Jericho, New York

Jericho, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
The Milleridge Inn, one of the most well-known landmarks in Jericho and on Long Island, as a whole
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Location within the state of New York Show map of Long Island Jericho, New York (New York) Show map of New York Jericho, New York (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°47′12″N73°32′12″W / 40.78667°N 73.53667°W / 40.78667; -73.53667 Coordinates: 40°47′12″N73°32′12″W / 40.78667°N 73.53667°W / 40.78667; -73.53667
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau County
Area [1]
• Total	3.96 sq mi (10.26 km2)
• Land	3.96 sq mi (10.26 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	197 ft (60 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,808
• Density	3,737.51/sq mi (1,443.09/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	11753, 11853, (small part of 11590)
Area code	516
FIPS code	36-38539
GNIS feature ID	0954000

Jericho /dʒɛrɪkoʊ/ is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island, approximately 29 miles (47 km) east of Midtown Manhattan. Its population was 13,567 as of the U.S. 2010 Census.

The area is served by the Jericho Union Free and the Syosset Central School Districts, the boundaries of which differ somewhat from those of the hamlet. The boundaries of the Jericho Post Office vary from both the hamlet and the school district boundaries, including a portion of Jericho in the Westbury zip code and a portion of Syosset in the Jericho zip code.

History

Located mainly in the Town of Oyster Bay with a small part in the Town of North Hempstead, Jericho was part of the Robert Williams Plantation in 1648. The English families who settled in Jericho were, or soon became, Quakers, members of the Society of Friends. Many fled from persecution in England and in the New England Colonies. They sought a peaceful existence as farmers. The name of the area was changed in 1692 from Lusum to Jericho after the town in the Middle East near the Jordan River mentioned in the Bible as part of the Promised Land.

Elias Hicks married Jemima Seaman in 1771 and moved to her family’s farm in Jericho, where he soon became a noted preacher of Quaker doctrine. All the Quakers suffered during the British occupation of Long Island in the Revolutionary War. The practice was to quarter troops in homes of residents, who had to provide room and board for them. The Quakers continued to protest the entire concept of war itself. After the war, peace returned to Jericho, and the neat farms and businesses began to prosper. A Friends Meeting house was built in 1788 in Jericho that is still used in the 21st century. A Quaker school was built in 1793, the Charity Society of Jericho and Westbury in 1794, and slavery was abolished in 1817, with Hicks' help.

Platt Rogers Spencer's Log Seminary in Jericho, New York

A post office was established in 1802, a cider mill in the mid-19th century, the first public elementary school in 1905, known as the Cedar Swamp School. Improvements to infrastructure were made with the founding of the Jericho Water District in 1923. As the population increased, a new elementary school was built in 1953 (Robert Seaman School), and a Volunteer Fire Department established in 1938. The population kept increasing until the last elementary schools in Jericho were built, the George A. Jackson Elementary School in 1957, the now closed Robert Williams School in 1961 and the Cantiague School in 1963. When the Village of Muttontown was incorporated, the cider mill was within the village limits. Because most Gold Coast villages wanted to remain business free areas, many do not have their own post offices or ZIP Codes. Therefore, Jericho Post Office which serves this area of Muttontown is displayed as the official USPS mailing address and leads to the misconception that the cider mill is in Jericho.

After World War II, in the 1950s Phebe Underhill Seaman sold a large piece of her land to real estate developers. This property was developed for new suburban housing. The water tower was erected in 1952. In 1958 the NY Department of Transportation demolished "Old Jericho" to widen Broadway, Routes 106/107, and to put in a cloverleaf access to Jericho Turnpike. New grade schools and a high school were added to the community along with a shopping center, a new post office, new fire department and a public library.

Also in Jericho is the New York Community Bank Theatre, originally established in 1956 as the Westbury Music Fair. The main entrance to SUNY Old Westbury is located in Jericho.

Geography

U.S. Census Map

Jericho is located at 40°47′12″N73°32′12″W / 40.786544°N 73.536757°W / 40.786544; -73.536757 . ^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km²), all land. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 30.9° F in January to 74.7° F in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a.

It is served by the Long Island Expressway and the Long Island Rail Road, via the nearby Westbury, Hicksville, and Syosset train stations.

There is another Jericho in New York, located in the extreme Northeast corner of the state, in the Town of Altona, County of Clinton. It lies primarily along the Rand Hill Road.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2000	13,045		—
2020	14,808		—
U.S. Decennial Census [3]

At the 2000 census there were 13,045 people in 4,545 households, including 3,813 families, in the CDP. The population density was 3,214.1 per square mile (1,240.6/km²). There were 4,600 housing units at an average density of 1,133.4/sq mi (437.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.36% White, 10.69% Asian, 1.42% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.44%. ^[4]

During the 2010s, Jericho saw a significant influx of residents from China and a large increase in Asian Americans settling in the community, drawn by the strong school district and high quality of life. ^[5] As a result, the racial makeup of the CDP by 2020 shifted considerably, to 55.6% White, 36.9% Asian, 2% African American, 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 2.5% of the population. As of 2020, Asians now make up the majority of students in Jericho Union Free School District.

