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Warren County, New York

Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,737. The county seat is Queensbury. The county was established in 1813 and is named in honor of General Joseph Warren, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The county is part of the Capital District region of the state.

History
When counties were established in the Province of New York in 1683, the present Warren County was part of Albany County. The county was enormous, covering the northern part of New York State, all of the present State of Vermont, and, in theory, extended westward to the Pacific Ocean. It was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation of Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont. On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces, Charlotte County (named for the British queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz), contained the eastern portion.

In 1778, the name Charlotte County was changed to Washington County to honor George Washington, the American Revolutionary War general and later President of the United States of America.

In 1788, Washington County was reduced in size by the splitting-off of Clinton County. This was a much larger area than the present Clinton County, including several other counties or county parts of the present New York State. Washington County was slightly enlarged by the transfer of the Town of Cambridge from Albany County to Washington County in 1791.

In 1813, Warren County was split off from Washington County, receiving its name in honor of General Joseph Warren. County officials first met in the Lake George Coffee House in the hamlet of Caldwell (known today as Lake George Village). James Caldwell, a patenee of the Town of Caldwell, donated land within the hamlet to serve as the county seat beginning in 1819.

Lake George is the site of a YMCA conference center, the Silver Bay YMCA, founded in 1900 and one of only a few of its type in the United States. The Silver Bay Inn was built in 1904 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1963, the courthouse in Lake George village was closed and operations moved several miles south to its present-day location at the Warren County Municipal Center main campus in Queensbury.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 932 sqmi, of which 867 sqmi is land and 65 sqmi (6.9%) is water.

Warren County is situated in the eastern portion of New York State in the Adirondack Mountains. The eastern border is Washington County. The highest peak in the county is Gore Mountain at an elevation of 3198 ft. It is typically included as the northern part of the Capital District although it is sometimes included as part of the North Country.

Adjacent counties

 * Essex County - north
 * Washington County - east
 * Saratoga County - south
 * Hamilton County - west

Climate
The climate of Warren County is humid continental, as is most of New York State. In the winter, bouts of cold, dry air arrive from Canada, and interior sections of North America. In the summer, the Gulf Stream can bring days of hot, moist, humid air to the county. Extratropical storms often affect the county; in the winter, Nor'easters bring heavy snow and rain, and sometimes high wind. Fall and spring are generally relatively mild and pleasant, with fall foliage regarded as some of the most stunning in the country. In the summer and fall, back door cold fronts move in from the north and bring thunderstorms, sometimes severe.

Government and politics

 * }

Warren County has been heavily supportive of Republican candidates since the Civil War. Both of Warren County's representatives in the state legislature, Elizabeth O'C. Little in the Senate and Teresa Sayward in the Assembly are Republicans. Currently Republicans constitute 51% of registered voters in Warren County, while Democrats account for 23%.

Democrats have been steadily making inroads in recent years; Senator Charles Schumer won the county by 56% in his re-election bid in 2004, and the Democrats recently gained a majority on the Glens Falls City Council. John Hall, a Democrat, picked up the county judgeship position in 2003. In 2006 Republican John E. Sweeney was unseated in the district by Kirsten Gillibrand as Member of Congress. In 2009 Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand was selected by Governor David Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton as New York's junior Senator. Democrat Scott Murphy was elected to replace Gillibrand in a special election for the NY 20th congressional district.

In the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama narrowly carried Warren County over John McCain, with Obama receiving 16,281 votes countywide to McCain's total of 15,424 votes. This was only the second time since 1964 that Warren County had voted for the Democratic nominee, the other being 1996, when Bill Clinton won with a plurality. In 2012, Obama won again by a similar margin over Republican nominee Mitt Romney. In 2016, Donald Trump flipped the county back to the Republicans, with an 8.5 percent margin of victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In 2020, Warren County voted for Trump again by a very narrow margin of just 57 votes, despite moving 8 points towards the Democratic ticket of former Vice President Joe Biden and junior California senator Kamala Harris. Warren is one of six New York counties that Trump won by less than 500 votes.

Warren County has 20 county supervisors, which represent 11 of the county's towns and the City of Glens Falls:
 * Bolton: Ronald F. Conover
 * Chester: Craig R. Leggett
 * Glens Falls
 * Ward 1: Jack Diamond
 * Ward 2: Peter V. McDevitt
 * Ward 3: Claudia Knudsen Braymer
 * Ward 4: Daniel Bruno
 * Ward 5: Bennett F. Driscoll Jr.
 * Hague: Edna A. Frasier
 * Horicon: Matthew Simpson
 * Johnsburg: Andrea Hogan
 * Lake George: Dennis L. Dickinson
 * Lake Luzerne: Eugene J. Merlino
 * Queensbury
 * County:
 * Michael Wild
 * Douglas Beaty
 * Brad Magowan
 * Rachel Seeber
 * Town: John Strough
 * Stony Creek: Frank E. Thomas
 * Thurman: Susan Shepler
 * Warrensburg: Kevin Geraghty

The board of supervisors control weighted votes for county matters, based on the population of the towns they represent, with the Queensbury Town Supervisor and county supervisors having the largest number of votes on the board.

The current Warren County sheriff is James LaFarr. The sheriff's office is structured around three divisions; Administrative Services, Law Enforcement and Correction. The Law Enforcement Division includes both Investigative Services, Patrol Services and the Communications Center. Patrol Services have specialized units that operate under the control of the Division Commander. The sheriff's office provides boat patrols on Lake George and Schroon Lake.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 63,303 people, 25,726 households, and 17,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 73 PD/sqmi. There were 34,852 housing units at an average density of 40 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.48% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population. 17.9% were of Irish, 12.7% English, 11.4% Italian, 11.1% French, 10.6% German and 9.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.3% spoke English, 1.4% Spanish and 1.0% French as their first language.

