Elmsford is a village in
Westchester CountyWestchester 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 YorkNew 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Roughly one mile square, the village is fully contained within the borders of the town of
GreenburghGreenburgh is a town in the western part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 88,400 at the 2010 census. Paul J. Feiner has been the Town Supervisor since 1991.-History:...
. As of the 2010 census, the population of Elmsford was 4,664.
Geography
Elmsford is located at 41°3′14"N 73°48′57"W (41.053963, -73.815711) According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Features
Elmsford's road system connects to numerous major highways and thoroughfares, including
Interstate 287Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...
, the
Saw Mill River ParkwayThe Saw Mill River Parkway is a north–south parkway that extends for through Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins at the border between Westchester County and the Bronx, where it continues into New York City as the Henry Hudson Parkway, and heads generally...
, and
Route 9ANew York State Route 9A is a state highway in the vicinity of New York City, New York, United States. Its southern terminus is at the northern end of the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel in New York City, where it intersects with both Interstate 478 and FDR Drive. The northern terminus of...
; the
North County TrailwayThe North County Trailway is a paved bicycle and pedestrian path located primarily on right-of-way lands of the former Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad. The Trailway runs , from the Putnam County border down to the Eastview section of southern Greenburgh, where it nears the South...
and
South County TrailwayThe South County Trailway is a long trail stretching from Van Cortlandt Park in The Bronx to Elmsford, New York. Construction started in the 1990s and was completed in 2011.- Bronx and Yonkers :...
bicycle paths terminate there. Convenient to
White PlainsWhite Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
,
YonkersYonkers 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...
,
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, the village is a significant center of commercial traffic and distribution. It is home to the large Local 456 of the
TeamstersThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
union.
The village's public schools are run by the Elmsford Board of Education and include Dixon Primary, Alice E. Grady Elementary and Alexander Hamilton Junior/Senior High School. The village is also home to the private Roman Catholic elementary school Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is affiliated with the Catholic parish of the same name and which was established in 1929.
Dedicated in 1996, Carol Nichols Park has facilities for baseball, softball, basketball and tennis as well as a "kiddie park" for small children. It has been praised as one of the safest parks in Westchester County.
History
Elmsford was largely farmland throughout its early history. The construction of railroads in the late 19th century brought new prominence to the area, and in 1910 it was incorporated as a village.
The area was known from colonial times as "Storm's Bridge" and later, "Hall's Corners", names derived from the principal landowners of the times. In 1870, the growing village was officially renamed "Elmsford" in honor of a local landmark, a giant
elmElms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
tree (since deceased). The names Elmsford and Storm's Bridge are reminders of the nearby
Saw Mill RiverThe Saw Mill River is a 20 mile long tributary of the Hudson River in the United States, flowing from a marsh in Chappaqua to Yonkers, New York, where it empties into the Hudson. Its starting point in Chappaqua is presumed to be a spring. In the 17th century, the Saw Mill River was known as...
, which once had significant tributaries flowing through the village.
Revolutionary WarThe 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...
hero
Isaac Van WartIsaac Van Wart was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André.- Personal history :...
is buried at the colonial-era cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church (Rte. 9A). In 1780, Van Wart and fellow militiamen
John PauldingJohn Paulding was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André.-Revolutionary History:...
and
David WilliamsDavid Williams was a militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he participated in the capture of Major John André.Williams should not be confused with, and is not related to, David Williams of Massachusetts, a participant in the Boston Tea...
captured the British spy Major
John AndréJohn André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
, a crucial informant to
Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
. The village still has streets named for each of the three patriots.
A longstanding legend holds that Elmsford is the birthplace of the term "
cocktailA cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
". According to the tale, a local colonial tavern (sometimes said to be established by town father Isaac Storm) had run out of wooden stirrers during the war and started using the quills of
roosterA rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
s' tailfeathers to stir their drinks; a more embellished version holds that the roosters were plundered from nearby
ToryLoyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
farmers.
Demographics
As of the
censusA 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 2009, there were 4,769 people, 1,674 households, and 1,156 families residing in the village. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,266.7 people per square mile (1,641.3/km²). There were 1,738 housing units at an average density of 1,585.9 per square mile (610.0/km²).
There were 1,674 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.28.
The village population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.
The racial makeup of the village was 55.80% White, 20.30% African American, 0.75% Native American, 9.07% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 8.28% from other races, and 5.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.29% of the population.
The median income for a household in the village was $61,685, and the median income for a family was $71,630. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $38,583 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 $28,791. About 6.7% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Popular culture
- A scene in the movie Freedomland
Freedomland is a 2006 American crime drama-mystery film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore. Richard Price adapted his own novel, which touches on themes of covert racism. Joe Roth directed the film.-Plot:...
(2006) was shot at the Red Fox Diner on Rte. 9A in Elmsford.
- A scene in the movie 8mm
8mm is a 1999 mystery/thriller film, directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It stars Nicolas Cage as a private investigator who delves into the world of snuff films.-Plot:...
(1999) was shot outside the Elmsford Motel on Rte. 119New York State Route 119 is an east–west state highway in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. The road starts in Tarrytown at an intersection with U.S. Route 9 and comes to an end at a junction with NY 22 in White Plains...
.
External links