4. House by the Railroad that Inspired Hitchcock for Psycho and Edward Hopper

The house that inspired the painting, “House by the Railroad,” by Edward Hopper is located on Conger Avenue, just above the freight railroad tracks. Legend has it that the daughter of the owner of the home at the time, Rockland County Attorney General, Thomas Gagan, saw Hopper set up with easel behind the railroad tracks. The painting highlighted Hopper’s perception of how new transportation and industry were isolating traditional landscapes and settings.

The 1925 painting, which is now at The Museum of Modern Art, was an inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock who modeled the house from Psycho after it.