Tappan is a hamlet (and a
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
) in the
Town of OrangetownOrangetown 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.-...
,
Rockland CountyRockland 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 YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
located north of
Old Tappan, New JerseyAs of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,750 people. The population density was 1,725.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 74.8% Caucasian, 22.2% Asian, 0.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics...
; east of
NauraushaunNauraushaun is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of state of New Jersey, along the northwestern shore of Lake Tappan; east of Chestnut Ridge; south of Pearl River and west of Blauvelt. It derives its name from a creek tributary, which was also...
and
Pearl RiverPearl River is a hamlet , in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York, United States located east of Nauraushaun; north of the state of New Jersey; south of Nanuet and west of Blauvelt...
; south of
BlauveltBlauvelt is a hamlet , formerly known as Greenbush and then Blauveltville, in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Tappan; east of Nauraushaun and Pearl River; south of Central Nyack and west of Orangeburg...
and west of
PalisadesPalisades, formerly known as Sneden's Landing, is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Rockleigh and Alpine, New Jersey; east of Tappan; south of Sparkill; and west of the Hudson River....
and
SparkillSparkill, formerly known as Tappan Sloat, is an affluent, suburban hamlet in the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Palisades; east of Tappan; south of Piermont and west of the Hudson River...
. The population was 6,757 at the 2000 census.
History
The
TappanThe Tappan were a Lenape people who inhabited the region radiating from Hudson Palisades and New York – New Jersey Highlands in at the time of European colonialization in the 17th century....
were a
LenapeThe Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
people who inhabited the region radiating from Hudson Palisades and New York – New Jersey Highlands at the time of European colonialization in the 17th century.
1691
The first County Courthouse was built in Tappan, though by 1737, sessions alternated between Tappan and
GoshenGoshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
.
1711
The first school house in
Rockland CountyRockland 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...
was built in Tappan. It was used as a school until 1860. There would not be another school in the county until late in the 18th century.
1774
The
Orangetown ResolutionsThe Orangetown Resolutions were adopted on July 4, 1774, exactly two years prior to the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence...
were adopted in 1774 at the home and inn of
LoyalistLoyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
Yoast Mabie. The house was a Dutch colonial built by his
cousinIn kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Casparus Mabie in Tappan when
Great BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
increased its taxes on
teaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and crops, prompting protest from local
patriotsPatriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
on Monday, July 4, 1774, two years to the date before the
Declaration of IndependenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
.
1780
Loyalist Yoast Mabie's home, known as
"Mabie's Inn," was the place of confinement of
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
MajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
John AndréJohn André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
, who plotted with
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
to surrender
West PointThe United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
to the British.
Today the house is a
restaurantA restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, operating daily as "The Old '76 House."
1780 - 1783
General
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, who in 1789 became the first president of the United States, used the
1700 DeWint HouseThe DeWint House, or De Wint House, at Tappan, New York is one of the oldest surviving structures in Rockland County, New York and is an outstanding example of Hudson Valley Colonial Dutch architecture. It was built using indigenous sandstone in 1700 by Daniel DeClark, a Hollander, who emigrated to...
, Rockland County's oldest existing structure in Tappan, as his
headquartersHeadquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
four times and dined at The Old '76 House during the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
1780
British Major
John AndréJohn André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
, who conspired with
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
to allow the takeover of West Point by the British, was captured in
TarrytownTarrytown 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...
on his way back to the British lines with the plans of the fort's fortifications. Major André was brought to Tappan, confined at "The Old 76 House," and brought to trial at the
Reformed Church of TappanThe Reformed Church of Tappan in Tappan, Rockland County, New York is a historic church. It is a contributing property to the Tappan Historic District....
; he was found guilty of espionage, hanged, and buried nearby.
Strickland, Major André's executioner, who was confined at the camp in Tappan as a dangerous Tory during André's trial, was granted liberty for accepting the duty of hangman and returned to his home in the Ramapo Valley or Smith's Clove.
Joshua Hett Smith, accused of conspiring with Major André, was also brought to trial at the Reformed Church of Tappan. The trial lasted four weeks and ended in Smith's acquittal.
1790
CereoThe Cereo Company of Tappan, New York was an American manufacturer of soy and cereal products in the early 1900s. Among their products were soy flour, which it produced from 1910, and the dextrinizing agent Cereo, which was America's first commercial baby food. It was produced by Macy Deming at the...
