Stillwater (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Stillwater is a town in Saratoga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 7,522 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village called Stillwater
. The town is at the eastern border of the county, southeast of Saratoga Springs
and borders both Rensselaer
and Washington
counties.
and Mohican
natives when the colonial period began.
In 1709, Peter Schuyler built Fort Ingoldsby in town because of its location on the frontier of the French and Indian Wars
. A replica of Schuyler's fort currently serves as the Stillwater Blockhouse Museum.
Settlers began arriving after 1730.
During the American Revolution
, residents participated in the war, and part of the Battle of Saratoga
was fought in the town so that the town now refers to itself as the turning point of the American Revolution.
Stillwater was established as a town in 1791, when Saratoga County was formed. In 1816, the hamlet of Stillwater incorporated as a village. In 1859, Mechanicville
became the town's second village.
The Stillwater Free Library was established in 1949 by Barbara Alexik and Elizabeth Beiter in the building formerly home to the St.John's Episcopal Church.
, the town has a total area of 43.6 square miles (112.8 km²), of which, 41.4 square miles (107.1 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (5.07%) is water.
The east town line is the border of Rensselaer County
and Washington County
, marked by the Hudson River
.
US Route 4, partly conjoined with New York State Route 32
follows the Hudson River through the town. New York State Route 423
is an east-west highway in the northern part of Stillwater. New York State Route 9P
is a north-south highway in the northwestern part of the town by Saratoga Lake. New York State Route 67
runs along the south town line.
of 2000, there were 7,522 people, 2,786 households, and 2,109 families residing in the town. The population density
was 181.9 people per square mile (70.2/km²). There were 3,054 housing units at an average density of 73.8 per square mile (28.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21% White, 0.41% Black or African American
, 0.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 2,786 households out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,579, and the median income for a family was $53,023. Males had a median income of $37,428 versus $27,257 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,291. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
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 7,522 at the 2000 census. The town contains a village called Stillwater
Stillwater (village), New York
Stillwater is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,644 at the 2000 census.The Village of Stillwater is in the southeast part of the Town of Stillwater, north of the City of Mechanicville.- History :...
. The town is at the eastern border of the county, southeast 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, ...
and borders both Rensselaer
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...
and Washington
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...
counties.
History
The area was occupied by IroquoisIroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
and Mohican
Mohican
-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 when the colonial period began.
In 1709, Peter Schuyler built Fort Ingoldsby in town because of its location on the frontier of the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
. A replica of Schuyler's fort currently serves as the Stillwater Blockhouse Museum.
Settlers began arriving after 1730.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The 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...
, residents participated in the war, and part of the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
was fought in the town so that the town now refers to itself as the turning point of the American Revolution.
Stillwater was established as a town in 1791, when Saratoga County was formed. In 1816, the hamlet of Stillwater incorporated as a village. In 1859, Mechanicville
Mechanicville, New York
Mechanicville is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population is 5,196 as of the 2010 census. It is the smallest city by area in the state. The name is derived from the occupations of early residents....
became the town's second village.
The Stillwater Free Library was established in 1949 by Barbara Alexik and Elizabeth Beiter in the building formerly home to the St.John's Episcopal Church.
Residents of note
- Abigail FillmoreAbigail FillmoreAbigail Powers Fillmore , wife of Millard Fillmore, was First Lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853.Abigail was born in Stillwater, New York, 1798, in Saratoga County, New York. She was the daughter of the Reverend Lemuel Powers, a Baptist minister, and Abigail Newland-Powers, Abigail grew...
, wife of President Millard FillmoreMillard FillmoreMillard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
, was born in Stillwater.
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 43.6 square miles (112.8 km²), of which, 41.4 square miles (107.1 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (5.07%) is water.
The east 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...
and 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...
, 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, partly conjoined with 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,...
follows the Hudson River through the town. New York State Route 423
New York State Route 423
New York State Route 423 is a state highway in Saratoga County, New York, United States that serves as a connector between Saratoga Lake and the Saratoga National Historical Park.-Route description:...
is an east-west highway in the northern part of Stillwater. New York State Route 9P
New York State Route 9P
New York State Route 9P is a state highway in central Saratoga County, New York, United States. It is an alternate route off U.S. Route 9 between Malta and Saratoga Springs that connects US 9 to the eastern shore of Saratoga Lake. NY 9P meets NY 423 in the town of...
is a north-south highway in the northwestern part of the town by Saratoga Lake. New York State Route 67
New York State Route 67
New York State Route 67 is an east–west state highway in eastern New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 5 in the town of St. Johnsville...
runs along the south town line.
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 7,522 people, 2,786 households, and 2,109 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 181.9 people per square mile (70.2/km²). There were 3,054 housing units at an average density of 73.8 per square mile (28.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21% White, 0.41% Black or African American
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...
, 0.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% 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 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 2,786 households out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,579, and the median income for a family was $53,023. Males had a median income of $37,428 versus $27,257 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 $19,291. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Stillwater
- Bemis Heights – A hamlet by the Hudson River, north of Stillwater village on US-4.
- Brown's Beach – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town, by the south end of Saratoga Lake on NY-9P.
- East Saratoga Junction – A location in the south part of the town.
- Ketchums Corners – A historic location in the northwest part of the town, near Saratoga Lake.
- Saratoga National Historical ParkSaratoga National Historical ParkSaratoga National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in eastern New York State forty miles north of Albany, New York.-Description:...
- A historic park in the northeast part of the town. - Snake Hill – A hamlet in the northern part of the town near Saratoga Lake on NY-9P.
- StillwaterStillwater (village), New YorkStillwater is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,644 at the 2000 census.The Village of Stillwater is in the southeast part of the Town of Stillwater, north of the City of Mechanicville.- History :...
– A village located by the Hudson River and US-4. - Stillwater Junction – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town on County Road 75.
- Wayville – A hamlet by the north town line on County Road 70.
- Willow Glen – A hamlet by the south town line on NY-67.