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AHistory
History · Tarrytown

Tarrytown’s post office opened in 1832, and 29% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 90% of U.S. towns · #268 of 758 in New York. What drives it

10 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1880.

1832first post office
10on the National Register
29%homes built before 1940
10old photos & papers
20famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Tarrytown’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Tarrytown began

When was Tarrytown founded?

1832

The Tarrytown post office opened in 1832, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1870.

First census: 3,025 in 18802020 census: 11,860194 years

How historic is Tarrytown?

A

More historic than 90% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Tarrytown post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1870.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Tarrytown’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Tarrytown is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #268 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.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Tarrytown’s overall grade.
Founding era1832, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194028.9% of homes (±5.4) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register10 listings, 37 historic buildings, 31.4 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 90%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 65%

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 Tarrytown’s 31.4 sits near the middle of its state (63% of New York towns have fewer) while its 37 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1870.

Founding year: the first post office (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 →

What stands out about Tarrytown’s past

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

On the map since 18927 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1979. Watch Tarrytown change.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1887 to 1915, drew every building in Tarrytown.Landmarks on the Register10 places on the National Register.Deep rootsA post office since 1832: 194 years of Tarrytown.
★ What stands out · On the map

Tarrytown on the map, 1892 to 1979

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

Tarrytown on the 1892 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1902 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1932 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1947 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1957 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1967 USGS mapTarrytown on the 1979 USGS map1892Tarrytown 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 Tarrytown.

Every building

Tarrytown, building by building, 1887–1915

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Tarrytown fire insurance map, 1887, sheet 11887Sheet 1 of 9
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

On the National Register

10 listings protect 37 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.

places listed
10
National Historic Landmarks
2
none yet
historic buildings protected
37
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 Tarrytown came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Tarrytown.

Read it all →

The Native American Wecquaesgeek band of the Wappinger people, related to the Mohicans, lived in the area prior to European settlement. The Wecquaesgeek fished the Hudson River for shad, oysters and other shellfish. Their settlement in present-day Tarrytown was most probably at what is now the foot of Church Street near the Hudson River shore, at a place they called Alipconk (also spelled Alipconck) or the "Place of Elms".

ChaptersEarly historyRevolutionary War period19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Tarrytown, 1828 to 1994

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1828In the archiveTarrytown 1828 cph.3a00583
  3. 1848In the archiveTarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, West-Chester County, N.Y. - laid out by James E. Ser…
  4. 1858In the archiveTarry Town, on the Hudson
  5. 1860In the archiveResidence of John J. Herrick, Tarrytown, (New York)
  6. 1882Born hereRockwell Kent is born here
  7. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1936Born hereBob Akin is born here
  10. 1979Born hereMoon Hyung-jin is born here
  11. 1994Born hereBrett Pesce is born here
By decade

Tarrytown, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1820s to the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1820s–1850s6 items
Tarrytown 1828 cph.3a005831828Tarrytown 1828 cph.3a00583DocumentTarrytown, N.Y., where Major Andre was captured1828Tarrytown, N.Y., where Major Andre was capturedDocumentTarrytown, N.Y., where Major Andre was captured1828Tarrytown, N.Y., where Major Andre was capturedDocumentTarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, West-Chester County, N.Y. - laid out by James E. Serrell, city surveyor1848Tarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, West-Chester Cou…Tarry Town, on the Hudsonc. 1858Tarry Town, on the HudsonTarry Town, on the Hudsonc. 1858Tarry Town, on the Hudson
1860s4 items
Residence of John J. Herrick, Tarrytown, (New York)1860Residence of John J. Herrick, Tarrytown, (New York)Residence of John J. Herrick, Tarrytown, (New York)1860Residence of John J. Herrick, Tarrytown, (New York)View of the Hudson River from Tarrytown, Old Dutch Church, Beekman Manor Housec. 1866View of the Hudson River from Tarrytown, Old Dutch Ch…Die Gartenlaube (1867) b 117c. 1867Die Gartenlaube (1867) b 117
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Tarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, West-Chester County, N.Y. - laid out by James E. Serrell, city surveyor
Retake this viewTarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, West-Chester County, N.Y. - laid out by James E. Serrell, city surveyor, 1848

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Tarrytown’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Tarrytown, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,0001880190019201940196019802000202011,860

Grew from 3,025 people in 1880 to 11,860 in 2020, 3 times over.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Tarrytown’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

20 famous people were born in Tarrytown

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

See all →
Rockwell KentAmerican artist · b. 1882
M
Moon Hyung-jinSouth Korean unificationist leader · b. 1979
Brett PesceAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1994
B
Bob AkinSuccessful business executive, journalist, tele… · b. 1936
Charles Dunsmore MillardAmerican politician · b. 1873
Georg OldenActor · b. 1968
Help out

Finish Tarrytown’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewTarrytown Cemetery at Sleepy Hollow, We…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Greenburgh40 historic placesAMount Pleasant13 historic placesASleepy Hollow6 historic placesB+Irvington11 historic placesA−Orangetown36 historic placesA−

Questions about Tarrytown’s history

What year was Tarrytown founded?

The Tarrytown post office opened in 1832, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.

How does Tarrytown rank for history?

Tarrytown is more historic than 90% of U.S. towns, #268 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.

How old are the homes in Tarrytown?

29% of Tarrytown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1955.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (10), Wikidata (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.