Northumberland, New York
Encyclopedia
Northumberland is a town
in Saratoga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,603 at the 2000 census. The name comes from a location in Great Britain
.
The Town of Northumberland is at the county's east border and northeast of Saratoga Springs
.
natives, who had two villages in the town.
The town was formed in 1798 from the Town of Saratoga
. Later part of its territory was removed to form newer town; Hadley
(1801), Moreau
(1805), and Wilton
(1818).
The Champlain Canal
opened in 1832.
, the town has a total area of 32.9 square miles (85.2 km²), of which, 32.3 square miles (83.7 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.67%) is water.
The east town line is the border of Washington County
and is marked by the Hudson River
.
US Route 4 is a north-south highway by the Hudson River at the southeast corner of Northumberland. New York State Route 32
is a north-south highway that intersects New York State Route 50
at Gansevoort. US-4 and NY-32 are conjoined in Northumberland.
of 2000, there were 4,603 people, 1,593 households, and 1,264 families residing in the town. The population density
was 142.3 people per square mile (54.9/km²). There were 1,717 housing units at an average density of 53.1 per square mile (20.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09% White, 0.54% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.17% from other races
, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 1,593 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,559, and the median income for a family was $53,523. Males had a median income of $36,964 versus $28,185 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,104. About 4.8% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 2.1% 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 Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, 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 4,603 at the 2000 census. The name comes from a location in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The Town of Northumberland is at the county's east border and northeast of Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
.
History
The area was first settled around 1765. Previously, it was in the territory of MohicanMohican
-Native Americans:* Mahican , a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley* Mohegan, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century...
natives, who had two villages in the town.
The town was formed in 1798 from the Town of Saratoga
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
. Later part of its territory was removed to form newer town; Hadley
Hadley, New York
Hadley is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,971 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Hadley, Massachusetts.The Town of Hadley is in the northern part of the county and is west of Glens Falls....
(1801), Moreau
Moreau, New York
Moreau is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 13,826 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the northeast part of the county, north of Saratoga Springs. Moreau is named after Jean Victor Moreau, a French general, who visited the area just before the town was...
(1805), and Wilton
Wilton, New York
Wilton is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 12,511 at the 2000 census.The Town of Wilton is in the northeastern part of the county, northeast of Saratoga Springs, which it borders.-History:...
(1818).
The Champlain Canal
Champlain Canal
The Champlain Canal is a canal that connects the south end of Lake Champlain to the Hudson River in New York. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal and is now part of the New York State Canal System and the Lakes to Locks Passage....
opened in 1832.
Notable residents
- Herman MelvilleHerman MelvilleHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
, author, often visited his mother, Maria Gansevoort Melville, at her home in Northumberland. - Peter GansevoortPeter GansevoortPeter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville.-Early life:He was born...
commanded Fort StanwixFort StanwixFort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
when it was besieged during the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe 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...
.
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 32.9 square miles (85.2 km²), of which, 32.3 square miles (83.7 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.67%) is water.
The east town line is the border of Washington County
Washington County, New York
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
and is marked by the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
US Route 4 is a north-south highway by the Hudson River at the southeast corner of Northumberland. New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
is a north-south highway that intersects New York State Route 50
New York State Route 50
New York State Route 50 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in Scotia...
at Gansevoort. US-4 and NY-32 are conjoined in Northumberland.
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 4,603 people, 1,593 households, and 1,264 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 142.3 people per square mile (54.9/km²). There were 1,717 housing units at an average density of 53.1 per square mile (20.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09% White, 0.54% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.17% 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 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 1,593 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,559, and the median income for a family was $53,523. Males had a median income of $36,964 versus $28,185 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 $19,104. About 4.8% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Northumberland
- Bacon Hill – A hamlet northwest of Northumberland village. It is named after Ebenezer Bacon, an early settler, but was previously called "Fiddletown" and "Popes Corners."
- Callahans Corners – A hamlet south of Jewell Corner and located near the center of the town on NY-32.
- GansevoortGansevoort, New YorkGansevoort is a hamlet in the town of Northumberland in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The hamlet of Gansevoort draws its name from Peter Gansevoort, a hero in the Siege of Fort Stanwix which contributed to the downfall of Burgoyne's army at the Battle of Saratoga during the...
– A hamlet in the northern part of the town on NY-32. It is named after Peter GansevoortPeter GansevoortPeter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also the maternal grandfather of Moby-Dick author Herman Melville.-Early life:He was born...
. - Griffin Island – An island in the Hudson River in the northeast part of the town.
- Jewell Corner – A hamlet southeast of Gansevoort on NY-32.
- Northumberland – The hamlet of Northumberland is located at the junction of US-4 and NY-32 by the Hudson River.
- Starks Knob – A hamlet south of Northumberland village on US-4.
- Thompson Island – A island in the Hudson River south of Griffin Island.