Carmel, New York

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Carmel, New York
Town
View of Carmel from US 6
View of Carmel from US 6
Location of Carmel, New York
Location of Carmel, New York
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country United States
State New York
County Putnam
Area
 • Total 40.7 sq mi (105.4 km2)
 • Land 36.1 sq mi (93.5 km2)
 • Water 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2)  11.26%
Elevation 646 ft (197 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 34,305
 • Density 840/sq mi (330/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code(s) 10512 & 10541
Area code(s) 845
FIPS code 36-12529
GNIS feature ID 0978793
Website www.carmelny.org

Carmel (pronounced CAR-m'l) is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 34,305.[1]

The town of Carmel is on the south border of Putnam County. There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have sizable populations.

History

The statue of Sybil Ludington on Gleneida Avenue
Old Putnam County Courthouse in Carmel, New York

Carmel was founded on land originally part of the Philipse Patent[2] passed on to Susanna and Mary Philipse. The town was settled around 1740 by George Hughson. On the night of April 26, 1777, after learning the news that the British had begun burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode her horse, Star, the entire night through the hamlets of Carmel, Mahopac, Kent Cliffs and Farmers Mills, warning those along the way that the British were coming before returning home at dawn. A statue memorializing the female Paul Revere sits alongside Lake Gleneida. During the war the Philipse lands were seized due to the family's Loyalist sympathies and subsequently sold at auction.[3]

Carmel was established by splitting from the town of Frederickstown in 1795. Patterson also split from Frederickstown the same year, and the remnant of Frederickstown became known as Kent. Carmel was designated the county seat in 1812. In 1861, a small part of Carmel was taken to be added to the town of Putnam Valley.

Recent History

On July 29, 1971 A category 2 tornado 1.9 miles (3.1 km) away from the city center caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages, which whilst a rare occurrence in the region would not be the last tornado in the town. During the 1982-83 school year, Carmel High School Boys Track runner Mike Stahr was ranked first in the USA for the mile run, losing only one high school track race during his junior and senior year. He set state records and was the Millrose mile winner two years in a row. On July 10, 1989, a category 2 (max. wind speeds 113-157 mph) tornado 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away from the Carmel town center traveled east across Fair Street near the King's Grant condos, injured five people and caused between $5,000,000 and $50,000,000 in damages. On August 22, 2000 a 2.5 magnitude earthquake was felt, also a rare occurrence for the area. The epicenter was located approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northeast of the town of Carmel. People were awakened mainly because of the loud noise as if their oil burner had exploded or there was a truck collision on a road near their house. The town suffered casualties on September 11, 2001. Eight Carmel residents died in the September 11 terrorist attacks: Police Officer Stephen Patrick Driscoll, Firefighter Daniel Harlin, Firefighter Thomas Joseph Kuveikis, Firefighter Robert Minara, George Paris of Cantor Fitzgerald, Firefighter Christopher Blackwell, David Fodor of Fiduciary Trust, and Firefighter George Cain. The town has a memorial dedicated at Spain-Cornerstone Memorial Park on the corner of Fair Street and Route 52. The memorial, a large black plaque with victims' names inscribed, features a cross fashioned out of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center site which is embedded in the plinth. In 2002, a scene for the Adam Sandler movie Mr. Deeds was filmed at the Wendy's in the Putnam Plaza. Although most of the scene was edited from the film, a brief shot remains of a helicopter sitting in the restaurant's parking lot. The Wendy's burned to the ground in December 2006 following a grease fire in which no one was hurt. It was rebuilt and reopened in September 2007. In December of 2003, a newly opened adult novelty store and head shop caused controversy due to the nature of its products, its proximity to the Reed Memorial Library, and incidences of customers entering with small children having mistaken the shop (called Giggles) for a party store. The store remains open as of 2015. Carmel High School became the subject of news in 2006 when there were altercations over football rivalries between students of Carmel and Mahopac. The events led to a few game cancellations, as many disagreements became violent, and began to include adults as well as students. From April 27–28, 2007, The town of Carmel hosted a two-day militia encampment along Lake Gleneida. The event celebrated the 230th anniversary of the heroism of Putnam County's teenage Paul Revere, Sybil Ludington. Athletic disputes made local news again on September 13, 2008 after a large fight between students of Carmel and Mahopac High School broke out following a sporting event near Carmel High School. Three people were injured. In 2009, following a spike in violent fights and drug use, Carmel High School increased security measures and policies regarding in-school violence and illegal activity, noting that in addition to suspension/expulsion, students would also be subject to arrest. An unconfirmed threat of violence on June 14, 2010 (the last day of the school year for non-graduating students) caused Carmel High School to be evacuated. The evacuation was in response to a possible threat of a student in possession of a weapon within the school. Authorities searched the school and all students exiting the building, no weapon was found.[4] On March 30, 2011, a 40-year-old Mahopac resident, later identified as convicted bank robber John McCaffrey, was found dead by students in the Carmel High School baseball field dugout. The body hung in the dugout throughout the school day, having been mistaken for a student project. McCaffrey had committed suicide by hanging, and had no connections to anyone in the school.[5] On March 14, 2012, police received calls claiming that there was a bomb in Carmel High School as well as hostages in a girl's bathroom. The call turned out to be a hoax, but nonetheless the school was searched by heavily armed police.[6] The town of Carmel has dealt with an increase in heroin related arrests, hospitalizations, and deaths. Starting with a string of overdoses related to a "bad batch" in the fall of 2013,[7] the increase has been called an epidemic. In 2015, at least 23 people were arrested for dealing heroin in the area.[8][9]

