Sloatsburg, New York

Sloatsburg is a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York, United States. Located east of Orange County, it is at the southern entrance to Harriman State Park. The population was 3,152 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Stephen Sloat, an early European landowner.

History

The land that would become the village of Sloatsburg was part of the hunting grounds of the Minsi band of the Leni Lenape Indians, whose people occupied much of the mid-Atlantic area at the time of European encounter. The area was the site of a major Indian path through the Ramapo Mountains. The path was later improved as the New York to Albany road and, in 1800, the Orange Turnpike. It remains an important thoroughfare today as the New York State Thruway, New York Route 17 and the Norfolk Southern Railway line run along its route.

Wynant Van Gelder, an ethnic Dutch colonist, purchased the area from the Minsi in 1738. In 1747, he gave it to his father-in-law, Isaac Van Deusen. When his daughter Marritge Van Deusen married Stephen Sloat, Isaac gave the couple the land in 1763. They built a stone house on the property and operated a tavern, which was a regular stop on the New York-to-Albany stage route. During the American Revolution, the Sloat House was headquarters for American troops stationed in the Ramapo Pass. The house is a private residence, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.There he established Sloat's Tavern, which became a regular stop on the New York to Albany stage route.

Sloatsburg (Metro-North station)

The Sloatsburg Metro-North station serves the residents of Sloatsburg, New York, via Port Jervis Line commuter trains to New York City via Hoboken, 35.4 miles (57.0 km) away, and Secaucus Junction. The estimated travel time to Hoboken Terminal is about 50 minutes on express trains. It is located just south of a grade crossing and consists of short concrete platforms, and a shelter. There is limited parking available nearby.

Construction of the Sloatsburg station dates back to the 1830s, when the station was built along the Erie Railroad. The station served the line heading to Port Jervis northward, along with a stagecoach to Greenwood Lake three times a day. The station was populated by fishermen on their way to the lake, but has been the site of several accidents. These calamities include a derailed milk train in 1843 and a fatal accident between the train line and several mules and their owner in 1855. The station became part of Metro-North in 1983, when the service was created. The station was listed under a revitalization plan in 2005 to help serve its commuters.