Yaphank, New York

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Yaphank is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,025 at the 2000 census.

Yaphank is a community in the south part of the Town of Brookhaven. It is served by the Longwood Central School District, except for extreme southwestern Yaphank, where it is served by the South Country Central School District.

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[edit] History

In the mid 18th century, a man named John Homan built two mills along Carmen's River, which runs directly through the center of the town. These two mills inspired the first name for the town: Millville. In 1846 a post office was opened in the town, but because there were thirteen other towns named "Millville" in New York State at the time, the town was renamed "Yaphank", from the local Native American word "Yamphanke", meaning "bank of a river".

In 1843 the Long Island Rail Road built a railroad station in Yaphank (still named Millville at the time), and virtually overnight the small mill town became a major commercial center. By 1875, Yaphank had two grist mills, two lumber mills, two blacksmith shops, a printing office, an upholstery shop, a stagecoach line, two physicians, a shoe shop, two wheelwright shops, a meat market, a dressmaker and a general store.

Yaphank was the home of Camp Upton, which was used as a boot camp in 1917. In 1947, the United States War Department transferred the Camp Upton site to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and it now serves as the home of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Before the end of World War I, more than 30,000 men were received their basic training there. Perhaps the most notable person to have trained at Camp Upton was the songwriter Irving Berlin. It was there he composed the musical comedy revue Yip Yip Yaphank, which had a brief run on Broadway.

WWII Significance - German Bund and Nazi activity. See also Amagansett and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pastorius

A number of Suffolk County facilities are located in Yaphank, including Suffolk County Police Department headquarters, the county fire academy, and a prison farm.

[edit] Geography

Yaphank is located at 40°50′7″N, 72°55′45″W (40.835277, -72.929159)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 36.5 km² (14.1 mi²). 36.2 km² (14.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.78%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 5,025 people, 1,566 households, and 1,130 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 138.8/km² (359.5/mi²). There were 1,650 housing units at an average density of 45.6/km² (118.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.11% White, 11.22% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.34% of the population.

There were 1,566 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 115.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $70,534, and the median income for a family was $72,348. Males had a median income of $48,807 versus $35,406 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,020. About 3.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] External links

Town of Brookhaven, New York

County

Suffolk County, New York

Villages

Belle Terre · Bellport · Lake Grove · Old Field · Patchogue · Poquott · Port Jefferson · Shoreham

Hamlets

Blue Point · Brookhaven · Calverton · Canaan Lake · Center Moriches · Centereach · Cherry Grove · Coram · Crystal Brook · Cupsogue Beach · Davis Park · East Moriches · East Patchogue · East Setauket · East Shoreham · Eastport · Farmingville · Fire Island Pines · Gordon Heights · Hagerman · Holbrook · Holtsville · Lake Ronkonkoma · Manorville · Mastic · Mastic Beach · Medford · Middle Island · Miller Place · Moriches · Mount Sinai · North Bellport · North Patchogue · Ocean Bay Park · Point of Woods · Port Jefferson Station · Ridge · Rocky Point · Ronkonkoma · Selden · Setauket · Shirley · Sound Beach · South Haven · Stony Brook · Strongs Neck · Terryville · Upton · Wading River · Water Island · West Manor · Yaphank

Website Brookhaven.org