue (NRHP)
 * Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Wayside Panel near gazebo

Government
Suffern's government is headed by a mayor, Michael Curley. The mayor presides over a village board consisting of four trustees. The village is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Mike Lawler. In state government, it is represented by Senator Bill Weber and Assemblyman Karl Brabenec. Suffern is an incorporated village within the town of Ramapo, with Michael Specht serving as town supervisor.

Education
Suffern Middle School is the junior high school of the Suffern Central School District (SCSD), and is located in the village Montebello, adjacent to Suffern. The 1,200 grade 6-8 students educated there hail from Airmont, Suffern, Montebello, Hillburn, Sloatsburg and parts of Monsey.

The village is home to Richard P. Connor Elementary School, also part of SCSD. Viola Elementary School is located in the neighboring CDP of Viola. High school students are zoned to Suffern High School.

In 2013, Cherry Lane Elementary School, located in the neighboring Village of Airmont and part of SCSD, became one of the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award winners awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Rockland Community College, part of the SUNY system, is located just outside the village limits.

Media

 * The Irishman was filmed in Suffern.
 * Parts of Manifest were filmed near Soldier's Monument and the Lafayette Theatre.
 * Suffern was the fictional setting for Aidan's country house in the HBO TV Show Sex And The City, Season 4, Episode 57, "Sex and the Country"

Transportation
Suffern station serves both local and express trains, operated by New Jersey Transit to Hoboken Terminal with connecting service at Secaucus Junction to New York's Pennsylvania Station. Most New Jersey Transit Main Line trains terminate at Suffern; some Bergen County Line trains also terminate at Suffern; and Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis Line trains continue into Orange County to Port Jervis. Transport of Rockland buses serve Suffern, as well as Hudson Link buses, and the Bergen County routes of Coach USA ShortLine.

U.S. Route 202, New York State Route 59, Interstate 287, and Interstate 87, also known as the New York State Thruway, go through Suffern.

Notable people

 * Nicholas Allard (born 1952), dean and president of Brooklyn Law School
 * Christine Andreas (born 1951), singer and two-time Tony-nominated Broadway actress; credits include My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, and On Your Toes
 * Dave Annable (born 1979), actor, best known for playing the role of Justin Walker in ABC's Brothers & Sisters
 * Daniel Carter Beard (1850–1941), a founder of Boy Scouts of America
 * Jay Beckenstein, of jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra, built his recording studio, BearTracks Studios, in Suffern
 * Christina Bianco, actress and viral video star
 * Mike Bodker, mayor of Johns Creek, Georgia
 * Ralph Borsodi, economist and social critic who moved to Suffern in 1920 and eventually founded the School of Living nearby
 * Keith Bulluck, former NFL Pro Bowl middle linebacker
 * Chris Caffery, guitarist for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, now solo artist
 * Otis H. Cutler (1866–1922), businessman and politician
 * Will Cunnane, MLB pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs
 * Tim Daly, actor, best known for TV sitcom Wings and TV drama Private Practice
 * Tyne Daly, actress, best known for TV dramas Cagney & Lacey and Judging Amy
 * Peter Daszak, British zoologist
 * Tony DeFrancesco, former MLB interim manager with the Houston Astros
 * Charles E. Gannon, author and game designer
 * Ryan Grant, former NFL running back
 * Dan Gurewitch, comedy writer and actor, best known for CollegeHumor
 * Valerie Harper, actress, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Rhoda
 * Pat Hingle (1924–2009), actor
 * Joe Lockhart, White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton
 * Thomas Meehan, Tony Award-winning author of Annie and The Producers
 * Jean Muir, actress
 * Tommy Murphy, Major League Baseball player
 * C.J. Nitkowski, left-handed pitcher who played for 10 Major League Baseball clubs
 * Michelle Pantoliano, anchor for Naked News
 * Carole Radziwill, author, journalist, and star of Real Housewives of New York City
 * Ida Mary Barry Ryan (1854-1917), philanthropist
 * Margaret Salmon, award-winning filmmaker artist
 * Claudio Sanchez, graphic novelist and lead singer-guitarist for Coheed and Cambria
 * Marty Springstead (1937–2012), American League baseball umpire
 * Grace VanderWaal (born 2004), 2016 winner of America's Got Talent
 * Walt Weiss (born 1963), MLB shortstop, 1988 AL Rookie of the Year, and former manager of the Colorado Rockies

