Dutch-Americans

Listed as "House of Jacob Vanderbilt" in Rosalie Fellows Bailey book Pre-revolutionary Dutch houses and families : in northern New Jersey and southern New York, this house has recently been discovered by Tim Adriance to have been built by the Onderdonck and Tallman families.

House of Major John Smith, Germond Road, Germonds.

Blauvelt-Secor House, Phillips Hill Road, New City.

The Dutch were the first European settlers in Rockland and Clarkstown, and they were very influential in the formational years of the county and the town in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Some of the names of the Dutch settlers, such as the Blauvelts, Onderdoncks, and Tallmans, should be familiar to local residents today as they gave their names to many local rivers, towns, and other landmarks, and also have descendants still living in the area. The early Dutch inhabitants of Clarkstown lived in close-knit communities and had a separate and unique culture, developing their own Dutch sandstone architectural style and forming church organizations that were central parts of their society. They became the dominant group in the area in the 17th and 18th centuries, and many served in the Revolutionary War and other colonial and American conflicts as soldiers and officers.  

Significant People

Daniel De Clarke was born around 1653 in the The Netherlands. After migrating to this area with his wife and son, De Clarke partnered with others in purchasing multiple properties, including the lower part of the Kakiat patent, which included much of what is now part of Clarkstown. When De Clarke’s property was divided and sold, one section was said to be at “Clarke’s Town.” This is the earliest mention of the name that has been found, indicating that Daniel likely gave his name to the present town of Clarkstown.           

John Van Houten was a central figure in Upper Nyack. He owned and ran a complex of docks, stores, and residences in what became known as “Van Houten’s Landing,” which has been named a national historic district. He opened Upper Nyack’s first store in 1824, built Rockland’s first marine railway in Upper Nyack in 1834, and became Nyack’s first postmaster in 1835. Van Houten’s landing was a hub in Upper Nyack, with steamboats bringing mail and people to and from his docks.       

Bibliography

Adriance, Tim. Onderdonck-Tallman-Budke House. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Historic Restoration and Consulting, 2016.     

Bailey, Rosalie Fellows. Pre-revolutionary Dutch houses and families in northern New Jersey and southern New York. New York: Dover Publications, 1968.   

Clarkstown (N.Y.) Town Board. Town of Clarkstown, New York, 1791-1973. New City, New York, 1973.     

Green, Frank Bertangue. The History of Rockland County. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1886.

Jones, James Matthew. German Immigration to Rockland County, New York. Dissertation, St. John’s University, 1982.    

Centennial, 1872-1972; Village of Upper Nyack, N.Y. Upper Nyack, New York: Upper Nyack Centennial Committee, 1972.