Croton-on-Hudson, New York

Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Village
Seal
Location of Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Coordinates: 41°12′15″N 73°53′10″W / 41.20417°N 73.88611°W / 41.20417; -73.88611Coordinates: 41°12′15″N 73°53′10″W / 41.20417°N 73.88611°W / 41.20417; -73.88611
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Government
• Mayor	Gregory J. Schmidt (Croton United Party)
Area
• Total	10.8 sq mi (28.0 km2)
• Land	4.7 sq mi (12.3 km2)
• Water	6.1 sq mi (15.7 km2)
Elevation	164 ft (50 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,070
• Density	750/sq mi (290/km2)
• Demonym	Crotonite
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	10520-10521
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-19213
GNIS feature ID	0947832
Website	www.crotononhudson-ny.gov

Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,070 at the 2010 census.^[1] It is located in the town of Cortlandt, in New York City's northern suburbs. The village was incorporated in 1898.

Geography

Croton-on-Hudson is located at 41°12′15″N 73°53′10″W / 41.20417°N 73.88611°W / 41.20417; -73.88611 (41.204228, -73.886177)^[2] on the shores of the Hudson River. The zip codes are 10520 and 10521.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 10.8 square miles (28 km²), of which 4.8 square miles (12 km²) is land and 6.1 square miles (16 km²), or 56.06%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 7,606 people, 2,798 households, and 2,050 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,601.7 people per square mile (618.3/km²). There were 2,859 housing units at an average density of 602.1 per square mile (232.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.5% White, 1.9% African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.06% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.58% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.93% of the population.

There were 2,798 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the village the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $84,744, and the median income for a family was $100,182. Males had a median income of $65,938 versus $46,029 for females. The per capita income for the village was $39,441. About 1.8% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

As of the regular 2013 elections^[6]

• Mayor: Leo A. W. Wiegman
• Trustees: Andrew Levitt, Maria Slippen, Ann Gallelli, Kevin Davis

History

Clifford Harmon, a realtor, purchased 550 acres of land next to the village of Croton in 1903. He gave part of the land to the New York Central Railroad to build a train station, on the condition that the station would forever be named after him. Today it is called the Croton-Harmon station of the Metro-North Railroad.^[7] In 1906, the station became a major service facility for the railroad. The station expanded even further in 1913, when it became the stop at which electric trains from New York City switched to steam engines.^[8]

Economy

Croton-on-Hudson's economy has historically thrived on the Metro North train station that up until 1968 served as the point at which northbound trains would exchange their electric engines for other modes of conveyance. During those days, the train station and its super-adjacent area was known as Harmon. Because maintenance of diesel and steam engines was then very labor-intensive, there were many workers whose needs were served by abundant service businesses, such as restaurants and bars. Because of the separate development of both the Harmon and the Mt. Airy communities, there were originally two commercial districts—one centered on Grand Street, and the other in Harmon—though in recent years the two have merged into a single sprawling commercial district. There is also a North Riverside commercial district serving communities along Riverside Drive, Brook Street, Grand Street, and Bank Street.

A man and woman fishing in Croton Point Park

After the New York Central Railroad folded, Croton-on-Hudson's economy slowly stagnated. Although Croton-Harmon station still served as the main transfer point northbound between local and express trains, the laborers who had earlier fueled a bustling service economy were no longer present in Harmon. The exodus of labor during the early 1970s was compounded by the stagflation that was a result of higher oil prices and skyrocketing interest rates.

There has been an ongoing effort since the early 1990s to develop the riverfront for recreational use. Among the accomplishments are a pedestrian bridge spanning U.S. Route 9 and NY 9A between the lower village and Senasqua Park, the Crossining pedestrian footbridge across the Croton River, the bicycle trail extensions around Half Moon Bay Condominiums, rehabilitation of the "Picture Tunnel" (repaving and closing it to cars), and acquisition and clearing of the Croton Landing property. In addition, Croton Point Park is also along the riverfront.^[9]

Transportation

Croton-Harmon Train Station

The town is a stop for Amtrak's Empire Service and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro-North Hudson Line service, both at the Croton-Harmon station. Metro-North's main shops and yards are also located here.

Croton-on-Hudson is served by US 9, NY 9A, and NY 129.