Putnam County Courthouse

The original Putnam County Courthouse was built in 1814 shortly after the county was formed. It is the second oldest working[citation needed] courthouse in New York State. A landmark on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, the building has a classical front facade. There was one hanging in 1844; a jail was added in 1855. A new Putnam County Courthouse was completed in early 2008, located nearby on Gleneida Avenue.

Government

Carmel is governed by a town board. The Carmel Town Hall is located at 60 Mcalpin Avenue in Mahopac, New York. Primary law enforcement services in Carmel are provided by the Carmel Police Department.

An image of Carmel Highschool in NY.

Education

George Fischer Middle School is Carmel's primary middle school. Built in 1963, it was named after the architect, George Fischer. It contains a large number of students (1,000+), and contains grades 5-8. It is notable for its music program.[10]

Constructed in 1929, Carmel High School, which serves 1,843 students, is located on Fair Street across the street from the post office in the heart of town. The school has undergone three epansions, one in 1936 with money from the New Deal, one in 1969, and another in 1980. A fourth extension has been finished being built and was completed during the summer of 2007, the new wing fully opened in September 2007. The new wing holds brand new science classrooms and a new library. In 2015, the Carmel High School Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble was invited to perform in a brief concert tour in Italy, with the choir performing in Saint Peter's Basilica.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.7 square miles (105 km2), of which 36.1 square miles (93 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) is water. The total area is 11.26% water.

The south town line is the border of Westchester County, New York. The town is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City (measured from Central Park) and approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of Danbury, Connecticut.

Notable sites and organizations

  • Arms Acres is a 129-bed residential alcoholism and substance abuse treatment facility founded in 1982 by American philanthropist Winifred Arms, situated on a 54-acre (220,000 m2) site also on Seminary Hill Road.
  • Carmel High School is the town's high school, part of the Carmel Central School District
  • Centennial Golf Club is a 27 hole championship course on 340 acres (1.4 km2), located on John Simpson Road.
  • Gilead Cemetery has marked gravestones dating back to 1766, and was a principal burying ground to the community throughout the nineteenth century, including that of Enoch Crosby, a Revolutionary War soldier
  • Putnam County Park, a 200-acre (0.81 km2) haven with hiking trails, camp grounds and a lake for swimming and ice skating.
  • Putnam Hospital Center, which opened in 1964, is a 164-bed not-for-profit acute care hospital on Stoneleigh Avenue.
  • Reed Memorial Library was dedicated in 1914 and was built by Arrietta Crane Reed in memory of her late husband, William Belden Reed. It sits at the intersection of Routes 6 and 52.
  • Smalley's Inn & Restaurant, originally built in 1852 by Colonel Thomas Taylor, is located on Route 52 (Gleneida Avenue).
  • Town of Carmel Police Department, is the town's local Police force, located on Mcalpin Ave. in Mahopac
  • 9/11 Memorial at Spain-Cornerstone Park on the corner of Fair Street and Route 52 dedicated to the eight Carmel residents who died in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

