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In 1780 Haverstraw played a major role in a plot, which if it had succeeded could have changed the course of the Revolutionary War. American General Benedict Arnold, a hero of the battle of Saratoga, had persuaded George Washington to give him command of the fort at West Point. Washington was unaware that Arnold was involved in treasonable negotiations with the British. During the night of September 19th and 20th the English Emissary, Major John Andre was rowed from the sloop-of-war Vulture to a beach below the Long Cove in the town of Haverstraw. The negotiations to sell the plans to West Point were not completed by dawn and Arnold and Andre traveled to the home of Joshua Het Smith on the grounds of what is now Helen Hayes hospital. The house became known as Treason House and was unfortunately torn down in the late 1920's. The plot was foiled by Andre's capture in Tarrytown on his way back to British lines. Arnold fled to the British. The captured Andre traveled through Haverstraw once more on his way to his trial and subsequent execution in Tappan. Between 1771 and 1941 haverstraw was the greatest center of brick production in the nation if not the world. Immense clay beds along the Hudson's shores and beneath its surface formed the raw material for this huge industry. In 1771 Jacob Van Dyke began the industry by making bricks by hand. James Wood started the first brickyard in haverstraw in 1815. In 1852 a fresh impetus was added to the industry by Richard Ver Valen's invention of the automatic brick machine. In 1883 there were 42 brickyards in the area, which manufactured 148 brands of brick. In a single year over 300 million bricks were shipped out of Haverstraw Bay for the New york City area. At one time over two thirds of the buildings in New York City were constructed of Haverstraw brick. Haverstraw's greatest catastrophe was caused by the excavation of clay used in the manufacturing of bricks. On January 8th, 1906 a landslide occurred when clay beneath a 100 foot embankment slipped away destroying the Rockland Street business section in Haverstraw. twenty lives were lost and only a fortunate snowstorm averted the spread of a fire that would have destroyed a large portion of the village. A combination of the Depression, competition and new building materials brought Haverstraw's brick making industry to a close when the last yard closed in 1941. |
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Haverstraw Town Hall, One Rosman Road, Garnerville, NY 10923
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