Eastchester (town), New York
Eastchester, New York | |
---|---|
Town | |
Eastchester Town Hall | |
Location of Eastchester (town), New York | |
Coordinates: 40°57′30″N 73°48′31″W / 40.95833°N 73.80861°WCoordinates: 40°57′30″N 73°48′31″W / 40.95833°N 73.80861°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Westchester |
Settled | 1664 |
Established | 1665 |
Government | |
• Type | Open town meeting |
• Town Supervisor | Anthony Colavita (R)[1] |
Area[2] | |
• Total | 4.94 sq mi (12.80 km2) |
• Land | 4.85 sq mi (12.57 km2) |
• Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
Elevation | 220 ft (67 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 32,363 |
• Estimate (2016)[3] | 33,006 |
• Density | 6,801.15/sq mi (2,625.92/km2) |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 10707, 10709 |
Area code(s) | 914 |
FIPS code | 36-21820 |
GNIS feature ID | 0978916 |
Website |
www |
Eastchester is a town in southern Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 32,363 at the 2010 census.[4] There are two villages within the town: Bronxville and Tuckahoe. The town contains a census-designated place also named Eastchester.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2), of which 4.9 square miles (13 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 2.00%, is water.
History
The town that is now called Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from Fairfield, Connecticut. Thomas Pell, who at that time also owned the territory that is now New Rochelle and Pelham, granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons'," where the home of Anne Hutchinson had stood some twenty years before. The ten original families were shortly joined by another 26.
Laws for the region were established the following year, in 1665, under an agreement called the "Eastchester Covenant". The covenant was a rare document for this period. It contained 26 provisions, including such items as education of children, disposition and upkeep of property, and support of a minister.
Confirmation of their 1664 land patent was granted by Governor Richard Nicolls in 1666 after the occupation of the area by the English. A controversy arose in 1700 when the settlers signed a deed with the Native Americans. The tract of land involved was known as "Long Reach" because of its odd geographical makeup. The sites included are the present Bronxville, Tuckahoe, and a section of northwest Mount Vernon. The dispute over the ownership of the land involved the towns of New Rochelle, Westchester and the Pell family. When a decision was reached in favor of Eastchester, England's Queen Anne granted a second patent in 1708.
Eastchester was a farming community at the outbreak of the American Revolution. Although no major battles were fought here, as the heart of the Neutral Ground it saw constant fighting for over 13 years, being harassed by both sides as well as by the cowboys and skinners (the guerrillas of the day). Eastchester's rural makeup began to change with the coming of the railroad in the 1840s. An area of 370 acres (1,500,000 m2) of land was incorporated as the village of Mount Vernon in 1853 by a group of New York businessmen; the village of Bronxville was incorporated in 1898; and the village of Tuckahoe in 1903. Today, Eastchester is bounded by Scarsdale on the north, New Rochelle on the east, Yonkers on the west, and Mount Vernon on the south. The town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe.
Babe Ruth was a member of Leewood Country Club.
The Marble Schoolhouse and Tuckahoe High School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
The Wilmot School near the corner of White Plains Road and Wilmot Road was a K-8 school that serviced the north end of town after 1909. When the Greenvale elementary school was erected in 1936, the Wilmot School was put to use as Eastchester's Town Hall. In 1964, the clubhouse of the Oak Ridge Country Club was converted into the present Town Hall, and the Wilmot School was torn down. The Cooper School, located in the northern end of town, was an elementary school built in the 1920s. It was demolished in 1980 and the land sold to a private housing developer. The original schoolyard lives on as Cooper Field, leased to the town of Eastchester at the rate of one dollar per year. The park is also referred to as Vaccaro Park, as it was originally donated by Carmela Vaccaro[6] the matriarch of one of the largest and longest standing families in Eastchester. The Anne Hutchinson School, another elementary school, was built in 1953, and additional classrooms constructed several years later. A primary wing was built at the Greenvale School in the 1950s.[7]
Notable people
- Betty Broderick, high-profile murderer convicted of the killing of her ex-husband and his new wife
- Aaron Burr, third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson
- Tom Creavy, PGA golfer who won the 1931 PGA Championship
- John Doherty, former MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox
- Johnny Farrell, PGA golfer who won the 1928 U.S. Open
- Jimmy Fink, New York radio personality
- Mario Gabelli, stock investor who lived in Lake Isle
- Anne Hutchinson, early advocate of religious freedom
- Willie Macfarlane, PGA golfer who won the U.S. Open in 1925
- Bobby Moynihan, comedian from Saturday Night Live
- Eric Naposki, NFL player, convicted of "love triangle" murder for financial gain
- Kenneth Posner, Tony Award-winning theatrical lighting designer
- Jess Sweetser, golfer who won the British Amateur Championship in 1926
- John Peter Zenger, defendant in a landmark legal case that laid the foundation for press freedom
- Robyn and Jerry O'Brien, Multiple time Game Show Contestants (Robyn: "Wheel of Fortune", "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "CARaoke Showdown"; Jerry "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Caroake Showdown")
In popular culture
- Various Eastchester High School students appeared in the movie "Garp" and the area south of Leewood Country Club was used as a filming location The World According to Garp (1982). The film starred Robin Williams.