Communities and locations in Carmel

  • Baldwin Place – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
  • Carmel – The hamlet of Carmel is in the northeast corner of the town.
  • Carmel Hills – A hamlet south of Carmel village.
  • Crafts – once a hamlet of Carmel with its own Post Office, off of Drewville Road, south of Route 6, named after the Craft Family, descendants of Pilgrims.
  • Field Corners –
  • Hopkins Corners –
  • Houseman Corners –
  • Mahopac – A hamlet where the town government is located.
  • Mahopac Falls – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
  • Mahopac Mines – Abandoned mines on the east side of town near the old Ames building.
  • Mahopac Point – The eastern-most section of Carmel
  • McLaughlin Acres –
  • Rock Hill Camp – A Girl Scout camp opened in 1922, located in Mahopac on Long Pond.[11]
  • The Sedgewood Club – (Previously the Carmel Country Club) A private community with golf and tennis facilities near the Hamlet of Carmel,
  • Secor Corners –
  • Stillwater – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
  • Tilly Foster – A hamlet southeast of Carmel village near the east town line

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1820 2,247 —
1830 2,379 5.9%
1840 2,632 10.6%
1850 2,442 −7.2%
1860 2,559 4.8%
1870 2,707 5.8%
1880 2,811 3.8%
1890 2,912 3.6%
1900 2,598 −10.8%
1910 2,610 0.5%
1920 2,299 −11.9%
1930 3,434 49.4%
1940 4,195 22.2%
1950 5,458 30.1%
1960 9,113 67.0%
1970 21,639 137.5%
1980 27,948 29.2%
1990 28,816 3.1%
2000 33,006 14.5%
2010 34,305 3.9%
Est. 2014 34,387 [12] 0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
  • Total Population: 33,196
  • Males, 49.0%; Females - 51.0%
  • Median Age: 40.1 years
  • By Race
    • White, 90.5%;
    • Hispanic, 8.0%,
    • Asian, 3.0%;
    • Black or African American, 1.0%;
    • Other Race, 2.7%
  • Average Household Size: 2.99
  • Median Household Income: $91,394 (2007[14])
  • Per Capita Income: $38,372 (2009)
  • High School Graduation Rate: 94.1%
  • College Graduation Rate: 42.1%

Source: US Census [15]

Elected officials

  • Governor Andrew Cuomo elected 2011
  • US Senator Charles Schumer elected 1999
  • US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand elected 2009
  • Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney elected 2013
  • State Senator Gregory R. Ball elected 2011
  • Assemblyman Steve Katz elected 2011
  • County Executive Mary Ellen Odell elected 2011
  • County Legislator Daniel G. Birmingham, 2004-:[16]
  • County Legislator Carl L. Albano:[17]
  • County Legislator Dini Lobue, elected 2009[18]
  • County Legislator Kevin Wright, elected 2011[19]
  • Town Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt, 2010–13
  • Town Councilman Frank D. Lombardi, 2010-13[20]
  • Town Councilwoman Suzanne McDonough, 2010-13[20]
  • Town Councilman John D. Lupinacci, elected 2012[20]
  • Town Councilman Jonathan Schneider, elected 2012[20]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Historical and Genealogical Record Dutchess and Putnam Counties New York, Press of the A. V. Haight Co., Poughkeepsie, New York, 1912; pp. 62-79 [1] "Adolph Philipse having thus acquired the title from the original owners, proceeded at once to take the necessary steps for obtaining a patent for his lands, and presented a petition to Benjamin Fletcher, who was then governor of the Province of New York, which was granted June 17, 1697.
  3. ↑ Description of the Abstract of Sales, Commissioners of Forfeiture
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ [2] Archived February 24, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ [3] Archived October 10, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ [4] Archived August 19, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 [5] Archived February 2, 2015 at the Wayback Machine

External links

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