| Sloatsburg | |
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| — Village — | |
| Ramapo Torne in the Ramapo Mountains, overlooking the Ramapo Pass near Sloatsburg | |
| Location of village within the town of Ramapo and Rockland County, New York. | |
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Sloatsburg
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Rockland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2) |
| • Land | 2.7 sq mi (6.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 344 ft (105 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 3,117 |
| • Density | 1,162.0/sq mi (448.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 10974 |
| Area code(s) | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-67708 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0965432 |
Sloatsburg is a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located east of Orange County, New York and sits at the southern entrance to Harriman State Park. The population was 3,117 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Stephen Sloat, an early landowner.
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Sloatsburg, originally Pothat, is named after the Sloat family, having settled in area about 1760. Jacob Sloat, a mechanical genius, opened a mill in 1815 for making cotton cloth. He successfully turned to making exclusively cotton twine after patenting a process for dressing it in 1840. At peak, he produced around 8,000 lbs. per week. The mill ceased operations in 1878. The original Sloat stone house was a tavern, a regular stop on the New York to Albany stage route, and during the American Revolution, it was headquarters for American troops stationed in the Ramapo Pass. The house is a private residence, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The land that would become the village of Sloatsburg was part of the hunting grounds of the Minsi tribe of the Leni Lenape Indians. The area was also the site of a major Indian path through the Ramapo Mountains. The path would subsequently become the New York to Albany road and, in 1800, the Orange Turnpike; it remains an important thoroughfare today—the New York State Thruway, New York Route 17 and the Norfolk Southern Railway line run along its route. Wynant Van Gelder purchased the area from the Minsi in 1738, and in 1747, gave it to his father-in-law, Isaac Van Deusen. Stephen Sloat married Marritje Van Deusen and was given the land in 1763. There he established Sloat's Tavern, which became a regular stop on the New York to Albany stage route.
During the American Revolutionary War the stage route became an important military route and the Ramapo pass an important strategic point, occupied by American troops throughout the war. George Washington travelled through the area several times and stayed in Sloat's Tavern at least once, on June 6, 1779. After the war, the Sloats added a tannery and a cotton mill, which continued in operation by the family until the American Civil War, when it closed due to a lack of cotton. In the early 19th century, Abram Dater built a forge on the Ramapo River, and a grist mill and a saw mill soon followed.
Between 1836 and 1841, the Erie Railroad built a line through Sloatsburg, resulting in a major increase in the population and prosperity of the village. After the Civil War the village prospered until the great flood of 1903 destroyed most of the factories in the town, many of which were never rebuilt.
Due to its position astride the Orange Turnpike, the rise of the automobile early in the 20th century had a profound impact on the area—prior to the construction of the New York State Thruway and the Palisades Parkway in the 1950s, Sloatsburg was cut in half by automobile traffic, which could back up for miles in the forties and fifties. Over the Fourth of July weekend in 1952, the backup extended for eight miles. During prohibition, Sloatsburg's rural setting and proximity to New York City made it an attractive location for stills and bootlegging; the gangsters running the operations also occasionally used the local woods to dispose of bodies of those killed in the course of business. In 1929, with a population of 1,559, Sloatsburg was incorporated as a village, with David Henion elected as the first mayor.
Sloatsburg is located at .[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.11%) is water.
The western part of the village borders Orange County.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,117 people, 1,046 households, and 826 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,162.0 people per square mile (449.1/km2). There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 401.9 per square mile (155.3/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 90.95% White, 3.53% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.58% of the population.
There were 1,046 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $70,721, and the median income for a family was $78,529. Males had a median income of $51,549 versus $39,464 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,180. About 0.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
Sloatsburg station serves Metro North train service on the Port Jervis Line to Hoboken - where connecting PATH train service is available to New York and Jersey City, and Secaucus - the connecting point to New York Penn Station and points in New Jersey. Going the other way, the line goes to Port Jervis as well. Sloatsburg is also the western terminus for Transport of Rockland's bus line number 93.
New York State Route 17 travels through Sloatsburg as Orange Turnpike. Interstate 87 also travels through Sloatsburg, but there is no direct access from Interstate 87 to other roads in Sloatsburg. It is possible to enter the I-87 rest area through Waldron Terrace off of Seven Lakes Drive and transfer onto I-87. Seven Lakes Drive also serves Sloatsburg as well.
Four properties in Sloatsburg, all associated with the Sloat family, have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are some other sites of historical interest in the village.
Kuykendall, Eugene L., Historic Sloatsburg, 1738-1998, The Way it Was, Is and Can Be, Sloatsburg Historical Society, 1998.
Bartlett, Ted, Historic Structure Report for Harmony Hall/Jacob Sloat House, Crawford & Stearns Architects and Preservation Planners, 2008.
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