Eastchester (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Eastchester is a town in Westchester County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 32,363 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Bronxville
and Tuckahoe
.
The Town of Eastchester is in the south part of the county.
. 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 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 (1,497,338.2 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.
: Mrs. Hutchinson was banished from New England
(1642) because of her religious beliefs. After her husband's death, she and her children moved to what is now Eastchester. In 1643 a band of marauding Indians massacred Mrs. Hutchinson and her family; all but one child were killed. Anne Hutchinson was one of the first advocates of religious freedom. One of the two elementary schools in Eastchester has been named after Anne Hutchinson.
Aaron Burr
: During the 1790s Westchester County held court at St. Paul's church. It was at St. Paul's that lawyer Burr tried a number of cases.
John Adams
: When President Adams was forced to leave Philadelphia (1797) due to a yellow fever
epidemic, the temporary White House was located in the home of his daughter who lived a short distance from St. Paul's church.
John Peter Zenger
: Editor of the New-York Weekly Journal in 1733, John Zenger printed an account of an election held at St. Paul's Church and was arrested and tried for seditious libel
. He was acquitted and thereby established the legal precedent for "freedom of the press
". This later was incorporated as a basic freedom in the Bill of Rights
.
Stephen Ward: Ward, a local patriot at the time of the Revolution, was Eastchester Town Supervisor. He was a member of the Provisional Congress in 1775 and a member of the New York Assembly in 1777. Later Ward became a county judge, state senator and a member of Congress.
Hotel Gramatan: built in 1905. Huge Spanish-style hotel built to replace an earlier inn, and to accommodate the large influx of artists and writers when the village became a hotbed of turn-of-the-century culture. The hotel was demolished in 1972.
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 district in the town of Eastchester. Constructed in the 1950s, the center contains high-end stores such as Lord & Taylor, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Children's Place, Starbucks, Brooks Brothers and American Eagle.
, the town has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.00%, is water.
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, 2.80% Black or African American
, 0.07% Native American, 6.85% 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 4.48% 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.
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, 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 32,363 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Bronxville
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
and Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York
Tuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486....
.
The Town of Eastchester is in the south part of the county.
History
The town that is now called Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from Fairfield, ConnecticutFairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
. Thomas Pell
Thomas Pell
Dates may not be entirely accurate in this article due to disagreements between sources.Thomas Pell was a physician who was famous for buying the area known as Pelham, Westchester, New York, as well as land that now includes the eastern Bronx and southern Westchester County. He founded the town...
, who at that time also owned the territory that is now New Rochelle
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
and Pelham
Pelham, New York
Pelham, New York is the name of two locations in Westchester County, New York:*Pelham , New York, the Town of Pelham*Pelham Manor , New York, the Village of Pelham Manor*Pelham , New York, the Village of Pelham...
, granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons'," where the home of Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
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 patent was granted by Governor Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls
Richard Nicolls was the first English colonial governor of New York province....
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
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The tract of land involved was known as "Long Reach" because of its odd geographical makeup. The sites included are the present Bronxville
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
, Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York
Tuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486....
, and a section of northwest Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
. 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
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Although no major battles were fought here, as the heart of the Neutral Ground
Neutral ground
Neutral Ground may refer to:* A No Man's Land* The 30-mile-wide stretch of land between the British troops occupying New York City during the American Revolution and American-held territory in northern Westchester County, New York;...
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 (1,497,338.2 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
Scarsdale, New York
Scarsdale is a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the northern suburbs of New York City. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several villages...
on the north, New Rochelle on the east, Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
on the west, and Mount Vernon on the south. The town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe.
Famous names
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
: Mrs. Hutchinson was banished from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
(1642) because of her religious beliefs. After her husband's death, she and her children moved to what is now Eastchester. In 1643 a band of marauding Indians massacred Mrs. Hutchinson and her family; all but one child were killed. Anne Hutchinson was one of the first advocates of religious freedom. One of the two elementary schools in Eastchester has been named after Anne Hutchinson.
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
: During the 1790s Westchester County held court at St. Paul's church. It was at St. Paul's that lawyer Burr tried a number of cases.
John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
: When President Adams was forced to leave Philadelphia (1797) due to a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic, the temporary White House was located in the home of his daughter who lived a short distance from St. Paul's church.
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger
John Peter Zenger was a German-American printer, publisher, editor, and journalist in New York City. He was a defendant in a landmark legal case in American jurisprudence that determined that truth was a defense against charges of libel and "laid the foundation for American press freedom."-...
: Editor of the New-York Weekly Journal in 1733, John Zenger printed an account of an election held at St. Paul's Church and was arrested and tried for seditious libel
Seditious libel
Seditious libel was a criminal offence under English common law. Sedition is the offence of speaking seditious words with seditious intent: if the statement is in writing or some other permanent form it is seditious libel...
. He was acquitted and thereby established the legal precedent for "freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
". This later was incorporated as a basic freedom in the Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
.
Stephen Ward: Ward, a local patriot at the time of the Revolution, was Eastchester Town Supervisor. He was a member of the Provisional Congress in 1775 and a member of the New York Assembly in 1777. Later Ward became a county judge, state senator and a member of Congress.
Famous places
Marble Schoolhouse: Built in 1835 of world renowned "Tuckahoe Marble," the one-room schoolhouse is located on California Road (Chester Heights area of Eastchester).Hotel Gramatan: built in 1905. Huge Spanish-style hotel built to replace an earlier inn, and to accommodate the large influx of artists and writers when the village became a hotbed of turn-of-the-century culture. The hotel was demolished in 1972.
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 district in the town of Eastchester. Constructed in the 1950s, the center contains high-end stores such as Lord & Taylor, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Children's Place, Starbucks, Brooks Brothers and American Eagle.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 town has a total area of 5 square miles (12.9 km²), of which 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 2.00%, is water.
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 31,318 people, 12,626 households, and 8,408 families residing in the town. 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 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, 2.80% Black or African American
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...
, 0.07% Native American, 6.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.40% 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 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% 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
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, 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
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 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.
Communities in Eastchester
The Village of Bronxville Bronxville, New York Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323... :
| The Village of Tuckahoe Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York Tuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486.... :
Eastchester (CDP) unincorporated village within the Town:
|