Amityville, New York
Encyclopedia
Amityville is a village in the town of Babylon
in Suffolk County
, New York
, in the United States
. The population was 9,441 at the 2000 census.
settlers first visited the Amityville area in 1653 as a source of salt hay. Chief Wyandanch
granted the first deed to land in Amityville in 1658. The area was originally called Huntington West Neck South (it is on the Great South Bay
and Suffolk County, New York
border in the southwest corner of what once called Huntington South but is now the Town of Babylon. According to village lore, the name was changed in 1846 when residents met to find a better name for its new post office. The meeting turned into bedlam and one participant was to exclaim, ``What this meeting needs is some amity." Another version says the name was first suggested by mill owner Samuel Ireland to name the town for his boat the Amity.
The place name is strictly speaking an incident name, marking an amicable agreement on the choice of a place name The village was formally incorporated on March 3, 1894. In the early 1900s Amityville was a popular tourist destination with large hotels on the bay and large homes. Annie Oakley
was said to be a frequent guest of vaudevillian Fred Stone
. Will Rogers
had a home across Clocks Boulevard from Stone. Gangster Al Capone
also had a house in the community. Amityville has been twinning
with Le Bourget
, France
since 1979.
Amityville is best known as the setting of The Amityville Horror
by Jay Anson
which was published in 1977, and has been turned into a series of films made between 1979 and 2005. The story of The Amityville Horror can be traced back to a real life murder
case in Amityville in November 1974, when Ronald DeFeo, Jr.
shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue. In December 1975 George and Kathy Lutz and Kathy's three children moved into the house, but left after twenty-eight days, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal
phenomena produced by the house. Jay Anson's novel is said to be based on these events but has been the subject of much controversy.
The house featured in the novel and its film versions still exists, but has been renovated and the address changed in order to discourage tourists from visiting it. The Dutch Colonial Revival architecture house built in 1927 was put on the market in May 2010 for $1.15 million and sold in September for $950,000.
of 2000, there are 9,441 people, 3,434 households, and 2,266 families residing in the village. The population density is 4,508.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,744.1/km²). There are 3,577 housing units at an average density of 660.8 persons/km² (1,708.1 persons/sq mi). The ethnic makeup of the village is 84.34% White, 8.54% African American
, 0.20% Native American
, 1.28% Asia
n, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.32% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 9.18% of the population are Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There are 3,434 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.0% are non-families. 27.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the village the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 18 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $90,068, and the median income for a family is $105,381 Males have a median income of $88,057 versus $65,291 for females.The per capita income for the village is $27,750. 2.5% of the population and 1.1% of families are below the poverty line.Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.4% are under the age of 18 and 1.6% are 65 or older.
, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 15.38% water.
Babylon (town), New York
The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on Long Island, the town population was 211,792 as of the 2000 census. There is also a Village of Babylon located within the town. It borders Nassau County to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the South...
in Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 9,441 at the 2000 census.
History
HuntingtonHuntington (CDP), New York
Huntington is a hamlet located in the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The Census Bureau has also defined a census-designated place with the same name that corresponds to the most densely populated area, however local understanding of the hamlet may differ somewhat...
settlers first visited the Amityville area in 1653 as a source of salt hay. Chief Wyandanch
Chief Wyandanch
Wyandanch was a sachem of the Montaukett Indians in the mid 17th century on eastern Long Island...
granted the first deed to land in Amityville in 1658. The area was originally called Huntington West Neck South (it is on the Great South Bay
Great South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
and Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
border in the southwest corner of what once called Huntington South but is now the Town of Babylon. According to village lore, the name was changed in 1846 when residents met to find a better name for its new post office. The meeting turned into bedlam and one participant was to exclaim, ``What this meeting needs is some amity." Another version says the name was first suggested by mill owner Samuel Ireland to name the town for his boat the Amity.
The place name is strictly speaking an incident name, marking an amicable agreement on the choice of a place name The village was formally incorporated on March 3, 1894. In the early 1900s Amityville was a popular tourist destination with large hotels on the bay and large homes. Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
was said to be a frequent guest of vaudevillian Fred Stone
Fred Stone
Fred Andrew Stone was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act on vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Biography:He was particularly famous for appearing...
. Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
had a home across Clocks Boulevard from Stone. Gangster Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
also had a house in the community. Amityville has been twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Le Bourget
Le Bourget
Le Bourget is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.A very small part of Le Bourget airport lies on the territory of the commune of Le Bourget, which nonetheless gave its name to the airport. Most of the airport lies on the territory of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
since 1979.
