Historical Society of Rockland County Honors Beckerle Family

Almost everyone is familiar with those yellow Beckerle signs around Rockland with their many lumber yards.

On Sunday night, the Historical Society of Rockland County held its 17th annual dinner, with this year’s event taking place at View on the Hudson in Piermont. The dinner served as a fundraiser with both silent and live auctions and also honored the Beckerle family—who have lived in Pearl River for six generations—with the Lifetime Service Award.

“I’ve always been a student of history, that’s one of my hobbies,” Lawrence Beckerle III said. "And growing up here in Rockland, I grew up here seeing some of the changes and heard a lot about it through my grandmother and other relatives. We’re proud that our family has been here in Rockland since 1859. I think it’s a great place to live, and we’re very fortunate and proud to be here.”

The Historical Society of Rockland was created in 1965 when the Tappan Zee Historical Society and the Rockland County Historical Society merged to form one organization. They have exhibitions along with a modern museum building that houses the Society’s collection of historical items. The Society also provides tours of the Jacob Blauvelt House, which was built in 1832, and an annual Historical House Tour where the public can view historical homes in the region on a self-guided tour.

The Beckerle Family, in fact, has sponsored the Historical House Tour for many years, which was one of the main reasons they were honored at this year’s dinner. The family first arrived in Rockland in 1859 when Johann Beckerle and Margaretha Bardon Beckerle came over from Germany with four of their children. They chose Rockland because Margareth’s sister was Catherine Bardon Cook, whose family helped develop what became Bardonia.

Margaretha and Johann ultimately settled in Pearl River, as their son Peter continued to live there after marriage. He ended up serving on a committee that helped build St. Margaret’s Church in the town. One of Phillip’s sons was Laurence Beckerle, who founded Beckerle Lumber Supply Company in 1940 at the age of 52. The business now has four locations in Spring Valley, Congers, Orangeburg and Haverstraw and is currently run by a group of Beckerles, including Laurence Beckerle III.

Laurence Beckerle III’s father, Pete Beckerle, meanwhile, is a past member of the Board of Trustees at St. Thomas Aquinas College. He was recently elected to the college’s Hall of Fame for his past contributions at the school.

“He’s been very, very generous to the college over the years,” said John Durney, Vice President for Academic Affairs at STAC. “Because of his background he was helpful in the campus planning aspects of the college. And with his foresight, he and his colleague Trustees really pushed for new campus residences. He’s been connected to the college ever since, and he continues to be very generous. He’s council to the president periodically.”

The Beckerles have also been greatly involved with the various rotary clubs of Rockland. These rotary clubs are made up of volunteers who help improve sanitation, provide job training, combat hunger, and promote peace locally, nationally, and internationally by following the motto, “Service Above Self”. The organization is also greatly involved in fighting polio around the world, which is particularly important for the Beckerle family, as Laurence III’s aunt had polio as a child but was still able to live a long life.

“The Beckerle family has been very active in rotary—in the (Nanuet Rotary), Spring Valley Rotary and the Pearl River Rotary,” said Jeffrey Keahon, Past District Governor of Rotary International and member of Pearl River Rotary. “They are longtime members, and they really exemplify ‘Service Above Self’. We appreciate their support. They’ve always been community oriented, and they’ve made a difference here in Rockland County.”

In conjunction with their Lifetime Service Award, the Beckerle Family also received honors from various local officials, including State Senator David Carlucci, State Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, Clarkstown Supervisor Alexander Gromack and the entire Rockland County Legislature.

The dinner also served as a fundraiser for the Historical Society, with both a silent and a live auction, along with a raffle. The grand prize in the raffle was a “Basket of Cheer,” a basket full of various alcoholic drinks. The auction included historical items like an etching of George Washington don by Jacques Reich, and more current items like tickets to an upcoming talk with actor Alec Baldwin at Nyack High School on March 19.

But the night was mostly about the Beckerles, and according to Jim Freeman, member of the Historical Society of Rockland County, the honor was well-deserved.

“The Beckerles have contributed probably more than any other family in the Orangetown area for the success of every wonderful charitable project in Rockland County, in addition to maintaining a wonderful business. Good prices, good products, and always the customer’s friend.”