Alexandria Bay, New York
Encyclopedia
Alexandria Bay is a village
in Jefferson County, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,080 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the Town of Alexandria
.
Keewaydin State Park
is southeast of the village.
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (51.63%) is water.
The village is located on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River.
New York State Route 12
and New York State Route 26
intersect in the village at the only stop light in the village.
Alexandria Bay is located in New York's Thousand Islands
region, which actually is composed of approximately 1,793 islands. To qualify as an "island," a piece of land must be at least one foot square, be completely out of the water for 365 days (366 days - leap year) and have at least one living tree growing on it. The Thousand Island region's population balloons to tens of thousands in the summer, when the region plays host to avid boaters, fishermen, and vacationers from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.
of 2000, there were 1,088 people, 482 households, and 270 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,473.9 people per square mile (567.7/km²). There were 624 housing units at an average density of 845.3 per square mile (325.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.08% White, 0.37% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, and 0.74% from two or more races.
There were 482 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the village the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,338, and the median income for a family was $36,979. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $21,429 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $16,875. About 11.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
Boldt Castle
is a 120 room mansion that is located near Alexandria Bay. The castle was designed by the firm of W. D. Hewitt and G.W. Hewitt, Architects, Philadelphia, Pa., who also designed Druim Moir castle in Philadelphia. Boldt Castle was built at the turn of the century by multi-millionaire George C. Boldt for his wife, Louise, as a testimony of his love for her. Mr. Boldt invested over $2.5 million to build this replica of a Rhineland castle. He planned on presenting it to his wife on Valentine's Day. Work was underway on the eleven buildings that would comprise the castle complex when in January 1904 Louise Boldt died, ending the dreams of a lifetime. George Boldt ordered that all work be stopped and for 73 years the Castle and the other structures on the island were left to the forces of nature. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property in 1977 and decided to preserve it for the enjoyment of future generations. Since then several million dollars have been spent rehabilitating and restoring the castle and surrounding structures. Ferries allow access to the castle, which is located on appropriately-named Heart Island, on an hourly schedule daily.
Every August, 10 days are devoted to "Bill Johnston's Pirate Days", a town-wide festival that features professional performers acting out pirate battles and a "siege" of the town by none-other than the "Pirate of the Thousand Islands," Bill Johnston (pirate)
, whom the festival is named after. It is encouraged that attendees dress in pirate attire, as do the actors who line the streets. The festival is celebrated as being not only fun and one of the most popular attractions of the Thousand Islands
during the summer, but is also educational, as many groups take advantage of the number of attendees by providing galleries, displays, and informative presentations of the weapons and ships used during the Golden Age of Piracy
.
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...
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,080 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the Town of Alexandria
Alexandria, New York
Alexandria is a town in Jefferson County, United States. New York, USA. The population was 4,061 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Alexander LeRay, the son of an early developer....
.
Keewaydin State Park
Keewaydin State Park
Keewaydin State Park is a state park in the Town of Alexandria in Jefferson County, New York in the United States of America. The park is located along the St...
is southeast of the village.
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 village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (51.63%) is water.
The village is located on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River.
New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12 is a state highway extending for through central and northern New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 11 in the town of Chenango in the Southern Tier. The northern terminus is at NY 37 near the village of...
and New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26
New York State Route 26 is a north–south state highway that runs for through Central New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is located at the Pennsylvania state line south of the town of Vestal in Broome County, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 267...
intersect in the village at the only stop light in the village.
Alexandria Bay is located in New York's Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...
region, which actually is composed of approximately 1,793 islands. To qualify as an "island," a piece of land must be at least one foot square, be completely out of the water for 365 days (366 days - leap year) and have at least one living tree growing on it. The Thousand Island region's population balloons to tens of thousands in the summer, when the region plays host to avid boaters, fishermen, and vacationers from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere.
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 1,088 people, 482 households, and 270 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 1,473.9 people per square mile (567.7/km²). There were 624 housing units at an average density of 845.3 per square mile (325.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.08% White, 0.37% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, and 0.74% from two or more races.
There were 482 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% 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 43.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the village the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,338, and the median income for a family was $36,979. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $21,429 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 $16,875. About 11.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
Local attractions
While Alexandria Bay has a relatively low population during the winter months and has no colleges, the late spring, summer, and early fall seasons bring an influx of vacationers and avid boaters that cause the population of the village to exceed 15,000. There are a variety of motels and hotels in the immediate village area. Boat tours are available of the bay and river area daily.Boldt Castle
Boldt Castle
Boldt Castle, located on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands of the Saint Lawrence River, along the northern border of New York State, is a major landmark and tourist attraction in its region.-History:...
is a 120 room mansion that is located near Alexandria Bay. The castle was designed by the firm of W. D. Hewitt and G.W. Hewitt, Architects, Philadelphia, Pa., who also designed Druim Moir castle in Philadelphia. Boldt Castle was built at the turn of the century by multi-millionaire George C. Boldt for his wife, Louise, as a testimony of his love for her. Mr. Boldt invested over $2.5 million to build this replica of a Rhineland castle. He planned on presenting it to his wife on Valentine's Day. Work was underway on the eleven buildings that would comprise the castle complex when in January 1904 Louise Boldt died, ending the dreams of a lifetime. George Boldt ordered that all work be stopped and for 73 years the Castle and the other structures on the island were left to the forces of nature. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property in 1977 and decided to preserve it for the enjoyment of future generations. Since then several million dollars have been spent rehabilitating and restoring the castle and surrounding structures. Ferries allow access to the castle, which is located on appropriately-named Heart Island, on an hourly schedule daily.
Every August, 10 days are devoted to "Bill Johnston's Pirate Days", a town-wide festival that features professional performers acting out pirate battles and a "siege" of the town by none-other than the "Pirate of the Thousand Islands," Bill Johnston (pirate)
Bill Johnston (pirate)
Pirate Bill Johnston was a Thousand Islands smuggler, river pirate, and War of 1812 American privateer. He so annoyed the British in the 19th-century Canadian colonies that they called out the army every time his name made the newspapers. He was the man the British most wanted to hang...
, whom the festival is named after. It is encouraged that attendees dress in pirate attire, as do the actors who line the streets. The festival is celebrated as being not only fun and one of the most popular attractions of the Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...
during the summer, but is also educational, as many groups take advantage of the number of attendees by providing galleries, displays, and informative presentations of the weapons and ships used during the Golden Age of Piracy
Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation given to one or more outbursts of piracy in maritime history of the early modern period. In its broadest accepted definition, the Golden Age of Piracy spans from the 1650s to the 1730s and covers three separate outbursts of piracy:the buccaneering...
.
Locals
The areas' residents' financial situations range greatly. There is a high rate of unemployment in the winter, with many people only working in the summer, claiming unemployment in the winter months. The poverty of the area is easily seen in the winter, when few of its wealthy summertime residents are about. While some live in houses that seem too dilapidated to be habitable, others live along the river in houses ranging in the millions. The town depends on the summer months and the tourist industry.External links
- Abay.com - Alexandria Bay Resource & News Site
- AlexBay.org - Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce
- Adventure Town - a wild west theme park located in Alexandria Bay, NY in the 1950s