Beekman, New York | |
|---|---|
 Beekman Town Hall in 2017 | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "One of the Original Towns" | |
 Location of Beekman, New York | |
| Coordinates:41°36′34″N73°42′31″W / 41.60944°N 73.70861°W /41.60944; -73.70861 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Dutchess |
| Established | 1788 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Town Supervisor | Mary Covucci (R) |
| • Town Council | |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.36 sq mi (78.62 km2) |
| • Land | 29.84 sq mi (77.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.52 sq mi (1.34 km2) |
| Elevation | 407 ft (124 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,172 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 12570, 12533 |
| Area code | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-027-05452 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0978718[2] |
| Website | www |
Beekman is atown inDutchess County, New York, United States. It is part of theKiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the largerNew York metropolitan area. The population was 14,172 at the 2020 census.[3][4] The town was named after Henry Beekman, a 17th-century land owner.
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The "Beekman" name became attached to the area in 1697, fromHenry Beekman, aKingston native, who had a large land stake in Dutchess County. In 1697, while serving as a judge, "Beekman obtained a grant from the British crown for what was to be named the Beekman Patent," which included the present towns of Beekman,Pawling,Dover,Union Vale and "part ofLaGrange."[5][6] Henry was the son of Deputy Mayor of New York CityWilhemus Beekman, and also served as a delegate in theNew York General Assembly beginning in 1691.[7][8][9]
Wappinger Indians were reportedly the town's original residents before the first European settlers arrived around 1710.[6] The Beekman Patent, granted to Beekman in 1697, was the second largest land holding in Dutchess County.[6] In 1737, Beekman became an officialprecinct, and local government was established. 1788 was the initial period of establishing towns and counties in the newly independent state of New York, but parts were removed subsequently to form other towns. Beekman contributed part of its territory to the newer towns ofLaGrange (1821) andUnion Vale (1827). Iron ore extraction and smelting were important in the early economy. The Beekman Patent was a manor until after theRevolution. Residents could only lease the land and pay rent in wheat, fat fowls and work on roads. The seriesSettlers of the Beekman Patent chronicles the lives of all residents there in the 18th century.
ALutheran church, located off Beach Road, was "probably the first house of worship" in the town.[6] The church is "on the records from 1749" and "served the German settlers who came from thePalatine immigration."[6] AQuaker meeting house was built in 1771 in Gardner Hollow, and was named the "Apoquague Preparative Meeting."[6]St. Denis Church, aCatholic church located just beyond theEast Fishkill line, also attracted worshipers from Beekman.[6]
Beekman began its "boom" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the communities ofSylvan Lake, Beekmanville, and Clove Valley were in the activemining business. Many townsfolk that settled in town during this time wereIrish men, escaping theGreat Famine, and sent their families to Beekman as well. However, the mining industry died out in the late 19th century, with very few remains today. The most notable one, the "Beekman Furnace", is still intact on Furnace Road, just off Clove Valley Road.
After the demise of the mining business in the late 19th century, Beekman saw another boom in the 20th century, with housing developments such as Dalton Farm, the first gas stations, and construction of the first supermarket in town and other stores signalling the beginning of suburban development.
Today Beekman has a total population of 14,000. Comparatively few farms remain, and commerce and industry increasingly shape the non-residential areas of the town.
Beekman is located in the southeastern part ofDutchess County, about 70 miles (110 km) north ofNew York City. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.3 square miles (78.6 km2), of which 29.8 square miles (77.3 km2) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), or 1.45%, is water.[3] Beekman is bordered by the towns ofEast Fishkill to the southwest,LaGrange to the northwest,Union Vale to the north,Dover to the east andPawling to the southeast.
Most of the town is drained byFishkill Creek, which flows west to theHudson River atBeacon. The southern corner of the town is drained by Stump Pond Creek, part of theCroton River watershed that flows to the Hudson atCroton-on-Hudson.
Since 1907 Beekman has operated under aCouncil-Manager form of government. The Town Supervisor is the chief administrative officer of the city selected to carry out the directives of the Council. The Manager monitors the city's fiscal condition and enforces itsordinances andlaws. The Town Supervisor is also involved in the discussion of all matters coming before Council yet has no final vote. The Town Board is the legislative body consisting of the Town Supervisor and four council members. The Town Supervisor serves as the presiding officer of the Council. The Council functions to set policy, approve the annualbudget, appoint the Town Supervisor and Town Clerk, and enact locallaws, resolutions & ordinances.
