Nyack, New York
Encyclopedia
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown
Orangetown, New York
Orangetown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located in the southeast part of the county. It is northwest of New York City; north of New Jersey; east of the town of Ramapo; south of the town of Clarkstown; west of the Hudson River. The population was 47,711 at the 2000 census.-...

 and 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...

 in Rockland County
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...

, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack
South Nyack, New York
South Nyack is a village in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, located north of Grand View-on-Hudson; northeast of Orangeburg; east of Blauvelt State Park; south of the village of Nyack and west of the Hudson River...

; east of Central Nyack; south 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....

 and west of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The 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...

, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 boundary, it is an inner suburb
Inner suburbs
Inner suburb is a term used for a variety of suburban communities that are generally located very close to a large city. Their urban density is lower than the inner city or Central Business District ....

 of New York City, directly across from Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...

. Tarrytown and Nyack are on either bank of the largest expanse of the Tappan Zee
Tappan Zee
The Tappan Zee is a natural widening of the Hudson River, about 3 mi across at its widest, in southeastern New York in the United States. It stretches about 10 mi along the boundary between Rockland and Westchester counties, downstream from Croton Point to Irvington...

, in the lower Hudson Valley. Nyack had a population of 6,737 as of the 2000 census.

Administration and layout

Nyack is one of five villages and hamlets (Nyack, Central Nyack
Central Nyack
Central Nyack is an unincorporated community in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States approximately 20 miles north of New York City located north of Pearl River; east of Nanuet; south of West Nyack and west of the Village of Nyack. As an unincorporated community,...

, South Nyack
South Nyack, New York
South Nyack is a village in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, located north of Grand View-on-Hudson; northeast of Orangeburg; east of Blauvelt State Park; south of the village of Nyack and west of the Hudson River...

, 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....

 and 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...

) that make up an area of southeastern Rockland County called The Nyacks. Named after the Native Americans who resided there before colonization, the village itself lies on the hilly terrain that meets the western shore of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The 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...

.

The village takes up approximately 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometers), with over 50% of the area consisting of the water of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The 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...

. Nyack consists mostly of low-rise buildings that lie along the river's western shore. It is in the Nyack School District.

History

Stone Native American relics and heaps of oyster shells
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...

 found along the shore of the Hudson indicate that this was a favorite fishing spot of the natives. In 1675, the first Europeans settled in Rockland County at Nyack. Three major industries once thrived here: sandstone quarrying for New York City building (ca. 1800–40); boat building—sloops, steamboats, then pleasure craft and World War I and II submarine chasers (ca. 1815–1948); and shoe manufacturing (ca. 1828–1900).
Following the extension of the Northern Railroad of New Jersey
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...

 into the community in the mid-19th century, rapid growth ensued. Because town government was no longer seen as an effective way to deal with the community's needs, village incorporation was discussed. Fearing higher taxes, those in what would have become the northern part of Nyack village formed their own municipal corporation first, named Upper Nyack. Nyack village was incorporated, although without this northern portion. Residents in the southern part of Nyack village, however, soon became dissatisfied with the notion of paying taxes that more heavily benefited the rest of the village. After succeeding in dissolving Nyack's corporation, the southern portion of the former village incorporated as the village of South Nyack. The area between Upper Nyack and South Nyack was reincorporated thereafter, again as Nyack.

Throughout the 18th century and 19th centuries, Nyack was known for its shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...

 and was the commercial center of Rockland County. In the 19th century, a number of factories manufactured shoes. 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...

 connected the village with Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...

, where ferries took passengers to New York City, until it was discontinued in the second half of the 20th century. With the completion of the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....

 in December 1955, connecting Nyack with Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...

 in Westchester County, the population increased and Nyack's commercial sector expanded.

In the 1980s, the village underwent a major urban revitalization project to commercialize the downtown area and to expand its economy. The Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...

 Theatre was built and the downtown area became home to many new business establishments.

In 1991 the landmark court case Stambovsky v. Ackley
Stambovsky v. Ackley
Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254 , is a case in the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, that held that a house, which the owner had previously advertised to the public as haunted by ghosts, was legally haunted for the purpose of an action for rescission brought by a subsequent purchaser...

 ruled that a house at 1 LaVeta Place on the Hudson River was legally haunted and that the owner (but not the real estate agent) was required to disclose that to prospective buyers. The owner, Helen Ackley, earlier had organized haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...

 tours and was party to an article about it in Readers Digest. After Ackley sold the house to another buyer there were no recent reports of hauntings.