H Mart in Jericho, one of the busiest H Mart stores on Long Island and one of the busiest Asian-grocery stores outside Asia

Of the 4,545 households 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.1% were non-families. 13.7% of households were one person and 6.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 25.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median household income was $101,477 and the median family income was $109,635. Males had a median income of $79,204 versus $48,431 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $45,312. About 2.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Underground Railroad

The building now known as One North was built in 1789 ^[6] as the home for the prominent Quaker and abolitionist Valentine Hicks, his wife Abigail, and their children. Hicks' father-in-law Elias Hicks "had been the spark that helped convince Quakers and other like-minded people after the Revolutionary War that all men were created equal—including people of color who were enslaved". ^[7] Valentine Hicks was also an Underground Railroad station master; in his home—a key way station—a removable panel behind an upstairs linen closet (that is still there today) concealed a staircase to the attic where Hicks hid runaways until the coast was clear. ^{[7] [8]} The Town of Oyster Bay designated the site as a historic town landmark in 2012. ^[9] In 2015 there was a lot of outrage over the preservation of this historic site. Partial demolition of the Maine Maid Inn took place without the approval of the Oyster Bay landmark commission, which outraged many preservationists. [Valentine Hicks (1804) was the great-grandson of Jacob Hicks (1669–1755). He married Abigail Hicks, daughter of Elias Hicks. see Bliss Forbush, Elias Hicks, Quaker Liberal, p. 289.]

Economy

Aer Lingus, the flag carrier of Ireland, operates its U.S. office in Jericho CDP and in the Town of Oyster Bay. ^{[10] [11] [12]} Nathan's Famous is headquartered in Wing A of the second floor of One Jericho Plaza, in Jericho. ^[13]

Publishers Clearing House moved its headquarters to Jericho in 2017. ^[14]

Nationwide TFS, the top provider of personal payment solutions for Chapter 13, was founded there in 2011. ^[15]

Notable people

Harry Chapin

Adam Fox

• Tyler Alvarez, actor
• Madison Beer, singer
• David Carol, photographer
• Harry Chapin, singer/songwriter/storyteller (had a fatal automobile accident in Jericho)
• Jordan Cila (born 1982), Major League Soccer midfielder
• Howard Elkins, murderer of Reyna Marroquín. Her remains were found in a crawlspace at his former home in Jericho.
• Adam Fox (born 1998), professional ice hockey defenseman and Norris Trophy winner for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League
• Stephanie Klein, writer
• Matt Litwin, musician, founder of band Bulletproof Messenger
• PH-1 (born 1989), rapper ^[16]

• New York (state) portal

• Natalie Portman, actress
• Miroslav Šatan, retired professional hockey player
• Jay Sekulow, attorney and presidential advisor
• Adrienne Shelly, actress
• Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos . ^[17]
• Allan Steele, actor and writer

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
3. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. Hu, Winnie (2008-11-12). "School District Tries to Lure Asian Parents". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-10-26.
6. Gil de Rubio, Dave (November 8, 2017). "One North Opens on Maine Maid Inn Site". Syosset Jericho Tribune.
7. Rumsey, Spencer (February 4, 2014). "Slavery and Salvation: Long Island's Underground Railroad". Long Island Press.
8. Velsor, Kathleen G. (February 12, 2013). The Underground Railroad on Long Island: Friends in Freedom (Paperback ed.). The History Press. ISBN   978-1609497705.
9. Bleyer, Bill (May 15, 2012). "Jericho's Maine Maid Inn gets landmark status". Newsday.
10. "Contact Us ^{[ permanent dead link ]}." Aer Lingus. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
11. "Jericho CDP, New York Archived 2012-10-11 at archive.today ." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
12. "Oyster Bay town, New York Archived 2012-10-11 at archive.today ." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
13. "Contact Us Archived 2011-10-24 at the Wayback Machine ." Nathan's Famous. Retrieved 2011-12-17. "Nathan's Famous Executive Offices One Jericho Plaza Second Floor - Wing A Jericho, New York 11753"
14. Laurel (2017-05-16). "Publishers Clearing House Has a New Address In Jericho!". PCHBlog. Publishers Clearing House. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
15. "Chapter 13 Payment, Reminder, and Records". tfsbillpay.com.
16. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "pH-1 Catches Up With Eric Nam | Ep. #15 (FULL EPISODE)". YouTube .
17. Fischler, Marcelle S. "Long Island Journal; Three Who Write the Island's Rhythms." The New York Times . November 24, 2002. Accessed 2007-10-02. "Ms. Sigler, who grew up in Jericho and started acting and singing at age 7, is a soprano. She honed her skills at Jericho High School and the Cultural Arts Playhouse in Old Bethpage."