Pelham, New York

Pelham
Town

Location of Pelham, New York
Coordinates: 40°54′38″N 73°48′27″W / 40.91056°N 73.80750°W / 40.91056; -73.80750
Country United States
State New York
County Westchester
Incorporated 1788
Government[1][2]
 • Town Supervisor Peter DiPaola (R)[3]
Area
 • Total 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2)
 • Land 2.2 sq mi (5.6 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)  2.27%
Elevation 63.1 ft (19.2 m)
Population (2010 Census)
 • Total 12,396
 • Density 5,600/sq mi (2,200/km2)
Time zone Eastern
Area code(s) 914
Website http://www.townofpelham.com/

Pelham /pɛləm/ is an inner-ring suburban town in Westchester County, New York, approximately 14 miles northeast of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 12,396.[4] Historically, Pelham was composed of five villages and became known as "the Pelhams". Pelham currently contains two independently incorporated villages: the Villages of Pelham and Pelham Manor,[1] Approximately 28 minutes away from Grand Central Terminal by the Metro-North train, Pelham is home to many New York City commuters and has an active social community for its residents.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), of which 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 2.27%, is water. It is directly north of the New York City borough of the Bronx and borders Eastchester, New Rochelle and Mount Vernon.

History

The historic Pelham Picture House

In 1654, Thomas Pell bought the area within the present-day town from the Siwanoy Indians. He named his manor "Pelham" in honor of his tutor, Pelham Burton.[5]

Pelham was incorporated as a town on March 7, 1788. It included all of City Island and present-day Pelham Bay Park east of the Hutchinson River. In 1895, the town was reduced in size to its current boundaries. In 1891, the village of Pelham Manor incorporated. In 1896, the village of North Pelham and the village of Pelham incorporated. In 1975, the villages of North Pelham and Pelham merged, forming the present village of Pelham.[5] The Village of Pelham and the Village of Pelham Manor share several services such as school and recreational activities. There is a grassroots movement to continue the consolidation of services in order to reduce taxes.

The Pelham Picture House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[6]

Saint Catherine's Church

St. Catherine R.C.

St. Catherine's was originally a mission church of St Gabriel's parish in New Rochelle. In July 1896 a frame church was built on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Farrell. In December 1897 St. Catherine's became a separate parish with Rev. Francis P. McNichol as first pastor. A school was established in 1904, staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis. At the end of the school year in 1962 St. Catharine's School closed bringing to an end 75 years of Catholic education in the parish. The school building was converted to a Parish Center to provide space for Religious Education classes, parish activities and groups to meet.[7] A new church was dedicated in 1909.[8]

In 1936 W.T. Grant, who owned the chain of five-and-ten cent stores, gave property in Pelham Manor to St. Catharine’s to serve as a “mission” for what became Our Lady of Perpetual Help. In 2014 it was announced that the parishes of St. Catherine's and Our Lady of Perpetual Help would merge, with the newer, larger OLPH designated as the parish church. However, St. Catharine’s Church in the Village of Pelham was retained as a worship center.[9]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790199—
1820283—
183033418.0%
1840789136.2%
1850577−26.9%
18601,02577.6%
18701,79074.6%
18802,54041.9%
18903,94155.2%
19001,571−60.1%
19102,99890.8%
19205,19573.3%
193011,851128.1%
194012,2723.6%
195012,195−0.6%
196013,4049.9%
197013,9333.9%
198012,978−6.9%
199011,903−8.3%
200011,866−0.3%
201012,3964.5%
Est. 201412,607[10]1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 12,107 people, 4,149 households and 3,190 families residing in the town. The population density was 5,523.4 people per square mile (2,130.9/km²). There were 4,246 housing units at an average density of 1,976.4 per square mile (762.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.33% White, 4.57% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.96% Asian, 1.82% from other races and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.02% of the population.

There were 4,149 households out of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.1% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.31.

Pelham's housing stock is conveniently summarized and accessible via http://townofpelham.sdgnys.com/index.aspx.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64 and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $91,810 and the median income for a family was $112,339.[13] Males had a median income of $74,760 versus $46,086 for females. The per capita income for the town was $51,548. About 2.2% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Education

Pelham is home to four elementary schools[17] (two located in each village), one middle school, and one high school. The elementary schools are Hutchinson, Colonial, Siwanoy, and Prospect Hill. Pelham Middle School and Pelham Memorial High School gather students for all of Pelham. These are all part of the Pelham Union Free School District. There are also several private and religious based schools.[17] Since 1948, New York City has paid the district to educate children who live in a small strip of land between Pelham and Pelham Bay Park that is part of the Bronx due to a boundary error, as doing so is less expensive than sending school buses there.[18]

Fire Department

The Village of Pelham Fire Department has 10 firefighters and 5 Lieutenants using one Fire Station. The fleet has two Engines, one Ladder, one Utility Unit, and a Command Vehicle. The Pelham Fire Department responds to approximately 800 emergency calls annually.

Transportation

Trains

On Amtrak, Pelham is located closest to the New Rochelle, New York stop ("NRO"), on the Northeast Corridor Line. On Metro-North Railroad, the Pelham station stop is within Fare Zone 12 on the New Haven Line. Pelham is also about 28 minutes from Grand Central Station, Manhattan, New York.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "Town of Pelham". Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  2. ↑ http://www.townofpelham.com/government_supervisor.htm
  3. ↑ "Introducing Peter DiPaola -Republican Candidate for Town Supervisor Unopposed in Nov. 8 Election". The Pelham Plus. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Pelham town, Westchester County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Bell, Blake (2008). "Town of Pelham History". Town of Pelham. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  6. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  7. ↑ "Parish History", Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Catherine Parish
  8. ↑ Lafort, Remigius. The Catholic Church in the United States of America, Vol. 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.423
  9. ↑ "St. Catharine’s Merging into Our Lady of Perpetual Help But Remaining Open for Masses and Sacraments", The Pelhams-PLUS, November 5, 2014
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  13. ↑ http://www.city-data.com/city/Pelham-New-York.html
  14. ↑ "Historical Weather for New York, United States of America - Travel, Vacation and Reference Information". Canty and Associates LLC. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  15. ↑ "Pelham Westchester County New York average temperature, sunshine and precipitation data". Homefacts.com. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  16. ↑ "Monthly Averages for Pelham, NY (10803)". The Weather Channel. June 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  17. 1 2 "Community-Schools". Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  18. ↑ Gross, Jane (1997-05-06). "A Tiny Strip of New York That Feels Like the Suburbs". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  19. ↑ Archived December 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
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Coordinates: 40°54′38″N 73°48′27″W / 40.91056°N 73.80750°W / 40.91056; -73.80750

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