LETCHWORTH PLAQUE DEDICATED

Supervisor Howard T. Phillips, Jr. and the Haverstraw Town Board were proud to host a bronze plaque dedication commemorating the Letchworth Village Development Center on Tuesday, September 30 at the corner of Ridge Road and Thiells Mt. Ivy Road in Thiells. Letchworth Village opened over a century ago as a self-sustaining “farm village” for people with developmental disabilities. Named for philanthropist William Pryor Letchworth, it was initially billed as an alternative to the institutions of the past, and was at one point home to nearly 6,000 individuals and the largest employer in Rockland County. Such an operation certainly sustained the North Rockland community during its heyday with many people relocating from the around the country to work at Letchworth and many of those employees and their families still remain in the area. While the farm ceased operation in the 1960s, the institution continued to operate until the last resident moved to a home in the community on March 28, 1996. This dedication is in memory of the thousands of individuals who called Letchworth Village home, and the many honorable staff who worked there.