There were 25,726 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.90% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,198, and the median income for a family was $46,793. Males had a median income of $32,922 versus $22,279 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,727. About 7.20% of families and 9.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Throughout the county, annual retail sales totals up to $1,010,937,000. General merchandise sales is $101,762,000. Apparel store's annual sales are $98,221,000 while annual food sales is $162,890,000. Health and drug store sales total up to $44,841,000.

The county contains the highest concentrated area of medical manufacturers in New York state, with many medical inventions originating in the county. Norman Jekyll and David Sheridan introduced the medical device industry to the Glens Falls area. In the 1940s, they produced products that were from materials supplied by war-torn Europe. One of the primary manufacturers is AngioDynamics Inc., which is located in Queensbury, and is a producer of medical devices used in minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to treat peripheral vascular disease. Another major manufacturer of medical devices is Boston Scientific Corp., which is located in Glens Falls.

Education
In Warren County, there are 16 public elementary schools, with the largest being the Queensbury Elementary School, serving 1,150 students and the smallest being the Abraham Wing School, serving 146 students. There are nine middle schools, with the largest being Queensbury Middle School, serving 945 students and the smallest being the Bolton Central School, serving 285 students. There are also 11 high schools, with the largest being the Queensbury Senior High School, serving 1,301 students, and the smallest being the Bolton Central School, serving 285 students. In addition, there is one major private secondary school: the St. Mary's - St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School, which is located in Glens Falls.

SUNY Adirondack is the site of post-secondary education in Warren County. Located in Queensbury, the college provides an extensive program of degrees and certificate programs. SUNY Plattsburgh, based in Clinton County, offers bachelor and master-degree programs at the SUNY Adirondack campus.

Healthcare
The primary healthcare center in Warren County is the Glens Falls Hospital, which is located in Glens Falls. Providing 410 beds, its most common procedure is miscellaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Bus
Regular bus service from Queensbury to Glens Falls is provided by CDTA. These also include trolleys that run on the road. The trolleys go from Bolton Landing (four times a day) and usually turn around just north of Hearthstone Point Campground on Route 9N.

Roads
There are several state and county maintained roads in Warren County, making up a total of 464.7 mi of roadway. The only U.S. Route is U.S. Route 9, which traverses the eastern portion of the county. The only interstate is Interstate 87, also known as the Adirondack Northway.

South of Lake George Village

Only New York State Route 9N traverses the Lake Luzerne region of Warren County. There are two state-maintained routes in Glens Falls: Route 9L, which terminates in the city, while the second is New York State Route 32, which leaves Warren for Washington County, where it terminates at New York State Route 196. Also, on the eastern side of the city, there is County Route 79 (Boulevard), a former alignment of NY 32. There is New York State Route 149, a 32 mi long road that traverses Warren and nearby Washington counties. There is also New York State Route 254, a 6 mi road in southern part of the town and enters Washington County as well. The third and final state maintained route is New York State Route 9L, which traverses down the central portion of the town. Several county routes traverse through Stony Creek. These include County Route 3, County Route 12, County Route 22, and County Route 76.

Lake George Village
There are several major routes in the town and village of Lake George. There is New York State Route 9N, which traverses north to south through the county. There is also County Routes 6 (Fort George Boulevard) and 59 (Bloody Pond Road). The latter is a continuation of New York State Route 9L and heads to terminate in Queensbury. In this town includes New York State Route 912Q, which is the Exit 22 connector/park & ride on the Northway.

North of Lake George Village
Although the region for Bolton and Bolton Landing is large, there is only one state-maintained route, Route 9N, and there is County Route 11 (Bolton-Riverbank Road), which is a connector to Exit 24 on the Northway. Only two county or higher-level maintained roads traverse the hamlet of Diamond Point, Route 9N and County Route 35 (Diamond Point Road), which connects 9N to the Northway (Exit 23) and U.S. Route 9 in Warrensburg. New York State Route 8 enters the county at Johnsburg, entering into the Town of Chester, where it merges with U.S. Route 9 for almost four miles, splitting off at the Landon Hill/Route 8/Route 9 intersection. New York State Route 8 terminates at an intersection with New York State Route 9N in the center of Hague. There are several state-maintained and county-maintained roads in the Warrensburg area. These include the termini of both New York State Route 28 and New York State Route 418 at US 9. There are also a few county routes, including County Route 4 in Athol and County Route 10 (Horicon Road) in Warrensburg. Route 10 continues eastward, terminating in Bolton Landing.

Trains
The Fort Edward Amtrak station is located 6 mi southeast of Glens Falls. Amtrak serves the station via its Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express daily routes, which allow easy access to Montréal, Albany, New York City, and Rutland, Vermont, among many other towns and cities.

The Whitehall Amtrak station is located 23 mi northeast of Glens Falls and is serviced by the Adirondack route.

Airport
Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport (FAA: GFL) is a county-owned, public-use airport located 3 nautical miles (6 km) northeast of Glens Falls, in the Town of Queensbury.

Arts and culture
Warren County is home to several music centers, including the Luzerne Music Center, which is a summer camp focused on teaching music, in the foothills of the Adirondacks. In July, it holds an annual Chamber Music Festival which is open for public viewing. The Upper Hudson Musical Arts is also a popular attraction, bringing concerts by professional chamber music ensembles and soloists to the Adirondacks throughout the year. Concerts are held at the Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek. In addition, the Charles R. Wood Theater home to Adirondack Theatre Festival is a year-round professional theater in Glens Falls.

