Deer Park, New York
Encyclopedia
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.
History
Deer Park is a residential hamlet located in the pine barrens in the northwest corner of the town of BabylonBabylon (town), New York
The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on Long Island, the town population was 211,792 as of the 2000 census. There is also a Village of Babylon located within the town. It borders Nassau County to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the South...
. It grew out of Jacob Conklin's 1610 settlement of the Half Way Hollow Hills, later Wheatley Heights. Charles Wilson started what is now Deer Park in 1853 about eleven years after the Long Island Railroad arrived in 1842-when he established a large and productive farm. A post office was opened in 1851, closed in 1872 and re-opened on July 1, 1873. Deer Park had an elementary school in 1874. Prior to 1923, the Deer Park School District took in Deer Park and Wyandanch.
Farming was a staple of this small town for most of its history. Known as the "fruit basket" of New York State, the area is also famed for its dahlia
Dahlia
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, some like D. imperialis up to 10 metres tall. Dahlia hybrids are commonly grown as garden plants...
cultivation. It was not until the effects of the post-World War II boom reached Deer Park that its economy ceased to be agricultural.
Deer Park had two industries before 1940: the Walker and Conklin firm baked red bricks in West Deer Park (now Wheatley Heights), and the Golden Pickle Works (1902) prepared pickles in Deer Park. Deer Park was the locale of the Edgewood State Psychiatric Hospital (1938–1969)-originally a tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
sanatorium, and later an Army hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation established a factory in Deer Park in 1956.
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
, Sen. Jacob Javits, Sen. Robert Kennedy, singer Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
, actor Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
, and Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
. Comedian and nightclub owner Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
was born and raised in Deer Park.
Deer Park is reputed to have been the favorite summer spot of President John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
, his favorite vacation destination from 1835 until his death. However, this fact has never been verified. The John Quincy Adams Elementary School, opened in 1964, is said to be located on the actual Adams estate.
On October 22, 2008, the controversial $300 million dollar Tanger Outlets at the Arches opened. The 2009 recession has, for the time being, quelled the fears of excessive traffic on major Deer Park highways.
Geography
Deer Park is located at 40.760698°N 73.330072°W (40.760698, −73.330072).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 CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the 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...
of 2000, there were 28,316 people, 9,516 households, and 7,422 families residing in the CDP. 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 4,525.0 per square mile (1,746.5/km2). There were 9,698 housing units at an average density of 1,549.8/sq mi (598.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.5% White, 9.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.1% 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 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.6% of the population.
There were 9,516 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,254, and the median income for a family was $67,128 (these figures had risen to $72,173 and $87,500 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $47,266 versus $32,743 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 CDP was $24,196. About 3.3% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable organizations
- The Long Island Board of RabbisLong Island Board of RabbisThe Long Island Board of Rabbis is an organization of Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, and Reconstructionist rabbis on Long Island, New York. Its headquarters are located in Deer Park, New York.As of 1988, the Board represented nearly 300 rabbis...
, an organization of Conservative, OrthodoxOrthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, ReformReformReform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....
, and ReconstructionistReconstructionist JudaismReconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s on Long Island, has had its headquarters in Deer Park.
External links
- Babylon Beacon, local newspaper