Local parks

Notable parks and sites of interest in the community include:

• Croton Dam (on the Croton River outside the village limits in the town of Cortlandt)
• Croton Point Park, site of a former county and regional landfill for well over seven decades, was closed and capped thanks to grassroots activists (this means there is no smell in the park), Riverkeeper, state, county and local officials
• Paradise Island Park
  • Van Cortlandt Manor, a National Historic Landmark located in the park
• Teatown Lake Reservation
• Senasqua Park with extending walkways to Croton Point
• Black Rock Park on the Croton River, near New York State Route 129 (NY 129), within a mile or so of the New Croton Dam, is used mostly for fly fishing and picnics. It is within 100 yards of a historic bridge which dates from the 1800s on Quaker Hill Road.
• Silver Lake is a beach along the Croton River, and has trails to Carrie E. Tompkins elementary school (CET) and the north tip of Cleveland Drive.
• Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum
• Brinton Brook Sanctuary
• Croton Landing, a park along the Hudson River
• Mayo's Landing, a park along the Croton River

Culture

Croton Point Park hosts Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, a yearly folk music, art and environmental festival.

Croton-on-Hudson has an annual event called the Summerfest. Every year the central business district (with corners at the Municipal Building, Grand Street Fire House and Croton-Harmon High School) is closed to automobile traffic for music, American food, local fund raisers, traveling, and local artists.

Croton-on-Hudson is the home of the annual Harry Chapin Run Against Hunger, a 10k race and Fun Run, held on a Sunday afternoon in October.

Croton-on-Hudson is home to a number of local, independent businesses, such as 3rd Universe Comics, Computer Configurations, the Blue Pig, and The Black Cow Coffee Company, which opened December 1995, Westchester's first micro-roastery-coffeehouse.

Dummy light at the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road.

Every weekend in October, people visit Van Cortlandt Manor to see the Blaze. Started in 2005, the Blaze consists of thousands of pumpkins which are hollowed out by volunteers but carved by a creative team.^[10]

The Asbury United Methodist Church and Bethel Chapel and Cemetery, Croton North Railroad Station, and St. Augustine's Episcopal Church Complex are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Van Cortlandt Manor is listed as a National Historic Landmark.^[11]

From the 1910s to the 1960s, Croton was a popular location for the summer homes of American communists, socialists and other radicals and many important artists and writers.^[12]

Croton-on-Hudson is the original home of the Hudson Institute, a key Cold War think tank where the justification for nuclear war was developed.

The village is home to one of a handful operating "dummy lights" in the United States, located downtown at the intersection of Old Post Road South and Grand Street. It is a traffic signal on a pedestal which sits in the middle of an intersection, dating back to the 1920s. Two others are located in New York State, in Beacon and Canajoharie.

Houses of worship

• Asbury United Methodist Church - a Methodist church.
• Briarcliff, Ossining, Croton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship - a Unitarian Universalist location.
• Community Bible Church - a non-denominational church located near the Teatown area.
• Emin Society - Croton-on-Hudson is the North East American base.
• Holy Name of Mary - a Catholic church.
• Our Savior Lutheran - a Lutheran church.
• St. Augustine's - an Episcopal church.
• Temple Israel of Northern Westchester - a Reform Judaism temple.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has a local congregation located near the Teatown area.

Notable residents

In film and television

Films shot in Croton-on-Hudson include:^[20]

• Daylight: In the opening sequence, the trucks that end up destroying the tunnel drive through Croton-on-Hudson (the steps of the New Croton Dam are visible) and several other towns in Westchester County, New York^[21]
• Guess What We Learned in School Today?^[22] - Mentioned in "Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock" - ^[23]
• Reds: The main characters were supposed to be in Croton-on-Hudson, but their cottage there was actually filmed in England.^[24]
• Shriek of the Mutilated (1974) (alternate titles: Mutilated, Scream of the Snowbeast)^[25]
• Tenderness^[26]
• The Toxic Avenger Part II^[27]
• War of the Worlds (2005 film): Shot at Croton Point.^[28]
• 30 Rock: The episode "Retreat to Move Forward" from the third season was set in Croton-on-Hudson. The episode features the catchphrase 'what happens in Croton-on-Hudson stays in Croton-on-Hudson.'
• An Episode of the NBC series Kings was shot at the Croton Dam. The waterfall and bridge leading to Croton Gorge Park are clearly visible and utilized in multiple scenes.
• Scenes for the film Gods Behaving Badly were shot at Croton Point Park in 2011.
• Was incorrectly referenced as "Croton on the Hudson" in Mad About You, an American situation comedy.
• The Croton Reservoir was referenced in the American cartoon "UnderDog" (1964-1973), and the episode was the one where Simon Bar-Sinister is attempting to steal the worlds water.

See also

• Mount Airy, New York

References

• City of Beacon. Canajoharie, New York: Credits. Retrieved Sep. 30, 2008.
• Croton-on-Hudson Historical Society. Canajoharie, New York: Credits. Retrieved Sep. 30, 2008.
• Villages of Canajoharie & Palatine Bridge. Canajoharie, New York: Credits. Retrieved Sep. 30, 2008.

External links

• Croton-on-Hudson travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Village of Croton-on-Hudson official website
• Croton-on-Hudson, New York at DMOZ

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