The congregation was established through the charitable work of two sisters, Alice Mary and Lucy Thorpe, who had emigrated from England and settled in New York City.
On 9 April 1880, the community had repeated failed ballots to elect a successor, leading to the archbishop's vicar general, Monsignor William Quinn, appointing Margaret Dowling, Sister Mary Dominic, prioress for three years.
[2] In 1884 the Sisters determined to move the children under their care and opened St. Agnes Home for Boys on the grounds of their motherhouse in the rural town of Sparkill.
The existing building was demolished to comply with the demands of the New York Board of Regents and Aquinas High School was opened in September 1939.
[5] With the population growth of the suburban area surrounding New York City, Cardinal Francis Spellman asked the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill to provide greater educational opportunity to the children of Rockland County.
[8] The Dominican Sisters have expanded into a number of other forms of service, including providing senior housing on the grounds of the motherhouse in Sparkill.
In 2011, the Sisters entered into an agreement with Scenic Hudson, a not-for-profit environmental organization, to create "the Falling Waters Preserve" on land near Glasco in the town of Saugerties.