Red House, New York
Encyclopedia
Red House is a town in Cattaraugus County
, New York
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 38, making it the least populous town in the state. The name comes from a small stream, Red House Creek.
The Town of Red House is on the south edge of Cattaraugus County. Red House is south of the City of Salamanca
.
The Town of Red House was formed in 1869 from part of the Town of Salamanca
. Local folklore
states that it was named for its famous landmark, the Red House, a Civil War-era domicile remarkable for its strange, dark crimson coloring and reputed by many locals to be haunted. It was initially occupied by the Frecks family, local landowners of some repute (for whom the hamlet of Frecks is named), whose extended family was torn apart by the ravages of the Civil War, both emotionally and through the loss of several members. As the story goes, when eldest son Johnny Frecks died in the Civil War, his widow began an affair with the next-eldest, James (a relationship said to have been carried on while Johnny was fighting in the war). Exiled by the family for their relationship, the lovers killed themselves, and their ghosts are said to haunt the house. Family patriarch Jonathan Frecks II died shortly after of mysterious causes, after which the family donated a great deal of money to the town and promptly moved to another residence out of the area. Several attempts have been made to inhabit the Red House, but no one has stayed there for any serious length of time.
Harvesting trees for lumber and other products was a major early industry.
The reason that Red House is so sparsely populated is due to the fact that the vast majority of the town's land was used for the creation of Allegany State Park
, which has no permanent population. A small northwest corner remains outside the park's bounds, about half of which is on the Allegany Reservation. Red House can be described as a ghost town
.
, the town has a total area of 55.9 square miles (144.8 km²), of which, 55.7 square miles (144.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
The south town line is the border of Pennsylvania
, and the east town line borders/includes the Allegany Reservation, defined by the Allegheny River
.
Interstate 86
and New York State Route 280
pass through the town.
)
of 2000, there were 38 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the town. The population density
was 0.7 people per square mile (0.3/km²). There were 25 housing units at an average density of 0.4 per square mile (0.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, and 2.63% Native American.
There were 14 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.4% were married couples
living together, and 28.6% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $70,417, and the median income for a family was $71,667. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $36,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,693. There were no families and 4.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, 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...
. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 38, making it the least populous town in the state. The name comes from a small stream, Red House Creek.
The Town of Red House is on the south edge of Cattaraugus County. Red House is south of the City of Salamanca
Salamanca (city), New York
Salamanca is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States, located inside the Allegany Indian Reservation. The population was 6,097 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
History
The town was first settled by outsiders after 1827.The Town of Red House was formed in 1869 from part of the Town of Salamanca
Salamanca (town), New York
Salamanca is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The name is from a major investor in a local railroad....
. Local folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
states that it was named for its famous landmark, the Red House, a Civil War-era domicile remarkable for its strange, dark crimson coloring and reputed by many locals to be haunted. It was initially occupied by the Frecks family, local landowners of some repute (for whom the hamlet of Frecks is named), whose extended family was torn apart by the ravages of the Civil War, both emotionally and through the loss of several members. As the story goes, when eldest son Johnny Frecks died in the Civil War, his widow began an affair with the next-eldest, James (a relationship said to have been carried on while Johnny was fighting in the war). Exiled by the family for their relationship, the lovers killed themselves, and their ghosts are said to haunt the house. Family patriarch Jonathan Frecks II died shortly after of mysterious causes, after which the family donated a great deal of money to the town and promptly moved to another residence out of the area. Several attempts have been made to inhabit the Red House, but no one has stayed there for any serious length of time.
Harvesting trees for lumber and other products was a major early industry.
The reason that Red House is so sparsely populated is due to the fact that the vast majority of the town's land was used for the creation of Allegany State Park
Allegany State Park
Allegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.The Red...
, which has no permanent population. A small northwest corner remains outside the park's bounds, about half of which is on the Allegany Reservation. Red House can be described as a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
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 55.9 square miles (144.8 km²), of which, 55.7 square miles (144.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.30%) is water.
The south town line is the border of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and the east town line borders/includes the Allegany Reservation, defined by the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
.
Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
and New York State Route 280
New York State Route 280
New York State Route 280 is a long north–south state highway in rural Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Pennsylvania state line in South Valley, where it becomes Pennsylvania Route 346...
pass through the town.
Adjacent towns and areas
(ClockwiseClockwise
Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
)
- SalamancaSalamanca (town), New YorkSalamanca is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 544 at the 2000 census. The name is from a major investor in a local railroad....
- Great ValleyGreat Valley, New YorkGreat Valley is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2000 census. The town is named after its local geographical setting, a relative comparison of two tributaries of the Allegheny River.The Town of Great Valley is centrally located in the...
; CarrolltonCarrollton, New YorkCarrollton is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. The name comes from an early settler.The Town of Carrollton is on the south border of Cattaraugus County...
- Corydon Township, McKean CountyMcKean County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
; Foster TownshipFoster Township, McKean County, PennsylvaniaFoster Township is a township in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,566 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, McKean County, Pennsylvania
- ColdspringColdspring, New YorkColdspring is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the county, west of the City of Salamanca.- History :The first settler arrived around 1818....
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 38 people, 14 households, and 9 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 0.7 people per square mile (0.3/km²). There were 25 housing units at an average density of 0.4 per square mile (0.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, and 2.63% Native American.
There were 14 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.4% 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, and 28.6% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $70,417, and the median income for a family was $71,667. Males had a median income of $36,563 versus $36,250 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 $18,693. There were no families and 4.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Communities and locations in Red House
- Allegany Reservation – A Seneca reservation.
- Allegany State ParkAllegany State ParkAllegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.The Red...
– Much of the town is within the park. - Frecks – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
- Red House – A hamlet in the western part of the town near the Allegheny River.
- Red House Creek – The site of the first settlement. The name comes from a red-painted house that stood on the bank of the Allegany River.