Gordon Heights, New York
Encyclopedia
Gordon Heights is a hamlet
(and census-designated place
) in Suffolk County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census.
Gordon Heights is in the Town of Brookhaven
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.17%) is water.
(Harlem
, Brooklyn
, and the Bronx) with the offer of land and a better life on Long Island
. Land was offered as low as $10 down and $10 monthly or $10 weekly.
Promoted as a place that would be a solid, close-knit community of small farms, the pilgrimage to Long Island began in 1927. Gordon Heights was named after "Pop" Gordon, a man who had previously owned most of the land that became part of the new community.
A Civic Association was formed to address the need of area residents. It would later become known as the Gordon Heights Progressive Association, which was founded in 1945. This group was the parent body of the Gordon Heights Fire Department.
When the fire house became too small, the residents moved toward the creation of a fire district, whereby taxes would be levied and financial assistance would be given for the expansion of the department. Petitions were signed by residents and taken to the Town Board. The first commissioners were appointed in 1952-53 and an election was held one year later.
The Gordon Heights Fire District has been at the center of contention in recent years, with some residents complaining that the district has the highest tax rates on Long Island. The high residential tax burden is due in part to Gordon Heights lacking a commercial tax base. Opponents also note its small size, serving approximately 900 homes in relation to the surrounding districts that serve between 4,400 to 8,700 households and have a lesser tax burden.
Supporters of the 60-member district note its history as the first black fire department in New York State, its ability to provide services that larger and busier departments can't, such as helping elderly residents plow snow during the Winter months.
An attempt to dissolve the fire district in 2006 was rejected by the Town of Brookhaven on the grounds that the petition format was incorrect. A second petition to dissolve the Gordon Heights Fire District was filed on December 31, 2008.
of 2000, there were 3,094 people, 856 households, and 678 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,827.0 per square mile (706.9/km²). There were 945 housing units at an average density of 558.0/sq mi (215.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 24.27% White, 62.12% African American, 1.36% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.14% from other races
, and 5.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.51% of the population.
There were 856 households out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples
living together, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53 and the average family size was 3.83.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 35.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $56,250, and the median income for a family was $54,450. Males had a median income of $39,120 versus $31,797 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $17,516. About 8.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/, which is headquartered in Middle Island
.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
(and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
) 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,094 at the 2000 census.
Gordon Heights is in the Town of Brookhaven
Brookhaven, New York
The Town of Brookhaven is one of the ten towns into which Suffolk County, New York, United States, has been divided. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is located in central Suffolk County and is the only town in the county that stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long...
.
Geography
Gordon Heights is located at 40°51′27"N 72°57′59"W (40.857498, -72.966437).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 CDP has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), of which, 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.17%) is water.
History
Gordon Heights had its beginnings in the early 1920s, when developer Louis Fife went to Black neighborhoods in New York CityNew 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...
(Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and the Bronx) with the offer of land and a better life on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Land was offered as low as $10 down and $10 monthly or $10 weekly.
Promoted as a place that would be a solid, close-knit community of small farms, the pilgrimage to Long Island began in 1927. Gordon Heights was named after "Pop" Gordon, a man who had previously owned most of the land that became part of the new community.
A Civic Association was formed to address the need of area residents. It would later become known as the Gordon Heights Progressive Association, which was founded in 1945. This group was the parent body of the Gordon Heights Fire Department.
Fire Department
Prior to the creation of the Gordon Heights Fire Department (GHFD) in 1947, there had been no fire services in the community, dating back to its founding in 1927. Neighboring departments had no obligation to protect Gordon Heights. Following a fire that destroyed a local church, the Civic Association worked toward forming a community fire department, which was incorporated soon after.When the fire house became too small, the residents moved toward the creation of a fire district, whereby taxes would be levied and financial assistance would be given for the expansion of the department. Petitions were signed by residents and taken to the Town Board. The first commissioners were appointed in 1952-53 and an election was held one year later.
The Gordon Heights Fire District has been at the center of contention in recent years, with some residents complaining that the district has the highest tax rates on Long Island. The high residential tax burden is due in part to Gordon Heights lacking a commercial tax base. Opponents also note its small size, serving approximately 900 homes in relation to the surrounding districts that serve between 4,400 to 8,700 households and have a lesser tax burden.
Supporters of the 60-member district note its history as the first black fire department in New York State, its ability to provide services that larger and busier departments can't, such as helping elderly residents plow snow during the Winter months.
An attempt to dissolve the fire district in 2006 was rejected by the Town of Brookhaven on the grounds that the petition format was incorrect. A second petition to dissolve the Gordon Heights Fire District was filed on December 31, 2008.
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 3,094 people, 856 households, and 678 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,827.0 per square mile (706.9/km²). There were 945 housing units at an average density of 558.0/sq mi (215.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 24.27% White, 62.12% African American, 1.36% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.14% 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 5.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.51% of the population.
There were 856 households out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% 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, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53 and the average family size was 3.83.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 35.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $56,250, and the median income for a family was $54,450. Males had a median income of $39,120 versus $31,797 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 CDP was $17,516. About 8.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public education in Gordon Heights is provided by the Longwood Central School DistrictLongwood Central School District
Longwood Central School District covers in central Brookhaven Town, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It serves the hamlets of Ridge, Middle Island, Coram, and Yaphank, and parts of Shoreham, Shirley, Medford, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, and Upton...
http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/, which is headquartered in Middle Island
Middle Island, New York
Middle Island is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 9,702 at the 2000 census. It is situated between the towns of Coram and Ridge, to the west and east, respectively, and Rocky Point and Yaphank to the north and south...
.