New City Library Celebrates 75th Anniversary With History Lesson

Okay, pens out. Time for a New City history quiz. Mark each either true or false:

New City had, and actually still has, a train station.

New City was home to the County Courthouse before the town was even named.

A large chunk of New City was once a polo club that turned into a summer training home for the New York National Guard.

Okay, times up, pens down.

On Friday night, more than 40 guests at the New City Library’s 75th anniversary celebration were given the answers to all those questions and more.

Clarkstown Town Historian Robert Knight led a presentation that quizzed residents and educated them about the library and the town’s history (by the way, all of the above questions were true). 

“Very few people know the history of what was here before they got here,” Knight said. “Sometimes you need to tell people history didn’t start when they arrived.”

Knight said he was glad to be a part of the library’s celebration, because it is a place he frequents often. 

“I’m a regular here. I love this place,” Knight said. “I hang out here, especially in the Rockland Room.” 

Knight’s presentation was a main part of Friday’s celebration, which kicked off with New City Library Director Charles McMorran serving as the emcee for the night’s festivities. McMorran told the crowd that he and his staff have been planning the library’s 75th anniversary celebration for the past year.

Their efforts were showcased on Friday with Knight’s presentation and several guest speakers.

Attendees learned the history of not only the library, but also New City—from the city’s origin in the 1870s and its first train station in 1875 to its first county fair four years later and the battalion for the New York State National Guard—Squadron A—using the Rockland County Fair grounds to train. The New City Library, ironically, is near two streets that were built in honor of the battalion: Squadron Boulevard and Cavalry Drive.

New City resident Jerry Rosen said he learned a lot about the library’s history during the event. 

“It’s always interesting to learn about the forerunners of [a] property you know as being something else,” he said. 

Rosen attended the event with his wife, Sondra, who said the two go to the library once about every 10 days to take out books and movies.

“We come to all the concerts they have, too,” Sondra Rosen said, adding that she and her husband will be in attendance tonight when the library continues its 75th anniversary by bringing in a 21-piece band to play on the lawn.

The event also featured speakers such as Aney Paul, the library’s board president; Richard Anderson, the interim director of the Historical Society of Rockland, and Rockland County Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, who read a proclamation declaring July 15, 2011 as New City Library Day in Rockland County.