The Beekman Fire District serves the town of Beekman with the solefire station located in the hamlet ofPoughquag at 316 Beekman Poughquag Road.[10] Beekman has been assigned a department ID number of "34". Firefighters in Beekman get alerted via paging through theDutchess County Department Of Emergency Response, which is located inPoughkeepsie.
Beekman Fire District was the first[citation needed] fire district in SouthernDutchess County, originating in 1937.[11] Beekman was the first fire company formed within Dutchess County's 8 original towns in 1937,[citation needed] following East Fishkill Fire Department was formed, followed by Pawling. In 1977, Beekman was one of the firstvolunteer fire departments in the area to acquire theHurst Tool.[12] The fire department received the United StatesLife Safety Achievement Award for five consecutive years in 2003.[13] The award recognizes local fire prevention that contribute to reducing the number of lives lost inResidential House Fires each year.[14]
Police protection to the Town of Beekman is provided by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office andNew York State Police. The DCSO have a substation located in the middle of town. When someone calls 911, the call is routed to the Dutchess 911 center inPoughkeepsie, New York and then police are polled for, and the closest unit responds. TheMTA Police also cover the Depot Hill section of Beekman as theMetro-North RailroadBeacon Line passes through town with a grade crossing on Depot Hill Road.
Beekman has no medical facilities, but within a short distance from Beekman are three medical centers.Westchester Medical Center, Saint Francis Hospital andVassar Brothers Medical Center are located in nearbyPoughkeepsie, New York. Putnam Hospital is located inCarmel, New York inPutnam County.
Green Haven Correctional Facility of theNew York State Department of Corrections is in the town.[15]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 4,257 | — | |
| 1830 | 1,584 | −62.8% | |
| 1840 | 1,400 | −11.6% | |
| 1850 | 1,386 | −1.0% | |
| 1860 | 1,371 | −1.1% | |
| 1870 | 1,486 | 8.4% | |
| 1880 | 1,578 | 6.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,113 | −29.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,071 | −3.8% | |
| 1910 | 827 | −22.8% | |
| 1920 | 844 | 2.1% | |
| 1930 | 764 | −9.5% | |
| 1940 | 790 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,703 | 115.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,326 | 95.3% | |
| 1970 | 5,701 | 71.4% | |
| 1980 | 7,139 | 25.2% | |
| 1990 | 10,447 | 46.3% | |
| 2000 | 13,655 | 30.7% | |
| 2010 | 14,621 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 14,172 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[16][4] | |||
As of thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 11,452 people, 3,751 households, and 3,034 families residing in the town. The population density was 381.7 inhabitants per square mile (147.4/km2). There were 4,180 housing units at an average density of 139.3 per square mile (53.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.24%white, 2.42%African American, 1.73%Asian, .18%Native American, .03%Pacific Islander, .94% fromother races, and 1.46% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 5.38% of the population.
There were 3,751 households, out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% weremarried couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $65,610, and the median income for a family was $72,066. Males had a median income of $51,739 versus $32,119 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $26,437. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Although Beekman has no major highways, it does have two major thoroughfares.New York State Route 55 crosses from thePawling town line to theUnion Vale town line and is a direct route northwest into the city ofPoughkeepsie.Route 216 goes from Route 55 into the town ofEast Fishkill where it meetsRoute 52.
Metro-North Railroad'sBeacon Line runs through the south end of town along Greenhaven Road and Depot Hill Road. It is currently a non-revenue line with no station stops, but is used for equipment moves betweenBeacon,Southeast andDanbury.
Henry was a judge and a member of the first assembly under authority of the British King which met in New York City on April 9, 1691. The delegates from Ulster and Dutchess Counties were Henry Beekman and Thomas Garton. In 1697, Judge Beekman obtained a Royal Patent for the lands adjacent to Ryn Beck (Rhinebeck, New York)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Municipalities and communities ofDutchess County, New York,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |