| Port Chester | |
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| — Village — | |
| Location of village within Westchester County | |
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Port Chester
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Westchester |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2) |
| • Land | 2.4 sq mi (6.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 28,967 |
| • Density | 11,722.5/sq mi (4,526.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 10573 |
| Area code(s) | 914 |
| FIPS code | 36-59223 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0977392 |
| Website | http://www.portchesterny.com |
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967.[1] The village's name is pronounced with the emphasis on "Port," not on the first syllable of "Chester."
Port Chester is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter, the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law.[2]
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), of which 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 5.22%, is water.
In 1660, three settlers from Greenwidge (now Greenwich, Connecticut), Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Peter Disbrow, arranged to buy Manursing Island and the land near the Byram River from the Mohegan Indians. The land that they bought is now Port Chester. The village was originally known as Saw Pit for the saw pits which were in use during the time. Logs were cut in holes in the ground for wood to be used for shipbuilding. The name of Sawpit was used for the first time in 1732. The village eventually outgrew this name and became Port Chester by incorporating as a village in 1868. When Port Chester was first incorporated, it was considered a major seaport.
In 1665, Sawpit was claimed by both New York and Connecticut. However, the land was given back to the New York Colony by Connecticut in 1683. This struggle over the ownership of Sawpit continued for almost 105 years. In 1788, the Legislature of New York ruled that Sawpit was a part of the town of Rye in New York.
Travel was considered dangerous in the early years of Sawpit as good roads were hard to find. The Boston Post Road, King Street, and Grace Church streets are some of the early migration paths in the Sawpit/Rye settlement. Other roads were usually dirt, which made transportation via water important.
The local waterways, the Byram River and Long Island Sound, were a key part of the growth and development of Sawpit/Port Chester. Early residents took part in boat building, farming, and shell fishing.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 27,867 people, 9,531 households, and 6,376 families residing in the city. The population density was 11,824.7 people per square mile (4,559.1/km²). There were 9,772 housing units at an average density of 4,146.5 per square mile (1,598.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.70% White, 6.99% African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 22.98% from other races, and 6.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 46.23% of the population.
There were 9,531 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,381, and the median income for a family was $51,025. Males had a median income of $32,848 versus $32,461 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ About 10.1% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.
Port Chester is a more diverse community than many nearby areas.[4]
Port Chester is unofficially divided into 7 distinct neighborhoods, located north and south of Westchester Avenue, Port Chester's main east-west street.
The Port Chester train station provides commuter rail service to Grand Central Terminal in New York City or Stamford and New Haven-Union Station via the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line. The Bee-Line Bus System provides bus service to Port Chester on routes 13, 61, and 76, and CT Transit Stamford Division provides bus service to Port Chester on routes 11A and 11B.
Within the city's borders, there is one public school district, the Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District, established in 1884.
Enrollment:[6]
Port Chester High School was built in 1933 on the grounds of what was once the Port Chester Country Club. The initial stages of planning involved acquiring 23 acres (9.3 ha) of land at a cost of $175,000. The architects, Tooker and Marsh, designed a structure to cost in the vicinity of $1,000,000. Although work began in 1930, occupancy did not take place until February 1932, with the first full graduation exercise taking place in June 1933. The size of the building was in itself astounding. A total of 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) was thought to be adequate. Included was a gymnasium measuring 94 feet (29 m) by 72 feet (22 m), an auditorium seating 1250 persons, 38 classrooms, a library, two study halls, and four shops. A model apartment for the homemaking class, and a student cafeteria and kitchen were also provided. Looking at the exterior, the villagers saw a tower rising 135 feet (41 m) and faced with a clock 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter. An electric master clock synchronizing all individual clocks in the building was also installed. Complete radio equipment and an electric fire alarm system completed the plans. A slate and copper roof accentuated the beauty of the Harvard-type brick exterior. Despite frequent updating such as new lighting systems and advanced equipment, the past lingers charmingly on. The school's motto, inscribed over the entrance doors, is "TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE ARE THE FRUITS OF LEARNING".[7]
Port Chester High School was featured in the 2006 movie My Super Ex-Girlfriend featuring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. The school was used for the main characters' high-school scenes, and both the exterior and interior of the school are shown in the movie.
The Port Chester High School's Marching Band has appeared in the movies Spider-Man 3 and Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film) and has performed in the 2003 Orange Bowl as well as the Disney World Festival of Lights. The band has also participated in the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Port Chester High School Marching Band (3 USSBA New York State Class 5A Champions, 1 USSBA New York State Class 4A Champions, 2 EMBA 4A Champions)
Port Chester High School Sports
Football: 20 League Championships, 1 Section one Championship
Baseball: 26 League Championships, 8 Section One Championships, 4 New York State East Regional Championships, 3 New York State Finals
Basketball
Bowling: 8 League Championships
Cheerleading: 1 New York State Championship
Soccer
To enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the United States Department of Justice brought a lawsuit in 2006 to compel the village government to change from an allegedly racially discriminatory at-large electoral system to one that was district-based. This lawsuit would halt the scheduled March 2007 elections until the village develops an acceptable plan. In its December 15, 2006 complaint the Justice Department alleged that, "the current at-large system for electing members of the Port Chester Board of Trustees results in Hispanic citizens having less opportunity than white citizens to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice to the Port Chester Board of Trustees." (United States v. Village of Port Chester 6 Civil 15173) Local Latino activist Cesar Ruiz, NYS Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Angelo Falcón, President of the National Institute for Latino Policy held a news conference on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday (January 15, 2007) to display support for the Justice Department's lawsuit and the need to reform the village's electoral system.
The Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution on December 4, 2006, expressing its disagreement with the Department of Justice's decision that the village must reform its election system, claiming that the problem was not discrimination but rather "apathy" in the Hispanic community. Federal authorities believed that the village's "at large" voting system denied Hispanics representation on the board of trustees and the board of education. According to Reuters, "All voters in town elect each board member, whereas dividing the town into six electoral districts would give Hispanics a majority in at least one of them because they are largely concentrated in one area of town, the suit said." Although Latinos make up 46 percent of Port Chester's population, no Latinos had ever been elected to their Board of Trustees or local school board.
On March 2, 2007, federal court judge Stephen C. Robinson ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and placed an injunction on the March trustee elections scheduled to take place. This ruling did not affect the mayoral election, but it was expected to result in Port Chester being broken down into election districts. Instead, village officials came up with an alternative plan to address the problem by using cumulative voting. This plan was approved by the federal judge on November 6, 2009.[11]
In 1999, the Village of Port Chester established a "redevelopment area" and relegated regulatory authority within that area to private developer Gregory Wasser (from G&S Port Chester, LLC), including power to condemn private property.[12] [13] The decision has spawned several lawsuits, including Brody v. Village of Port Chester,[14] and Didden v. Village of Port Chester.[15][16][17]
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