Essex, New York | |
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![]() Essex, New York, as seen from above Lake Champlain and off Begg's Point | |
![]() Location in Essex County and the state of New York | |
Coordinates: 44°16′41″N73°24′35″W / 44.27806°N 73.40972°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Essex |
Government | |
• Type | Town Council |
• Town Supervisor | Ken Hughes |
• Town Council | Members' list |
Area | |
• Total | 37.60 sq mi (97.38 km2) |
• Land | 31.63 sq mi (81.92 km2) |
• Water | 5.97 sq mi (15.46 km2) |
Elevation | 266 ft (81 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 621 |
• Estimate (2016) [2] | 642 |
• Density | 20.30/sq mi (7.84/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 12936 |
Area code | 518 |
FIPS code | 36-031-24768 |
GNIS feature ID | 0978946 |
Website | www |
Essex is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 621 at the 2020 census. [3] The town is named after locations in England.
The town is on the eastern edge of the county. It is 17 miles (27 km) south-southwest of Burlington, Vermont, which is on the opposite shore of Lake Champlain, 32 miles (51 km) south of Plattsburgh, 94 miles (151 km) south of Montreal, Quebec, and 135 miles (217 km) north of Albany. [4] Essex is inside the Adirondack Park.
At the time of first European contact ca. 1530, the area on the western shores of Lake Champlain were inhabited by Mohawk people of the Iroquois confederacy, with substantial Abenaki (Algonquian) contact.
Essex was part of a land grant made to Louis Joseph Robart by King Louis XV of France. The land grant was lost after the British took over the region after 1763.
The region was first settled around 1765 with the intention of forming a baronial estate like those of the lower Hudson River for landowner and investor, William Gilliland.
The town was formed from a part of the town of Willsboro in 1805. It was an important shipbuilding location and port, but that economy collapsed after 1849 with the beginning of railroad lines in the region.
The Essex Village Historic District, Foothills Baptist Church, and the Octagonal Schoolhouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.6 square miles (97.4 km2), of which 31.6 square miles (81.9 km2) is land and 6.0 square miles (15.5 km2), or 15.88%, is water. [6]
The eastern border of Essex is the Vermont state line in the middle of Lake Champlain.
New York State Route 22 is a north–south highway in Essex.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1820 | 1,223 | — | |
1830 | 1,543 | 26.2% | |
1840 | 1,681 | 8.9% | |
1850 | 2,351 | 39.9% | |
1860 | 1,633 | −30.5% | |
1870 | 1,600 | −2.0% | |
1880 | 1,462 | −8.6% | |
1890 | 1,437 | −1.7% | |
1900 | 1,333 | −7.2% | |
1910 | 1,276 | −4.3% | |
1920 | 1,025 | −19.7% | |
1930 | 1,116 | 8.9% | |
1940 | 1,002 | −10.2% | |
1950 | 1,012 | 1.0% | |
1960 | 880 | −13.0% | |
1970 | 837 | −4.9% | |
1980 | 880 | 5.1% | |
1990 | 687 | −21.9% | |
2000 | 713 | 3.8% | |
2010 | 671 | −5.9% | |
2020 | 621 | −7.5% |
As of the census [7] of 2000, there were 713 people, 302 households, and 202 families residing in the town. The population density was 22.5 people per square mile (8.7/km2). There were 522 housing units at an average density of 16.5 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.7% White, 0.1% Native American, and 0.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.1% of the population.
There were 302 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,596, and the median income for a family was $40,104. Males had a median income of $26,905 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,087. About 10.8% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Essex is a municipal corporation governed by a five-member elected town board. The board is composed of one Supervisor (two-year term beginning every even-numbered year) and four Councilmembers (four terms, of which two begin concurrently with each new supervisor term). The Town Clerk is an elected two-year term position, beginning every even numbered year. The Highway Superintendent is an elected two-year term position beginning every even numbered year and is run independently from the Town Board, except for receiving annual funding of the Highway Department budget. The Town Justice is an elected four-year position and is run independently from the Town Board, except for receiving funds on a monthly basis. There are three duly elected Assessors who each serve a four-year term, with two of them staggering their term two years apart from the other.
Most of Essex is served by Willsboro Central School District, though the Boquet Valley Central School is also used. Additionally, some travel across Lake Champlain to Vermont or drive north to Plattsburgh for private school.
For twenty years, the Essex Theatre Company, located near the ferry dock in the Masonic Lodge, has continuously produced stage plays and broadway musicals for summertime enjoyment – and also occasional winter entertainment programs.
The entire town is situated among quaint shops, cafes, and restaurants. Most notable for their placement on the National Register of Historic Places, the entire town is included on the Registry.
Periodically there are adult education programs, such as a history lecture series, at the Whallonsburgh Grange. [8] [9]
There are a wide variety of year-round recreational offerings. Cycling is very popular in many parts of Essex. Whallons Bay Road offers magnificent views of both Vermont and the Adirondack High Peaks, with smooth roads and moderate hills. Walker Road is also a popular bike route, which sees Essex residents routinely riding from the historic hamlet to Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams via this route on the weekends. Route 22 is part of the Empire State Trail, which officially opened in 2020. Hikers will find many opportunities to access small mountains, forests and fields via the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) trails, which wind for dozens of miles throughout Essex. The newest Essex Quarry Trail, at the top of Bull Run in Essex, allows visitors to see the remains of a once-active quarry in a unique woodland. Infrequently traveled side roads throughout the entire town lend themselves to casual walks through serene and beautiful areas. On the lake, sailing, swimming, stand-up paddelboarding (SUPs) and kayaking are favorite summer pastimes. Both Lake Champlain and the Boquet River have excellent and easy to access areas for anglers of all ages.
Air service transport is provided by Plattsburgh International Airport (30 miles to the north), and Burlington International Airport (across the lake via the ferry in Essex, to Charlotte, Vermont). Both are within easy driving distance. Burlington International Airport serves international customers, and Plattsburgh International Airport serves regional and national carriers.
Ferry service between Essex and Charlotte, Vermont, is provided by the Lake Champlain Transportation Company. This became a year-round route in 1998. [10]
This route is used by many residents for access to medical care, jobs, school, and shopping. While most years in the past decade the ferry service has run year-round, the ice-breaking ferries usually used on this route were redeployed to Crown Point to fill in for the Champlain Bridge which was demolished in 2009. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
The first ferry service in Essex began operation circa 1790. [16] [17]
Amtrak service is available in Westport, 10 miles (16 km) to the south.
In the days of peak train service, local Delaware & Hudson Railway trains ending at Plattsburgh or at Rouses Point made stops in Essex, but not the named trains, Laurentian, or its overnight counterpart, the Montreal Limited. [18]
Essex is in a rural area in the Adirondack Park, so most of its access to medical care is via the ferry operated by Lake Champlain Transportation. The nearest emergency department is Elizabethtown Community Hospital, a 25-bed rural hospital with eighteen on its active medical staff, [19] which is a 17-mile (27 km) drive. Further away, accessible via 20-minute ferry and a significant drive, is the emergency department of Fletcher Allen Hospital, [20] a large, full-service hospital affiliated with the University of Vermont. An important fully staffed hospital and full-service emergency department is at CVPH Medical Center, in Plattsburgh, approximately 35 miles (56 km) to the north. [21]
Some notable Essex residents, past and present, include:
Chesterfield is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 2,445 at the 2010 census. The name possibly is from a location in New England.
Crown Point is a town in Essex County, New York, United States, located on the west shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 2,024 at the 2010 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, Pointe à la Chevelure.
Elizabethtown is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,163 at the 2010 census. The county seat of Essex County is the hamlet of Elizabethtown, located in the northern part of the town. The name is derived from Elizabeth Gilliland, the wife of an early settler.
Lewis is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,382 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Morgan Lewis, the governor of New York at the time the town was established.
Moriah is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. Lying within the Adirondack Park, it is situated in the eastern part of the county, 47 miles (76 km) by road south-southwest of Burlington, Vermont, 55 miles (89 km) south of Plattsburgh, 115 miles (185 km) north of Albany, and 116 miles (187 km) south of Montreal, Quebec. The population was 4,798 at the 2010 census.
North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 7,480 at the 2020 census.
Port Henry is a hamlet in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,194 at the 2010 census.
Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,312 at the 2010 census.
Willsboro is a town in Essex County, New York, United States, and lies 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Plattsburgh. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 1,905. The town is named after early landowner William Gilliland.
Keeseville is a hamlet in Clinton and Essex counties, New York, United States. The population was 1,815 at the 2010 census. The hamlet was named after the Keese family, early settlers from Vermont. It developed along the Ausable River, which provided water power for mills and industrial development.
Peru is a town in Clinton County in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 6,772 at the 2020 census. The town was so named for its views of the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the farmlands throughout the town, resembling scenery found in the country of Peru in South America. Peru, New York, is in the southeastern part of Clinton County, south of Plattsburgh.
Plattsburgh is a town in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 11,886 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Zephaniah Platt, an early land owner, and it surrounds the separate and more populous city of the same name. The town is in the eastern part of the county, in the North Country region of the state of New York. The region's airport, Plattsburgh International Airport, is located in the southern part of the town.
Ticonderoga is a hamlet in the southeast part of the town of Ticonderoga, in Essex County, New York, United States. The name is derived from the Haudenosaunee term for "between the two waters", the two waters being Lake George and Lake Champlain. The hamlet became a census-designated place (CDP) in 2008. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,382, out of a total 5,042 residents in the town of Ticonderoga.
The Champlain Valley is a region of the United States around Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York extending north slightly into Quebec, Canada. It is part of the St. Lawrence River drainage basin, drained northward by the Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The Richelieu valley is not generally referred to as part of the Champlain Valley.
The Lake Champlain Transportation Company is a vehicle ferry operator that runs three routes across Lake Champlain between the US states of New York and Vermont. From 1976 to 2003, the company was owned by Burlington, Vermont, businessman Raymond C. Pecor Jr., who is chairman of its board. In 2003, he sold the company to his son, Raymond Pecor III.
New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border. At 337 miles (542 km), it is the state's longest north–south route and the third longest state route overall, after NY 5 and NY 17. Many of the state's major east–west roads intersect with, and often join, NY 22 just before crossing into the neighboring New England states, where U.S. Route 7 (US 7), which originally partially followed NY 22's alignment, similarly parallels the New York state line.
New York State Route 373 (NY 373) is a short state highway in Essex County, New York, within Adirondack Park. It begins at U.S. Route 9 (US 9) and proceeds eastward, ending at a ferry landing on Lake Champlain. It intersects two county routes, several local roads, and a reference route—NY 912T—which connects it with US 9. NY 373 is the only connector between US 9 and the hamlet of Port Kent and the ferry that serves it.
Westport is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Westport in Essex County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 518 at the 2010 census, or 39.4% of the total population of the town of Westport.
Willsboro is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Willsboro in Essex County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 753 at the 2010 census, out of a total town population of 2,025.
Willsboro Point is a census-designated place (CDP) that occupies a peninsula of the same name in Lake Champlain in the United States. The community is in the town of Willsboro in Essex County, New York. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census.