Red House, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Red House, New York
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
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pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Cattaraugus
government_footnotes =
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unit_pref = Imperial
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area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 144.7
area_land_km2 = 144.2
area_water_km2 = 0.4
area_total_sq_mi = 55.9
area_land_sq_mi = 55.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.2

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 38
population_density_km2 = 0.3
population_density_sq_mi = 0.7

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 675
elevation_ft = 2215
latd = 42 |latm = 2 |lats = 25 |latNS = N
longd = 78 |longm = 48 |longs = 19 |longEW = W

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blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-60950
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0979412
website =
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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 municipality 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.

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. 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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 55.9 square miles (144.7 km²), of which, 55.7 square miles (144.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 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.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 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/sq mi (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.

Communities and locations in Red House

*Frecks -- A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
*Allegany Reservation -- A Seneca reservation.
*Allegany State Park -- Much of the town is within the park.
*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.

References

External links

* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycattar/1879history/redhouse.htm Early history of Red House, NY]