title: Suffern, New York


text:
Tappan, New York

Tappan is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York. It is located northwest of Alpine, New Jersey, north of Northvale, New Jersey and Rockleigh, New Jersey, northeast of Old Tappan, New Jersey, east/southeast of Nauraushaun and Pearl River, south of Orangeburg, southwest of Sparkill, and west of Palisades; Tappan shares a border with each. The population was 6,673, according to the 2020 census.

Early history
The Tappan tribe were a Lenape people who inhabited the region radiating from the Hudson Palisades and the New York – New Jersey Highlands at the time of European colonization in the 17th century. "Tappan" is derived from the Lenape word "tuphanne" thought to mean "cold water."

The first Orange County courthouse was built in 1691 in Tappan, though by 1737, sessions alternated between Tappan and Goshen. The first school house in Rockland County was built in 1711 in Tappan. It was used as a school until 1860. There would not be another school in the county until late in the 18th century.

American Revolution
The Orangetown Resolutions were adopted in 1774 at the home of Yoast Mabie. The Dutch colonial house was built by his brother Casparus Mabie in Tappan. When Great Britain imposed duties on the colonies and closed the port of Boston, local inhabitants passed resolutions calling for a boycott of British imports and exports on Monday, July 4, 1774, two years to the day before the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed.

British Major John André, who conspired with Benedict Arnold to allow the takeover of West Point by the British, was captured in 1780 in Tarrytown on his way back to the British lines with the plans of the fort's fortifications. Major André was brought to Tappan, confined at Caspurus Mabie's home, known as "Mabie's Inn," and brought to trial at the Reformed Church of Tappan; he was found guilty of espionage, hanged, and buried nearby.

Strickland, Major André's executioner, who was confined at the camp in Tappan as a dangerous Tory during André's trial, was granted liberty for accepting the duty of hangman and returned to his home in the Ramapo Valley or Smith's Cove. Joshua Hett Smith, accused of conspiring with Major André, was also brought to trial at the Reformed Church of Tappan. The trial lasted four weeks and ended in Smith's acquittal.

General George Washington, who in 1789 became the first president of the United States, used the 1700 DeWint House, Rockland County's oldest existing structure, as his headquarters four times between 1780 and 1783, and dined at Mabie's Inn during the American Revolution. Today the house known as Mabie's Inn is a restaurant operating as The Old 76 House.

Recent history

 * Cereo, an early commercially produced baby food, was manufactured in the early 1900s by Macy Deming at the Haring Adams (Deming) House.
 * The Tappan Fire Department's 100th anniversary was celebrated on October 13, 2007, with a Mardi Gras-style parade, complete with beaded necklaces and confetti. The Budweiser Clydesdale horses made an appearance.

Geography
Tappan is located at 41.02583°N, -73.95111°W (41.025897, −73.951180).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the region has a total area of 2.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,757 people, 2,261 households, and 1,887 families residing in the community. The population density was 2,423.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,294 housing units at an average density of 822.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.27% White, 1.27% African American, 0.12% Native American, 13.51% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.36% of the population.

There were 2,261 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the region the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The average household income in Tappan is $167,568 with a poverty rate of 2.43%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $2,256 per month, and the median house value is $497,700. The median age in Tappan is 45.5 years, 40.7 years for males, and 49.3 years for females. For every 100 females there are 103.5 males.

Historical markers

 * 1700 DeWint House, Oak Tree Road and Livingston Avenue
 * Major John Andre Monument, Old Tappan Road and 42 André Hill Road
 * General Lafayette, Western Highway and Christine Lane
 * Hickory Hill Cooperative, Hickory Hill and Old Tappan roads
 * The First Court House, Tappan Green
 * Trial of André, 32 Old Tappan Road
 * Washington's Camp, Western Highway and Christine Lane