In Warren County, New York on Lake George at Bolton Landing, Golden Heart Farm art colony the summer residence of Thomas and Wilhelmina Weber Furlong of the Art Students League of New York opened in the summer of 1921. The historically important art colony and artists in residence program were at the center of the American modernist movement as important artists like David Smith, John Graham, and Dorothy Dehner from Manhattan traveled to Warren County to escape the city and study with the couple. A New York State historic marker was placed for the Warren County Bicentennial honoring Weber Furlong On July 23, 2013, at City Hall in Glens Falls.

Lake George
Warren County is the primary area of tourism related to Lake George. Lake George is a 28160 acre lake located in the Adirondack Mountains. Popular activities on the lake include river tubing, swimming, kayaking and boating. There are several large points of interest in the Lake George region. These include Prospect Mountain just outside town, Steel Pier along Beach Road which serves several tour boats. The village is a popular tourist spot and is home to many stores and novelty shops. There is the Lake George Battleground on the edge of the village along County Route 6.

To the north, there are several hotels and motels to serve tourists visiting the lake. There are several campgrounds around the region including Hearthstone Point on Route 9N and Lake George Battleground south of the village. There are also several campgrounds on islands on the lake. These include Long Island, which serves 88 campsites. All island campgrounds and land-locked grounds are maintained by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Historic sites
One of the premiere historic sites in Warren County is the Fredella, Joseph J., House and Garage, which was constructed in 1900, and is significant for its architectural detail. It is on the list of National Register of Historic Places. Another popular historic site is the Wreck of the 1758 radeau LAND TORTOISE, a shipwreck site which occurred in 1758 of European-American origin. Other historic sites include:
 * Chapman Historical Museum
 * Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum
 * Edward Eggleston Estate
 * First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls
 * Fredella Street Historic District (Glens Falls)
 * Three Squares Historic District (Glens Falls)
 * The Hyde Collection(Glens Falls)
 * Warrensburg Mills Historic District
 * Wiawaka Bateaux Site
 * Wiawaka Holiday House
 * List of Historic Markers in Warren County

Towns

 * Bolton
 * Chester
 * Hague
 * Horicon
 * Johnsburg
 * Lake George
 * Lake Luzerne
 * Queensbury (county seat)
 * Stony Creek
 * Thurman
 * Warrensburg

Hamlets

 * Brant Lake
 * East Lake George
 * Kattskill Bay
 * North River
 * Oneida Corners
 * Riparius
 * Silver Bay
 * Wevertown
 * Pottersville

title: Warren County, New York


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Talk:Accidental (music)

Double accidentals in 1615
The claim that double accidentals arose in 1615 is dubious. The cited source is clearly a circular reference, added after the claim in this article had had a "citation needed" tag for ten years. Over 100 years later, musicians were still using additive single accidentals where modern practice would call for double accidentals; see Bach's WTC. (Some manuscripts use the newly invented x-shaped double sharp sign, but others use single sharp accidentals that add to the sharp in the key signature, and all use the second approach for flats.) Keys in which double accidentals might reasonably appear were not yet in use in 1615. I have accordingly removed the claim from the article. Phoogenb (talk) 08:29, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Accidental (music)


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Rensselaer County, New York

Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. The county is part of the Capital District region of the state.

Rensselaer County is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area that is now Rensselaer County was inhabited by the Algonquian-speaking Mohican Indian tribe at the time of European encounter. Kiliaen van Rensselaer, a Dutch jeweler and merchant, purchased the area in 1630 and incorporated it in his patroonship Rensselaerswyck. (It was part of the Dutch colony New Netherland).

The land passed into English rule in 1664; the Dutch regained control in 1673, but the English took it back in 1674. Until 1776, the year of American independence, the county was under English or British control. The county was not organized as a legal entity until after the Revolution, in 1791, when it was created from an area that was originally part of the very large Albany County.

In 1807, in a county re-organization, the rural sections of Troy were set off as Towns, and the city was incorporated. The two towns created were Brunswick (named for Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg) and Grafton (named for Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton). A third town, Philipstown, was set off in 1806. In 1808, it was renamed Nassau after the duke of that area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 665 sqmi, of which 652 sqmi is land and 13 sqmi (1.9%) is water.

Rensselaer County is located in the far eastern part of New York State. The eastern boundary of the county runs along the New York–Vermont and New York–Massachusetts borders.

The terrain runs from level and flat near the Hudson and then rises into the Rensselaer Plateau around Poestenkill and Sand Lake, then to the Taconic Mountains along the Massachusetts state line.

The highest point is Berlin Mountain, 2818 ft above sea level, in the town of Berlin. The lowest point is 62 ft above sea level at the Hudson River's southernmost extent in the county.

The Hoosic River, a tributary of the Hudson River, is in the northern part of the county.

Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between 132 and 178 mi.

Adjacent counties

 * Washington County — north
 * Bennington County, Vermont — northeast
 * Berkshire County, Massachusetts — east
 * Columbia County — south
 * Greene County — southwest
 * Albany County — west
 * Saratoga County — northwest

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 159,429 people, 62,694 households, and 39,989 families residing in the county. The population density was 233 PD/sqmi. There were 69,120 housing units at an average density of 109 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 88.73% White, 7.14% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 5.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.3% were of Irish, 14.7% Italian, 12.8% German, 7.5% English, 6.2% French, 5.3% American and 2.3% Puerto Rican ancestry according to Census 2010. 95.4% spoke English and 2.7% Spanish as their first language.

There were 61,094 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.80% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 27.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,905, and the median income for a family was $52,864. Males had a median income of $36,666 versus $28,153 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,095. About 6.70% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.90% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

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From 1884 through the 1988 campaign, voters in Rensselaer County chiefly supported the Republican candidate, though the county has since swung to a majority voting for the Democrat, with Donald Trump in 2016 the sole Republican to carry the county since.

Beginning in 1791, Rensselaer County was governed by a Board of Supervisors, which acted as the Legislature, with the chairman of the board serving as a de facto Executive. The Board of Supervisors form of government was terminated as a result of a class action lawsuit brought by Troy attorney Marvin I. Honig on behalf of his wife, Nedda, during March 1968. Mr. Honig brought this lawsuit to declare that the Board of Supervisors, as constituted, violated the "one man, one vote" principal declared by the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Honig's motive in bringing the lawsuit was to punish the Rensselaer County Republican Party chairman and certain members of the Board of Supervisors for defaulting on an agreement with him. The NY Supreme Court ruled in Honig's favor, and ordered the creation of a legislative body. Several plans were offered, but a plan proposed by Honig was adopted by the Court, and its decision was affirmed by the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals. The first "Honig Plan" was drawn to favor the Democratic party, which had not had control of the county government in decades. That plan, which controlled the 1969 election, resulted in the Democrats winning control of the new Rensselaer County Legislature. Thereafter, following a change of leadership in the Republican party, Honig brought a new plan, drawn to favor Republican candidates, to the court, which adopted his revised plan. The second "Honig Plan" was affirmed by the Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals. The Republican candidates won back the County Legislature in the 1971 election, and Honig became the Renssselaer County Attorney, a position he held for well over a decade. A full explanation of the creation of the Rensselaer County Legislature can be found at http://nassau-stories.blogspot.com/2006/04/reapportionment.html. See also: The Troy Record, July 8, 1971, page 1.

In 1970, the Rensselaer County Legislature was created, which elected Edward J. "Ned" Quinn as chairman. The chairman served as the equivalent to an executive until the office of County Executive was created in 1972. Since its creation, Democrats have never won the office, although they controlled the Legislature until 1994. One notable candidate for Executive was Edward Pattison who was later elected to Congress, and whose son Mark served two terms as Mayor of Troy. The current county executive is Steve McLaughlin (R).

Legislative authority is vested in the County Legislature, which consists of 19 members representing 17 different communities, separated into six districts. The current composition of the Legislature is as follows (ten Republicans, six Democrats, two Conservatives who caucus with the Republicans, and one Independent who caucuses with the Republicans):

District 1 – City of Troy:
 * Cynthia B. Doran (D), Deputy Minority Leader
 * Mark J. Fleming (D)
 * Peter D. Grimm (D), Minority Leader
 * Nina M. Nichols (D)
 * Carole C. Weaver (D)
 * Ken Zalewski (D)

District 2 – East Greenbush, North Greenbush, and Poestenkill:
 * Robert W. Bayly (R), Vice Chairperson for Finance
 * Leon B. Fiacco (R)
 * Thomas Grant (R)
 * Kelly Hoffman (C), Chairwoman

District 3 – Brunswick, Pittstown, and Schaghticoke:
 * Dan Casale (R)
 * Kenneth H. Herrington (R), Majority Leader
 * William Maloney (R)

District 4 – Nassau, Sand Lake, and Schodack:
 * Wayne Gendron (R)
 * Thomas Choquette (B)
 * Robert R. Loveridge (R), Vice Chairperson

District 5 – Berlin, Grafton, Hoosick, Hoosick Falls, Petersburgh, and Stephentown:
 * Bruce Patire (R)
 * Jeffrey Wysocki (R)

District 6 – City of Rensselaer:
 * Brian Stall (C)

the current sheriff is Patrick A. Russo. Notably, Russo was the only sheriff in the state to embrace Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g), which authorizes local and county law enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants.

Education
The county is serviced by 16 school districts. Some are completely contained in the county while some cross county lines into other counties. No school districts cross either the Vermont or Massachusetts state borders. Below is a table that shows the districts within the county, which BOCES they belong to, and which other counties they may serve.

The private, coeducational Doane Stuart School is also located in Rensselaer County.

The county is also home to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest operating technological college in America.

Cities

 * Rensselaer
 * Troy (county seat)

Towns

 * Berlin
 * Brunswick
 * East Greenbush
 * Grafton
 * Hoosick
 * Nassau
 * North Greenbush
 * Petersburgh
 * Pittstown
 * Poestenkill
 * Sand Lake
 * Schaghticoke
 * Schodack
 * Stephentown

Villages

 * Castleton-on-Hudson (Castleton)
 * East Nassau
 * Hoosick Falls
 * Nassau
 * Schaghticoke
 * Valley Falls

Census-designated places

 * Averill Park
 * East Greenbush
 * Hampton Manor
 * Nassau Lake
 * Poestenkill
 * West Sand Lake
 * Wynantskill

Hamlets

 * Cherry Plain
 * Cropseyville
 * Defreestville
 * Eagle Bridge
 * East Schodack
 * Johnsonville
 * Melrose
 * Schodack Center
 * Speigletown
 * Taborton
 * Wyomanock

title: Rensselaer County, New York


text:
Putnam County, New York

Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,668. The county seat is Carmel, located within one of six towns comprising the county. The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.

Putnam County is bordered by Dutchess County to the north, Connecticut to the east, Westchester County to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Midtown Manhattan is around a one-hour drive, and the county is included in the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Putnam County was formed in 1812 from Dutchess County and is named for Israel Putnam, a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War.

It is one of the most affluent counties in America, ranked 21st by median household income, and 43rd by per-capita income, according to the 2012 American Community Survey and 2009–2013 American Community Survey, respectively.

History
In 1609, the Wappinger Native American people inhabited the east bank of the Hudson River. They farmed, hunted, and fished throughout their range, often encountering Dutch fur traders. They obtained metal tools and goods such as alcohol and firearms in exchange for furs.

