Kent, New York
Encyclopedia
Kent is a town in Putnam County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 14,009 at the 2000 census. The name is that of an early settler family. The town is the north-central part of the Putnam County. Many of the lakes are reservoirs for New York City
.
tribe. Daniel Nimham
, (1724–1778) was the last chief of the Wappingers and was the most prominent Native American
of his time in the Hudson Valley
.
The town was first settled by Europeans in the mid-18th century by Zachariah Merritt and others, from New England, Westchester County, or the Fishkill area. Elisha Cole and his wife Hannah Smalley built Coles Mills in 1748, having moved to that location the previous year from Cape Cod. Coles Mill operated until 1888 when it was submerged under West Branch Reservoir
. Around this same time the northeastern part of the county was settled by the Kent, Townsend, and Ludington families, among others. The father of Hannah Smalley and his family moved to Kent about two years before Elisha and his family.
Kent was a part of the Frederickstown Precinct which was chartered in 1772, the rest of Frederickstown consisting of the future town of Carmel and the western parts of the future towns of Patterson and Southeast. Other early family names were Townsend, Smalley, Kent, Dykeman, Barrett, Cole, Boyd, Wixon, Farrington, Burton, Carter, and Ludington
.
The present day intersection of I-84
and Ludingtonville Road was the home of Col. Henry Ludington and his daughter Sybil
, who rode 40 miles one night in 1777 to call up her father's militia during the American Revolutionary War
. A statue of her stands on the shores of Lake Gleneida
across from the Putnam County Courthouse.
When the towns of Carmel and Patterson were split from Frederickstown in 1795, the remnant, constituting the current Kent, was established as the "Town of Frederick." Until 1812 it was part of Dutchess County
. The town's name was changed to "Kent" in 1817. A small portion of the Town of Philipstown
was transferred to Kent in 1877.
The major population center of the township is Lake Carmel
, a settlement around an artificial lake (also known as "Lake Carmel") developed in the 1920s. Historically the population centers had been Farmer's Mills, and Luddingtonville, little of which remain, and Cole's Mills, none of which remains.
Much of early Kent's economy was based on dairy farming for the New York City market, but with many reservoirs being constructed in the late 19th century for drinking water for the same city, most of the farms were submerged, and the dairy industry was all but abandoned by the 1920s. At that point, and because of the advent of the automobile, Kent started to attract new residents from the city.
The town is served by the Carmel
Central School District and, for the majority of residents, by the Carmel Post Office. Kent is home to the 80' Mt. Ninham Fire Tower, located in the Taconic Hills. Built by the State of New York and the CCC in 1940, it is the tallest remaining fire tower in NY State and appears on the National Historic Lookout Register.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 43.2 square miles (111.9 km²), of which, 40.6 square miles (105.2 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (5.88%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Dutchess County
. Kent sits high on the spectacular Hudson Highlands
sixty miles north of New York City
in the north central portion of Putnam County
. Within the borders are two State Parks: Wonder Lake
in the east and Fahnestock in the west, a portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and thousands of acres of spectacular open spaces under the permanent protection of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection
.
Kent is home to a number of lakes which were once the domain of summer visitors but now have become year-round communities. Sagamore Lake, Kentwood Lake, Lake Tibet, China Lake, Palmer Lake and White Pond.
Kent is also home to a number of reservoirs that supply water to New York City
and Westchester County and consequently a large portion of the land has been purchased for conservation by New York City through the Watershed Preservation Program. The reservoirs include Boyd's Corners and West Branch, with the latter being the east of Hudson
terminus of the Catskill/Delaware system and an important link in the NYC water supply.
Interstate 84
and the Taconic State Parkway
pass through the town.
of 2000, there were 14,009 people, 4,868 households, and 3,748 families residing in the town. The population density
was 344.8 people per square mile (133.1/km²). There were 5,353 housing units at an average density of 131.8 per square mile (50.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.81% White, 1.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from other races
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.77% of the population.
There were 4,868 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $72,346, and the median income for a family was $79,716. Males had a median income of $51,634 versus $38,575 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $29,984. About 4.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
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...
, 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 14,009 at the 2000 census. The name is that of an early settler family. The town is the north-central part of the Putnam County. Many of the lakes are reservoirs for 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...
.
History
Kent was part of the Philipse Patent of 1679, when it was still populated by the WappingerWappinger
The Wappinger were an American tribe native to eastern New York. The term "Wappinger" may also refer to:* Wappinger, New York, the Town of Wappinger named for the tribe...
tribe. Daniel Nimham
Daniel Nimham
Daniel Nimham was the last chief or sachem of the Wappinger and was the most prominent Native American of his time in the Hudson Valley...
, (1724–1778) was the last chief of the Wappingers and was the most prominent 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...
of his time in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
.
The town was first settled by Europeans in the mid-18th century by Zachariah Merritt and others, from New England, Westchester County, or the Fishkill area. Elisha Cole and his wife Hannah Smalley built Coles Mills in 1748, having moved to that location the previous year from Cape Cod. Coles Mill operated until 1888 when it was submerged under West Branch Reservoir
West Branch Reservoir
The West Branch Reservoir, formed by impounding about one quarter of the West Branch of the Croton River, is located in Putnam County, New York, United States, in the towns of Kent, New York, and Carmel, New York, and is only about north of New York City's Central Park Reservoir.The West Branch is...
. Around this same time the northeastern part of the county was settled by the Kent, Townsend, and Ludington families, among others. The father of Hannah Smalley and his family moved to Kent about two years before Elisha and his family.
