Sloatsburg, a village in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, is named after Stephen Sloat, an early settler.
The Jacob Sloat House, originally called Harmony Hall, is the 1848 mansion designed by entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist Jacob Sloat, a direct descendant of Stephen Sloat.
Jacob was close friends with Hudson River School painter Jasper Cropsey, who historians believe may have helped him design the house, an example of the Greek revival style of architecture of the early Victorian period.
This historical landmark, located at 15 Liberty Rock Road in Sloatsburg, is destined to become the cultural center of western Rockland County.
On Sunday, March 18, the doors of Harmony Hall will reopen to their sixth year of educational and cultural programming. Since 2006, the Town of Ramapo and Friends of Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House have been working together to restore the mansion. It is estimated that as much as 95 percent of the 1848 footprint of the house has survived.
In 2006, the history and architecture of Harmony Hall were significant enough to be listed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places.
This small community of Sloatsburg is nestled in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains and surrounded by several State Parks which offer hiking, swimming, boating, camping, and skiing. Sloatsburg is within a short drive of all major shopping areas; the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, and Woodbury Commons in Harriman.
The Town of Ramapo was voted as the #2 place to live within the East Coast by Money Magazine.
