Spring Valley, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spring Valley, New York
Village
North Main St.
Seal
Location in Rockland County and the state of New York.
Spring Valley, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Rockland
Incorporated	July 9, 1902
Area
• Total	2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2)
• Land	2.01 sq mi (5.20 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	33,066
• Density	16,467.13/sq mi (6,357.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10977
Area code(s)	845
FIPS code	36-70420
NWS SAME code	036087
Website	www.villagespringvalley.org

Spring Valley is a busy village located in Rockland County, New York. It's part of the towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown. You can find it north of Chestnut Ridge and west of Nanuet.

In 2020, about 33,066 people lived here. This makes Spring Valley the second largest community in both Clarkstown and Rockland County. Only New City has more people. The village is close to the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87). It also has a New Jersey Transit train station. This station is the end of the Pascack Valley Line. Spring Valley is about 22 miles (35 km) north of Manhattan. It is also about 5 miles (8 km) north of the New Jersey border.

History of Spring Valley

The old North Main Street School, now part of Rockland Community College

Before the railroad came, there were no homes in the area we now call Spring Valley.

In 1842, the New York & Erie Railroad named this area "Pascack." This name came from a nearby stream. But the people living there decided to call it Spring Valley. They chose this name because of a large spring in Valley Pond. Before this, some Scottish settlers called the area "Scotland."

In 1885, a man named E. P. Lespenasse from Spring Valley did something unusual. He walked from Haverstraw, New York all the way to Washington, D.C. He did this to win a bet about an election. He carried a live pig and a rooster with him! His journey took a whole month. Lespenasse sold over 600 postcards of himself and his animals. These helped him pay for his trip.

Famous leaders also visited Spring Valley. In 1914, President Theodore Roosevelt came to talk about important political issues. He spoke at a place called Lyceum. Later, in 1929, Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the main speaker for the Fourth of July celebration. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman even stopped in Spring Valley. He was on a "whistle-stop campaign" by train, talking to people across the country.

The Valley Theatre first opened its doors on July 21, 1919. In 1923, the Edwin Gould Foundation started. They opened schools for girls and boys on South Main Street.

Around World War II, Spring Valley was a popular place for summer vacations. Many New York City Jewish people would visit the resorts here. After the war, bigger resorts in the Catskill Mountains became more popular. This left the hotels in Spring Valley empty. During this time, many Hasidic groups began to move into the area.

The last steam locomotives on the Erie Railroad ran between Jersey City and Spring Valley. The very last steam train stopped running on March 17, 1954.

In 2007, Spring Valley's Mayor George Darden became a vice president. He joined the World Conference of Mayors. This group helps mayors from different countries work together.

Today, Spring Valley is working to make its downtown area new again. Old, empty buildings on Main Street are being torn down. New buildings with shops and homes are being built in their place. For over 50 years, a business called Sarafan Auto Supply was in Spring Valley. It sold military parts around the world. Even though the business moved, some of its original buildings from the early 1900s are still there.

Geography of Spring Valley

A Pascack Valley Line train at the Spring Valley Transit Center

Spring Valley is located at 41°6′52″N 74°2′52″W / 41.11444°N 74.04778°W / 41.11444; -74.04778.

The village covers about 2.0 square miles (5.2 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area is water. Spring Valley is about 5 miles (8 km) north of the New Jersey border.

Population of Spring Valley

In 2010, there were 31,347 people living in Spring Valley.

• About 39.4% were White.
• About 36.8% were Black.
• About 3.8% were Asian.
• About 15.6% were from other backgrounds.
• About 30.6% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, the average household had about 3.33 people. The average family had about 3.79 people. About 32.1% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age in the village was 29 years.

Spring Valley has a large population of African American and Caribbean people. Many residents are from Haiti and Jamaica. There is also a growing Hispanic population.

Places to Visit in Spring Valley

Historical Markers

• United States Post Office – You can find it at 7 North Madison Avenue.

Landmarks and Interesting Places

U.S. Post Office, Spring Valley, NY

Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

• Finkelstein Memorial Library – Located at 24 Chestnut Street. This library was built in 1940. It has books, maps, and news clippings about the history of Rockland County.
• Holocaust Museum & Study Center – You can visit this museum at 17 South Madison Avenue. It has exhibits with pictures, items, and videos. These show the history of the Holocaust. They also have changing art exhibits.
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church – Found at 26 South Madison Ave. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The first church service was held here in 1868.
• Spring Valley's Columbian Fire Engine Co. No. 1 – This fire company celebrated its 150th birthday in 2011 with a big parade.
• Spring Valley (Metro-North station) – The train station is at Municipal Plaza, 1 North Main Street.
• Spring Valley High School – Located on Route 59.
• Spring Valley Memorial Park – This large park is in the middle of Spring Valley. It has a pool, tennis courts, a football/soccer field, and basketball courts.

Education in Spring Valley

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York used to run Catholic schools in Rockland County. St. Joseph Parish School in Spring Valley closed in 2005.

Notable People from Spring Valley

Images for kids

• 

  Location in Rockland County and New York State.

• 

  Seal of Spring Valley, NY

See also

In Spanish: Spring Valley (Nueva York) para niños