Eastchester (town), New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Eastchester, New York
nickname =
motto =


imagesize =
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pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
pushpin_mapsize =


mapsize =
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Westchester
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1664
established_title2 = Established
established_date2 = 1665
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Open town meeting
leader_title = Town Supervisor
leader_name = Anthony Colavita
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 13.0
area_total_sq_mi = 5.0
area_land_km2 = 12.7
area_land_sq_mi = 4.9
area_water_km2 = 0.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
population_as_of = 2000
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 31318
population_density_km2 = 2462.7
population_density_sq_mi = 6376.3
elevation_m = 67
elevation_ft = 220
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 40 |latm = 57 |lats = 30.34 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 48 |longs = 31.39 |longEW = W
website = http://www.eastchester.org/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 10707, 10709
area_code = 914
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-21820
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0978916
footnotes =

Eastchester is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,318 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

The Town of Eastchester is in the south part of the county.

History

The town that is now called Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from Fairfield, Connecticut. Thomas Pell, who at that time also owned the territory that is now New Rochelle and Pelham granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons'," where the home of Anne Hutchinson had stood some twenty years before. The ten original families were shortly joined by another twenty-sixFact|date=April 2008.

Laws for the region were established the following year, in 1665, under an agreement called the "Eastchester Covenant." The covenant was a rare document for this period. It contained twenty-six provisions such items as: education of children, disposition and upkeep of property, support of a minister, etc.

Confirmation of their 1664 patent was granted by Governor Richard Nicolls in 1666 after the occupation of the area by the EnglishFact|date=April 2008. A controversy arose in 1700 when the settlers signed a deed with the Indians. The tract of land involved was known as "Long Reach" because of its odd geographical makeup. The sites included are the present Bronxville, Tuckahoe, and a section of Northwest Mt. Vernon. The dispute over the ownership of the land involved the towns of New Rochelle, Westchester and the Pell Family. When a decision was reached in favor of Eastchester, England's Queen Anne granted a second patent in the year 1708Fact|date=April 2008.

Eastchester was a farming community at the outbreak of the Revolution. Although no major battles were fought here, as the heart of the Neutral Ground it saw constant fighting for over 13 years. being harassed by both sides as well as by the cowboys and skinners (the guerrillas of the day). Eastchester's rural makeup began to change with the coming of the railroad in the 1840's. Three hundred-seventy acres of land were incorporated at the village of Mt. Vernon in 1853 by a group of New York businessmenFact|date=April 2008; the village of Bronxville was incorporated in 1898Fact|date=April 2008; and the village of Tuckahoe in 1903Fact|date=April 2008. Today, Eastchester is bound by Scarsdale on the north, New Rochelle on the east, Yonkers on the west, and Mt. Vernon on the south, The town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

Famous Names

Anne Hutchinson: Mrs. Hutchinson was banished from New England (1642) because of her religious beliefs. After her husband's death she and her children moved to what is now EastchesterFact|date=April 2008. In 1643 a band of marauding Indians massacred Mrs. Hutchinson and all but one child were killed. Anne Hutchinson was one of the first advocates of religious freedom. One of the two elementary schools in Eastchester has been named after Anne Hutchinson.

Aaron Burr: During the 1790's Westchester County held court at St. Paul's church. It was at St. Paul's that lawyer Burr tried a number of cases.

John Adams: When President Adams was forced to leave Philadelphia (1797) due to a yellow fever epidemic-the temporary White House was located in the home of his daughter who lived a short distance from St. Paul's church.

John Peter Zenger: A reporter for the New York Journal in 1733, John Zenger covered the account of an election held at St. Paul's Church and was arrested and tried for seditious libel. He was acquitted and thereby established the legal precedent for "freedom of the press." This later was incorporated as a basic freedom in the Bill of Rights. He was also the printer of the New York Journal.

Stephen Ward: Ward, a local patriot at the time of the Revolution, was Eastchester Town Supervisor. He was a member of the Provisional Congress in 1775 and a member of the New York Assembly in 1777. Later Ward became a County Judge, State Senator and a Member of Congress.

Famous Places

Marble Schoolhouse: Built in 1835 of world renowned "Tuckahoe Marble," the one-room schoolhouse is located on California Road (Chester Heights area of Eastchester).

Hotel Gramatan: built in 1905. Huge Spanish-style hotel built to replace an earlier inn, and to accommodate the large influx of artists and writers when the village became a hotbed of turn-of-the-century culture. The hotel was demolished in 1972.

Town Hall: The site was originally a farm, later a country club and golf club. Dedicated in 1957 and converted to Pennsylvania style utilizing the existing stonework and slate roof. Town Hall is the only town center in Westchester County to house a wide variety of town departments and local civic functions.

Vernon Hills Shopping Center: The main shopping district in the town of Eastchester. Constructed in the 1950s, the center contains high-end department stores such as Lord & Taylor, Borders, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Children's Place, and Brooks Brothers.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13.0 km²), of which, 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (2.00%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 31,318 people, 12,626 households, and 8,408 families residing in the town. The population density was 6,376.3 people per square mile (2,462.7/km²). There were 13,035 housing units at an average density of 2,653.9/sq mi (1,025.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.35% White, 2.80% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 6.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.48% of the population.

There were 12,626 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% 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 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $78,224, and the median income for a family was $103,369. Males had a median income of $71,420 versus $47,725 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,941. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Eastchester is home to a large population of Italian-Americans.

Communities in Eastchester

The Village of Bronxville: * Bronxville Heights * Cedar Knolls

The Village of Tuckahoe: * Waverly

Eastchester (CDP) unincorporated village within the Town: * Lake Isle * California Ridge * Hickory Hills * Huntly Homes

Image gallery

References

External links

* [http://www.eastchester.org/ Eastchester official website]
* [http://www.intownconnect.com/ InTown Westchester Magazine]
* [http://www.lohud.com/ The Journal News, the local newspaper]