The Historical Society of
Rockland County
A Brief History of Rockland County
Rockland County is the smallest county in New York State outside the five boroughs of New York City. It is bounded by the Hudson River on the east, the State of New Jersey on the south, and the Ramapo Mountains to the north and west. Although the county consists of only 176 square miles, it is a land rich in history.
To a newcomer, Rockland County may appear to be border-to-border housing developments built over the past forty years, but its historical roots go back almost four hundred years—more than ten thousand years if you include Native American history. Records indicate that the first residents were the Indians of the Delaware or Lenape Nation, who were scattered throughout the county in small bands. ...
We Celebrate
the winners of the
33rd Annual
Rockland County Executive's Historic Preservation Merit Awards!
Rockland and the Revolution
A 250th Anniversary Exploration
To celebrate the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 2026 exhibition takes a deep look at the American War for Independence through the eyes of notable Rockland County historians, past and present.
RevWar250
BUS DAYTRIP
The Spy and the Traitor:
The Andre-Arnold Affair
ALL TRIPS ARE SOLD OUT
That you for your interest and support!
Now Playing: May Podcast
Crossroads of
Rockland History
The War Man, with Robert Mayers
We revisit an interview from 2011 with the historian and author Robert Mayers (1930-2025) about his book The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought from Quebec to Yorktown.
Upcoming Events
Local History Meetup:
"Treason of the Blackest Dye"
at the Irvington Historical Society
Saturday, May 30, 11:30 am
Rockland County Local History Event Calendar
31
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm O'town Museum: Exhibition Opening: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1pm HSRC: RevWar250 Lecture: On His Majesty’s Secret Service
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
1
2
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
3
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
4
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
5
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
6
9am Haverstraw KD Library: Celebrate USA 250 History Hike
10am Ft. Montgomery: Rolling the Dice – A Revolutionary War Gaming Experience!
1pm HS-Nyacks: Paul Tappenden-Nyack & Nature Exhibition
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
7
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm O'town Museum: Exhibition Opening: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
2pm Suffern Library: America: Songs of Patriotism, Praise, and Protest
Show all
8
9
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
10
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
11
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
12
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
13
8:45am HSRC: The Traitor and the Spy Bus Daytrip
11am HS-Nyacks: South Nyack Walking Tour
1pm HS-Nyacks: Paul Tappenden-Nyack & Nature Exhibition
1pm Ft. Montgomery: Suffering for the Crown: The Hudson Valley Loyalists and the Violence of Revolution
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
14
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm Blauvelt Library: America 250 Celebration: 1776 Film Screening
1pm O'town Museum: Exhibition Opening: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
15
16
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1:30pm Suffern Library: Catharine "Caty" Greene: Eyewitness to the Revolution
17
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
6:30pm West Nyack Library: America 250: Let's Celebrate Our Nation's History and Rockland's Role in it
18
11am Tappan Library: From Rebellion to Independence: The Story of America's Revolution
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
19
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
5:30pm HAAC: 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Show all
20
11am Ft. Montgomery: Wood Joinery in Early America
1pm HS-Nyacks: Paul Tappenden-Nyack & Nature Exhibition
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
3pm 5:30pm HAAC: 11th Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Show all
21
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm O'town Museum: Exhibition Opening: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
22
23
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
7pm Genealogical Society of RC: Monthly Meeting
24
11am O'town Museum: Guided Tour of 1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
25
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
2pm Nanuet Library: From Rebellion to Independence: The Story of America's Revolution
6pm O'town Museum: Dinner Conversation: Rockland Rocked the Revolution
Show all
26
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
27
1pm HS-Nyacks: Paul Tappenden-Nyack & Nature Exhibition
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
28
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm O'town Museum: Exhibition Opening: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1pm HSRC: RevWar250 Lecture: Protecting the Ramapo Pass
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
29
30
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
1
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
2pm New City Library: From Rebellion to Independence: The Story of America's Revolution
2
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
3
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
4
10am Orangetown: Rev 250 Celebration
1:30pm Stony Point Battlefield: Declaration of Independence - America's 250th
Press Room
South of the Mountains
Dive into a world of captivating stories, insightful discussions, and endless entertainment.
Issues of South of the Mountains from 1957 to 2013 are available in fully searchable PDF form online via the New York Heritage portal.
Collections
The Historical Society of Rockland County's collection comprises approximately 3,650 objects that date from the early eighteenth century to the present.
Podcasts
Crossroads of
Rockland History
Host Clare Sheridan welcomes guests every month to explore, celebrate and learn about the rich history of Rockland County and New York's Lower Hudson Valley.
