Rockland County, New York

Andre, Maj. John, Monument Bear Mountain Bridge and Toll House Bear Mountain Inn Big House Blauvelt House Blauvelt-Cropsey Farm Brick Church Complex Brook Chapel Brookside Camp Hill School Christ Church Cliffside Closter Road-Oak Tree Road Historic District Concklin, Abner, House Contempora House De Wint House DeBaun, John A., Mill Dederer Stone House-Stonehurst DePew, Peter, House English Church and Schoolhouse Ferdon, William, House First Methodist Episcopal Church of Nyack First Reformed Church Fraser-Hoyer House Green, John, House Gurnee-Sherwood House Haddock's Hall Haring-Eberle House Homestead Hopper, Edward, Birthplace and Boyhood Home Hopson-Swan Estate House at 352 Piermont Avenue Houser-Conklin House Kings Daughters Public Library Ladentown United Methodist Church Little House M/V COMMANDER Main School McCready, Robert W. and Mary F., House McCullers, Carson, House Mount Moor African-American Cemetery Neiderhurst North Main Street School Old Sloatsburg Cemetery Onderdonk House Peck, Henry M., House Perry, Jacob P., House Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel Number 15 Piermont Railroad Station Pig Knoll School Poor, Henry Varnum, House Pousette-Dart, Richard, House and Studio Rockland County Courthouse and Dutch Gardens Rockland Print Works Rockland Road Bridge Rockland Road Bridge Historic District Rose, William H., House Ross-Hand Mansion Salyer, Edward, House Salyer, Michael, Stone House Seaman-Knapp House Seven Oaks Estate Shadowcliff Sloat House Sloat's Dam and Mill Pond Sloat, Jacob, House Sparkill Creek Drawbridge St. Paul's Episcopal Church St. Paul's United Methodist Church Stevens, H.R., House Stony Point Battlefield Stony Point District School No. 4 Stony Point Lighthouse Tallman-Budke and Vanderbilt-Budke-Traphagen Houses Tappan Historic District Tappan Zee Playhouse Terneur-Hutton House Torne Brook Farm Upper Nyack Firehouse US Post Office-Haverstraw US Post Office-Nyack US Post Office-Pearl River US Post Office-Spring Valley US Post Office-Suffern USCO Church, The Van Houten's Landing Historic District Washington Avenue Soldier's Monument and Triangle Washington Spring Road-Woods Road Historic District Wayside Chapel, Former

