Garnerville, New York facts for kids
Garnerville is a small community called a hamlet in Rockland County, New York. It's part of the town of Haverstraw. Garnerville is located north of New York City, east of Mount Ivy, south of Stony Point, and west of West Haverstraw. Most of Garnerville is actually inside the village of West Haverstraw, but a small part is still considered part of the town of Haverstraw.
This hamlet got its name from the Garner family. They ran a large factory called Garner Printworks starting in 1838. This factory printed designs on cloth (textiles) near Minisceongo Creek. Before it was called Garnerville, the area was known as Calicotown. Near where the printworks used to be, there's an old, unused cemetery called Calico Hill Cemetery.
U.S. Route 202 cuts right through Garnerville. You can find the Haverstraw town hall here, along with some small shopping areas and the King's Daughters Library. The schools in Garnerville include North Garnerville Elementary School and St. Gregory Barbarigo Parochial School. The hamlet is part of the North Rockland Central School District. In 2007, a student from Garnerville, David J. Rojas, was recognized by Rockland Community College as the "millionth graduate" of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
History of Garnerville
Around 1760, a man named Cornelius Osborn built a grist mill. A grist mill is a place where grain is ground into flour. This mill was located at a waterfall on the Minisceongo Creek. Later, this spot became the site of the Calico Works, a factory for printing cloth. In 1828, two brothers, John I. and George Suffern, set up a factory a bit further upstream. They made metal sheets and nails there. From 1850 to 1858, John I. Suffern used that same location to make thick wrapping paper.
Also in 1828, a man from Scotland named John Glass bought a large piece of land south of the Minisceongo Creek. He planned to build a calico print works there. Sadly, on June 7, 1831, Glass was loading goods onto a steamboat called the General Jackson. The boat's boiler exploded, and fourteen people died, including John Glass.
In 1838, the property was bought by James and Thomas Garner, along with Charles Wells. The Garner print works became very successful. They made their buildings bigger and added more. About 800 people worked there! A whole village grew up around the factory, and it was named "Garnerville." In 1853, the Rockland Print Works Company was officially started. Its goal was to print and dye wool, cotton, and linen fabrics.
During the American Civil War, the Rockland Print Works made uniforms for the Union Army. There was even a special train track called the Garnerville Railroad. It connected the print works to the New Jersey and New York Railroad at Miner's Creek.
In 1840, Resolve Waldron and Charles Benson started a chemical factory. They made a substance called pyroligneous acid, which was very useful in printing calico cloth. This business closed in 1843. However, it was reopened the next year by William Knight near Cedar Pond. The Garnerville post office was officially opened in June 1875. John D. Norris was the first postmaster for the hamlet.
Historical Places to See
Garnerville has a few spots with special markers that tell you about its past:
- Calico Hill: You can find a marker at 31 West Railroad Avenue.
- Garner Works: There's another marker at 55 West Railroad Avenue, marking the old factory site.
Important Landmarks
- Garner Mansion Site: This is located on Railroad Avenue, where the Garner family's mansion once stood.
- King's Daughters Public Library: This library is at 10 W. Ramapo Road.
- Garnerville Arts and Industrial Center: Located at 55 W. Railroad Avenue, this is a special place for art. It's a not-for-profit center with lots of space for performances and art shows. It's located in an old factory complex that was built before the Civil War.
