Carthage, New York
Encyclopedia
Carthage is a village
located in the Town of Wilna
in Jefferson County, New York
. The population was 3,721 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the historic Carthage
in North Africa.
The Village of Carthage is at the southeast town line and is east of Watertown
.
Its claim to partial fame is that director John Carpenter was born here when his mother was visiting her sister. Mr. Carpenter was married to actress Adrienne Barbeau.
The village was incorporated in 1841. Carthage is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter
, the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law.
In 1861, a major fire destroyed about twenty buildings in the village, and a smaller fire at the end of the year destroyed more property. A somewhat less destructive fire occurred in 1872. Another large fire in 1884 spread across the river from West Carthage and caused extensive damage, reducing more than 150 buildings to ruin. The State Street Historic District
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983. In 2002, another fire destroyed eight buildings in the downtown area, displacing nearly 150 residents and leaving a pile of ruin.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (6.34%) is water.
The village is located on the north side of the Black River
at the junction of Routes NY-3
and NY-126
.
The village is south of the Fort Drum military reservation and is on the opposite side of the Black River from Village of West Carthage
.
. It hosted the original facilities for WWNY-TV
(1954–1970) and later WPBS-TV
(as WNPE, 1971–1977). WWNY's city of license
still officially names Carthage, even though WWNY's studios have now moved to downtown Watertown.
, there were 3,721 people, 1,417 households and 956 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,480.4 per square mile (572.4/km²). There were 1,626 housing units at an average density of 646.9 per square mile (250.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.32% White, 4.27% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races
, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 1,417 households of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.
Age distribution was 28.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median household income
was $23,583, and the median family income was $32,083. Males had a median income of $31,397 versus $18,713 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $13,029. About 18.6% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located in the Town of Wilna
Wilna, New York
Wilna is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 6,427 at the 2010 census.The Town of Wilna is in the eastern corner of the county and is east of Watertown.- History :...
in Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
. The population was 3,721 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the historic Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
in North Africa.
The Village of Carthage is at the southeast town line and is east of Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
.
History
The original settlement was called "Long Falls" and was first settled around 1798.Its claim to partial fame is that director John Carpenter was born here when his mother was visiting her sister. Mr. Carpenter was married to actress Adrienne Barbeau.
The village was incorporated in 1841. Carthage is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
, the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law.
In 1861, a major fire destroyed about twenty buildings in the village, and a smaller fire at the end of the year destroyed more property. A somewhat less destructive fire occurred in 1872. Another large fire in 1884 spread across the river from West Carthage and caused extensive damage, reducing more than 150 buildings to ruin. The State Street Historic District
State Street Historic District (Carthage, New York)
State Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Carthage in Jefferson County, New York. The district includes 26 contributing buildings. They are attached brick commercial buildings built between 1860 and 1900 in a variety of styles....
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983. In 2002, another fire destroyed eight buildings in the downtown area, displacing nearly 150 residents and leaving a pile of ruin.
Notable residents
Notable people born in or who have resided in Carthage:- John CarpenterJohn CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
, AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, producerFilm producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, editorFilm editingFilm editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
, composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and occasional actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. - Casey PowellCasey PowellCasey Powell is a lacrosse player in the United States. He was the captain of the US national team in the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship. He currently plays indoor lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League for the Rochester Knighthawks. He also plays Major League Lacrosse for the Hamilton...
, Ryan PowellRyan Powell (lacrosse)Ryan Powell , is an American lacrosse player from West Carthage, New York. He was a four-time All-American at Syracuse University. He currently plays for the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League and the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse. His brothers Casey and Mike also have enjoyed...
, and Mikey Powell, All-American lacrosse players at Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and Professional MLL lacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
players. Casey Powell was born in 1976 in West Carthage, NY. He is a lacrosse player in the United States. In 2006, he was the captain of the World Lacrosse Championship. Powell has played professional lacrosse since 2001. The first team he played for was the Long Island Lizards until 2003. In 2003, he was traded to the Rochester Rattlers. Also, in September 2010 the St. Andrews School announced that Casey Powell has been hired as director of the lacrosse programs for the school. He played for Syracuse lacrosse. In 1995, he helped Syracuse win the 1995 NCAA National Championship. His two younger brothers also carried on the tradition as lacrosse players as well. - Billy Jolie, author of the novel, The Lust Garden
- Marcus MastinMarcus MastinMarcus J. Mastin is an American author, whose books include the thriller Don't Pay the Ferryman and its sequel Don't Fear the Reaper...
, American author; writer of the "Carthage Chronicles" mystery series. Marcus J. Mastin was born in 1975 in Carthage who now is an author whose books include the thriller Don't Pay the Ferryman. In 2005, Mastin also published a book of poetry called Weathering the Storm. In 2006, he contributed to the spring edition of the Black River review published by the Jefferson Community College, it included his poem Jekyll and Hyde. Also, in 2007 Mastin released his third novel in the "Carthage Chronicles" series titled "Revenge of the Reaper". He is the son of Tammy Sue and James Patrick Mastin. He and his family moved around several areas in Upstate New York until settling in Beaver Falls, NY in 1989. Finally he attended Jefferson Community College at various times throughout the 1990s and the 2000s earning three associate degrees before he left in 2003.
Geography
Carthage is located at 43°58′52"N 75°36′25"W (43.981118, -75.606849).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (6.34%) is water.
The village is located on the north side of the Black River
Black River (New York)
The Black River is a blackwater river that empties into the eastern end of Lake Ontario on the shore of Jefferson County, New York in the United States of America...
at the junction of Routes NY-3
New York State Route 3
New York State Route 3 is a major east–west state highway in New York, United States, that connects central New York to the North Country region near the Canadian border via Adirondack Park. The route extends for between its western terminus at an intersection with NY 104A in the Cayuga...
and NY-126
New York State Route 126
New York State Route 126 is a state highway in the North Country of New York in the United States. It proceeds in a roughly northwest to southeast direction between NY 12 at the eastern city line of Watertown in central Jefferson County and NY 812 in the village of Croghan in...
.
The village is south of the Fort Drum military reservation and is on the opposite side of the Black River from Village of West Carthage
West Carthage, New York
West Carthage is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 2,102 at the 2000 census.The Village of West Carthage is in the Town of Champion. The village is the east town line, and is east of Watertown...
.
Media
Champion Hill, located between Carthage and Watertown, is the birthplace of the majority of Watertown local TV stationsTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. It hosted the original facilities for WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV
WWNY-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Upstate New York's North Country region, licensed to Carthage. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter along State Street/NY 126 in Wilna's Carthage section. The station can also be seen on Time Warner...
(1954–1970) and later WPBS-TV
WPBS-TV
WPBS-DT and WNPI-DT are a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station serving northern New York. Originating in the Watertown/Potsdam region, its primary audience includes Kingston, Ottawa and most of eastern Ontario....
(as WNPE, 1971–1977). WWNY's city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
still officially names Carthage, even though WWNY's studios have now moved to downtown Watertown.
Demographics
At the 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 3,721 people, 1,417 households and 956 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,480.4 per square mile (572.4/km²). There were 1,626 housing units at an average density of 646.9 per square mile (250.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.32% White, 4.27% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 1,417 households of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.
Age distribution was 28.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $23,583, and the median family income was $32,083. Males had a median income of $31,397 versus $18,713 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $13,029. About 18.6% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.