- Main Street in Tuckahoe was used for a scene in the film Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
Landmarks and attractions
- Hotel Gramatan, built in 1905 to accommodate the burgeoning artist community of Lawrence Park in Bronxville. The hotel was demolished in 1972.
- Immaculate Conception Church, a Catholic church that has been located in the town for many years.
- Lake Isle Country Club was originally known by two other names. It opened before 1920 and was known as the Mount Vernon Country Club. In the 1940s the clubs name was changed to Vernon Hills Country Club but when it was purchased in 1979 the name changed for a third time and thus became what is known today as the Lake Isle Country Club (according to the historical book "Out of the Wilderness: The Emergence of Eastchester, Tuckahoe & Bronxville, N.Y. 1664 - 2014). This is where town residents can go to play golf, tennis, or swim in the pools during the summer and engage in other recreational activities.
- Marble Schoolhouse, one-room schoolhouse built in 1835; constructed of Tuckahoe Marble
- Twin Lakes County Park, a park operated by the Westchester County Department of Parks with many trails, wildlife, Twin Lakes Farms horse stables, and a lake.
- Town Hall, the site was originally a farm, later a country club and golf club. Dedicated in 1957 and converted to Pennsylvania style utilizing the existing stonework and slate roof. Town Hall is the only town center in Westchester County to house a wide variety of town departments and local civic functions.
- Vernon Hills Shopping Center, the main shopping center in the town of Eastchester. Constructed in the 1950s, the complex contains high-end stores such as American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Brooks Brothers, The Children's Place, Lord & Taylor, and Starbucks.
- Westchester Funeral Home, one of the oldest funeral homes in New York City, was founded in 1832 in Greenwich Village by Samuel Benedict and moved to Eastchester around the turn of the century. The funeral home and founder's son, Charles A. Benedict arranged the funeral of President Garfield after his assassination in 1881.
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1800 | 738 | — | |
1810 | 1,039 | 40.8% | |
1820 | 1,021 | −1.7% | |
1830 | 1,030 | 0.9% | |
1840 | 1,502 | 45.8% | |
1850 | 1,679 | 11.8% | |
1860 | 5,582 | 232.5% | |
1870 | 7,491 | 34.2% | |
1880 | 8,737 | 16.6% | |
1890 | 4,612 | −47.2% | |
1900 | 3,040 | −34.1% | |
1910 | 6,422 | 111.3% | |
1920 | 9,372 | 45.9% | |
1930 | 20,340 | 117.0% | |
1940 | 23,492 | 15.5% | |
1950 | 27,174 | 15.7% | |
1960 | 33,613 | 23.7% | |
1970 | 36,660 | 9.1% | |
1980 | 32,648 | −10.9% | |
1990 | 30,867 | −5.5% | |
2000 | 31,318 | 1.5% | |
2010 | 32,363 | 3.3% | |
Est. 2016 | 33,006 | [3] | 2.0% |
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 31,318 people, 12,626 households, and 8,408 families residing in the town. The population density was 6,376.3 people per square mile (2,462.7/km²). There were 13,035 housing units at an average density of 2,653.9 per square mile (1,025.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.35% White, 5.80% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.48% of the population.
There were 12,626 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town, the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $101,425, and the median income for a family was $137,663. Males had a median income of $71,420 versus $47,725 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,941. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town's primary and secondary schools include Cottle Elementary, Waverly Elementary, Anne Hutchinson Elementary, Greenvale Elementary, Immaculate Conception School, Chapel School, St. Joseph School, Eastchester Middle School, Tuckahoe Middle School, Eastchester High School, Tuckahoe High School, and Bronxville School (K-12).
Communities in Eastchester
- Bronxville Heights
- Lawrence Park
- Waverly
- Bronxville Manor
- Crestwood
Eastchester, unincorporated hamlet:
- Lake Isle (sections also in New Rochelle)
- Twin Lakes
- California Ridge
- Hickory Hills
- Huntley Estates
- Chester Heights (sections also in New Rochelle)
- The North End
- The Industrial Sector
- Green Knolls
- Garth Road
- Waverly Heights
- Bronxville Manor
Image gallery
- Town of Eastchester welcome sign
- Marble schoolhouse
- Mickey Spillane's Restaurant
- Immaculate Conception Church
- Lake Isle Country Club
- Anne Hutchinson School
- Interlaken Reservoir
- The entrance to Holy Mount Cemetery
- The graves in Holy Mount Cemetery
- Eastchester Public Library
- Banner at Eastchester High School
References
- ↑ Eberhart, Chris (18 June 2015). "Colavita tops full GOP ticket". The Eastchester Review. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ↑ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 5, 2017.
- 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Eastchester town, Westchester County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ http://archive.lohud.com/article/20080629/NEWS02/806290361/Four-generations-remember-namesake-Vaccaro-Park
- ↑
- ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- History of the Town of Eastchester
- Town of Eastchester official website
- The Town Report, local paper dedicated to Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville