Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Sparrow Bush

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
History · Sparrow Bush

Sparrow Bush’s post office opened in 1854, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1906 on.

1854first post office
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answers

How Sparrow Bush began

When was Sparrow Bush founded?

1854

The Sparrow Bush post office opened in 1854, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 981172 years
Founding year: the first Sparrow Bush post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Sparrow Bush’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 Sparrow Bush are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19064 editions of the USGS map, 1906 to 1992. Watch Sparrow Bush change.Old housesHalf of Sparrow Bush’s homes were built before 1956.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Sparrow Bush’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sparrow Bush’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 map

Sparrow Bush on the map, 1906 to 1992

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

Sparrow Bush on the 1906 USGS mapSparrow Bush on the 1942 USGS mapSparrow Bush on the 1969 USGS mapSparrow Bush on the 1992 USGS map1906Port Jervis sheet · 1:62,500

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

The story so far

Sparrow Bush, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Sparrow Bush yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Sparrow Bush is a hamlet (and census designated place) in the town of Deerpark, in Orange County, New York, United States. The population as of the 2020 census is 981. The community is located along state routes 42 and 97, 2.3 miles (3.7 km) northwest of Port Jervis. Sparrow Bush has a post office with ZIP code 12780. The community is named after Henry L. Sparrow who owned a large piece of woodland near the D&H canal.The locals started to call this piece of land Sparrow's “Bosh” (meaning Sparrow's slope) and Sparrow's “Bosk” (meaning Sparrow's woods). Over time the name of the town gradually evolved into Sparrow bush. It is zoned to Port Jervis School District, which operates Port Jervis Hi…

Its first post office opened in 1854.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Sparrow Bush, decade by decade

Today5 recent
NY 42 and 97 nb split, July 20232023NY 42 and 97 nb split, July 2023Sparrowbush Tannery 22011Sparrowbush Tannery 2Sparrowbush Tannery 12011Sparrowbush Tannery 1New York State Route 97 PICT05712009New York State Route 97 PICT0571NY 97-42 split in Sparrowbush2004NY 97-42 split in Sparrowbush
Famous people

Famous people close to Sparrow Bush

Nobody well known was born in Sparrow Bush itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Vanessa CarltonAmerican singer-songwriter · b. 1980
Spencer TunickAmerican photographer · b. 1967
A
Aaron TveitAmerican singer actor · b. 1983
Stefanie DolsonAmerican basketball player · b. 1992
Allyn JoslynActor · b. 1901
B
Buffy DeeItalian-American actor and musician · b. 1923
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Deerpark4 historic placesA−Port Jervis3 historic placesA

Questions about Sparrow Bush’s history

What year was Sparrow Bush founded?

The Sparrow Bush post office opened in 1854, 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 (5) and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.