Landmarks and places of interest

 * André Monument – André Hill, south of Old Tappan Road, 0.2 mi west of railroad crossing – Marks the reported site of the execution of Major John André, hanged for espionage. (NRHP)
 * The academy. Built in 1843 as a private school on land leased by the church.
 * Bartow-Samett Town House – Built in 1835 by Morris Bartow. Adjacent to The Old 76 House. Probable site of Yost Mabie's house where the Orangetown Resolutions were signed in 1774.
 * Bogert-Haring House – Late eighteenth century sandstone house which was home to nine generations of Bogerts and Harings.
 * Burton Store – Tappan's former general store.
 * Cardona House – First Rockland County schoolhouse. Built of stone and brick in 1711 on church land and used as a school until 1860.
 * 1700 DeClark-DeWint House – 20 Livingston Street – Built in 1700, oldest house in Rockland County. To the northwest and northeast of the front entrance of the 1700 DeWint house are the carriage house and a stone mill. At the rear of house stand seven initialed headstones which came from a nearby property. It is believed these headstones marked where the slaves of that home were buried.(NRHP) Threatened with demolition in 1932, the house and grounds were purchased and preserved by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York, as a National Historic Site and a memorial to George Washington (who was himself a lifelong Mason). Since 1984, in the month of September The Tappantown Historical Society has held Colonial Day featuring Colonial Army re-enactors and Encampment Soldiers. Tour of the DeWint house include ladies and gentlemen in colonial attire preparing for winter. The Carriage House Museum houses local artifacts. On the Dewint House Grounds people in colonial attire demonstrate apple pressing, buttermaking, Sheep shearing, blacksmith and cooper, spinning and other events showing how colonial ancestors lived.
 * Haring-Adams House – Built in 1790. Cereo, first baby food, was manufactured by Macy Deming at this location.

 * The Manse – Kings Highway & 28 Old Tappan Road – Built of stone in 1726 on land donated by five of the surviving 16 original Tappan patentees, Daniel deClerk, Peter Haring, Johannes Blauvelt, Lambert Smith and Cosyn Haring, the Manse is considered to be the oldest parsonage in continuous use in the United States. Architecture is typical Hudson Valley Dutch colonial, ornamentation on exterior being added later. Restructured 1788; frame wing added about 1830. There is a historical marker at this site. Reverend Samuel Verbryck, friend of George Washington and a founder of Rutgers University, resided here.
 * Mabie-Beech House – Built in 1835 by Cornelius Mabie.
 * The Old 76 House (Mabie's House)- 110 Main Street. Tavern since the 18th century.
 * Reformed Church of Tappan – Kings Highway, 32 Old Tappan Road – Organized as Low Dutch Christian Reformed Church of Tappan 1694, it is the oldest congregation in Rockland County. The present church (third) was built in 1835. The second church, enlarged in 1788, was the scene of Major John André's trial. The church was also used as a prison/hospital after Baylor Massacre in 1778.
 * Village Church Green – West of the Reformed Church of Tappan. This site was the first Orange County courthouse until 1798 (Rockland County was a part of Orange County). It was destroyed by fire along with the jail in 1773. The green had a whipping post and stocks, a stray cattle pound and during the American Revolution, a Liberty Pole (flag pole).
 * Tappan Tar Barrel Elm site – located in the middle of Oak Tree Road just south of the Sparkill Creek. It was part of the Revolutionary War Alarm System. A flaming tar barrel was to be hoisted to the top of the tree if the British were to approach. It was used just once, in 1783, as a signal that Washington and Carleton agreed to a prisoner exchange and the evacuation of New York. It was cut down in 1953.
 * Tappan Library – Built in 1750. Four additions have been added since.
 * Tappan Historic District – (NRHP)
 * Tappantown Historical Society

In popular culture

 * Tappan was the filming site in the episode "New Car Smell" of the NBC comedy show, Ed. Ed was getting a kite down for a woman, but got stuck in a tree.
 * A shot for the introduction to the film "No Looking Back" was shot in Tappan. The shot is facing east down Old Tappan Road from the perspective of Western Highway.
 * Tappan was the location of the movie studio of Helen Gardner, who was the first film actor, male or female, to form her own production company. "The Helen Gardner Picture Players" made eleven feature films there between 1912 and 1914.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Tappan include:
 * Nat Fein (1914–2000), photographer for the New York Herald Tribune for 33 years
 * Cynthia Hesdra (1808–1879), former slave and businesswoman
 * John Andre (1751–1780), British major and spy executed by hanging in Tappan
 * John Quidor (1801-1881), American painter

Transportation
The Palisades Interstate Parkway runs northwest–southeast to the north of Tappan. New York State Route 303 runs north–south through the area.

