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History · New City

New City’s post office opened in 1876, and 7 of its places are on the National Register

Most of New City was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: maps from 1938 on and old-book passages.

1876first post office
7on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: KForce · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How New City began

When was New City founded?

1876

The New City post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 34,135150 years
Founding year: the first New City post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about New City’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of New City are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Landmarks on the Register7 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start New City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how New City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

7 historic places in New City

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
7
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
20
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How New City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of New City.

Read it all →

Before the Revolutionary War, the land that would later become known as New City was inhabited mostly by Lenni Lenape American Indians. The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in the area. Orange County was established in 1683 as one of the first 12 counties in Province of New York, which included present day Rockland County. In 1780, Major John André and Josh Hett Smith stopped at Coe's Tavern, located on what is now the corner of New Hempstead Road and Route 45.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about New City in 1884

Passages that mention New City, cut from the printed page as they were published.

When the post-office was established here is uncertain; but it is believed that this and the office at New City are the oldest ones in Clarkstown. In early times the mail, in the summer season, came from New York to Tappan by boat, thence to this place overland, then to New City and Haverstraw, and…
History of Rockland County, New York1884Read the page →
Read the text

When the post-office was established here is uncertain; but it is believed that this and the office at New City are the oldest ones in Clarkstown. In early times the mail, in the summer season, came from New York to Tappan by boat, thence to this place overland, then to New City and Haverstraw, and back by the way of Rockland Lake.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1827-28 the present Court House was built. It is situated on an elevated plot of about one acre ot ground overlooking the village of New City, and facing its main street. The prominent structure is of brick, two stories in height, and is surmounted by a wooden cupola. Previous to the erection of…
History of Rockland County, New York1884Read the page →
Read the text

In 1827-28 the present Court House was built. It is situated on an elevated plot of about one acre ot ground overlooking the village of New City, and facing its main street. The prominent structure is of brick, two stories in height, and is surmounted by a wooden cupola. Previous to the erection of the jail it was used for the confinement of prisoners. The clerk’s office was a fire proof brick building adjacent to the Court House. Various al-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

New City, 1796 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1796Born hereAbraham P. Stephens is born here
  3. 20th century
  4. 1938On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1960Born hereCindy Jebb is born here
By decade

New City, decade by decade

Today6 recent
RocklandCountyCourthouse2012RocklandCountyCourthouseJacob Blauvelt House2009Jacob Blauvelt HouseHR Stevens House2008HR Stevens HouseDelwood Club2007Delwood ClubCR76WesternBegin2007CR76WesternBeginDeForest Lake with a view north toward Haverstraw Beach, New City, New York, USA October, 20062006DeForest Lake with a view north toward Haverstraw Bea…
On the map

New City on the map, 1938 to 1979

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of New City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

New City on the 1938 USGS mapNew City on the 1943 USGS mapNew City on the 1955 USGS mapNew City on the 1967 USGS mapNew City on the 1979 USGS map1938Haverstraw sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of New City.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in New City

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
A
Abraham P. StephensAmerican politician · b. 1796
Cindy JebbAmerican army officer · b. 1960
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

NanuetIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBardonia2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCongersIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townClarkstown17 historic placesB+Haverstraw9 historic placesA−Ramapo22 historic placesBHaverstraw3 historic placesAHillcrestIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about New City’s history

What year was New City founded?

The New City post office opened in 1876, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.