Pearl River, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Pearl River, New York
settlement_type = CDP
nickname = The Town of Friendly People
motto =

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pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Rockland
government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 18.6
area_land_km2 = 17.7
area_water_km2 = 0.9
area_total_sq_mi = 7.2
area_land_sq_mi = 6.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.4

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 15553
population_density_km2 = 877.7
population_density_sq_mi = 2273.2

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 73
elevation_ft = 240
latd = 41 |latm = 3 |lats = 50 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 0 |longs = 37 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 10965
area_code = 845
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-56902
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0960056
website =
footnotes =

Pearl River is a hamlet (and census-designated place), in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Nauraushaun; east of the state of New Jersey; south of Nanuet and west of Blauvelt. The population was 15,553 at the 2000 census.

Pearl River is also the site of One Blue Hill Plaza, Rockland County's first commercial skyscraper with 21 stories of office space.

Pearl River is 17 miles north of Manhattan, and north of the New Jersey border and the first of three north bound stop on the Pascack Valley Line. Nanuet and Spring Valley in their respective hamlet and village.

In 1906, Ernest Lederle, a former New York City commissioner founded Lederle Laboratories, now Wyeth on a 99 acre farm which now encompasses convert|550|acre|km2 and 40 buildings employing 3,200 workers. [ [http://listings.bluehillplaza.com/ Blue Hill Plaza, Office Listings ] ] [ [http://www.wyeth.com/careers/pharmaresearch/locations?rid=/wyeth_html/home/careers/pharma_research/locations/pearlriver.html Pharmaceutical Research jobs - Locations Wyeth.com ] ]

History

Pearl River was originally called "Muddy Creek." In the early 1870s, the town was divided in five different parts: Naurashaun, Middletown, Sickletown, Pascack and Muddy Brook. According to historians, a resident of the town by the name of Dr. Ves Bogert found pearls in mussels in the Muddy Creek, which runs through the town, thus naming the town Pearl River.

Pearl River was a deserted area purchased by Julius E. Braunsdorf in 1870. It is said that Braunsdorf was the "Father of Pearl River" and designed it to be a company town.

His first act was to donate a long strip of land right through the center of his property to the New Jersey and New York Railroad. to enable them to bring an extension of the line from Hillsdale, New Jersey north to Nanuet.

When Braunsdorf designed the street layout, the only existing streets were Peart Street and Washington Avenue. He drew a wide main street through the middle of town and called it Central Avenue. Parallel to Central Avenue he drew Franklin, after his hero, elecrical inventor Benjamin Franklin. To connect Washington, Central and Franklin he drew three streets and named them William, John and Henry after his three sons.

Braunsdorf built:
* 1872 - The Aetna Sewing Machine Company - the largest factory in Pearl River and ceded land to the railroad company so workers from New York City could get to his factory.
* 1872 - Founded the Post Office and became the first Postmaster.
* 1873 - Two brick train stations (Passenger/Freight) that are still in use today.
* The Pearl River Hotel
* Low-cost housing for the factory employees that he attracted from Germany.

Another story behind the town's name says that Braunsdorf named the town Pearl River because of stories of people finding pearls in the Muddy Creek.

Pearl River may have remained a small hamlet had it not been for the railroad. The number of passenger trains total 30 trips-a-day each way in the early 1900's. Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works build most of "The old locomotives".Names of some of "The old locomotives"

*No. 1 Hackensack
*No. 2 Hillsdale
*No. 3 ?
*No. 4 New City
*No. 5 Oradell
*No. 6 Westwood
*No. 7 Nanuet
*No. 8 Spring Valley
*No. 9 Carlstadt
*No. 10 Woodridge
*No. 11 Hasbrouck Heights
*No. 12 Park Ridge

The No. 4 was demolished in an accident at the Erie yards in Jersey City. It was replaced by a small locomotive from another line and given the same number. Pearl River was never honored in this fashion.

Today, the Pascack Valley Line includes Pearl River, Nanuet and Spring Valley in their respective hamlets and village of the same name.

Geography

Pearl River is located at coor dms|41|3|50|N|74|0|37|W|city (41.063996, -74.010298).GR|1According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.7 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (4.87%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 15,553 people, 5,539 households, and 4,209 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,273.2 per square mile (877.9/km²). There were 5,636 housing units at an average density of 823.8/sq mi (318.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.13% White, 0.4% African American, 0.65% Native American, 3.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.44% of the population. There were 5,539 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $76,692, and the median income for a family was $91,618. Males had a median income of $58,966 versus $39,452 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $31,417. About 2.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Pearl River is well-known for its large Irish American community and hosts the second largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in New York state, typically on the Sunday following St. Patrick's Day. This large Irish and Irish American population also supports the largest youth Gaelic Athletic Football team in the United States.Fact|date=February 2007

Education

*Franklin Avenue School, became a Blue Ribbon Award winner in 2008. This is the third school and the second consecutive year a school in Rockland County wins this award.

Tourism

Historical Markers

*Cuyper-Van Houten House, 66 Sickletown Road
*Johannes Perry House, 49 Elizabeth St
*Scherer House, 599 Orangeburg Road

Landmarks and places of Interest

*Braunsdorf Park Pearl River, Central Avenue & South Main Street - Named after Julius Braunsdorf, first industrial developer of Pearl River and inventor of various models of sewing machines, newspaper printing presses, carbon arc light bulbs, and electric generators. His sewing machine factory is now the Dexter industrial complex. Braunsdorf installed first indoor lighting in the world in U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
*Edward Salyer House
*Jacob Perry House - 15 Sickletown Road.
*Maria's Rock - Front lawn of Lederle Laboratories, North Middletown Road - An 18th- century legend tells of a little girl named Maria who wandered from her home in nearby Tappan and died of hunger and exposure. Tradition says that villagers found her bones near the massive boulder.
*Orangetown Museum & Archives - 213 Blue Hill Road.
*United States Post Office
*Van Houten Farms - 68 Sickletown Road - Located on the eastern edge of Pearl River. Adjacent is the Van Houten/Kuyper Dutch Sandstone House, the main section having been built in 1732 and purchased by Van Houten circa 1812.

Notable Achievements

* Pearl River High School is the home of the 2005 NYPHSAA Class B Boys Cross Country Team State Champions and 2007 League Champions and is well known for its outstanding long distance runners, for both girls and boys cross country and track. [http://www.pressrepublican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060901/SPECIAL/609080307]
*Pearl River is the home of the 2nd largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in The New York area. [ [http://www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/pearl_river/pearl_river_parade.htm 2008 Rockland County St. Patrick's Day Parade - Pearl River Saint Patrick's Day Parade Parade Sunday, March 9th, 2008 ] ]
*Sean Giblin signed a seven year minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being drafted in the 10th round, 308th overall. Giblin became the first baseball draft pick in Pearl River History. [http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070614/SPORTS01/706140405]
*Actors Robert Clohessy and Chris Carley are both graduates of Pearl River High School.

Book on Pearl River

Knight, Robert P Centennial history of Pearl River, New York Pearl River Centennial Committee 1973 NCL 974.728 KNI

My Father's Gun: One Family, Three Badges, One Hundred Years in the NYPD by Brian McDonald

References

reflist

External links

* [http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213658/Railroad.htm Pearl River Railroad]
* [http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0213658/founding.htm Founding of Pearl River]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pearlriverny/ Pearl River Yahoo! Group]