Valley Cottage, New York
Encyclopedia
Valley Cottage is a hamlet (and census-designated place
), in the Town of Clarkstown
Rockland County, New York
, United States located north of West Nyack
; east of New City
; south of Congers
and west of Upper Nyack
. The population was 9,269 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), all land.
, 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. 23.8% of all households 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 3.20.
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.
The post office was first opened at the Valley Cottage Station in 1892.
On Sunday May 16th2010 - a dedication ceremony and celebration was hosted by the Town of Clarkstown for the Valley Cottage Hamlet Green. The town hopes the park will become the "focal point" of the hamlet.
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 referencing 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 house named Cottage Maid, owned by Ed Green who owned the land where the station, the Marcus store and other buildings stood.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
), in the Town of Clarkstown
Clarkstown, New York
Clarkstown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown; east of the town of Ramapo; South of the town of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total...
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
, United States located north of West Nyack
West Nyack, New York
West Nyack is a hamlet in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Central Nyack; east of Nanuet; south of Valley Cottage and west of Upper Nyack. It is approximately 18 miles north of New York City...
; east of New City
New City, New York
New City is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The hamlet is a suburb of New York City, located 18 miles north of the city at the closest point, Riverdale, The Bronx...
; south of Congers
Congers, New York
Congers is a hamlet , in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Valley Cottage; east of New City, across Lake DeForest, south of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. It lies 19 miles north of New York City's Bronx boundary...
and west of Upper Nyack
Upper Nyack, New York
Upper Nyack is a village in the town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the village of Nyack; east of West Nyack; south of Rockland Lake State Park and west of the Hudson River. The population was 1,863 at the 2000 census....
. The population was 9,269 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Valley Cottage is located at 41°7′4"N 73°56′33"W (41.117862, -73.942531).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), 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 per square mile (838.1/km²). There were 3,410 housing units at an average density of 797.9/sq mi (308.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.16% White, 3.59% African American, 0.09% Native American, 9.81% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.89% from other racesRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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. 23.8% of all households 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 3.20.
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
On Sunday May 16th2010 - a dedication ceremony and celebration was hosted by the Town of Clarkstown for the Valley Cottage Hamlet Green. The town hopes the park will become the "focal point" of the hamlet.
Naming of Valley Cottage
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
West Shore Railroad
The West Shore Railroad was the final name of a railroad from Weehawken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City, north along the west shore of the river to Albany, New York and then west to Buffalo...
station, the residents assembled at the school room agreed on the name Valley Cottage referencing 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 house named Cottage Maid, owned by Ed Green who owned the land where the station, the Marcus store and other buildings stood.
Education
- Valley Cottage Elementary School
- Liberty Elementary School is a Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon Schools ProgramThe Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
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.
Landmarks and places of interest
- Josephine Hudson House belonged to the first woman to work in the knickerbocker Ice Company. Money is currently being raised to preserve the house.
- Knickerbocker Ice Company - established 1831. Rockland Lake was known to have had the cleanist 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 sawdustSawdustSawdust is a by-product of cutting lumber with a saw, composed of fine particles of wood. It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in terms of its flammability....
to keep the ice blocks frozen until they were shipped in the summer. By 1834, the company owned a dozen steamboats, 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 RiverHudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
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 ClarkstownClarkstown, New YorkClarkstown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown; east of the town of Ramapo; South of the town of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total...
town historic site. Wells FargoWells FargoWells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
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
- Rockland Lake Community was a thriving community made up of the many workers at the Knickerbocker Ice Company.
- Rockland Lake State ParkRockland Lake State ParkRockland Lake State Park is located on a ridge of Hook Mountain above the west bank of the Hudson River, in the hamlet of Congers, which is in the eastern part of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York. The park sits between the west bank of the Hudson River and Route 9W...
- Storms Tavern - believed to have been built in 1765 restored in 2008.
- Tolstoy FoundationTolstoy FoundationThe Tolstoy Foundation is a non-profit charitable, philanthropic organization. It was established on April 26, 1939 by Alexandra Tolstoy, youngest daughter of the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Its headquarters are in Rockland County, New York in Valley Cottage....
of Valley Cottage, founded in 1939 by Alexandra Lvovna TolstoyAlexandra Lvovna TolstayaAlexandra Lvovna Tolstaya , , also known by her nickname Sasha, was the youngest daughter and secretary of the noted Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy....
, youngest daughter of Leo TolstoyTolstoyTolstoy, or Tolstoi is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy who served under Vasily II of Moscow...
.
Notable people from Valley Cottage
- Alexandra Tolstaya, daughter of Russian author Leo Tolstoy, was a resident of the town in later life.
- Audrey LandersAudrey LandersAudrey Landers is a German American actress and singer, who is probably best known for her role as Afton Cooper in the television drama series Dallas and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of A Chorus Line.- Early years :...
and Judy LandersJudy LandersJudy Landers is an American film and television actress.-Early years:Landers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was raised in Rockland County, New York. She is the daughter of Ruth Landers, and is the younger sister of fellow actress Audrey Landers...
, acting sisters, grew up on Sherry Drive, a very scenic view from the top of the mountain.http://www.citwf.com/person256874.htm - Kim Kastens, an expert in marine geology specializing is plate tectonics in the Mediterranean, has been awarded The Excellence in Geophysical Education Award in 2009 from the American Geophysical UnionAmerican Geophysical UnionThe American Geophysical Union is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting of over 50,000 members from over 135 countries. AGU's activities are focused on the organization and dissemination of scientific information in the interdisciplinary and international field of geophysics...
. Kastens was chosen from three candidates for making significant contributions to four broad areas: geoscience education research, education of teachers, education of geosciences journalists and use of information technologyInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
. - Jack KlugmanJack KlugmanJacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, and television and on Broadway...
, actor, stated in the Rockland County Journal newspaper, that he lived in Valley Cottage. - Claudio SanchezClaudio SanchezClaudio Paul Sanchez is an American writer and musician best known for being the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative/progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria. He is also the creator of the comic book series, The Amory Wars and Kill Audio, co-written with wife Chondra Echert...
, of the well-known band Coheed & Cambria, uses Valley Cottage for much of his side project, The Prize Fighter InfernoThe Prize Fighter InfernoThe Prize Fighter Inferno is an acoustic/electronica solo project of Claudio Sanchez, the lead singer and lead/rhythm guitarist for the band Coheed and Cambria. The first album, called My Brother's Blood Machine was released on October 31, 2006 through indie label Equal Vision Records...
. Sanchez is originally from nearby NyackNyack, New YorkNyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
.
- Maria Nakazawa - Envionmentalist. She has 49 restorations to her credit including the Japanese garden in the courtyard of Nyack Hospital in NyackNyack, New YorkNyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
and the former Continental Hotel at the northeast corner of Rockland Lake. She lives in the former Onderdonk House which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. - Steven J. Kramer (born 1959) - Current Vice-President of the Nyack Valley Cottage Little League, Head coach of the CubsCubsCubs may refer to:*Chicago Cubs, a baseball team of the National League of Major League Baseball**Iowa Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League**Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League...
franchise for the past 9 years. - Patricia L Sheridan (1932 - May 17th 2010) She served as Clarkstown Town Clerk from 1977 to 2005. Her motto was: "We believe in being as polite as possible and in going the extra mile for anyone who needs our help. We are here to serve the people, and while I know every politician in the world says that, here we make it a reality".
Books and publications
- Budke, George H. Rockland County during the American Revolution, 1776–1781. New York. The Rockland County Public Librarians Association. 1976