Putnam Lake, New York
Encyclopedia
Putnam Lake is a hamlet
and census-designated place
located in the eastern part of the Town of Patterson
in Putnam County, New York
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,855. Putnam Lake is adjacent to the Connecticut
border, which is crossed by a number of local streets
. The community surrounds a lake, which is also called Putnam Lake.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (10.21%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,855 people, 1,314 households, and 984 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 997.0 per square mile (384.6/km²). There were 1,427 housing units at an average density of 369.1/sq mi (142.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.71% White, 2.91% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races
, and 2.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.93% of the population.
There were 1,314 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,695, and the median income for a family was $70,156. Males had a median income of $50,532 versus $31,694 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $24,114. About 1.7% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
, Putnam Lake was a small rural hamlet called Valleyville, consisting mainly of dairy farms. In the years leading into the Great Depression
, failing farms were bought by developers McGolrick Realty Co. in association with Warren and Arthur Smadbeck, to create a recreational community for New York City
citizens.
In 1930, the State Line Golf and Country Club in association with the Smadbecks' New York Daily Mirror Holding Co. bought five farms, totaling 1111 acres (4.5 km²) of land in Patterson
, encroaching New Fairfield. Morlock Brook was dammed, flooding the area of Valleyville, creating the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) lake.
The area around Putnam Lake was divided into 11,000 plots, each 20' by 100', which were to be occupied by summer cottages, general stores, restaurants, gas stations, dance pavilions, and taverns. The New York Daily Mirror
first published advertisements for the community in 1931, and 75 percent of the lots were sold in the first year. Some 2000 homes were built by 1932, which made Putnam Lake the most densely populated community in Patterson, if only for the summer. Some families made Putnam Lake their year-round residence, and a school house was constructed where the Veterans of Foreign Wars
building now stands on Fairfield Drive.
The Putnam Lake Property Owners Association, now known as the Putnam Lake Community Council, was formed in the 1930s, with Herbert M. Holton as its first president. The PLCC was, and still is, a volunteer organization which collected dues from families living in Putnam Lake. The PLCC once provided paved roads, electricity, and fire protection, as well as social and recreational activities for Putnam Lake families including the community swimming pool, clubhouse, and tennis court. The PLCC now owns and is responsible for the beaches, parks, Memorial Field, and the boat house.
In May 1952, Memorial Field, to bededicated to the Putnam Lake casualties of World War II
, was proposed to replace the swimming pool, which had not been used since the early 1930s because it was contaminated with seepage and infested with leech
es. Construction proceeded through the leadership of Henry Sherer, and in 1955, Edward Angerola, chairmen of the Memorial Field committee. Tiles were used to divert water running through the ground, and fill was brought in from the land surrounding the firehouse. Memorial Field's baseball diamond and field is used in the warmer months.
The original 20' by 100' lots typically were enough room for a summer home and seasonal outhouse, which eliminated the need for a septic or sewer system. Today, waste problems are of concern to the citizens of Putnam Lake.
Cell Tower
A 130' cell phone tower was proposed by the Putnam Lake Community Council for the revenue it would bring to the organization. The tower was to be built by Wireless Edge on the corner of Fairfield and Lake Shore Drive, at the southern tip of the lake. The proposed cell phone tower is the cause of much controversy in the community, in respect to its potential effects on aesthetics, citizen health, and property values. Objections were also raised by the community when it became known that the tower contract was signed before membership or community notice.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
and census-designated place
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...
located in the eastern part of the Town of Patterson
Patterson, New York
Patterson is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The town is in the northeast part of the county. Interstate 84 passes through the southwest part of the town. The population was 11,306 at the 2000 census. The town is named after early farmer Matthew Paterson...
in Putnam County, New York
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,855. Putnam Lake is adjacent to the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut 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...
border, which is crossed by a number of local streets
New Fairfield, Connecticut
New Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,881 at the 2010 census. The town is considered part of the greater New York Metropolitan Area and lies approximately from New York City...
. The community surrounds a lake, which is also called Putnam Lake.
