Cold Spring, New York
Encyclopedia
Cold Spring is a village located in the Town of Philipstown
in Putnam County, New York
. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville
. The central area of the village is on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Cold Spring Historic District
due to its many well-preserved
19th-century buildings, constructed to accommodate workers at the nearby West Point Foundry
(itself a Registered Historic Place today). The town is the birthplace of General Gouverneur K. Warren
, who was an important figure in the Union Army
during the Civil War
. The village, located in the Hudson Highlands
, sits on a fjord
across the river from West Point, at the deepest point of the Hudson River. Cold Spring serves as a weekend getaway for residents of New York City
.
Commuter service to New York City
is available via the Cold Spring train station
, served by Metro-North Railroad
. The train journey is about an hour and ten minutes to Grand Central Terminal.
was established by Gouverneur Kemble
, Cold Spring was a small settlement nestled on the shores of the Hudson River
near the river's narrowest point. Cold Spring served as an industrial base for the next 150 years. A battery factory operated from 1952 to 1979, polluting nearby Constitution Marsh, before the marsh was cleaned (at great expense) in the 1990s.
The village borders the Hudson River to the west, and is bound by the Hudson Highlands State Park to the north, where Mount Taurus
and Breakneck Ridge
rise steeply and dramatically out of the banks of the Hudson and form two basically parallel ridges that track each other inland. The valley between them has an abandoned dairy farm, two lakes, and a camp. The view from the river bank is the Constitution Marsh and the US Military Academy (West Point) slightly to the south, and Crow's nest and Storm King Mountain to the center and slightly to the north. All of this considered, the village is nestled in the most prominent vertical terrain on the Hudson River north of New York City prior to the Shawangunk and Catskill ranges. Being bound by these formidable terrain features has kept the size of the village small, and prevented the suburban sprawl that has come about in the less-constrained regions to the north and south and in the New York Metropolitan area generally. This unique sense of place, and the village's historic housing stock, have made it a very popular weekend destination for tourists from New York City.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) is land and 1.64% is water.
of 2000, there were 1,983 people, 910 households, and 528 families residing in the village. The population density
was 3,273.9 people per square mile (1,255.1/km²). There were 953 housing units at an average density of 1,573.4 per square mile (603.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.57% White, 0.45% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.50% from other races
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.
There were 910 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 69% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,382, and the median income for a family was $76,403. Males had a median income of $54,643 versus $42,036 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $34,560. About 2.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Philipstown, New York
Philipstown is a town located in the western part of Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 9,422 at the 2000 census.- History :The town was first settled around 1715....
in Putnam County, New York
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville
Nelsonville, New York
Nelsonville is a Hudson Highlands village located in the Town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York. The population was 565 at the time of the 2000 census.The Village of Nelsonville is directly east of the Village of Cold Spring...
. The central area of the village is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Cold Spring Historic District
Cold Spring Historic District
The Cold Spring Historic District includes much of the central area of the Hudson River village of the same name in Putnam County, New York. It is roughly bounded by Main Street , Cedar and Fair streets and Paulding Avenue.It gives Cold Spring its quaint character and has been described as "one of...
due to its many well-preserved
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
19th-century buildings, constructed to accommodate workers at the nearby West Point Foundry
West Point Foundry
The West Point Foundry was an early ironworks in Cold Spring, New York that operated from 1817 to 1911. Set up to remedy deficiencies in national armaments production after the War of 1812, it became most famous for its production of Parrott rifles and other munitions during the Civil War, although...
(itself a Registered Historic Place today). The town is the birthplace of General Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, who was an important figure in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The village, located in the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
, sits on a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
across the river from West Point, at the deepest point of the Hudson River. Cold Spring serves as a weekend getaway for residents of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Commuter service to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
is available via the Cold Spring train station
Cold Spring (Metro-North station)
Cold Spring is a Metro-North Railroad station that serves the residents of Cold Spring, New York via the Hudson Line. Trains leave for New York City every hour on weekdays, and about every 25 minutes during rush hour...
, served by Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
. The train journey is about an hour and ten minutes to Grand Central Terminal.
History
Until 1818, when the West Point FoundryWest Point Foundry
The West Point Foundry was an early ironworks in Cold Spring, New York that operated from 1817 to 1911. Set up to remedy deficiencies in national armaments production after the War of 1812, it became most famous for its production of Parrott rifles and other munitions during the Civil War, although...
was established by Gouverneur Kemble
Gouverneur Kemble
Gouverneur Kemble was a two-term United States Congressman, diplomat and industrialist. He helped found the West Point Foundry, a major producer of artillery during the American Civil War....
, Cold Spring was a small settlement nestled on the shores of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
near the river's narrowest point. Cold Spring served as an industrial base for the next 150 years. A battery factory operated from 1952 to 1979, polluting nearby Constitution Marsh, before the marsh was cleaned (at great expense) in the 1990s.
Geography
Cold Spring is located at 41°25′8"N 73°57′16"W (41.418907, -73.954522).The village borders the Hudson River to the west, and is bound by the Hudson Highlands State Park to the north, where Mount Taurus
Bull Hill
Bull Hill, also known as Mount Taurus, is a mountain north of the village of Cold Spring on the Hudson River in Putnam County in the State of New York. It is part of the river-straddling range known as the Hudson Highlands. The original name came after a bull that used to terrorize the mountain was...
and Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the Hudson River between Beacon and Cold Spring, New York, straddling the boundary between Dutchess and Putnam counties...
rise steeply and dramatically out of the banks of the Hudson and form two basically parallel ridges that track each other inland. The valley between them has an abandoned dairy farm, two lakes, and a camp. The view from the river bank is the Constitution Marsh and the US Military Academy (West Point) slightly to the south, and Crow's nest and Storm King Mountain to the center and slightly to the north. All of this considered, the village is nestled in the most prominent vertical terrain on the Hudson River north of New York City prior to the Shawangunk and Catskill ranges. Being bound by these formidable terrain features has kept the size of the village small, and prevented the suburban sprawl that has come about in the less-constrained regions to the north and south and in the New York Metropolitan area generally. This unique sense of place, and the village's historic housing stock, have made it a very popular weekend destination for tourists from New York City.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) is land and 1.64% is water.
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 were 1,983 people, 910 households, and 528 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,273.9 people per square mile (1,255.1/km²). There were 953 housing units at an average density of 1,573.4 per square mile (603.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.57% White, 0.45% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.50% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.
There were 910 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 69% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,382, and the median income for a family was $76,403. Males had a median income of $54,643 versus $42,036 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $34,560. About 2.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.