Katonah, New York

Katonah, New York is one of three unincorporated hamlets within the town of Bedford, Westchester County.

History

Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists. Founded with the name Whitlockville, the town changed its name, and later was moved to its present site in 1897, when its former site ("Old Katonah") was flooded by the construction of the Cross River Reservoir. More than fifty buildings were moved from the old site to "New Katonah", pulled by horses along timber tracks. The move was originally ordered to start in 1894, but litigation delayed the process by almost three years. Katonah was not the only village affected by New York City's growing demand for water. The villages of Kirbyville and New Castle Corners were also condemned by the city but were never moved . [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9500E4D81F3FEF33A2575BC0A9629C94629ED7CF&oref=slogin]

Community

The surrounding countryside includes the John Jay Homestead, the former home of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nearby is The Harvey School, a private day school which offers 5 day boarding founded in the 19th Century, which counts among its alumni "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau. Martha Stewart also lives in Katonah, just down the road from the John Jay estate.

Katonah has a population of 12,438, according to the 1990 US Census, with a 55:45 female:male ratio. The area is 90.9% White, 4.7% Black, 4.0% Latin or Hispanic, 2.1% Asian, and 0.4% Native American. (Data based on 10536 ZIP code for the Katonah post office, which includes portions of the towns of Bedford, Lewisboro and Somers.)

Katonah is often styled as a "village" by its residents. For example, its library is called the Katonah Village Library. However, "village" has a legal meaning in New York. Katonah is not a village, but merely a hamlet, generally a concentration of population and businesses which may include portions of several towns. Katonah does have its own ZIP code, 10536, and a Metro-North station. It is also part of the Katonah-Lewisboro school district.

Andrew Saul, Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, and former Congresswoman Sue Kelly are other notable residents of Katonah. Author David Barr Kirtley and Apollo Sunshine drummer Jeremy Black both grew up in Katonah. Apollo Sunshine's first album was also recorded in and named after the town.

The average house price in Katonah, as of 2006, is US$ 912,000. [http://edition.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/19/marthastewart.town.ap/index.html]

Culture

The [http://www.katonahmuseum.org/ Katonah Museum of Art] is located in Katonah. The Caramoor International Music Festival, which hosts the Orchestra of St. Luke's, is held annually at Caramoor, within the hamlet's limits. [http://www.caramoor.com/] John Jay High School holds its annual commencement ceremony at Caramoor as well. The former home of US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay is a national historical site and museum located down the road from Caramoor.

Martha Stewart trademark

In early 2007, groups representing the hamlet came out in opposition to a trademark filed by homemaking mogul Martha Stewart for a new furniture line called the “Katonah Collection”. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244993,00.html FOXNews.com - Katonah, N.Y. Residents Angered Over Martha Stewart's Plans to Trademark Town's Name for Furniture Line - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment ] ] Stewart purchased a 152-acre estate in Katonah in 2000, [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E1DB1738F931A25752C1A9669C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FS%2FStewart%2C%20Martha For Martha Stewart, a 152-Acre Estate in Katonah - New York Times ] ] and it is there that she spent her five months of house arrest following her prison term resulting from charges of insider trading. [ [http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews/2007/01/29/martha-stewart-katonah-face-lead-cx_mk_0128autofacescan03.html Martha Stewart Tries To Trademark Her Town - Forbes.com ] ] Representatives stated that Stewart was seeking to “honor the town” and the new furniture line was “...paying homage to this beautiful region.” [ [http://furniture.about.com/od/trends/fr/marthastewart.htm Martha Stewart Introduces New Furniture Collection for Bernhardt - Katonah is Martha Stewart's Latest ] ] The pending trademark was contested by the " [http://kvis.typepad.com/kvis/2007/05/nobody_owns_kat.html Katonah Village Improvement Society] ", along with support from the Ramapough Mountain Indians [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/30/nyregion/30martha.html Indians Protest Use of ‘Katonah’ for Martha Stewart Product Line - New York Times ] ] and the local hardware and furniture stores bearing the town's name who foresaw legal conflict should Stewart succeed in trademarking the name for her furniture line. [ [http://tmbrandingcap.blogspot.com/2007/03/katonah-and-martha-stewart-update.html tmbrandingcap.com: Katonah and Martha Stewart Update ] ] (View current appeals at [http://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?pnam=Katonah%20Village%20Improvement%20Society%20%20 U.S. Trademark Office] ) In response to the issue, local satirical music group Advanced Placement Band wrote a song entitled "The Katonah", prompting a further small flurry of attention by various print and broadcast media outlets. [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/09032007/gossip/pagesix/martha_discord.htm Martha Discord ] ] [ [http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jul2007/db2007073_268098.htm Katonah vs. Martha Stewart ] ]

Schools

Katonah is served by Katonah Elementary School, as well as John Jay Middle School and John Jay High School.

Hospital

Katonah is also home to one of three Four Winds psychiatric hospital locations, the other two further upstate. The hospital grounds, located on the border of Katonah and neighboring hamlet Cross River has a detailed history of its own and its large campus with individualized units is often described as being reflective of a posh country club rather than a typical hospital, though it would be rather fitting given its surroundings.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.bedfordny.info/ Town of Bedford Official Website]
* [http://www.katonahny.com/ Katonah Website]
* [http://www.katonahlibrary.org/ Katonah Village Library:] brief history of Katonah, including the move of 1897
* [http://katonahchamber.org/ Katonah Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.johnjayhomestead.org/ John Jay Homestead]
* [http://www.klschools.org/ Katonah Lewisboro Union Free School District]
* [http://www.katonahpresbyterian.org/ First Presbyterian Church of Katonah]
* [http://www.fourwindshospital.com/westchester/westchester.html/ Four Winds Hospital Westchester]

References