Broadcast originally aired September 17, 2012
Clare Sheridan's interview of Kerwin McCarthy, the curator of an exhibition about the Centennial of Letchworth Village which was on display at The Historical Society of Rockland County in 2012. The Exhibition presented the facility as seen through the eyes of noted photographer Margaret Bourke-White. The broadcast originally aired on September 17, 2012 on WRCR 1300am Radio Rockland.
Mr. McCarthy has been a public affairs official for the Hudson Valley Developmental Disabilities Services Office for over 30 years and it was from his archives that many of the photographs were culled. McCarthy notes that Bourke-White was a “pioneering figure in 20th century documentary photography and is famous for her scenes of modern industry, of the Great Depression, and of political and social movements in the 1920s through the 1950s.”
Letchworth Village opened its doors in 1911 and closed in 1996. Although much of Letchworth is now abandoned, its site still serves as the Hudson Valley regional office for the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and houses several municipal buildings for the Town of Stony Point. The OPWDD supports patients in Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester counties.
Listen to Crossroads of Rockland History live on www.WRCR.com. Visit The HSRC at www.RocklandHistory.org
Crossroads of Rockland History, a program of the Historical Society of Rockland County, starts streaming new episodes on the third Monday of each month at 10am. From October 2010 to May 2025, the program aired after the morning show on WRCR radio 1700 AM and www.WRCR.com.
Join host Clare Sheridan as we explore, celebrate, and learn about our local history, with different topics and guest speakers every month. Our recorded broadcasts are also available for streaming on all major podcasts platforms and at our website.
The Historical Society of Rockland County is a nonprofit educational institution and principal repository for original documents and artifacts relating to Rockland County. Its headquarters are a four-acre site featuring a history museum and the 1832 Jacob Blauvelt House in New City, New York.