Kent was a part of the Frederickstown Precinct which was chartered in 1772, the rest of Frederickstown consisting of the future town of Carmel and the western parts of the future towns of Patterson and Southeast. Other early family names were Townsend, Smalley, Kent, Dykeman, Barrett, Cole, Boyd, Wixon, Farrington, Burton, Carter, and Ludington
Sybil Ludington
Sybil Ludington , daughter of Col. Henry Ludington, was a heroine of the American Revolutionary War who became famous for her night ride on April 26, 1777 to alert American colonial forces to the approach of enemy troops...
.
The present day intersection of I-84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
and Ludingtonville Road was the home of Col. Henry Ludington and his daughter Sybil
Sybil Ludington
Sybil Ludington , daughter of Col. Henry Ludington, was a heroine of the American Revolutionary War who became famous for her night ride on April 26, 1777 to alert American colonial forces to the approach of enemy troops...
, who rode 40 miles one night in 1777 to call up her father's militia during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. A statue of her stands on the shores of Lake Gleneida
Lake Gleneida
Lake Gleneida is a controlled lake in Carmel, New York, United States. It is part of New York City's water supply system, created when an original pond was dammed in 1870.-Geography:...
across from the Putnam County Courthouse.
When the towns of Carmel and Patterson were split from Frederickstown in 1795, the remnant, constituting the current Kent, was established as the "Town of Frederick." Until 1812 it was part of Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
. The town's name was changed to "Kent" in 1817. A small portion of the Town of Philipstown
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....
was transferred to Kent in 1877.
The major population center of the township is Lake Carmel
Lake Carmel, New York
Lake Carmel is a hamlet located in the Town of Kent in Putnam County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the population was 8,663....
, a settlement around an artificial lake (also known as "Lake Carmel") developed in the 1920s. Historically the population centers had been Farmer's Mills, and Luddingtonville, little of which remain, and Cole's Mills, none of which remains.
Much of early Kent's economy was based on dairy farming for the New York City market, but with many reservoirs being constructed in the late 19th century for drinking water for the same city, most of the farms were submerged, and the dairy industry was all but abandoned by the 1920s. At that point, and because of the advent of the automobile, Kent started to attract new residents from the city.
The town is served by the Carmel
Carmel, New York
Carmel is a town located in Putnam County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 36,465.There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages.The Town of Carmel...
Central School District and, for the majority of residents, by the Carmel Post Office. Kent is home to the 80' Mt. Ninham Fire Tower, located in the Taconic Hills. Built by the State of New York and the CCC in 1940, it is the tallest remaining fire tower in NY State and appears on the National Historic Lookout Register.
Geography
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 town has a total area of 43.2 square miles (111.9 km²), of which, 40.6 square miles (105.2 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (5.88%) is water.
The north town line is the border of Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
. Kent sits high on the spectacular 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....
sixty miles north 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...
in the north central portion of Putnam County
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...
. Within the borders are two State Parks: Wonder Lake
Wonder Lake State Park
Wonder Lake State Park is a state park in Putnam County, New York, U.S. in the town of Patterson. It was founded in 1998 with an original 794 acres, and was expanded by the purchase of of open space in February 2006....
in the east and Fahnestock in the west, a portion of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and thousands of acres of spectacular open spaces under the permanent protection of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection is a name used by several states in the United States of America for the agency charged with proposing and enforcing environmental law...
.
Kent is home to a number of lakes which were once the domain of summer visitors but now have become year-round communities. Sagamore Lake, Kentwood Lake, Lake Tibet, China Lake, Palmer Lake and White Pond.
Kent is also home to a number of reservoirs that supply water 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...
and Westchester County and consequently a large portion of the land has been purchased for conservation by New York City through the Watershed Preservation Program. The reservoirs include Boyd's Corners and West Branch, with the latter being the east of Hudson
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...
terminus of the Catskill/Delaware system and an important link in the NYC water supply.
Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in New York
Interstate 84 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the Eastern United States. In New York, I-84 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
and the Taconic State Parkway
Taconic State Parkway
The Taconic State Parkway , is a divided highway between Kensico Dam and Chatham, the longest parkway in the U.S. state of New York. It follows a generally northward route midway between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines...
pass through the town.
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 14,009 people, 4,868 households, and 3,748 families residing in the town. 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 344.8 people per square mile (133.1/km²). There were 5,353 housing units at an average density of 131.8 per square mile (50.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.81% White, 1.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.81% 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 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.77% of the population.
There were 4,868 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $72,346, and the median income for a family was $79,716. Males had a median income of $51,634 versus $38,575 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 town was $29,984. About 4.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Kent
- Allen Corners – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
- Berkshire Terrace – A hamlet in the north part of the town.
- Camp Hines
- Carmel Park Estates
- Clear Pool Camp
- Clarence Fahnestock State ParkClarence Fahnestock State ParkClarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park a 14,086 acre New York state park, in Putnam and Dutchess counties. The park has hiking trails, an environmental center, a beach on Canopus Lake, and fishing on four ponds and two lakes...
– A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the west part of the town. - Farmers Mills – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town.
- Gipsy Trail Club
- Lake CarmelLake Carmel, New YorkLake Carmel is a hamlet located in the Town of Kent in Putnam County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the population was 8,663....
– A hamlet in the south part of the town. - Kent Cliffs
- Kent Corners – A hamlet north of Lake Carmel village.
- Kent Hills – A hamlet south of Ludingtonville.
- Kentwood Estates – A hamlet in the north part of town
- Ludingtonville – A hamlet near the north town line.
- Meads Corners
- Ninham Fire Tower – Tallest Historic Fire Tower in NY State
- Richardsville
- Wonder Lake State ParkWonder Lake State ParkWonder Lake State Park is a state park in Putnam County, New York, U.S. in the town of Patterson. It was founded in 1998 with an original 794 acres, and was expanded by the purchase of of open space in February 2006....
- Yale Corners