Geography
Putnam Lake is located at 41°28′10"N 73°32′37"W (41.469378, -73.543671).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 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (10.21%) 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 3,855 people, 1,314 households, and 984 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 997.0 per square mile (384.6/km²). There were 1,427 housing units at an average density of 369.1/sq mi (142.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.71% White, 2.91% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.09% 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 2.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.93% of the population.
There were 1,314 households out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married
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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,695, and the median income for a family was $70,156. Males had a median income of $50,532 versus $31,694 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 $24,114. About 1.7% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Up until the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Putnam Lake was a small rural hamlet called Valleyville, consisting mainly of dairy farms. In the years leading into the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, failing farms were bought by developers McGolrick Realty Co. in association with Warren and Arthur Smadbeck, to create a recreational community for New York City
New York City
New 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...
citizens.
In 1930, the State Line Golf and Country Club in association with the Smadbecks' New York Daily Mirror Holding Co. bought five farms, totaling 1111 acres (4.5 km²) of land in Patterson
Patterson, New York
Patterson is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The town is in the northeast part of the county. Interstate 84 passes through the southwest part of the town. The population was 11,306 at the 2000 census. The town is named after early farmer Matthew Paterson...
, encroaching New Fairfield. Morlock Brook was dammed, flooding the area of Valleyville, creating the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) lake.
The area around Putnam Lake was divided into 11,000 plots, each 20' by 100', which were to be occupied by summer cottages, general stores, restaurants, gas stations, dance pavilions, and taverns. The New York Daily Mirror
New York Daily Mirror
The New York Daily Mirror was an American morning tabloid newspaper first published on June 24, 1924, in New York City by the William Randolph Hearst organization as a contrast to their mainstream broadsheets, the Evening Journal and New York American, later consolidated into the New York Journal...
first published advertisements for the community in 1931, and 75 percent of the lots were sold in the first year. Some 2000 homes were built by 1932, which made Putnam Lake the most densely populated community in Patterson, if only for the summer. Some families made Putnam Lake their year-round residence, and a school house was constructed where the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
building now stands on Fairfield Drive.
The Putnam Lake Property Owners Association, now known as the Putnam Lake Community Council, was formed in the 1930s, with Herbert M. Holton as its first president. The PLCC was, and still is, a volunteer organization which collected dues from families living in Putnam Lake. The PLCC once provided paved roads, electricity, and fire protection, as well as social and recreational activities for Putnam Lake families including the community swimming pool, clubhouse, and tennis court. The PLCC now owns and is responsible for the beaches, parks, Memorial Field, and the boat house.
In May 1952, Memorial Field, to bededicated to the Putnam Lake casualties of 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...
, was proposed to replace the swimming pool, which had not been used since the early 1930s because it was contaminated with seepage and infested with leech
Leech
Leeches are segmented worms that belong to the phylum Annelida and comprise the subclass Hirudinea. Like other oligochaetes such as earthworms, leeches share a clitellum and are hermaphrodites. Nevertheless, they differ from other oligochaetes in significant ways...
es. Construction proceeded through the leadership of Henry Sherer, and in 1955, Edward Angerola, chairmen of the Memorial Field committee. Tiles were used to divert water running through the ground, and fill was brought in from the land surrounding the firehouse. Memorial Field's baseball diamond and field is used in the warmer months.
Today
Waste ProblemsThe original 20' by 100' lots typically were enough room for a summer home and seasonal outhouse, which eliminated the need for a septic or sewer system. Today, waste problems are of concern to the citizens of Putnam Lake.
Cell Tower
A 130' cell phone tower was proposed by the Putnam Lake Community Council for the revenue it would bring to the organization. The tower was to be built by Wireless Edge on the corner of Fairfield and Lake Shore Drive, at the southern tip of the lake. The proposed cell phone tower is the cause of much controversy in the community, in respect to its potential effects on aesthetics, citizen health, and property values. Objections were also raised by the community when it became known that the tower contract was signed before membership or community notice.