Putnam Valley, New York

Putnam Valley, New York
Town
Nickname(s): Town of Lakes
Location of Putnam Valley in New York
Coordinates: 41°22′52″N 73°50′58″W / 41.38111°N 73.84944°W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Putnam
Area
• Total	43.0 sq mi (111.4 km^2)
• Land	41.4 sq mi (107.2 km^2)
• Water	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km^2)
Elevation	564 ft (172 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	11,809
• Density	270/sq mi (110/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	10579
Area code(s)	845
FIPS code	36-60147
GNIS feature ID	0979403
Website	http://www.putnamvalley.com

Putnam Valley FD Car 24-1-1, a 2013 GMC Yukon XL

Putnam Valley FD Car 24-1-2, a 2007 GMC Suburban

Putnam Valley FD Car 24-1-3, a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe

Putnam Valley is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 11,809 at the 2010 census.^[1] Its location is northeast of New York City, in the southwest part of Putnam County. Many people live in Putnam Valley and commute to New York City daily for work or recreational purposes (Midtown Manhattan is around a forty five to fifty minute drive). Putnam Valley calls itself the "Town of Lakes".

History

The retreating glaciers of the last ice age did much to shape the landscape of Putnam Valley, including the shearing of hills to expose springs (creating, for example Bryant Pond) and leaving the glacial deposits of stone and large boulders. The current area of Putnam Valley was occupied by paleo-Indians followed by the historic Wappinger Indians who lived by the many lakes.

In 1697, the Highland Patent was granted to Adolph Philipse. The first settlers, the Shulman family among them, arrived around 1740. In 1745 the Smith property was sold to the Bryant family, who renamed their pond Bryant Pond and the nearby hill, Bryant Hill. The Smith family homestead is the oldest house in Putnam Valley, located just east of the Taconic Parkway on Bryant Pond Road.

Putnam Valley incorporated in 1839 as the town of Quincy, when it was separated from the town of Philipstown, and it took the name "Putnam Valley" in 1840 as a result of inhabitants being unfavorably impressed with John Quincy Adams.

In 1861, a small part of the town of Carmel was added to Putnam Valley.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.0 square miles (111 km²), of which 41.4 square miles (107 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), or 3.72%, is water.

The south town line is the border of Westchester County.

The Taconic State Parkway passes through the eastern part of the town.

Notable people and popular culture

Putnam Valley is the birthplace of actor Tom Welling, best known for his role as Clark Kent in the TV series Smallville. Real estate mogul Donald Trump bought land in Putnam Valley and later donated it to the state; in 2006, this parcel was renamed Donald J. Trump State Park. The Sopranos episode "Soprano Home Movies" in season 6 was shot on Lake Oscawana. Malcolm X was also filmed here, as well as the highway chase scene in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Putnam Valley is also home to Phil Haggan of Haggan Fine Arts, a titan of art transportation.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	1,659		—
1850	1,626		−2.0%
1860	1,587		−2.4%
1870	1,566		−1.3%
1880	1,555		−0.7%
1890	1,193		−23.3%
1900	1,034		−13.3%
1910	924		−10.6%
1920	704		−23.8%
1930	859		22.0%
1940	1,187		38.2%
1950	1,908		60.7%
1960	3,070		60.9%
1970	5,209		69.7%
1980	8,994		72.7%
1990	9,094		1.1%
2000	10,686		17.5%
2010	11,809		10.5%
Est. 2014	11,722	[2]	−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[3]

Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church in Putnam Valley.

At the 2000 census,^[4] there were 10,686 people, 3,676 households and 2,874 families residing in the town. The population density was 258.2 per square mile (99.7/km²). There were 4,253 housing units at an average density of 102.7 per square mile (39.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.54% White, 1.60% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 1.28% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.28% of the population.

There were 3,676 households of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% 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 3.28.

Age distribution was 26.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median household income was $72,938, and the median family income was $82,576. Males had a median income of $56,976 versus $36,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,215. About 2.7% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Town of Putnam Valley is governed by a town board. The town hall is located at 265 Oscawana Lake Road in Putnam Valley. Law enforcement services for Putnam Valley are provided by the New York State Police and the Putnam County Sheriff's Department.

Communities and locations in Putnam Valley

• Adams Corners – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town.
• Amen Hill – A hill inside the Putnam Valley Park, known for its steep slope.
• Appalachian Trail – The Appalachian Trail runs through the town of Putnam Valley.
• Bullet Hole – A hamlet by the east town line.
• California Hill State Forest
• Christian Corners – A hamlet north of Oscawana Lake.
• Clarence Fahnestock State Park – A state park partly in the north part of the town.
• Crofts Corners – A hamlet in the south half of the town.
• Dennytown Lake – Historic lake in the hamlet of Dennytown.
• Dennytown – A hamlet near the west town line.
• Floradan Estates – A privately owned cooperative community located just south of the Town Park.
• Gilbert Corners – A hamlet west of Oscawana Lake.
• Lake Peekskill – A hamlet near the south town line that includes a small body of water called Lake Peekskill.
• Oscawana Corners – A hamlet south of Oscawana Lake.
• Oscawana Lake – A lake in the center of the town.
• Putnam Valley Town Park – A town park primarily in the southern part of town.
• Roaring Brook Lake – A hamlet around Roaring Brook Lake, east of the Taconic State Parkway.
• Roaring Brook – Historic stream running through the town and across the Taconic State Parkway. Flows into Roaring Brook Lake.
• Sunnybrook – A hamlet by the southwest shore of Oscawanna Lake.
• Three Arrows Cooperative Society – A cooperative colony near Shrub Oak.
• Tompkins Corners – A hamlet in the eastern part of the town. The United Methodist Church there, now closed, is the only building in town listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

References

1. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Putnam Valley town, Putnam County, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
2. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
3. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
4. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Town of Putnam Valley official website
• Putnam Valley Central School District
• History of Putnam Valley
• Putnam Valley Free Library
• Putnam County Online
• Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps

Coordinates: 41°20′09″N 73°52′26″W / 41.33583°N 73.87389°W