Until 1958, the New York Central Railroad operated passenger service on the West Shore Railroad between Weehawken, New Jersey, opposite Midtown Manhattan up through the western part of Tappan to Newburgh, Kingston and Albany. The service ran to West Haverstraw, in the north of Rockland County until 1959. The Erie Railroad ran train service on the Northern Branch through the eastern part of Tappan up to 1966.

title: Tappan, New York


text:
Thiells, New York

Thiells, known as Thiell's Corner in the 1850s, is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Mount Ivy, east of Pomona, south of Tomkins Cove, and west of Garnerville. The population was 5,240 as of the 2020 census.

During the American Revolution, Thiells was known as Haverstraw Forge, where General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, leading 1,350 Continental Army troops, was able to watch the area of Stony Point.

Geography
Thiells is located at 41.2075°N, -74.00694°W (41.207392, −74.006829).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.9 sqmi, of which 1.9 sqmi is land and 0.53% is water.

Thiells is located on U.S. Route 202 between the Palisades Interstate Parkway and U.S. Route 9W and is west of the Hudson River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,758 people, 1,503 households, and 1,300 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,562.2 PD/sqmi. There were 1,512 housing units at an average density of 814.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.10% White, 3.89% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 3.47% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.65% of the population.

There were 1,503 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.5% were non-families. Of all households 10.5% were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $79,906, and the median income for a family was $86,872. Males had a median income of $51,846 versus $35,162 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,346. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

History
In 2009, Thiells United Methodist Church, located on Rosman Road, marked its 225th anniversary. The church originated as a mission to American Indians. It was chartered by the City Road Chapel in London in 1784. A small building was built on a piece of land which was set aside by John Thiell, although he did not attend. The building, which had been expanded, was destroyed in a fire in 1973. The congregation, soon after rebuilt, on the same spot on Rosman Road.

In 2010, the David B. Roche Volunteer Fire Company celebrated its 50th anniversary. On September 11, 2001, the company experienced tragedy when New York police officer and Thiells volunteer John Coughlin, whose name remains on the roster, died in the World Trade Center.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Thiells United Methodist Church
 * Letchworth Village
 * Hudson Valley Revenue Support Field Office (OPWDD)
 * Minisceongo Creek

Education

 * North Rockland Central School District
 * In 2017 U.S. News & World Report ranked North Rockland Senior High School with a Bronze award as the 219 Best High School in New York State
 * In 2018, ranked no. 179 in Best School Districts in North Rockland by Niche.

Notable person

 * Paul Piperato, (June 19, 1958 - May 6, 2020) Served The County of Rockland for 30 years. Fifteen years as the County Clerk. Haverstraw Bay Park was renamed Paul Piperato Haverstraw Bay Park, West Haverstraw, New York in his honor for his dedication, service and commitment to the residents of Rockland County.

title: Thiells, New York


text:
Upper Nyack, New York

Upper Nyack is a village incorporated in 1872 in the town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of the village of Nyack, east of Valley Cottage, south of Rockland Lake State Park, and west of the Hudson River. The population was 2,063 at the 2010 census.

Upper Nyack has a Village Hall and a village law court, located in the same building on North Broadway. Upper Nyack is also home to the Empire Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, established in 1863, one of eight fire companies in the Nyack Joint Fire District.

History
Upper Nyack was incorporated in 1872. Two hundred years prior, Claus Jansen Purarent of Bergen Township (now Jersey City) received a patent from Governor Phillip Carteret for 640 acre of land north of Tappan. Jansen sold 100 acre to Dowe Harmensen Tallman, and the rest was inherited by his son Cornelius Clausen, who assumed the surname of Kuyper (Cooper). Kuyper was an outstanding public servant in the County of Orange. The first Upper Nyacker also commanded the first company of militia in the county. He died in 1731 and is buried in the Upper Nyack Burial Grounds.

Following the extension of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey into the area in the mid-19th century, rapid growth ensued. Town government no longer being seen as an effective means of dealing with the needs of Nyack proper, 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 still incorporated, too, although without this northern portion.

In 1909, the village was known locally as "Goosetown", probably due to a Colonel Vose, who lived on Highmount Avenue and kept geese which he drove daily down to the river, thus giving the thought that Upper Nyack was full of/for the birds. The slogan "Goosetown against the world" was adopted in 1909 due to a local dispute. During the celebration of Upper Nyack's Centennial in 1972, Upper Nyackers proudly displayed bumper stickers again with the words "GOOSETOWN AGAINST THE WORLD".

Geography
The village is on the west bank of the Hudson River, a mile north of where the Tappan Zee Bridge carries the New York State Thruway to Tarrytown, New York.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 11.3 km2, of which 3.2 km2 is land and 8.1 km2, or 72.01%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,863 people, 712 households, and 524 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,406.8 PD/sqmi. There were 732 housing units at an average density of 552.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 92.54% White, 3.33% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.31% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.13% of the population.

There were 712 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $91,156, and the median income for a family was $103,049. Males had a median income of $66,607 versus $41,406 for females. The per capita income for the village was $52,368. About 2.4% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Historical markers

 * Old Palmer Burying Ground - 104 Old Mountain Road
 * Old Stone Church - 347 North Broadway

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Brookside (Upper Nyack, New York) - (NRHP)
 * Old Stone Church, 347 North Broadway - Built 1813-4 of native stone and hand-hewn timbers by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, this is county's oldest church building. It is now owned by the Village of Upper Nyack. (NRHP)
 * Hook Mountain State Park - Early Dutch settlers called Hook Mountain Verdrietige Hook ("Tedious Point"). It is said to be the site of the final local Indian encampment. It is registered as a National Natural Landmark along with adjacent Nyack Beach State Park.
 * Nyack Beach State Park
 * Shadowcliff - (NRHP)
 * Upper Nyack Firehouse, 330 North Broadway - (NRHP)
 * Van Houten's Landing Historic District - (NRHP)

Notable people

 * June Shagaloff Alexander, civil rights activist.
 * Dave Breger, cartoonist.
 * Adam Chanler-Berat, actor.
 * Gertrude Crotty Davenport (1866–1946), zoologist, died in Upper Nyack.
 * Edward Hopper, painter and printmaker.
 * Norman Rose, actor and narrator.

title: Upper Nyack, New York


text:
Valley Cottage, New York

Valley Cottage is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Clarkstown, New York, United States. It is located northeast of West Nyack, northwest of Central Nyack east of Bardonia, south of Congers, northwest of Nyack, and west of Upper Nyack. The population was 9,107 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Valley Cottage is located at 41.11778°N, -73.9425°W (41.117862, −73.942531).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.4 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
At the census of 2000, there were 9,269 people, 3,347 households, and 2,379 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,168.7 PD/sqmi. There were 3,410 housing units at an average density of 797.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.16% white, 3.59% African American, .09% Native American, 9.81% Asian, .13% Pacific Islander, 1.89% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.71% of the population.

There were 3,347 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. Of all households, 23.8% were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.2.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 20.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,828, and the median income for a family was $87,123. Males had a median income of $51,718 versus $41,653 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $33,181. About 1.4% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

History
The first known resident of Valley Cottage was John Ryder, who owned a large farm which comprised all or most of the area's school district.

The post office was first opened at the Valley Cottage Station in 1892.

According to George H. Burke's book Rockland County during the American Revolution, 1776–1781, Valley Cottage was once known as "Storm's Corner". In 1876, just before the opening of the West Shore Railroad station, the residents assembled at the school room agreed on the name "Valley Cottage", referring to the house nearest the station "that cottage in the valley". Another version has it that the name of the hamlet came about because of a famous trotting horse named "Cottage Maid", owned by Ed Green who owned the land where the station, the Marcus store and other buildings stood.

Education
Valley Cottage is a part of Nyack Union Free School District
 * Valley Cottage Elementary School
 * Liberty Elementary School is a Blue Ribbon Award winner (2000–2001) and semi-finalists (2004), New York State winner of International Reading Award and ING Unsung Heroes Award (2004) for Karne Andreasen's "Turn on to Reading" program.
 * Nyack Middle School
 * Nyack High School

Community
Valley Cottage has a very close community with many schools, libraries, restaurants, and recreational opportunities. Valley Cottage has a calm and quaint atmosphere that is very welcoming. Valley Cottage also full of nature and is very accessible with many sidewalks.

Libraries
There are many libraries in and surrounding Valley Cottage. A few of them are: Valley Cottage Library, Nyack Library, and West Nyack Library.

Parks and Recreation
Twin Ponds Park- Massachusetts Avenue, 54 Sedge Rd Rockland Lake State Park- 299 Rockland Lake Rd Valley Cottage Hamlet Green- New Lake Rd Kings Park- 54, 34 Kings Hwy Wholeness Center- 7 New Lake Rd

Transportation

Valley Cottage's major thoroughfares are New York State Route 303, U.S. Route 9W, and Kings Highway.

Valley Cottage is located along CSX Transportation's River Line, with between 20 and 55 freight trains passing through the hamlet daily. Passenger service on the line ended in 1959. The nearest railroad stations to Valley Cottage with current passenger service are Nanuet 5.2 miles away and Tarrytown 10 miles away.

Commuter transportation to New York City is provided by Rockland Coaches Route 9A to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and Route 9T to the Port Authority Bus Terminal from the bus shelters at the intersection of Lake Road and New York State Route 303. The shelters are a 0.4 mile walk from the hamlet's Park and Ride facility. Local bus transportation is operated by Transport of Rockland's Route 91 & 97 and Clarkstown Mini-Trans Route A.

Historical markers
Markers at Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain were unveiled on October 4, 2008.

Landmarks and places of interest

 * The Josephine Hudson House belonged to the first woman to work in the Knickerbocker Ice Company.
 * The Knickerbocker Ice Company was established in 1831. Rockland Lake was known to have had the cleanest and purest ice in the area. Knickerbocker's Ice House No. 3, located at Rockland Lake, could store more than 40,000 tons of ice harvested from the lake. The wooden storehouse's walls were insulated with sawdust to keep the ice blocks frozen until they were shipped in the summer. By 1834, the company owned a dozen steamboats and 75 ice barges, and employed about 3,000 to ship ice countrywide. The stored ice was placed on inclined railroad cars, transported down the mountainside, placed on barges on the Hudson River and shipped to New York City. So much ice was shipped that Rockland Lake became known as the "Icehouse of New York City". Knickerbocker burned down in 1926. Knickerbocker's Ice House No. 3 is currently a Clarkstown town historic site. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage recently pledged to help preserve the remaining walls. Only those walls and some scattered foundations from other icehouses remain. The Hanchar family who has deep roots in the hamlet, recently donated money for new markers at this site.
 * Knickerbocker Fire House - established 1862
 * Palisades Center bordering Valley Cottage from West Nyack side.
 * Rockland Lake Community was a thriving community made up of the many workers at the Knickerbocker Ice Company.
 * Rockland Lake State Park
 * Storms Tavern - believed to have been built in 1765 restored in 2008
 * Tolstoy Foundation of Valley Cottage, founded in 1939 by Alexandra Lvovna Tolstoy, youngest daughter of Leo Tolstoy. Some of the Board members throughout the years included Sergei Rachmaninoff - composer & conductor, Igor Sikorsky - aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, Boris Bakhmeteff - engineer, professor of Civil Engineering at Columbia University and the only ambassador of the Russian Provisional Government to the United States, Boris Sergievsky - one of the most colourful of the early aviators.

