Suffern, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Suffern, New York
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Downtown Suffern
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Location in Rockland County and the state of New York
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 Suffern, New York
Location in New York
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New York |
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| County | Rockland | |
| Settled | 1773 | |
| Incorporated | 1796 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.13 sq mi (5.52 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.43 km2) | |
| • Water | .03 sq mi (0.08 km2) | |
| Elevation | 312 ft (95 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,402 | |
| • Density | 5,455.89/sq mi (2,106.45/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Code |
10901
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| Area code(s) | 845 | |
| FIPS code | 36-71894 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2391161 | |
Suffern is a village in Rockland County, New York. It became a village in 1796. Suffern is next to Mahwah, New Jersey. It is about 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. In 2020, about 11,402 people lived there.
Contents
History of Suffern Village
Before the American Revolution, the area was called "The Point of the Mountains" or "Sidman's Clove." The Ramapough Mountain Indians, a tribe of the Lenape people, lived here first. Later, the land was sold to John Suffern.
Founding of New Antrim
John Suffern founded the village in 1773. He named it New Antrim after his home in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. His family, Huguenots, had moved there to escape religious problems in France.
New Antrim was very important during the American Revolutionary War. It was located at a key crossroads near Ramapo Pass. General George Washington and other military leaders used John Suffern's home as their headquarters.
Suffern and the Revolutionary War Trail
Suffern is part of the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. This trail honors the path taken by General Washington and the French General Comte de Rochambeau. They traveled to Yorktown, Virginia, where the Americans won independence.
General Rochambeau and his 5,000 soldiers camped in Suffern on August 25, 1781. They were on their way to Yorktown. He also camped there again on September 13, 1782. A historical marker on Washington Avenue shows this spot. It is near the Lafayette Theatre. The National Park Service has also placed a panel near the gazebo in Suffern. This panel remembers Rochambeau's camp. His camp was across the road from John Suffern's home and tavern.
General Washington and his army also camped in the village many times. Lafayette Avenue, the main street, is named after Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette. He was a French hero of the Revolutionary War.
Famous Visitors to Suffern
Many important people stayed in Suffern during the war. These guests included:
- Aaron Burr: He later became the third Vice President of the United States.
- George Clinton: He was the first Governor of New York. He also became the fourth Vice President.
- Alexander Hamilton: He was the first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington.
Early Roads and Transportation
The road from Suffern to Monroe was a main travel route. It went through the western Hudson Highlands. The Albany Post Road was an old road that connected Albany and New York City. When the Hudson River froze in winter, this road was used a lot.
The 20 miles of road through Ramapo Pass became the Orange Turnpike. Today, it is known as Route 17. People paid tolls from 1800 to 1886 to help keep the road in good condition. The New York State Thruway now runs through this pass. During the Revolution, up to 400 soldiers were stationed at the south entrance of the town.
The Erie Railroad and Suffern's Name
The first railroad in Rockland County was the Erie Railroad. It was built in 1841. It ran from Piermont to Ramapo. By 1851, the line reached Lake Erie. It was a great engineering achievement. Today, the Norfolk Southern line owns these tracks.
Judge Edward Suffern, John Suffern's son, allowed the Erie Railroad to build tracks across his land. Because of this, the railroad named its station "Suffern's Station." This is how the village became known as Suffern, instead of New Antrim.
Suffern's Growth and Businesses
In 1897, Avon Products, then called California Perfume Company, built a 3,000 square foot lab in Suffern. By 1971, this lab grew to 323,000 square feet. In 2005, a new 225,000 square foot building was finished. It became Avon's main research and development center. In 2023, Avon sold this facility to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for their own research.
In 1916, New York State Route 59 was extended to Suffern. It connected Nyack to Spring Valley.
The Lafayette Theatre opened in 1924. It was named after the Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette.
In 1972, the Salvation Army moved its School for Officer Training to Suffern. It took over a 30-acre site that was once a Catholic school for girls.
Geography of Suffern
Suffern covers about 2.1 square miles. A small part, about 0.04 square miles, is water.
Suffern is known as a gateway to the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 1,619 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,663 | 64.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,154 | 18.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,757 | 19.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,768 | 0.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,010 | 6.4% | |
| 1960 | 5,094 | 27.0% | |
| 1970 | 8,273 | 62.4% | |
| 1980 | 10,794 | 30.5% | |
| 1990 | 11,055 | 2.4% | |
| 2000 | 11,006 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 10,723 | −2.6% | |
| 2020 | 11,441 | 6.7% | |
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In 2000, there were 11,006 people living in Suffern. There were 4,634 households. About 25.2% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.36 people. The average family had 3.00 people.
The median age in the village was 39 years old. About 20.1% of the population was under 18. About 14.9% were 65 or older.
Economy and Jobs
Novartis used to have a factory in Suffern. It employed about 525 workers. The company closed this factory in 2017.
Avon's Global Research and Development center is in Suffern. It employs 350 scientists and technicians. They work on creating new cosmetics.
Arts and Culture in Suffern
Historical Markers to Explore
- Rochambeau Encampment: Located at Lafayette and Washington avenues.
- Soldier's Monument: Also at Washington and Lafayette avenues. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
- Suffern's Depot: Found at 1 Erie Plaza.
- Suffern Grammar School: Located at 41 Wayne Avenue.
- Suffern's Sacred Heart Parish: At 129 Lafayette Avenue.
- Suffern's Tavern site: At Washington and Lafayette avenues. General Washington and Aaron Burr stayed here. The tavern was torn down around 1856.
Landmarks and Places to Visit
- Brooklands Park: On Lake Road. This was the home of Daniel Carter Beard. He was one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America.
- Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area: Suffern is a special entrance to this area.
- Lafayette Theatre: At 97 Lafayette Avenue. This is Rockland's only old movie palace. It opened in 1924. It has a restored pipe organ.
- Suffern Free Library: At 210 Lafayette Avenue. The Ramapo Room has historical books and photos of the area.
- Suffern Railroad Museum: At 1 Erie Plaza.
- Suffern Village Museum: At 61 Washington Avenue. It has exhibits about Suffern's history. You can see displays about American Indians, old Avon products, and local iron mines.
- U.S. Post Office: On Chestnut Street. It was built during the New Deal. It is also on the NRHP.
- Washington Avenue Soldier's Monument and Triangle: On Washington Avenue (NRHP).
- Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Wayside Panel: Near the gazebo.
Education in Suffern
Suffern Middle School is for students in grades 6-8. It is part of the Suffern Central School District (SCSD). The school is in Montebello, next to Suffern. Students from Airmont, Suffern, Montebello, Hillburn, Sloatsburg, and parts of Monsey attend this school.
Richard P. Connor Elementary School is in the village. Viola Elementary School is in the nearby area of Viola. High school students go to Suffern High School.
In 2013, Cherry Lane Elementary School won a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. It is in Airmont and part of SCSD.
Rockland Community College is just outside the village. It is part of the SUNY system.
Suffern in Media
Suffern has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows:
- The Irishman was filmed in Suffern.
- Parts of Manifest were filmed near the Soldier's Monument and Lafayette Theatre.
- Suffern was the made-up setting for Aidan's country house in the HBO show Sex And The City.
- Bo Burnham's movie Eighth Grade was filmed in Suffern.
Transportation in Suffern
The Suffern train station serves local and express trains. New Jersey Transit trains go to Hoboken Terminal. You can connect to New York's Pennsylvania Station from there. Most Main Line trains end at Suffern. Some Bergen County Line trains also end here. Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis Line trains continue to Port Jervis.
Buses also serve Suffern. These include Transport of Rockland buses, Hudson Link buses, and Coach USA ShortLine buses.
Major roads that go through Suffern include U.S. Route 202, New York State Route 59, Interstate 287, and Interstate 87. Interstate 87 is also known as the New York State Thruway.
Notable People from Suffern
Many well-known people have connections to Suffern:
- Christine Andreas (born 1951): A singer and Broadway actress.
- Dave Annable (born 1979): An actor known for Brothers & Sisters.
- Daniel Carter Beard (1850–1941): A founder of Boy Scouts of America.
- Jay Beckenstein: From the jazz group Spyro Gyra. He built his recording studio in Suffern.
- Christina Bianco: An actress and viral video star.
- Keith Bulluck: A former NFL Pro Bowl football player.
- Chris Caffery: A guitarist for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
- Will Cunnane: A former MLB baseball pitcher.
- Tim Daly: An actor known for Wings and Private Practice.
- Tyne Daly: An actress known for Cagney & Lacey and Judging Amy.
- Ryan Grant: A former NFL football player.
- Dan Gurewitch: A comedy writer and actor.
- Valerie Harper: An actress known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern.
- Pat Hingle (1924–2009): An actor.
- Joe Lockhart: A White House press secretary.
- Thomas Meehan: An author who won Tony Awards for Annie and The Producers.
- C.J. Nitkowski: A left-handed pitcher who played for many Major League Baseball teams.
- Carole Radziwill: An author, journalist, and TV star.
- Claudio Sanchez: A graphic novelist and lead singer for Coheed and Cambria.
- Marty Springstead (1937–2012): An American League baseball umpire.
- Grace VanderWaal (born 2004): The 2016 winner of America's Got Talent.
- Walt Weiss (born 1963): A former MLB baseball player and manager.
Images for kids
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Suffern Piermont Branch Station
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Soldier's Monument at Washington and Lafayette avenues
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Lafayette Theater exterior
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Post office
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Suffern station
See also
In Spanish: Suffern para niños
