Ramapo, New York

Ramapo, New York
—  Town  —
The Ramapo Torne in Harriman State Park
Rockland County
Coordinates: 41°7′19″N 74°5′0″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Rockland
Area
• Total	61.9 sq mi (160.4 km2)
• Land	61.2 sq mi (158.6 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2)
Elevation	371 ft (113 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	126,595
• Density	Bad rounding here2,000/sq mi (Bad rounding here790/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code	36-60510
GNIS feature ID	0979406
Website	http://www.ramapo.org

Ramapo, formerly known as New Hempstead and then Hampstead, is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Bergen and Passaic Counties in New Jersey, southeast of Orange County, New York, south of the town of Haverstraw, and west of the towns of Clarkstown and Orangetown. As of the 2010 census, Ramapo had a total population of 126,595.

Ramapo is in the southwest corner of Rockland County, consisting of about one-third of the county's land area. The name, recorded variously as Ramopuck, Ramapock, or Ramapough, is of Native American origin, meaning either "sweet water" or "sloping/slanting rocks".

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 towns ranking. In the category of park space, percentage of land set aside for gardens and parks, the town finished first. The town received the highest rating and one of the best in the country for its open spaces and parkland.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, CNNMoney named Clarkstown the 59th best small city to live in America.

On April 24, 2006, Ramapo received the Outstanding Facility Award (Class 3) for communities with a population more than 75,000, for its community, health and sports center located in the village of Hillburn.

Ramapo is run by a Town Supervisor, Christopher St. Lawrence. It is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Eliot Engel. In state government it is represented by Senator David Carlucci, and Assemblymembers Ellen Jaffee, Kenneth P. Zebrowski and Annie Rabbitt.

History

During the American Revolutionary War, Commander-in-Chief George Washington is said to have climbed the Ramapo Torne (near Ramapo hamlet) with a telescope to watch the movement of British ships off Sandy Hook in New Jersey.

The Town of Hempstead was formed from part of the Town of Haverstraw in 1791. In 1829 the name was changed to Ramapo.

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 Route 17 at the base of Terse Mountain, was a producer of cut nails, 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 Ramapo Hamlet.

See also the histories of Suffern and of Rockland County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.9 square miles (160 km²), of which 61.2 square miles (159 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), or 1.11%, is water.

The south town line is the border of New Jersey, and the west 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 northeast corner of the town, with an exit at the Haverstraw town line on the northern border.

Torne Mountain (1,130 ft or 340 m; 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 1,252 feet (382 m).

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 people per square mile (686.6/km²). There were 32,422 housing units at an average density of 529.4 per square mile (204.4/km²). 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.

Communities and locations

• Antrim – A hamlet near the south town line.
• Airmont – The Village of Airmont.
• Chestnut Ridge – The Village of Chestnut Ridge.
• Harriman State Park – a state park in the western part of the town.
• Hillburn – The Village of Hillburn in the southwest part of the town.
• Hillcrest – A hamlet.
• Kaser – The Village of Kaser.
• Monsey – The hamlet of Monsey.
• New Hempstead – The Village of New Hempstead.
• New Square – The Village of New Square.
• Montebello – The Village of Montebello.
• Ramapo – The hamlet of Ramapo in the southwest part of the town.
• Sandyfield – A hamlet.
• Sloatsburg – The Village of Sloatsburg.
• Spring Valley – The Village of Spring Valley.
• Sterlington – A location near Sloatsburg.
• Suffern – The Village of Suffern.
• Suffern Park – A hamlet near Suffern.
• Tallman - A hamlet in the south part of the town.
• Viola – A hamlet in the eastern part of the town.
• Wesley Hills – The Village of Wesley Hills is in the northeast part of the town.

Education

Rockland Community College is in the hamlet of Viola. The western portion of the town (Suffern and Sloatsburg area) is primarily served by the Ramapo Central School District and the eastern part of the town (Spring Valley, Monsey and Pomona area) by the East Ramapo Central School District.

Twinning programs

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 lands.

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)

Recreation

The Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community, Health, and Sports Complex 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 available to Ramapo residents before.

Although the residents of the Town of Ramapo have the exclusive right to join the Joseph T. St. Lawrence Community and Heath Center, paid memberships are available to others.

The Town of Ramapo's Adult (18+) Leagues for basketball and racquetball are hosted at the Joseph T St Lawrence Center.

The Rockland Boulders are a professional baseball team based just outside the village of Pomona and a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, also known as the Can-Am League. Christoper St. Lawrence pushed through the financing of the park even after residents voted it down. A state audit has found that taxpayers could be liable for up to $60 million for Provident Bank Park in Ramapo.

Landmarks and places of interest

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

References

• Zimmermann, Linda, Rockland County Scrapbook. Eagle Press, 2004.

External links

• Town of Ramapo official website
• Lavender – A Ghost Story from Ramapo, New York