The colonial Province of New York and the Connecticut Colony negotiated an agreement on November 28, 1683, establishing their border as 20 mi east of the Hudson River, and north to Massachusetts. Dutchess county was organized as one of New York's twelve counties. It included all of today's Putnam County and two towns in the present Columbia county. Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by Ulster county.

In 1691, a group of Dutch traders purchased a tract of land from the Wappingers that spanned from the Hudson River to the Connecticut border. Six years later they sold it to wealthy Dutch-American merchant Adolphus Philipse, who obtained a Royal sanction for a "Highland Patent" (later to be known as the Philipse Patent) that encompassed most of today's Putnam County. Unknown at that time was a northwest veer in the river's path at the Hudson Highlands. This generated a dispute over a roughly 2-mile-wide section of border between northern Westchester County, then-Dutchess County, and the Connecticut Colony, which came to be known as "The Oblong".

In 1737, the New York Colonial Assembly designated the Philipse Patent as the South Precinct of Dutchess County. The Philipses began leasing farms to migrants from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Long Island, and lower Westchester. After Adolph Philipse's death, the Patent was divided in 1754 into nine lots granted to three heirs: Mary Philipse, Philip Philipse, and Susannah Philipse Robinson. During the French and Indian War, many of the Wappinger went to Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Compared to other parts of the Hudson Valley, Putnam County had slow settlement. It was privately owned and settlement was limited to tenant farmers willing to pay the Philipse family for leases. Secondly, it was mostly hilly and rocky, making it unappealing to men looking for tillable cropland. Its use was generally limited to dairy farming and wood cutting. The first non-tenant settlers in the county were along its eastern edge. The ambiguous border with Connecticut attracted farmers from New England. They assumed that Philipse did not own the disputed area.

Among early settlers were the Hayt family, which built a farm called The Elm in 1720. Jacob Haviland settled in the Oblong in 1731 in what became known as Haviland Hollow. The first village in the county was Fredericksburg, now the hamlet of Patterson.

During the American Revolution, the Philipses stayed loyal to the Crown. As a consequence, their lands were confiscated by the New York government. It sold the Philipse Patent along with the rest of their holdings. The dispute over The Oblong was resolved in the aftermath of the war, with the heavily settled tract being incorporated as the first of two versions of the Town of Southeast. Also resolved were two "Gores", the Beekman Gore and the Rombout Gore, which being geographically similar to the Livingston and Beekman patents they abutted, were ceded by the Philipses to Dutchess County in 1758 and 1771 respectively.

Due to the increasing population of the Southern Precinct of Dutchess County and the great distance of these communities from the county seat in Poughkeepsie, Putnam was split from Dutchess in 1812 and organized as an independent county. It encompassed all of the Philipse Patent and the Oblong abutting it, less a triangular area in the farthest northwest reach of the Patent. There, a lowland near Fishkill Creek isolated from the rest of Putnam County and its adjacent upland drainage leading into the Hudson Highlands to the south, were ceded to Dutchess.

Putnam travelers mostly used boats and ships along the Hudson River. Boats transporting goods traveled up the Hudson to ports, mainly at Peekskill, New York. They were transported by road into Putnam County, or goods were unloaded in Putnam County at Cold Spring, New York. Such transport suffered in winter, when the river froze. At that time, little food or goods could be shipped to the county.

The Philipstown Turnpike was created in 1815 as a toll road from Cold Spring to Connecticut. The wagons that traveled the road would transport produce from eastern Putnam County and iron ore from the mines. The route of the turnpike can roughly be traced today: Rt 301 from Cold Spring to Farmers Mills Road, to White Pond Road to Pecksville, then Holmes Rd to Patterson, then Quaker Hill Rd to Connecticut. Transportation improved with the advent of the railroad, namely the Harlem Line, which was built in the 1840s, connecting Putnam by rail to New York City. Originally there were four stations on the Harlem line in Putnam County: Brewster, Dykemans, Towners, and Patterson. Today only the Brewster and Patterson stops remain; a new one called Southeast was added in modern times.

Putnam County played an important role in the Civil War. One third of the county's men between the ages of 15 and 55 served in the military during the war years. During the post-Civil War years, industry and agriculture suffered losses as the economy contracted. Iron, which was produced in the Highland Mountains, could be found elsewhere. Agriculture was also affected greatly. The increasing need for drinking water in New York City led the city to search for sources in the Hudson Valley. In Putnam County, much of the farmland was flooded to create reservoirs as part of New York City's Croton Watershed. The abandoning of farms, the creation of reservoirs, and the preservation of the remaining open land resulted in scenic lands that drew large amounts of tourism from New York City.

By the 20th century, improved roads brought vacationers from New York City. The Taconic State Parkway was constructed during the Great Depression as one of numerous infrastructure projects in the state and country. This brought more vacationers from the city, who were attracted to the scenic lands and the inexpensive hotels, inns, and summer houses. Putnam County's population doubled during the summer months.

After World War II, Putnam County became an exurb of New York City. Rapid residential development occurred and the county became a bedroom community. However, the prevalent rocky uplands and protection of Putnam county's reservoirs inherently limited development, as much of the land in the county is close to wetlands or reservoirs.

Government and politics
Governmental operations in Putnam County are set forth in the County Charter, which was approved by the voters of the County in November 1977.

The law-making and policy-making body of the county is an elected nine-member County Legislature. County laws, policies and regulations are administered on behalf of the County Legislature by an elected County Executive.

The current County Executive is Republican Kevin M. Byrne (R) After serving the state of New York for 6 years as the Assemblyman of the 94th district, he won the Republican nomination for Putnam County Executive and then went unopposed in the general election.

