Suffern

Who was John Suffern?

47 sec · Rockland Secrets

Who was John Suffern? 🇮🇪

He came over from Ireland in 1773, settled right here, and called the place New Antrim after his home county back in Ireland.

The story goes, during the Revolution, George Washington used his tavern as headquarters.

After the war he became Rockland's very first county judge.

When the railroad came, his son gave the land for the tracks, so the station was named Suffern. New Antrim? Gone.

Today about 11,000 people live in a village named after one Irishman.

Why Rockland has so many villages

68 sec · Rockland Secrets

Why does Rockland have so many little villages? 🏘️

In the 1840s, Rockland was all farms. Then the Erie Railroad came through Suffern, and New York City was suddenly a train ride away.

Wherever the train stopped, life showed up. Suffern became a village in 1896, Spring Valley in 1902.

Then in 1967, Pomona neighbors said "not here" to apartments on land meant for one-acre homes, and formed their own village to make their own rules.

Wesley Hills, Chestnut Ridge, Montebello and Kaser followed. New City and Monsey never did. They're still hamlets.