On August 10 Highland Hose Company No. 5, a two-story brick firehouse located at 288 Main St celebrated 100 years at the firehouse. The firehouse was built in 1910 – fifteen years after Highland Hose was founded. The company's 1949 Ahrens-Fox fire engine was polished to bright, gleaming red and is still in use after more than 50 years.

Geography

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 village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) (51.88%) is water.

Nyack is on the west bank of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The 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...

, north of the Tappan Zee Bridge
Tappan Zee Bridge
The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, usually referred to as Tappan Zee Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at one of its widest points; the Tappan Zee is named for an American Indian tribe from the area called "Tappan"; and zee being the Dutch word for "sea"....

.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,737 people, 3,188 households,
and 1,511 families residing in the village. The population density was 8,749.1
people per square mile (3,378.1/km²). There were 3,288 housing units at an average
density of 4,270.0 per square mile (1,648.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was
63.81% White, 26.33% African American,
0.21% Native American, 2.42% Asian,
0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.66% from other races
Race (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 4.56% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race
were 8.56% of the population.

There were 3,188 households out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 32.0% were married couples living together, 12.3%
had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 42.3%
of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who
was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family
size was 2.93.

In the village the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18
to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older.
The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $54,890, and the median income for a
family was $69,146. Males had a median income of $50,043 versus $35,202 for females.
The per capita income for the village was $32,699. About 2.2% of families and 6.0%
of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18
and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Landmarks and places of interest

  • Edward Hopper House Art Center
    Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home
    Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home, also known as the Edward Hopper House Art Center, is a historic home located at Nyack in Rockland County, New York. It is a 2-story, side hall, mid-19th-century Greek Revival–style dwelling with a -story, Queen Anne–style addition...

     – 82 North Broadway – This home of the realist painter Edward Hopper
    Edward Hopper
    Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...

     was built in 1858. One room is devoted to materials about Hopper’s work and life in Nyack. Three other rooms provide space for monthly exhibits by local artists. The restored garden is the setting for jazz concerts on summer evenings. (NRHP)
  • First Methodist Episcopal Church of Nyack
    First Methodist Episcopal Church of Nyack
    First Methodist Episcopal Church of Nyack, also known as Old Stone Church, is a historic Methodist Episcopal church on North Broadway, south of the junction of North Broadway and Birchwood Avenue in Upper Nyack, Rockland County, New York. It was built in 1812-1813 and is a one story, three by two...

     1812–1813 (NRHP)
  • John Green House – Main Street – Built in 1817 by John Green of local sandstone, now covered with stucco, painted yellow. This is the oldest house standing in Nyack. Green started the first lumber yard in Nyack and later opened a store. House is a private residence.
  • Memorial Park, a short walk from downtown, has a children's playground and a beautiful butterfly garden. Canoes and kayaks can be launched from the shores of the park into the Hudson River. Memorial Park hosts many special events including weekly music concerts in the summer, numerous festivals and even outdoor movies.
  • Nyack Library
    Nyack Library
    The Nyack Library is a free association library located in the village of Nyack in New York State. Established in 1879, The Nyack Library serves the residents of Nyack, Upper Nyack, South Nyack, Grand View, and Valley Cottage...

      – 59 South Broadway, the 1903 Carnegie Library building.
  • Nyack Post Office
    U.S. Post Office (Nyack, New York)
    The U.S. Post Office in Nyack, New York, is located on South Broadway in the center of the village. It serves the 10960 ZIP Code, which covers South Nyack and Upper Nyack in addition to the village....

     – The 1932 in the Classical Revival architectural style built post office is a rare example of an American post office constructed between the wars in that style. The post office is located on South Broadway in the center of the village. It serves the 10960 ZIP Code, which covers South Nyack
    South Nyack, New York
    South Nyack is a village in the town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, located north of Grand View-on-Hudson; northeast of Orangeburg; east of Blauvelt State Park; south of the village of Nyack and west of the Hudson River...

     and 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....

     in addition to the village and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
    National Register of Historic Places
    The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

     in 1988. (NRHP)

  • Nyack-Tarrytown Ferry – Foot of Main Street – Begun 1834 by Isaac S Blauvelt on vessel named "Donkey," an anglo corruption of Dutch "donk ya," or 'thank you." Ferry remained in service until the opening of Tappan Zee Bridge in the 1950s. This spot was also the start of the Nyack Turnpike, first direct highway across Rockland County.
  • Oak Hill Cemetery – 140 N. Highland Avenue (Rte. 9W) – since 1840. Dedicated on June 27, 1848, it reflected a change from small family and religious burial grounds to community cemeteries. Graves include founders of Nyack, playwright Charles MacArthur and his wife, actress Helen Hayes, scientist and inventor William Hand, and artist Edward Hopper.
  • Red Cross
    American Red Cross
    The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

     Center – 143 North Broadway, A cross gable Queen Anne
    Queen Anne Style architecture
    The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...

     building, it was built by Julia and Garret Blauvelt, a physician, surgeon and director of Nyack Hospital, in 1882 and given to the Red Cross in 1915. During World War I, World War II and the Korean War
    Korean War
    The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

    , the center was a hub for food and blood drives, gathering of clothes and supplies for shipment overseas. Helen Hayes
    Helen Hayes
    Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...

