Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #300 of 758 in New York. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1921 on, and the census since 1820.
Rockland dates its founding to 1789 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Rockland is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #300 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Rockland’s 18.1 sits near the middle of its state (55% of New York towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Rockland had its own post office from 1826 to 1953. 11 other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Rockland’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Rockland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Rockland.
From Wikipedia’s history of Rockland.
The town, as with most of this part of New York, was part of the Hardenburgh Patent. The town was first settled circa 1789. The town was established in 1910 from the western part of the town of Neversink.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Rockland, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The early history of Rockland county is the early history of the town of Orangetown. The first settlers were sixteen farmers from Holland, who purchased from the Tappan Indians a tract of land bounded north by Greenbush swamp, east by the Nyack Mountains, south by the Dues Kill or Cross Creek (near the present Randall’s Station on the West Shore Railroad), then supposed to be the north line of the province of New Jersey, and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
name Mechanicstown. Notwithstanding this, in the act passed by the Legislature, April 17th 1827, entitled "An Act for the Relief of the Town of Hampstead in tilecounty of Rockland,” it was decreed that “ all conveyances made, and other business transacted in the name of Ramapo in the town of Hampstead in Rockland county, are hereby declared to be as valid and binding for all intents and purposes as though the same had been
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
ilethodist services were held at Rockland Lake soon after the circuit ridei-s began going their rounds of the county. The meetings were fii-st held in private houses until in 1835, when a church was built on ground given by Benedict Wells and wife Bridget In 1811 Rockland
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
three years, and was next assigned to a charge in Tyringham, Mass., where he remained three years, going thence to North Hinsdale, where he also remained three years, and then to Rockland, serving a short period. From Rockland he went to Ridgebury, where he was stationed three years, and thence came to his present place of residence, where, after serving three years, he was
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveCounty atlas of Sullivan, New York
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
BuiltAqudas Achim Synagogue is built
Born hereMary Fahl is born hereOne decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
2024Town of Rockland NY Justice Court
2017Roscoe-Rockland Fire Department, New York
2013Aerial - Route 17 west of Livingston Manor, NY from W…
2013Aerial - Route 17 west of Livingston Manor, NY from W…
2010Willowemocff
2010Junction Pool from NY 17
2009New York State Route 206
2008Downtown Lew Beach, NY
2008Beaver Kill at Lew Beach, NY
2005JunctionpoolThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Between 405 and 4,216 people in every census since 1820.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Rockland’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1789, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Rockland’s post office opened in 1826, and the census of 1820 counted 405 people here.
Rockland is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #300 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
4 listings: 2 buildings, 1 historic district, the Rockland Mill Complex, with 4 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 6 historic buildings in all.
31% of Rockland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1959.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.
