New Lebanon, New York
Encyclopedia
New Lebanon is a town
in Columbia County
, New York
, U.S.
, 24 miles (38.6 km) southeast of Albany
. In 1910, 1,378 people lived in New Lebanon, New York. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census.
The town of New Lebanon is in the northeast part of Columbia County. US 20
crosses the town.
in 1818.
New Lebanon was the main spiritual home of the Shakers. The Mount Lebanon Shaker Society
had 609 members in 1864. The most historic structures now belong to the Shaker Museum and Library. Some of the other surviving buildings are home to the Darrow School
. Still others have been converted into a Sufi retreat center called the Abode of the Message. The latter is the former residence of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, and is now the home of the current Pir of the Sufi Order International
, Zia Inayat Khan
.
, the town has a total area of 36 square miles (93.2 km²), of which 35.9 square miles (93 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.22%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Rensselaer County
, New York
, and the east town line is the border of Berkshire County
, Massachusetts
.
of 2000, there were 2,454 people, 983 households, and 651 families residing in the town. The population density
was 68.4 people per square mile (26.4/km²). There were 1,201 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.52% White, 1.26% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 1.10% of the population.
There were 983 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples
living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,805, and the median income for a family was $50,417. Males had a median income of $34,524 versus $30,590 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,529. About 6.8% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Columbia County
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
, 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...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 24 miles (38.6 km) southeast of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. In 1910, 1,378 people lived in New Lebanon, New York. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census.
The town of New Lebanon is in the northeast part of Columbia County. US 20
U.S. Route 20 in New York
U.S. Route 20 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains. US 20 is the longest...
crosses the town.
History
New Lebanon was formed from the town of CanaanCanaan, New York
Canaan is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,820 at the 2000 census.The Town of Canaan is in the northeast part of the county.- History :The first settlers arrived around 1759....
in 1818.
New Lebanon was the main spiritual home of the Shakers. The Mount Lebanon Shaker Society
Mount Lebanon Shaker Society
Mount Lebanon Shaker Society, also known as New Lebanon Shaker Society, was a communal settlement of Shakers in New Lebanon, New York. The early Shaker Ministry, including Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright, the architects of Shakers' gender-balanced government, lived there.Isaac N. Youngs, the...
had 609 members in 1864. The most historic structures now belong to the Shaker Museum and Library. Some of the other surviving buildings are home to the Darrow School
Darrow School
Darrow School is an Independent co-educational high school. Its New Lebanon campus is a property in the Berkshire Hills, which are a southern extension of the Green Mountains of Vermont.-History:...
. Still others have been converted into a Sufi retreat center called the Abode of the Message. The latter is the former residence of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, and is now the home of the current Pir of the Sufi Order International
Sufi Order International
The Sufi Order International is an organization dedicated to "Universal Sufism" as elaborated by Hazrat Inayat Khan.The order is currently led by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, the grandson of Hazrat Inayat Khan and son of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan....
, Zia Inayat Khan
Zia Inayat Khan
Zia Inayat Khan is the Pir or spiritual leader of the Sufi Order International, a universalist Sufi order, and the founder of the Suluk Academy, Elixir Magazine, and the Seven Pillars Review, an on-line journal that seeks to cultivate awareness of the unity of existence and the qualities of heart...
.
Past residents of note
- Samuel Jones Tilden, New York politician and U. S. Presidential candidate in 1876. (Tilden won the popular vote but was defeated by Hayes in the electoral college)
- George Henry WilliamsGeorge Henry WilliamsGeorge Henry Williams was an American judge and politician. He served as Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was the 32nd Attorney General of the United States, and served one term in the United States Senate...
, attorney and judge
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 36 square miles (93.2 km²), of which 35.9 square miles (93 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.22%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, 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...
, and the east town line is the border of Berkshire County
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
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 2,454 people, 983 households, and 651 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 68.4 people per square mile (26.4/km²). There were 1,201 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.52% White, 1.26% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.41% 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 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 1.10% of the population.
There were 983 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,805, and the median income for a family was $50,417. Males had a median income of $34,524 versus $30,590 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 $20,529. About 6.8% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in New Lebanon
- Lebanon Springs – A hamletHamlet (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...
northeast of New Lebanon village on Route 22. - New Britain – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town.
- New Lebanon – The hamlet of New Lebanon.
- New Lebanon Center – A hamlet northwest of New Lebanon village.
- West Lebanon – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on Route 20.
- Darrow SchoolDarrow SchoolDarrow School is an Independent co-educational high school. Its New Lebanon campus is a property in the Berkshire Hills, which are a southern extension of the Green Mountains of Vermont.-History:...
– formerly a boys' prep school, now a school specializing in educating unique high school students from various parts of the world - The Abode of the MessageThe Abode of the MessageThe Abode of the Message is a Universal Sufi community founded in 1975 by Vilayat Inayat Khan. The Abode is the central residential community of the Sufi Order International, a conference and retreat center, and a center of esoteric study. It is also home to the current spiritual leader of the Sufi...
– A residential spiritual community, conference center and school of esoteric study