    , who lived nearby was chairwomen of the war fund drive during WWII. Camp Shanks
    Camp Shanks
    Camp Shanks, named after Major General David Carey Shanks was a United States Army installation in and around Orangeburg in the Town of Orangetown, New York. Situated near the juncture of the Erie Railroad and the Hudson River, it served as a point of embarkation for troops departing overseas...

    , one of the military's major wartime staging areas, rely heavily on the Red Cross
    International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
    The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...

     volunteers and services. Today the center continues to provide clothing, food and shelter in times necessity and emergencies. The center also provides certification courses in first aid & lifesaving skills since 9/11
    September 11, 2001 attacks
    The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

    .

  • River Rowing Association (RRA) – In 1881, Julian O. Davidson, a local artist and marine painter, founded the Nyack Rowing Association (NRA), which dedicated to the sport of sculling (two-oared rowing). The grand boat house, built in 1882 was design by William Smith and built in the "Stick Style" architecture found in many river homes in the village.
  • Riverspace Arts in Nyack – 119 Main Street. Home of the Rockland Symphony Orchestra
  • St. Paul's United Methodist Church
    St. Paul's United Methodist Church (Nyack, New York)
    St. Paul's United Methodist Church is a historic United Methodist church in Nyack, Rockland County, New York. It is a Romanesque church built in two sections over a 17 year period starting in 1894. It is constructed of rusticated limestone with brownstone trim.It was listed on the National...

     – A Romanesque church built in 1894. (NRHP)
  • Tappan Zee Playhouse
    Tappan Zee Playhouse
    Tappan Zee Playhouse, built in 1911 as the Broadway Theater, was a historic theatre located at Nyack in Rockland County, New York. It consisted of an early 20th century lobby and theatre structure in front and stage house in rear. The stage house was a large, converted 19th century stable...

     – 20 South Broadway – (NRHP) It was demolished in April 2004.

Historical markers

  • First Milestone from Nyack, Route 59 near Mountainview Avenue
  • Couch Court, 46 South Broadway
  • Edward Hopper House Art Center
    Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home
    Edward Hopper Birthplace and Boyhood Home, also known as the Edward Hopper House Art Center, is a historic home located at Nyack in Rockland County, New York. It is a 2-story, side hall, mid-19th-century Greek Revival–style dwelling with a -story, Queen Anne–style addition...

    , 82 North Broadway
  • First Reformed Church, 18 South Broadway
  • Historic Underground Railroad, 298 Main Street
  • Historic Underground Railroad, 176 Main Street
  • Memorial Park, Piermont and DePew Avenues
  • Liberty Street School, Cornerstone Placement, Depew Avenue near Liberty Street
  • Nyack First Settlement, 17 South Broadway
  • Nyack Library, 59 South Broadway
  • Oak Hill Cemetery, 140 North Highland Avenue

Camps

  • Camp Ramah
    Camp Ramah
    Camp Ramah is a network of Jewish summer camps affiliated with the Conservative Movement. The camps operate in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Ramah camps serve kosher food and are Shabbat-observant.-History:...

     Day Camp in Nyack is located in Nyack.
  • Helen Hayes Youth Theater- A theater program for students aged 4–17

Education

Nyack Public Schools
Nyack Public Schools
Nyack Public Schools is a school district headquartered in the Town of Orangetown, New York, United States. It serves several areas in Orangetown, including the villages of Nyack, South Nyack, and Upper Nyack, Upper Grand View, and the hamlet of Valley Cottage...

 serves Nyack. Nyack High School
Nyack High School
Nyack High School is a secondary school serving parts of the Town of Orangetown and Town of Clarkstown, New York, United States. The old Nyack High School is now part of BOCES and the New Nyack High School is located just down the road at the corner of Christian Herald Road and Highland Avenue...

, near Nyack, serves Nyack. Nyack is also home to Nyack College
Nyack College
Nyack College is a private, evangelical, liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and home to the Alliance Theological Seminary, one of the denomination's seminaries. The main campus is located in Nyack, New York...

, a Christian liberal arts college and one of the four colleges in the United States affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...

church.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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