Religious institutions

 * All Saints Church
 * All Saints Episcopal - consecrated in 1922
 * Elim Tabernacle Church
 * Lake Avenue Chapel - torn down, abandoned cemetery
 * Islamic Center of Rockland
 * Methodist Church - which was located in Rockland Lake, torn down
 * St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church.
 * St. Michael's Church - consecrated in 1901 and closed down in 1965 and torn down, however the Gethsemane Cemetery is still used
 * St. Therese's Chapel - consecrated in 1927 and was located on Church Lane, closed down in 1965 and torn down
 * Saint Paul's School
 * Saint Sergius of Radonezh Russian Orthodox Church - consecrated in 1940

Notable people of Valley Cottage

 * Isaac Bonewits (1949–2012), American druid who published a number of influential books on neopaganism
 * Stephen Greene (1917–1999), painter, who lived along with his wife, Sigrid de Lima (1921–1999), a novelist.
 * Maurice Heaton (1900–1990), glass artist
 * Rose Thompson Hovick (1890–1954), lived on Ridge Rd. She was the mother of two famous performing daughters: the burlesque artist Gypsy Rose Lee, and the actress June Havoc.
 * Jack Klugman (1922–2012), actor, stated in the Rockland County Journal newspaper, that he lived on Kings Highway in Valley Cottage.
 * Audrey Landers (born 1956), actress, who grew up on Sherry Drive
 * Judy Landers (born 1958) actress, along with her sister grew up on Sherry Drive
 * Robert Maclay, president of the Knickerbocker Ice Company, late 1800s - early 1900s.
 * Megan Leavey, Marine corporal who served in Iraq as a Military Police K9 handler.
 * Mitch Miller (1911–2010), musician, singer, conductor, record producer, record company executive.
 * Princess Vera Constantinovna of Russia, the youngest child of Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovich of Russia and his wife Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna.
 * Vladimir Nikolayevich Petrov, professor at Yale University and an academic, POW.
 * Ismael Quintana (1937–2016), Puerto Rican singer and composer of music
 * Claudio Sanchez, of the well-known band Coheed & Cambria, uses Valley Cottage for much of his side project, The Prize Fighter Inferno. Sanchez is originally from nearby Nyack.
 * Anita Shreve, writer, novelist and editor, lived in the 1980s.
 * Olga Spessivtseva (1895–1991), ballerina, one of the outstanding classical ballerinas of the 20th century.
 * Kim Stanley, actress, primarily in television and theatre, in later years a teacher.
 * William Styron (1925–2006), writer, lived for a year while writing his acclaimed first novel Lie Down in Darkness.
 * Harvey Swados, novelist and writer, wrote his first published novel, Out Went the Candle.
 * Alexandra Tolstaya, daughter of the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, was a resident of the town in later life, organized the Tolstoy Foundation Center, of which President Herbert Hoover was the First Honorary Chairman during the years 1939–1964. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn spent many of his first few summer months after emigrating to United States here.
 * Kristi Zea (born 1948), production designer, costume designer, producer.

title: Valley Cottage, New York


text:
Viola, New York

Viola is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Airmont, east of Montebello, south of Wesley Hills, and west of Hillcrest. The population was 6,868 at the 2010 census.

Alms House
The Alms House (or County Poor House) was established in 1837, at Viola (then known as Mechanicsville) in the town of Ramapo, for the poor and destitute (debtors). It was located 7 mi west of New City. Rockland County had purchased the 47 acre parsonage farm of the Kakiat (West New Hempstead) Dutch Reformed Church (also known as the Brick Church) for use as an alms house. There the county originally built a wooden frame house to serve the poor. The inmates contributed to their upkeep by tending the farm. In 1883, a brick building was constructed. The facility included a school for the children. In 1957, the Alms House was moved to Building "C" at the Pomona Health Center in Summit Park, and the property would become the site of Rockland Community College. The Alms House was renamed the Rockland County Infirmary and Home. In 1977, it was removed to Building "A". It has been renamed the Summit Park Nursing Care Center. The old brick Alms House building remains as an administration building (Daniel T. Brucker Hall), used by Rockland Community College. The farm lands are the campus. The Poor Cemetery (Potter's Field) remains on the RCC campus, along with the original Gary Onderdonk Veterans' Cemetery.

Geography
Viola is located at 41.12639°N, -74.08333°W (41.126295, -74.083285).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.7 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,931 people, 1,681 households, and 1,250 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,192.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,738 housing units at an average density of 642.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.81% White, 0.32% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.61% of the population.

