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. ...
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.
Now Playing: June Podcast
Crossroads of
Rockland History
Peggy Shippen Arnold,
with Char Weigel
Historian Char Weigel joins host Clare Sheridan to discuss the wife of America’s most notorious traitor, Benedict Arnold, offering a nuanced and fascinating look at Shippen's role in the infamous plot to surrender West Point to the British.
RevWar250
BUS DAYTRIP
The Spy and the Traitor:
The Andre-Arnold Affair
ALL TRIPS ARE SOLD OUT
That you for your interest and support!
Upcoming Events
Rockland County Local History Event Calendar
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
5
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 Piermont HS: Train Station Museum Open
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
1:30pm Stony Point Battlefield: Declaration of Independence - America's 250th
Show all
6
7
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
8
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
2pm New City Library: Taxation, Tyranny and Treason
9
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
10
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"
11
8:45am HSRC: The Traitor and the Spy Bus Daytrip
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
12
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
13
14
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
15
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1:30pm Suffern Library: Rockland County and the American Revolution
16
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1:30pm Suffern Library: The Sounds of Independence
17
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"
18
11am Stony Point Battlefield: 247th Anniversary of the Battle of Stony Point
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
19
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 Piermont HS: Train Station Museum Open
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
Show all
20
21
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
22
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
23
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
24
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"
25
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
26
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
1pm HSRC: RevWar250 Lecture: Ramapo Ironworks and the Revolution
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
27
28
10am O'town Museum Exhibition: "1776/1976: From Democracy to Disco: Orangetown and the Bicentennial"
7pm Genealogical Society of RC: Monthly Meeting
29
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
30
12pm HSRC: "Rockland and the Revolution: A 250th Anniversary Exploration"
31
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"
1pm Tappan Library: The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold, Major André, and the Plot to Surrender West Point
Show all
1
1pm Haverstraw Brick Museum: Mary Mowbray-Clarke Exhibition
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.
