Harriman, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harriman, New York
Village
Village of Harriman
Harriman station on the Port Jervis Line
Location in Orange County and the state of New York.
Harriman, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Harriman, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Orange
Area
• Total	1.02 sq mi (2.65 km2)
• Land	1.00 sq mi (2.60 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	538 ft (164 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,714
• Density	2,703.19/sq mi (1,043.28/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10926
Area code(s)	845
FIPS code	36-32325
GNIS feature ID	0952253

Harriman is a small village located in Orange County, New York, United States. It's mostly found in the town of Monroe, with a tiny part in the town of Woodbury. In 2020, about 2,714 people lived here. Harriman is part of a larger area that includes cities like Poughkeepsie and Newburgh.

Where is Harriman?

Harriman is located at about 41 degrees North latitude and 74 degrees West longitude. The village covers about 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of land. Only a very small part of this area is water.

Several important roads meet or pass through Harriman. These include New York State Route 17, Route 17M, and Route 32. Just north of the village, you can find connections to U.S. Route 6 and Interstate 87, which is also known as the New York State Thruway. Harriman State Park is located just east of the village.

Harriman's History

The village of Harriman is named after E. H. Harriman. He was a very important person who used to be the president of the Union Pacific railroad. His large estate, called Arden, is right next to the village. Before it was called Harriman, the village was known as Turner. This name came from an early restaurant owned by Peter Turner.

A Railroad First: Charles Minot's Idea

In 1851, a railroad executive named Charles Minot was waiting on a train at Turner Station. He noticed the new telegraph wires running along the tracks. He quickly went into the station and sent a telegraph message to the next town, Monroe. He asked if the eastbound train had already passed. Monroe replied that it had not.

Minot then told his train engineer to go ahead to Goshen. The engineer didn't want to, because it was against the rules at the time. But Minot was determined! He got into the train's engine and drove it himself all the way to Goshen, and then even further to Port Jervis. He arrived hours earlier than expected!

Minot's use of the telegraph to communicate with other stations was a huge step forward for railroads. It helped trains run more efficiently and safely. In 1912, a monument was built to honor Minot's achievement. Many important people attended the ceremony. The monument once had a bronze tablet, but it was stolen and has not been found since.

Train Service in Harriman Through the Years

In 1838, Peter Turner built a grand train station called the Orange Hotel. It was three stories tall and had a big dining hall and fancy rooms. It was a popular stop for people traveling on the New York & Erie Railroad. Sadly, on December 26, 1873, the hotel caught fire in the attic. There wasn't enough firefighting equipment nearby, so the building burned down completely in about 30 minutes.

A small, simple station replaced the hotel. Locals thought it was a "disgraceful shack." In 1909, Mary Harriman, E. H. Harriman's widow, donated land to build a new station. The old shack was about to fall apart.

In 1910, after E. H. Harriman died, the Turner Village Improvement Association suggested renaming the village to Harriman. The idea caused a big debate in the village. Some people really wanted to keep the name Turner! But in the end, the name was changed.

With $6,000 donated by Mary Harriman, a much nicer new station was built. It looked similar to the station in Tuxedo, New York. This new station served the Erie Railroad for many years. Later, it was used by other railroad companies like the Erie Lackawanna Railway and Conrail. Finally, it became part of the Metro-North Railroad service.

By the 1980s, the old station was closed and falling apart. A new station was built south of the village on Route 17. In 2006, the old station was torn down. Today, part of the old railroad line has been turned into a 19.5-mile long walking and biking path called the Heritage Trail.

Harriman's Time Capsule

On July 4, 1976, a special time capsule was buried in a small park in Harriman. It's called the Harriman Bicentennial Capsule. It will be opened on July 4, 2026, which will be 50 years after it was placed there!

A New Village Hall

In 2019, the old Village Hall was taken down. The plan was to build a bigger building that would include both the Village Hall and the Police station. However, plans were put on hold because of the 2020 COVID outbreak. During this time, village services moved to a part of a closed school nearby. Construction on the new building finally started in June 2023 and was finished in September 2024. The new Village Hall opened on October 19, 2024.

Population and People

In 2010, Harriman had a total population of 2,424 people. About 48.6% were male and 51.4% were female. The average age of residents was about 37 years old. The average household income in 2009 was around $68,731.

Most residents in Harriman identify as White, Black or African American, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino. Many residents have a high school education or higher, and a good number have college degrees.

Religious Beliefs

About 53% of people in Harriman are religious. The largest group is Catholic, making up about 35% of the community. Jewish people are the next largest religious group, at about 6.45%. Other religions practiced include Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Islam.

Education

Harriman is part of the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. Most young children in the village go to Sapphire or Smith Clove schools for kindergarten and first grade. Then, for grades 2-5, they attend Central Valley, North Main, or Pine Tree elementary schools.

After elementary school, Harriman students go to Monroe-Woodbury Middle School for grades 6-8. The middle school is divided into four "houses" named Green, Red, Yellow, and Blue. The Monroe-Woodbury High School is right next to the middle school. This is where most teenagers go for grades 9-12, and it also has different "houses" (A, B, C, and D).

Fun Places to Visit

Harriman State Park

Harriman State Park is located just east of Harriman village. It's the second-largest state park in New York! The park is about 30 miles north of New York City and is found in Orange and Rockland counties.

Harriman State Park is famous for its 31 lakes, beautiful views, and places where people can camp. It also borders other parks like Bear Mountain State Park and Sterling Forest State Park.

The park came to be because E.H. and Mary Harriman owned a huge amount of land. When the state planned to build a prison at Bear Mountain, the Harrimans didn't agree. Mary Harriman offered to donate 10,000 acres of land and $1 million to the state to create a park, if the prison plan was stopped. The state agreed and added more land to create the park.

By 1913, roads like Seven Lakes Drive were being built to make it easier for people to get to the new park. There was even a steamboat service from Manhattan that brought visitors to the park! Today, Harriman State Park has over 40 hiking trails and more than 30 lakes and ponds to explore.

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

The Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is a very popular shopping center in New York. It's a major tourist attraction! It's located in Central Valley, New York, which is only about 5 minutes north of Harriman on Route 17.

The outlet center first opened in 1985 and has expanded twice since then. It now has 220 stores covering over 800,000 square feet of land. It's one of the largest outlet centers in the world! Because it's so big, the center is divided into different color-coded sections to help shoppers find their way around. On weekends, there's even a trolley service to take shoppers around the center and from the parking lots.

Many tourists from other countries, especially Japan, love to visit Woodbury Common. This is because the prices for items are often much cheaper than in their home countries. Shuttle buses even run from New York City directly to the outlets. It's known as one of the most popular places for tourism in the United States.

Harriman Engine Company

The Harriman Engine Company is a group of volunteer firefighters. They help protect the village of Harriman and parts of the town of Monroe from fires. The company was started in 1928 because the community needed fire protection. Their current station is located on 7 Short Street.

Getting Around Harriman

The New York State Thruway (I-87) runs along the eastern edge of Harriman. New York State Route 17 also serves the village. A business route, New York State Route 17M, goes through the main part of the village. US Route 6 runs along the northern edge of Harriman.

Harriman also has a bus service called Transit Orange. They offer a "Dial-A-Ride" service and a regular bus line called The Main Line. This bus line runs daily and follows the old Erie Railroad path from Woodbury Commons to Middletown, with a stop in Harriman.

The Harriman station for the Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis Line is located southeast of the village, off Route 17. There was an older train stop on Grove Street in the village downtown. It served the Erie Railroad until 1983.

See also

In Spanish: Harriman (Nueva York) para niños