, an early commercially-produced baby food, was manufactured by
Macy Deming at the
Haring Adams (Deming) House.
2007
Tappan Fire Department 100th anniversary was celebrated on October 13, 2007 with a
Mardi GrasThe terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
-style parade, complete with beaded necklaces and confetti. The
BudweiserBudweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
ClydesdaleClydesdale was formerly one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.The district was formed by the Local Government Act 1973 from part of the former county of Lanarkshire: namely the burghs of Biggar and Lanark and the First, Second and Third Districts...
s made an appearance.
The Old '76 House
Located on 110 Main St, Tappan, just past the village green near the center of town is
"America's Third Oldest Public House" - The Old '76 House, one of America's oldest taverns. It is of particular interest to Maybee/Mabie/Mabee researchers.
The Maybees were a much-divided family during the
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Casparus Mabie, a cousin of the Loyalist Maybees, built The Old '76 House, then known as "Mabie's Inn," the home of Yoast Mabie in 1755. The
Orangetown ResolutionsThe Orangetown Resolutions were adopted on July 4, 1774, exactly two years prior to the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence...
were adopted at Yoast Mabie's home on July 4, 1774, two years prior to the
Declaration of IndependenceA declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
.
The Old '76 House was often used during The
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Through its long use as a meeting place for patriots, it established itself as safe ground for Americans in the midst of the revolution and also served as the prison of the Revolution's most notorious British
spySPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
, Major John André, as denoted by the historical marker in the front.
The Old '76 House, although often referred to as "André's Prison," was not a real prison nor used as a place of incarceration for anyone before or since.
The Old '76 House was expanded in 1755 to accommodate stage coach passengers, and has been a place of shelter for tired travelers for more than two hundred years. It has accommodated, on various occasions, every General of the west wing of the
Continental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
, including
Commander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
General
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, who, with his chief provisioner
Samuel FrauncesSamuel Fraunces was the owner/operator of Fraunces Tavern in New York City. During the American Revolution, he provided for prisoners held during the British occupation, and may have been a spy for the American side...
, owner of
Fraunces TavernFraunces Tavern is a tavern, restaurant and museum housed in a conjectural reconstruction of a building that played a prominent role in pre-Revolution and American Revolution history. The building, located at 54 Pearl Street at the corner of Broad Street, has been owned by Sons of the Revolution in...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, dined in the comfortable atmosphere of the House.
Geography
Tappan is located at 41°1′33"N 73°57′4"W (41.025897, -73.951180).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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 region has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,757 people, 2,261 households, and 1,887 families residing in the community. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,423.0 per square mile (935.1/km²). There were 2,294 housing units at an average density of 822.6/sq mi (317.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.27% White, 1.27% African American, 0.12% Native American, 13.51% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from
other racesRace 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 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.36% of the population.
There were 2,261 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 13.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the region the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the area was $86,435, and the median income for a family was $91,827. Males had a median income of $57,750 versus $40,707 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $32,811. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Historical Markers
- 1700 DeWint House
The DeWint House, or De Wint House, at Tappan, New York is one of the oldest surviving structures in Rockland County, New York and is an outstanding example of Hudson Valley Colonial Dutch architecture. It was built using indigenous sandstone in 1700 by Daniel DeClark, a Hollander, who emigrated to...
- Oak Tree Road & Livingston Avenue.
- Major John Andre Monument
Major John Andre Monument, also known as the Site of Major John Andre's Hanging and Burial, is a historic monument located at Tappan in Rockland County, New York. It is a gray granite monument erected in 1879 and approximately 40 inches square and 58 inches tall. It is located in a...
, Old Tappan Road. & 42 Andre Hill Road
- General Lafayette, Western Highway. & Christine Lane
- Hickory Hill Cooperative, Hickory Hill & Old Tappan Rds
- The First Court House,Tappan Green
- Trial of Andre, 32 Old Tappan Road
- Washington’s Camp, Western Highway & Christine Lane
Landmarks and places of Interest
- André Monument - Andre Hill, south of Old Tappan Road - 1/2 mile west of Railroad Crossing - Marks reported site of execution of Major John André, hanged for espionage. (NRHP)
- The Academy. Built in 1843 as a private school on land leased by the church.
