The Forging of the Rockland Suburb

by Roger Panetta

For centuries, the Hudson River shielded Rockland County from the forces

of modernization that were radically transforming the New York metropolitan

region. Urbanization, immigration, and industrialization were only minor

influences while Rockland’s landscape remained rural and its communities

were small and close-knit.

The Tappan Zee Bridge, a three-mile link between Westchester and Rockland,

was completed in 1955. It was built in response to the postwar housing shortage,

the American love affair with the automobile, and the power of the American

dream. The book examines the local communities before suburbanization;

the debate over the need to build the bridge; and the subsequent transformation

of Rockland into a dynamic postwar suburb.

Publication of The Tappan Zee Bridge: The Forging of the Rockland Suburb was supported by a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service initiated by Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef.

This material is based on work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

The Tappan Zee Bridge: The Forging of the Rockland Suburb