Historical Society of Rockland County

Burgess Meredith & Rockland County History

September 22, 2022 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the September 2022 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History, we turned our attention to the life and legacy of the actor Burgess Meredith, who lived in the village of Pomona, in Ramapo, NY for thirty years.

Meredith’s son, Jonathan Meredith, joined Clare Sheridan to share memories of his father, growing up in Rockland County, and his father’s eclectic group of creative friends and neighbors, including Charles Addams, Maxwell Anderson, Alan Jay Lerner, and more. [Read more…] about Burgess Meredith & Rockland County History

Orangetown Memory Project on Rockland History Podcast

July 25, 2022 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the July 2022 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History, the new exhibition at the Orangetown Historical Museum and Archive entitled “The Orangetown Memory Project.” Members of the museum staff (Mary Cardenas, Elizabeth Skrabonja and Stefanie D’Erasmo) joined Clare Sheridan to discuss the exhibition, which uses artifacts and archives from the Orangetown Museum’s permanent collection to discover how finding out about our past adds immeasurable value to our daily lives. [Read more…] about Orangetown Memory Project on Rockland History Podcast

Millia Davenport & The Book of Costume

June 23, 2022 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the June 2022 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History, we turned our attention to the life and legacy of Millia Davenport (1895-1992).

David Bisaha, Assistant Professor of Theater at SUNY Binghamton joined host Clare Sheridan to discuss this remarkable and trailblazing woman who lived most of her life in Rockland County. Among her many contributions include writing the definitive book of theatrical costume history, The Book of Costume. Published in 1948, it remains the gold standard. In 1991 the Costume Society of America established the Millia Davenport Publication Award recognizing excellence in costume scholarship. [Read more…] about Millia Davenport & The Book of Costume

Artists & Intellectuals: The Women of South Mountain Road, Rockland County

March 30, 2022 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

To celebrate Women’s History Month (March 2022), Crossroads of Rockland History focused our attention on the women of South Mountain Road (Rockland County) who, like their male counterparts, were gifted artists and intellectuals.

Historical Society of Rockland County’s Executive Director Susan Deeks joined Clare Sheridan to discuss some of these notable women and why they deserve a prominent place in the history of American arts and letters. Lita Hornick, Martha Ryther, Lotte Lenya, Eva Zeisel, Bessie Breuer and Mary Mowbray-Clarke were discussed. [Read more…] about Artists & Intellectuals: The Women of South Mountain Road, Rockland County

Legacy of Black Publisher A.P. Smith Subject of History Luncheon

September 30, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A. P. Smith was the African American publisher of The Landscape, a four-page monthly that he wrote and printed in his home at the top of East Allendale Road on the corner of Chestnut Ridge Road in Saddle River, Bergen County, New Jersey.

Smith wrote in later years that when he started his paper in 1881, it was “the only newspaper in Bergen County north of Hackensack.” Smith also claimed to be descended from the same family in Rockland County as the noted abolitionist Gerrit Smith. [Read more…] about Legacy of Black Publisher A.P. Smith Subject of History Luncheon

A Toni Morrison Retrospective in Nyack

June 23, 2021 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the June 2021 episode of Crossroads of Rockland History, author Brenda Ross visited the program to speak about the Toni Morrison retrospective that she curated for the Historical Society of the Nyacks. This is the first exhibit to open in the Historical Society’s new museum space. [Read more…] about A Toni Morrison Retrospective in Nyack

Helen Hayes Subject of Rockland History Podcast

May 20, 2021 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

The May 2021 episode of “Crossroads of Rockland History,” remembers Helen Hayes. Joyce Bulifant, daughter-in-law of Hayes, shared fond memories of her mother-in-law; of her father-in-law, the playwright Charles MacArthur; and of their famous house in Nyack, Pretty Penny. Then we learned about an effort to establish Pretty Penny as a literary landmark from actor/writer/director Joel Vig. [Read more…] about Helen Hayes Subject of Rockland History Podcast

Hair Stylist Miriam Cordwell Subject of Rockland History Podcast

March 16, 2021 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the latest episode of the “Crossroads of Rockland History” podcast the topic was the life and legacy of Miriam Cordwell (1908-1986) – the trailblazing, innovating and award-winning hair stylist. Clare Sheridan’s guest was Cordwell’s niece, Judith Brodil. [Read more…] about Hair Stylist Miriam Cordwell Subject of Rockland History Podcast

Race, Power and Urban Renewal In Nyack

February 17, 2021 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the February 2021 episode of “Crossroads of Rockland History,” the topic was the history and impact of Urban Renewal on Nyack, NY.

Clare Sheridan’s guests were Owen Voutsinas-Klose, author of Race, Power and Urban Renewal on the Hudson, and Bill Batson, whose family was directly impacted when their home was seized by eminent domain to make way for urban renewal in Nyack. [Read more…] about Race, Power and Urban Renewal In Nyack

An Interview With Feminist Activist Muriel Fox

December 25, 2020 by Clare Sheridan Leave a Comment

On the December 2020 episode of “Crossroads of Rockland History,” Clare Sheridan welcomed feminist trailblazer Muriel Fox. While living in Tappan, Muriel Fox made history with Betty Friedan when they, and other prominent feminists, founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966. [Read more…] about An Interview With Feminist Activist Muriel Fox