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror: A True Story is a book by Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released between 1979 and 2005...
by Jay Anson
Jay Anson
Jay Anson was an American author whose most famous work was The Amityville Horror. After the runaway success of that novel, he wrote 666, which also dealt with a haunted house...
which was published in 1977, and has been turned into a series of films made between 1979 and 2005. The story of The Amityville Horror can be traced back to a real life murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
case in Amityville in November 1974, when Ronald DeFeo, Jr.
Ronald DeFeo, Jr.
Ronald Joseph "Butch" DeFeo, Jr. is an American murderer. He was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters...
shot and killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue. In December 1975 George and Kathy Lutz and Kathy's three children moved into the house, but left after twenty-eight days, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
phenomena produced by the house. Jay Anson's novel is said to be based on these events but has been the subject of much controversy.
The house featured in the novel and its film versions still exists, but has been renovated and the address changed in order to discourage tourists from visiting it. The Dutch Colonial Revival architecture house built in 1927 was put on the market in May 2010 for $1.15 million and sold in September for $950,000.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there are 9,441 people, 3,434 households, and 2,266 families residing in the village. The population density is 4,508.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,744.1/km²). There are 3,577 housing units at an average density of 660.8 persons/km² (1,708.1 persons/sq mi). The ethnic makeup of the village is 84.34% White, 8.54% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.20% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.28% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.32% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 9.18% of the population are Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
There are 3,434 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.0% are non-families. 27.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the village the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 18 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $90,068, and the median income for a family is $105,381 Males have a median income of $88,057 versus $65,291 for females.The per capita income for the village is $27,750. 2.5% of the population and 1.1% of families are below the poverty line.Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.4% are under the age of 18 and 1.6% are 65 or older.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 15.38% water.
Points of interest
- The Triangle - The fork of Broadway and Park Avenue, along with Ireland Place create a triangular plot of land at the center of the village. The Triangle building was built in 1892, the same year that Ireland Place opened. A Gazebo was added to the north point of The Triangle in 1988. In 1994, The Triangle was officially designated “Memorial Triangle” in memory of all who have served the village.
- The Lauder Museum is located at the corner of Broadway and Ireland Place, just south of The Triangle. The historic building was built for the Bank of Amityville in 1909. The Amityville Historical Society opened the Lauder Museum in 1972.
- The Mike James Courts at Bolden Mack Park.
- The Amityville beach.
Notable residents
- Henry AustinHenry Austin (baseball)Henry C. Austin was a Major League Baseball outfielder in 1873 for the Elizabeth Resolutes of the National Association. He was a native of Bronx, New York....
- Mae CaponeMae CaponeMae Coughlin Capone , aka Josephine, was the widow of Al Capone.Mae Coughlin was born in New York City to Irish parents Michael Coughlin and Bridget Gorman. She had four sisters and two brothers...
- Wife of Mobster Al Capone - Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
- world renowned British classical composer from 1939-1942. - Tony GraffaninoTony GraffaninoAnthony Joseph Graffanino is a former American Major League Baseball second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop. Though he never officially retired, Graffanino has not played since .-Career:...
- MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Player - Mike JamesMike JamesMichael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
- NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
Player - Kevin Kregel - Astronaut
- Donnie McClurkinDonnie McClurkinDonald Andrew McClurkin, Jr. is an American gospel music singer and minister. He has won three Grammy awards, ten Stellar awards, two BET awards, two Soul Train awards, one Dove award and one NAACP Image award for his work....
- Gospel Singer - Robert Phillips - classical guitarist
- A. J. PriceA. J. PriceAnthony Jordan "A.J." Price , is an American professional basketball player at point guard for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. He was born in Orange, New Jersey and raised in East Massapequa, New York...
- NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player - George RossGeorge Ross (baseball)George Sidney Ross was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Ross played for the New York Giants in the season. In one game, Ross pitched in 2.1 innings, and gave up two hits, with two strikeouts. He batted and threw left-handed....
- Eddie Reyes - Founder of Taking Back SundayTaking Back SundayTaking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
- Ronald DeFeo, Jr.Ronald DeFeo, Jr.Ronald Joseph "Butch" DeFeo, Jr. is an American murderer. He was tried and convicted for the 1974 killings of his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters...
- Convicted mass-murderer - George Lutz - Former owner of 112 Ocean Avenue from 1975-1976
- De La SoulDe La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
- Hip HopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
trio - Annie OakleyAnnie OakleyAnnie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
- Famous female sharpshooter of the 19th century