- Bartow-Samett Town House - Built in 1835 by Morris Bartow. Adjacent to The Old 76 House. Probable site of Yost Mabie's house where the Orangetown Resolutions
The Orangetown Resolutions were adopted on July 4, 1774, exactly two years prior to the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence...
were sign in 1774.
- Bogert-Haring House - Late eighteenth century sandstone house which was home to nine generations of Bogerts and Harings.
- Cardona House - First Rockland County schoolhouse. Built of stone and brick in 1711 on church land and used as a school until 1860.
- 1700 DeClark-DeWint House
The DeWint House, or De Wint House, at Tappan, New York is one of the oldest surviving structures in Rockland County, New York and is an outstanding example of Hudson Valley Colonial Dutch architecture. It was built using indigenous sandstone in 1700 by Daniel DeClark, a Hollander, who emigrated to...
- 20 Livingston Street - Built in 1700, oldest house in Rockland County. To the northwest and northeast of the front entrance of the 1700 DeWint house are The Carriage House and a stone mill respectfully. At the rear of house stand 7-initialed headstones which came from a nearby property. It is believed these headstones marked where the slaves of that home were buried. (NRHP)
- Haring-Adams House - Built in 1790. Cereo, first baby food, was manufactured by Macy Deming at this location.
- Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
- Kings Highway & 28 Old Tappan Road - Built of stone in 1726 on land donated by five of the surviving 16 original Tappan patentees, Daniel deClerk, Peter Haring, Johannes Blauvelt, Lambert Smith and Cosyn Haring, the Manse is considered to be oldest parsonage in continuous use in United States. Architecture is typical Hudson Valley Dutch colonial, ornamentation on exterior being added later. Restructured 1788; frame wing added about 1830. There is a historical marker at this site. Reverend Samuel Verbryck, friend of Washington, who helped found Rutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, resided here.
- Mabie-Beech House - Built in 1835 by Cornelius Mabie.
- The Old 76 House (Mabie's House)- 110 Main Street. Tavern since the 18th century.
- Reformed Church of Tappan
The Reformed Church of Tappan in Tappan, Rockland County, New York is a historic church. It is a contributing property to the Tappan Historic District....
- Kings Highway - 32 Old Tappan Road - Organized as Low Dutch Christian Reformed Church of Tappan 1694, it is oldest congregation in Rockland County. Present church (third) was built in 1835. The second church, enlarged in 1788, was scene of Major John André's trial. The church was also used as prison/hospital after Baylor MassacreA raid, widely known as the "Baylor Massacre" or the "Tappan Massacre", was a surprise attack on September 27, 1778, against the 3rd Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel George Baylor during the American Revolutionary War. It occurred in the present-day town of River...
in 1778.
- Village Church Green - West of the Reformed Church of Tappan. This site was the first Orange County courthouse until 1798 (Rockland County was a part of Orange County). Destroyed by fire along with the jail in 1773. The green had a whipping post and stocks, a stray cattle pound and during the American Revolution, a Liberty Pole (flag pole).
- Tappan Tar Barrel Elm site - located in the middle of Oak Tree Road just south of the Sparkill Creek. It was part of the Revolutionary War Alarm System. A flaming tar barrel was to be hoisted to the top of the tree if the British were to approach. It was used just once as a signal, in 1783, that Washington and Carleton agreed to a prisoner exchange and the evacuation of New York. It was cut down in 1953.
- Tappan Library - Built in 1750. Four additions have been added since.
- Tappantown Historical Society
Notable residents
- Kathleen Lukens (1931 - October 13, 1998) - Executive director of Camp Venture, a Rockland County service organization for the developmentally disabled
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
that she founded in 1969. she discovered there were no camps in Rockland County for children with developmental disabilities when her fourth son, David, turned out to be autistic. She had previously helped start a nursery school for her three older sons, so she did the obvious thing: She started a camp for David in 1969 and called it Camp Venture. Mrs. Lukens told David's story in a 1989 novella titled, Song of David, Camp Venture now serves over 1,000 Rockland County adults and children with an array of developmental disorders, including autismAutism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, Down syndromeDown syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
and cerebral palsyCerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. She was named New York State 1984 woman of the year, as well as,the state's Provider Council in 1996.
External links