Tomkins Cove, New York facts for kids
Tomkins Cove is a small community called a hamlet in Rockland County, New York. It's located north of Stony Point and west of the beautiful Hudson River. You can find it north-northwest of New York City. About 1,739 people live here, and its ZIP Code is 10986.
Tomkins Cove covers about 8 square miles (21 km2) of land. It has some cool spots like Tomkins Lake Colony, which is a private community with a small lake. There's also Buckberg Mountain, a Girl Scout Camp called Camp Addisone Boyce, the town pool, and the Tomkins Cove Library. A natural gas pipeline runs from the Hudson River through the area. Much of Tomkins Cove is next to Bear Mountain State Park. A part of the famous Appalachian Trail even goes through Tomkins Cove and into Bear Mountain! It's one of the more rural (country-like) places in Rockland County. You can easily get to Tomkins Cove from Exit 15 on the Palisades Interstate Parkway.
A Look Back in Time
In 1838, two brothers named Calvin and Daniel Tomkins bought about 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land here. They chose this spot because it had special rock near the river that was perfect for making lime. A village grew around their work, and when a post office opened, it was named Tomkins Cove after Calvin Tomkins and its location in a cove.
Some geologists (scientists who study rocks and the Earth) from that time believed that Tomkins Cove had some of the purest limestone in the world! Only a few places in Russia had similar quality.
From 1946 to 1971, a special group of ships called the Hudson River National Defense Fleet was anchored nearby. This fleet was like a storage area for merchant ships, ready to help the military if a war started. At its busiest in 1965, there were 189 ships anchored in ten rows, stretching from Jones Point all the way to Tomkins Cove. Many people would stop along Route 9W just to see these impressive ships! The last two ships were moved away in 1971.
Famous People from Tomkins Cove
- Kim Plainfield (1954-2017): A talented drummer and a professor at Berklee College of Music.
- David Tudor (1926-1996): A famous pianist and composer of electronic music.
- Stan Vanderbeek (1927-1984): An artist known for his experimental films.