1 Mile To Nyack 1700 Cemetery 1786 Schoolhouse 17th British Regiment of Foot 914 Sound Recording Studios A Crucial Crossing African Church Ancient Canyon Andre Monument André Monument Andre The Spy Anthonys Nose Appalachian Trail Bayard Lane Bear Mountain & Harriman Trails Bear Mountain Bridge Bear Mt. Bridge Ben Walker / Vincenzo "Vinny" Tamburro Bench by the Road: Cynthia Hesdra Blauvelt Homestead Blauvelt House Blauvelt Lions Memorial Blauvelt-Norris-Burr-House Bogertown Boundaries Brick Church Brick Industry Bridge Street Bridge Over The Sparkill Creek British Defenses: The Outer Works British Defenses: The Upper Works Buckberg Mountain Calico Hill Camp Shanks Camp Shanks Camp Shanks Camp Shanks Camp Shanks Bataan Road Capture of Stony Point Carson McCullers Christ Episcopal Church of Piermont and Sparkill Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church Clarkstown Reformed Church Clarksville Clarksville Inn Clausland Cemetery Cobblestone Farm Col. A. H. Hay Collyer Farm Pond and New City Park Colonial Clarkstown Colonial Orangetown Commerce and the Hudson River Congers Lake Dam Congers School Congers Station Congers World War I Memorial Couch Court Crossroads Cuyper-Van Houten House Daniel Carter Beard De Harte Patent De Wint House DeWint House Discover the Appalachian National Scenic Trail Doctor Davies Farm Dogwoods Doodletown Dr. Morris Bartow House Dunderberg Mt. Fighting at Hessian Lake First Fighting at Fort Clinton First Reformed Church of Nyack First Town Hall Flight 6231 Floris Willemse Krom Fort Clinton’s Outer Redoubt Fraser’s Highlanders Grand View-on-Hudson, Birthplace of the Modern Women's Movement Grave Markers from Slave Burial Grounds Gravesite of General John Charles Frémont Gray’s Hill Haring Homestead Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library Haverstraw Landslide Disaster Haverstraw World War I Monument Hickory Hill Cooperative Historic Monsey Cemetery Historic Underground Railroad Historic Underground Railroad Historic Upper Nyack Firehouse Hopper House Horse Watering Trough Hudson River Hudson River Reserve Fleet In Grateful Recognition Indian Campsite Indian Rock Intrigue at King’s Ferry Iona Island Jacob Blauvelt House Jacob J. Blauvelt Homestead James A. Farley Memorial Bridge Johannes Isaac Blauvelt House Johannes J. Blauvelt Homestead Johannes Perry House John Charles Fremont John G. Bell Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail Killed in Action Afghanistan Killed in Action Desert Storm Kings Highway King's Highway and the Long Clove King’s Ferry Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya Ladentown United Methodist Church Last Stop U.S.A. Lt. Col. Michael L. Murphy Lt. John Fitzgerald Ginley / Richard Edward Bosco Major John André Martinus Hogenkamp Cemetery Memorial Flags Memorial Park Mill Stone Montebello Mount Moor Cemetery New City World War I Monument New Hempstead Presbyterian Church Nyack First Settlement Oak Hill Cemetery Old Clarkstown Reformed Church Cemetery Old Stone Church Onderdonk House Opportunities Missed and Taken Orangeburg World War I Monument Orangeburg World War II Memorial Orangetown American Revolution Bicentennial Outer Redoubt of Fort Clinton Palisades Historic District Palisades Historic District Palisades Interstate Park Paul Farmhouse Perkins Tower Piermont Pier Piermont Station Pig Knoll School Popolopen Creek Trail to Fort Montgomery Preserving a National Landmark Purple Heart Memorial Pye's Corner Railroads Ramapo Valley Reformed Dutch Church of Tappan Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Kakeath Rev. Guilliam Bertholf River Docks Rochambeau’s Encampment Rockland Brink's Robbery Rockland County Court House Rockland County Korea - World War II - Vietnam Monument Rockland County Law Enforcement Memorial Rockland County Veterans Monument Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain Roll of Honor Salix Babylonica - Weeping Willow Salyer House Scenic Road School of Living Scotland Hill Burial Ground 1749-1859 Sept. 11 2001 Memorial Shady Side Farm Shanks Village Site of the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of New Hempstead Skunk Hollow Sloat House & Inn Sloatsburg Cemetery Snedeker Farm Snedekers Landing Sneden House Soldier’s Monument Sparkill Korean War Monument Sparkill Veterans Memorial Sparkill Veterans Monument Sparkill Viet-Nam War Monument Sparkill World War I Memorial St. Charles A.M.E. Zion Church St. Paul’s Church Stephen Rowe Bradley Sr. Park Stephen Tyng Mather Stony Point 9-11 Memorial Stony Point Battlefield Stony Point Battlefield Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site Stony Point Battlefield Today Stony Point Cannon Memorial Stony Point State Park Stony Point Veterans Monument Suffern Grammar School Suffern's Depot, 1841-1941 Suffern’s Tavern Tallman-Budke House Tappan Historic District Tappan Historic District Tappan Historic District Tappan Historic District Tappan Historic District Tappan Korean Veterans Memorial Tappan Veterans Monument Tappan Vietnam Veterans Memorial Tappan World War I Memorial Tappan World War II Memorial The American Strategy The Appalachian Trail The Battle’s Aftermath The British Attempt to Divide the Colonies during the War of Independence The British Occupy Stony Point The De Wint House The English Meeting House The First Courthouse The Flywheel: A Monument to Piermont's Industrial Past The Glenwood Hotel The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails The Lighthouse at Stony Point The Manse The Nyack Turnpike The Old Parsonage The Old ‘76 House The Palisades Interstate Parkway Scenic Byway Corridor The Palisades Interstate Parkway Scenic Byway Corridor The Path to Victory The West Redoubt of Fort Clinton Third Continental Light Dragoons This Cannon “Independence” This House was Occupied by General George Washington Thurgood Marshall and the Hillburn Schools Torne Brook Farm Treason House Treason Site Trial of Andre Van Houten Fields Vanderbilt-Budke-Traphagen House Veterans Memorials at Waldron Spring Viola United Methodist Church Walt Whitman Washington and Carleton Meeting Washington Tree Washington’s Camp Washington’s Encampment Washington’s Flag Wayne -Washington Lookout West Nyack World War I Memorial West Nyack's Last Horse Trough "I … imagined them to be British Troops, but found my mistake by being wounded and taken prisoner." “76 House” “By the light occasioned by the flash of the gun I could perceive a body of them...” “For God’s sake, why is the Artillery here not being made use of?” “The fort and garrison, with Col. Johnson, are ours.” “Watchfires” “… the enemy entered the upper work at the barrier at the same time I did.” “… with the greatest Intrepidity and coolness.”
Rockland County, located in the southeastern part of New York State, has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The area was traditionally inhabited by the Munsee Lenape Native Americans, who lived along the banks of the Hudson River and relied on the bountiful natural resources of the region.