Prior to the Charter form of government, the county's affairs were governed by a Board of Supervisors, with one Supervisor from each of the county's six towns having an equal vote. Since the towns had varying populations and such variance violated the principle of "one man, one vote", a system of weighted voting among the Board of Supervisors was implemented, but proved to be unwieldy. It was this imbalance which, among others factors, inspired the reorganization of County government under a charter form.

County Legislature
The current members of the county legislature for the 2024 session include 8 Republicans and 1 Democrat:
 * District 1 - Nancy Montgomery (D)
 * District 2 - William Gouldman (R)
 * District 3 - Toni Addonizio (R)
 * District 4 - Ginny Nacerino (R)
 * District 5 - Greg Ellner (R)
 * District 6 - Paul Jonke (R), Chair
 * District 7 - Joseph Castellano (R)
 * District 8 - Amy Sayegh (R), Deputy Chair
 * District 9 - Erin L. Crowley (R)

County Legislators are elected to three-year terms. Each single-member district contains approximately 10,500 people. Any person elected to the County Legislature on or after February 1, 2014, is limited to four three-year terms in office (without taking into account any previous terms held by such person prior to February 1, 2014). Legislative terms are staggered so that one-third of the members of the County Legislature is elected each year.

 * * The County Charter took effect on January 1, 1979, and the County Legislature was established on that day. The County Board of Supervisors was dissolved on the previous day and members of the County Legislature for the year 1979 were the supervisors of each of the six towns. Ethel Forkell was Supervisor of the Town of Kent and was elected by her colleagues as the first Chair of the County Legislature.

County Executives
The county has had six County Executives:

County Courts
There are three types of general trial courts in Putnam County: the New York Supreme Court, the County Court and the Justice Courts. The Supreme Court is the trial level court of the New York State Unified Court System, which presents some confusion as the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals in the federal system as well as in most states, whereas the Court of Appeals is the highest court in New York. The Supreme Court has broad authority over all categories of cases, both civil and criminal. Generally the Supreme Court in Putnam hears civil cases involving claims in excess of $25,000. While the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over criminal cases in most counties this is handled by the County Courts. In Putnam, however, the Supreme Court does exercise jurisdiction over some criminal cases.

The County Court is authorized to hear all criminal cases that have occurred in the county as well as limited jurisdiction over civil cases. The County Court handles felony cases exclusively and shares jurisdiction with the town and village justice courts on misdemeanor cases and other minor offenses and violations. The County Court's jurisdiction on civil cases is limited to those involving less than $25,000.

The Historic Putnam County Courthouse is located in the town of Carmel. Built in 1814 in Greek Revival style, it is the second oldest working courthouse in New York, second to the one in Johnstown. Portico and pillars were added to the structure in the 1840s. It was recently extensively remodeled to preserve the structure and adapt it for use as the Surrogate's Court.

The new Putnam County Courthouse opened on January 2, 2008. It was constructed at a cost of $22.8 million. Jury assembly, court clerks and a public law library are located on the first floor. The second floor includes a Family Court and hearing room. On all floors are judges' chambers, jury deliberation rooms, prisoner cells and conference rooms. The third floor has two courtrooms for the County Court. The Supreme Court and a law library occupy the fourth floor.

Law enforcement
Law enforcement is providing by the following departments:

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office includes a Civil Bureau, patrol division, a marine unit, a motorcycle unit, a school resource unit, and a narcotics enforcement unit.
 * State-side: K Troop, New York State Police (Zone 2, based on Route 22, at the Brewster Barracks )
 * County-side: Putnam County Sheriff's Department
 * Town/Village-side: Philipstown: (Village of Cold Spring Police Department ), Southeast: (Village of Brewster Police Department ), Town of Carmel Police Department, Town of Kent Police Department, and the Putnam County Probation Department.

County Sheriff
The current Sheriff, Kevin McConville (Republican Party) was elected on November 3, 2021. The Sheriff's Department includes a Civil Bureau, patrol division, a marine unit, a motorcycle unit, a school resource unit, and a narcotics enforcement unit.

State and national government
Putnam County is part of the 94th State Assembly District (Towns of Carmel, Patterson, Putnam Valley and Southeast), represented by Matt Slater (R), and the 95th State Assembly District (Towns of Kent and Phillipstown), represented by Dana Levenberg (D).
 * }

Putnam County is part of the 40th State Senate District (Towns of Carmel, Patterson, and Southeast), represented by Peter Harckham (D), and the 41st State Senate District (Towns of Kent, Phillipstown and Putnam Valley), represented by Democrat Michelle Hinchey.

Putnam County is located in the 17th congressional district and has been represented by Republican Mike Lawler since 2023.

Putnam County has voted consistently for Republican presidential candidates, largely bucking the Democratic trend in the New York City suburbs. From 1828 to 1868, Putnam was a Democratic stronghold, but since 1872, the only Democratic presidential nominees to carry Putnam County have been Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 246 sqmi, of which 230 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (6.5%) is water.

Putnam County is situated in the lower Hudson Valley in the southeastern part of New York, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east. Putnam is southeast of Newburgh, and it is north of White Plains. Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between 45 and 65 mi.

The terrain of the county is generally hilly. The region of the county nearest the Hudson River is especially so, and is part of the Hudson Highlands. The highest point in Putnam County is Scofield Ridge, with four summits at approximately 1,540 ft above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson. The Hudson River, named for Henry Hudson, has provided transportation of goods from New York City, north to the Hudson Valley, throughout history. Between the hills and glacial moraine, Putnam County's valleys contain numerous wetlands (including part of the Great Swamp), creeks, ponds, lakes (including the 583 acre Lake Mahopac, and reservoirs.