There were 1,681 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53 and the average family size was 4.34.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 39.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $59,821, and the median income for a family was $87,273. Males had a median income of $68,533 versus $39,375 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,289. About 4.9% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
East Ramapo Central School District and Suffern Central School District (formerly Ramapo Central) serve portions of Viola.

title: Viola, New York


text:
Wesley Hills, New York

Wesley Hills is a village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Viola, east of Harriman State Park, south of Pomona, and west of New Hempstead. The population was 5,628 at the 2010 census.

Joseph Berger of The New York Times said in a 1997 article that Wesley Hills was one of several Ramapo villages formed by non-Jews and secular Jews "to preserve the sparse Better Homes and Garden [sic] ambiance that attracted them to Rockland County."

Mayor Marshall Katz was appointed by the village board after Mayor David Goldsmith resigned in August 2014 citing "increased responsibilities at my day job and some health issues." After finishing the remainder of the term, Mayor Katz ran unopposed in March 2015.

Geography
Wesley Hills is located at 41.15583°N, -74.07528°W (41.155795, -74.075257).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.4 sqmi, of which 3.4 sqmi is land and 0.30% is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,848 people, 1,430 households, and 1,272 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,444.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,474 housing units at an average density of 439.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 88.3% white, 4.95% African American, .06% Native American, 4.52% Asian, .17% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and .95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.71% of the population.

There were 1,430 households, out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.4% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.0% were non-families. 8.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 3.58.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $91,613, and the median income for a family was $98,102. Males had a median income of $65,764 versus $42,734 for females. The per capita income for the village was $32,785. About 3.7% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
East Ramapo Central School District serves much of Wesley Hills, with Suffern Central School District (formerly Ramapo Central) serving a western portion.

Place of interest

 * Gurnee-Sherwood House - (NRHP)

title: Wesley Hills, New York


text:
West Haverstraw, New York

West Haverstraw is a village incorporated in 1883 in the town of Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located northwest of Haverstraw village, east of Thiells, south of the hamlet of Stony Point, and west of the Hudson River. The population was 10,165 at the 2010 census. The majority of the hamlet of Garnerville is contained in the village of West Haverstraw.

Geography
West Haverstraw is located at 41.20472°N, -73.99056°W (41.204594, -73.990665).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, of which 1.5 sqmi is land and 0.65% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,295 people, 3,542 households, and 2,521 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,670.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,634 housing units at an average density of 2,354.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 64.85% white, 12.80% African American, 0.55% Native American, 4.15% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 12.67% from other races, and 4.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 30.37% of the population.

There were 3,542 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $48,420, and the median income for a family was $55,964. Males had a median income of $37,532 versus $29,333 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,879. About 7.9% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 census, the population of West Haverstraw was 10,165 and the demographics were as follows:

 * 40.9% Hispanic
 * 36.3% White
 * 16.2% Black
 * 0.1% Native American
 * 4.5% Asian
 * 0.0% Native Hawaiian
 * 0.2% Some other race
 * 1.8% Two or more races

Transportation
Local transit is operated by Transport of Rockland. The village is served by the #91, #94, #95, and #97 routes.

Short Line, part of Coach USA, provides daily service along U.S. Route 9W heading to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and West Point Military Academy or Newburgh.

Historical markers

 * Treason House - Route 9W - Long Clove Congers - Haverstraw, near where Route 304 runs into Route 9W. On the night of September 21–22, 1780, Major John André landed at this point to confer with Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold, who gave secret information about West Point fortifications and forces to André. At dawn, the conspirators adjourned to the Belmont House, owned by Thomas Smith and occupied by his brother Joshua Hett Smith in West Haverstraw, to complete their plans. "Clove" is from Dutch for "pass."
 * Crossroads - Route 9W and West Railroad Avenue
 * Col. A. H. Hay - Route 9W
 * Samsondale - 40 South Route 9W

Landmarks and places of interest

 * Fraser-Hoyer House (NRHP)
 * Paul Piperato Haverstraw Bay Park
 * Haverstraw Marina
 * Helen Hayes Hospital, rehabilitation hospital named after its benefactor, the actress Helen Hayes
 * Henry M. Peck House Site (NRHP)
 * Peck's Pond

Notable person

 * Steward Ceus, Haitian-American footballer currently playing for Minnesota United FC in the North American Soccer League.

title: West Haverstraw, New York