Varick, New York

Varick, New York
Town
Varick, New York

Location within the state of New York

Coordinates: 42°46′26″N 76°51′54″W / 42.77389°N 76.86500°WCoordinates: 42°46′26″N 76°51′54″W / 42.77389°N 76.86500°W
Country United States
State New York
County Seneca
Area
 • Total 45.6 sq mi (118.1 km2)
 • Land 32.3 sq mi (83.6 km2)
 • Water 13.3 sq mi (34.5 km2)
Elevation 663 ft (202 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,857
 • Density 57.6/sq mi (22.2/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code 36-76958
GNIS feature ID 0979578

Varick is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 1,857 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Richard Varick, an officer in the American Revolution, mayor of New York City, and uncle of the first Town Supervisor, Anthony Dey.

The Town of Varick is located in the central part of the county and is southeast of Geneva, New York.

History

The land that is now the Town of Varick was occupied by the Cayuga and Seneca tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy before European settlement. Jesuits made missionary visits from 1656 to 1684.[1]

The Sullivan Expedition of 1779 passed through the town to destroy villages of the Cayuga and Seneca tribes. After the American Revolution, most of the current Town of Varick was placed in the Central New York Military Tract (1788), land reserved for veterans, with an eastern part in the Cayuga Indian Reservation (1790 until 1795). White settlement followed.[2]

The town was formed from the Town of Romulus in 1830.

During World War II, a large part of the town was appropriated by the US Government to form the Seneca Army Depot (1941–2001), which was a major employer and the only large industry.

Over the years since 1985, Varick has become home to five wineries, all closer to the eastern end of the town, along Cayuga Lake. From north to south, the five are Swedish Hill Vineyard, Cobblestone Farm Winery, Lakeshore Winery, Knapp Winery and Vineyard Restaurant, and Goose Watch Winery. (All but Lakeshore Winery are participating members of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, and while the Seneca Lake Wine Trail certainly runs through Varick, none of its stops quite fall within its town lines.)

The Simon Ritter Cobblestone Farmhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.6 square miles (118 km2), of which, 32.3 square miles (84 km2) of it is land and 13.3 square miles (34 km2) of it (29.22%) is water.

The east town line, defined by Cayuga Lake, is the border of Cayuga County. The west town line, at Seneca Lake is the border of Ontario County on the western shore of Seneca Lake. The town is in the Finger Lakes Region of New York.

New York State Route 89, New York State Route 96, New York State Route 96A, and New York State Route 414 are all north-south highways in the town. New York State Route 336 is a short east-west state highway mostly on the north town line.

Demographics

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 1,729 people, 630 households, and 473 families residing in the town. The population density was 53.6 people per square mile (20.7/km²). There were 840 housing units at an average density of 26.0 per square mile (10.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.52% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 630 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the 2000 population distribution was 29.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. Compared to the national average, the 18 to 44 demographic was about half of what was expected. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,110, and the median income for a family was $43,917. Males had a median income of $32,566 versus $28,636 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,164. About 6.6% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

The farmland in the eastern part of the town is now largely worked by Amish farmers, and in the northern part by Mennonite farmers. Farmland on the eastern slope to Cayuga Lake is largely devoted to wine grapes.

Communities and locations in Varick

References

  1. ↑ http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/historyofnewyorkstate/bk7/ch4.html Sullivan, James The History of New York State. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2010
  2. ↑ http://www.co.seneca.ny.us/history/Early%20Settlement%20in%20Seneca%20County.pdf Early Settlement in Seneca County. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2010
  3. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  4. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ http://www.varickny.com/CompPlan/FayetteVarickCPC.html Land Use Overview in Fayette Varick Comprehensive Plan

External links