Reservoirs
Putnam County is known for its many pristine reservoirs, part of the New York City water supply system's Croton Watershed. These include Bog Brook in Southeast; Croton Falls Reservoir in Carmel and Southeast; Diverting Reservoir in Southeast; East Branch in Brewster; Middle Branch Reservoir in Southeast; West Branch in Kent and Carmel, and Boyds Corner Reservoir in Kent. There are also three controlled lakes in the system in the town of Carmel, Kirk, Gilead, and Gleneida.

Adjacent counties

 * Dutchess County (north)
 * Fairfield County, Connecticut (east)
 * Westchester County (south)
 * Rockland County (southwest)
 * Orange County (west)

Climate
The climate of Putnam County is humid continental, as is most of New York. In the winter, bouts of cold, dry air arrive from Canada, and interior sections of North America. In the summer, the Gulf Stream brings hot, moist, humid air to the county. Extratropical storms often affect the county; in the winter, Nor'easters bring heavy snow and rain, and sometimes high wind. In the summer and fall, back door cold fronts move in from the north and bring thunderstorms, sometimes severe. Putnam County receives on average 36 inches of snowfall a year.

Demographics
According to the 2020 Census, there were 97,668 people and 38,713 households in the county, with 2.76 persons per household. The population density was 432.9 PD/sqmi. 50.1% of the population was female. The racial makeup of the county was 77.1% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, 1.8% from two or more races and 16.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.9% of the population was foreign born.

4.5% of the population was under the age of 5, 19.4% under the age of 18, and 18.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $104,486, and the per capita income was $47,448. 5.2% of the population was in poverty.

93% of the population at least 25 years old had a high school degree or higher, and 39.6% had a bachelor's degree or higher.

There were 38,713 housing units, 81.8% of which were owner occupied. As of Q4 2021, the median value of all homes in Putnam County was $419,890, an increase of 12.1% from the prior year.

Education
The county has the following public school districts:
 * Brewster Central School District
 * Carmel Central School District
 * Garrison Union Free School District
 * Haldane Central School District
 * Lakeland Central School District
 * Mahopac Central School District
 * North Salem Central School District
 * Pawling Central School District
 * Putnam Valley Central School District

Mahopac is the largest school district in Putnam County, educating more than 5,000 students in four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school (1600 students).

Saint Basil Academy, a private boarding facility, functioned as a private school with in-house instruction until 1997.

The library system consists of eight libraries; the Brewster Public Library in Brewster; the Kent Public Library in Kent; the Reed Memorial Library in Carmel; the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library in Cold Spring; the Alice Curtis Desmond and Hamilton Fish Library in Garrison; the Mahopac Public Library in Mahopac; the Patterson Library in Patterson, and the Putnam Valley Free Library in Putnam Valley.

SUNY Westchester Community College holds some general education classes at Mahopac High School.

Infrastructure
Putnam County was provided with the majority of its electricity by the nuclear Indian Point Energy Center in Westchester County until April 30, 2021.

Water is supplied from wells, lakes, or the Hudson River.

The Putnam Hospital Center, located in Carmel, serves the eastern county. Western Putnam County is mainly served by hospitals in Dutchess or Westchester counties.

Transportation
The county has several passenger trains that serve the county. The Harlem Line and the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad run north–south in Putnam. The Harlem Line makes stops at Brewster, Southeast, and Patterson. The Hudson Line makes stops at Manitou, Garrison, Cold Spring, and Breakneck Ridge. A connection to Amtrak can be made to the south at Croton-Harmon in upper Westchester County or to the north at Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, both on the Hudson Line. Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan is roughly a one-hour train ride.

Until May 1958, a third commuter line, the New York Central's Putnam Division, operating between the Bronx and points in the county, served the region. With no direct connection to Grand Central Terminal (a transfer was required in the Bronx), ridership on the line was weak compared to its counterparts. Freight service was also scant. The line was eventually abandoned in waves between 1962 and 1980. The former railbed has been converted to trails, and now serves as the South County Trailway, North County Trailway, and Putnam County Trailway rail trails.

Putnam Transit, operated by the county, provides local public transportation.

In contrast to the surrounding counties, Putnam has no airport.

Major roadways
Putnam has two interstate highways. The east–west Interstate 84 comes in from the north near Ludingtonville, and connects to the southbound Interstate 684 in Southeast toward the Connecticut border. The Taconic State Parkway runs north–south through central Putnam. Three of the region's major east–west routes traverse the eastern half of the county. NY 52 enters alongside I-84 from Dutchess County, to end at US 6 south of Carmel. East of Brewster, US 6 joins US 202 and the routes leave the county and state concurrently aside the interstate.

Points of interest
Chuang Yen Monastery, located in Kent, is home to the largest indoor Buddha statue in the Western Hemisphere. It has the only library in the United States specializing in Buddhist history.

Clarence Fahnestock State Park is a 14,000 acre natural area containing over 50 miles of trails for walking and hiking, including nine miles of the Appalachian Trail. Donald J. Trump State Park (currently closed) is a 436 acre park located in Putnam and Westchester counties. A small ski resort, Thunder Ridge Ski Area, with 30 trails and three lifts is located in the town of Patterson.

Media
The Journal News serves the region known as the Lower Hudson Valley, which comprises Westchester County, Rockland County, and Putnam County. The Journal News is owned by Gannett Company, Inc. Before Gannett merged its local dailies into the Journal News, Putnam County was served by an edition of the Reporter Dispatch.