European settlement of Rockland County began in the early 17th century when Dutch and French Huguenot settlers established communities along the Hudson River. The Dutch West India Company purchased the land from Native American tribes in the mid-1600s, and the area became known as Orange County. In 1798, Rockland County was carved out of Orange County, and it was officially established as a separate county.

During the American Revolutionary War, Rockland County played a significant role. British forces occupied the area for a large portion of the war, making it a central location for military operations. Notably, the Battle of Stony Point took place in 1779, where American forces successfully recaptured the strategic Stony Point fort from the British in a daring midnight assault.

In the 19th century, Rockland County experienced significant industrial growth. The Hudson River provided an ideal shipping route for goods, leading to the development of thriving industries, such as brickmaking, quarrying, and textile manufacturing. The construction of railroads further fueled economic growth and helped connect the county to nearby cities like New York City.

Today, Rockland County is a desirable suburban area with a diverse population and a thriving economy. It is known for its charming towns and villages, picturesque landscapes, and historical landmarks. The county's history is celebrated and preserved through various museums, historical societies, and community events, offering residents and visitors a glimpse into its storied past.
Brief timeline of the history of Rockland County, New York:

  • 1609: Henry Hudson, an English explorer, sails up the Hudson River and explores the area now known as Rockland County.
  • 1664: The Dutch formally cede New Netherland to the English, and this region becomes part of the Province of New York.
  • 1683: Rockland County is established as one of the original 12 counties of New York.
  • 1777: British forces occupy Nyack during the American Revolutionary War.
  • 1798: The Nyack Turnpike, the first major road in the county, is established.
  • 1806: The Village of Haverstraw is incorporated.
  • 1828: The Erie Railroad, the first major railroad in the county, opens.
  • 1845: The county's name changes from Orange County to Rockland County.
  • 1854: The West Shore Railroad is completed, providing improved transportation options.
  • 1883: The Nyack Suspension Bridge, now known as the Tappan Zee Bridge, is opened.
  • 1929: Palisades Interstate Park is established, protecting scenic areas along the Hudson River.
  • 1950s: Suburbanization begins, with many new housing developments springing up in the county.
  • 1994: The Tappan Zee Bridge is replaced by a new bridge, now called the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Rockland County, New York.

Audiobooks about the history of New York.