Putnam County newsreaders were served for generations by the Putnam County News and Recorder, formerly an independently owned newspaper devoted to local affairs. The oversized broadsheet – measuring seventeen by twenty inches – was first published in Cold Spring as The Recorder in 1866. In July 2008, the local ownership sold the paper to Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox News, who named his wife Elizabeth as the new publisher. The paper altered its editorial content substantially, generating local controversy. In 2009 the Ailes family also purchased the Putnam County Courier, when it was shut down by Journal Register Co. (The first issue after publication resumed listed Roger Ailes as owner and chairman, but Elizabeth Ailes has since been identified as the owner). The Courier was first established as the Putnam County Democrat in 1841. Under Ailes ownership, the Courier closed its Carmel office. The News and Recorder remained a full broadsheet, with a 17-inch-wide front page, until 2017. Both newspapers are now standard-sized broadsheets. The two newspapers share an editor and many of the same stories appear in both. Douglas Cunningham, editor-in-chief of the Courier and News and Recorder since 2011, purchased the two papers from the Ailes in December 2016 and became publisher.

Two other weeklies are the Putnam County Times (historically Times & Republican) and Putnam County Press, virtually identical except that the former is distributed free. Both have been owned since 1958 by Don Hall. Hall and Roger Ailes, though both Republicans, are bitter rivals. Hall had long derided Ailes as a part-time resident. When Ailes faced harassment allegations, leading to his ouster from Fox News, his Putnam County connection contributed to his being featured on the front pages of the Times and Press.

In 2010, Gordon Stewart, a businessman living in Garrison, launched a news website to compete with the Ailes-owned PCNR called Philipstown.info. In 2012 a print version was launched called The Paper. Shortly Stewart's death in 2014, the publication became a nonprofit led by a board of directors. It changed its name in 2016 to The Highlands Current to reflect its coverage of neighboring Beacon.

Communities
There are six towns and three incorporated villages in Putnam County. There are no cities:

Carmel

Carmel is the largest town of Putnam County, with a population of 34,300. The Town of Carmel includes the hamlets of the county seat Carmel, Carmel Hills, Field Corners, Hopkins Corners, Mahopac, Mahopac Falls, Secor Corners, Tilly Foster, and West Mahopac. Carmel is along the southern border of Putnam County.

Carmel is known for its historic courthouse and high school, which serves grades 9–12. Carmel was taken in 1795 from Frederickstown, a town which encompassed the present towns of Kent, Patterson, and Carmel.

Kent
Kent is a town located along the northern border of Putnam with a population of 14,000. Coles Mills was settled in 1747 at the outlet of Barrett Pond into the West Branch of the Croton River. Kent contains the hamlets of Lake Carmel, Kent Corners, Kent Hills, and Ludingtonville. Kent was the last remaining section of Frederickstown, after the towns of Carmel and Patterson were divided from it in 1795. Frederickstown was founded in 1788.

Patterson
The Town of Patterson is located in the northeast area of Putnam County and has a population of 12,000. Patterson, originally named Franklin, was divided from the former town of Frederickstown, in 1795. Patterson contains the hamlets of Patterson, Barnum Corners, Camp Brady, Fields Corners, Haines Corners, Haviland Hollow, Putnam Lake, Steinbeck Corners, Towners, and West Patterson.

Philipstown
Philipstown is a town located along the western end of Putnam County and it has a population of 10,000. Philipstown contains the villages and hamlets of Cold Spring, Forsonville, Garrison, Garrison Four Corners, Glenclyffe, Manitou, McKeel Corners, Nelsonville, North Highlands, Storm King, and the north side of Continental Village. It was founded in 1788. West Point (in Orange County) is located across the Hudson River from the village of Cold Spring. It has three stations on the Metro North Railroad Hudson line: in Garrison, Cold Spring and Manitou, which has limited train service.

Two public libraries are located in Philipstown: the Desmond-Fish Library in Garrison and the Julia L. Butterfield Library in Cold Spring.

Putnam Valley
Putnam Valley is a town located on the southern border of Putnam County with a population of 11,000. Putnam Valley contains the hamlets of Adams Corners, Christian Corners, Gilbert Corners, Lake Peekskill, Oscawana Corners, Putnam Valley, Tompkins Corners, Sunnybrook.

Putnam Valley was created in 1835 as the Town Of Quincy, taking its current name the following year. The town was created by splitting off from Philipstown. Putnam Valley is home to the Clarence Fahnestock State Park, which covers much of Putnam County and some of Dutchess County.

Southeast
The Town of Southeast is located in the southeastern corner of Putnam County, with a population of 18,000. It was founded in 1788 as one of the three original towns in what would later become Putnam County. Its shape changed greatly in 1795, when it lost its northern half to Patterson and gained a great amount on its western side.

It is the second-largest town in Putnam County, second only to Carmel. The crossroads of Interstate highways 684 and 84; State Routes 22 and 312; and US Highways 6 and 202 are located here. Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line has two stops that service the area, at Brewster Village and Southeast Station (formerly Brewster North) off Route 312. Southeast contains the village of Brewster, and the hamlets of Brewster Hill, Brewster Heights, Deans Corners, Deforest Corners, Drewville Heights, Dykemans, Milltown, Peach Lake, Sears Corners, and Sodom.

Brewster
Brewster is an incorporated village within the Town of Southeast.

Cold Spring
Cold Spring is an incorporated village within Town of Philipstown and the village of Nelsonville.

Nelsonville
Nelsonville is an incorporated village within the Town of Philipstown and the village of Cold Spring.

Census-designated places

 * Brewster Heights
 * Brewster Hill
 * Carmel
 * Lake Carmel
 * Mahopac
 * Peach Lake (shared with Westchester County)
 * Putnam Lake

Other hamlets

 * Farmers Mills
 * Garrison
 * Gayville
 * Lake Peekskill
 * Ludingtonville
 * Milltown
 * Tompkins Corners

Ghost towns

 * Coles Mills
 * Dicktown
 * Doanesburgh
 * Towners

title: Putnam County, New York