Mahopac, New York
Encyclopedia
Mahopac, New York, is a hamlet (and census-designated place
) in the Town of Carmel
in Putnam County, New York
. An exurb of New York City
some 47 miles (75.6 km) to the south, Mahopac is located on US Route 6
on the County's southern central border with Westchester County. As of the 2011 census, the population was 8,675.
Originally inhabited by the Wappinger
Native Americans, an Algonquian
tribe, the hamlet's land was patented in 1697 by Adolphus Philipse, son of a wealthy Anglo-Dutch gentryman. During the French and Indian War
, Wappingers throughout Putnam County traveled north to Massachusetts to fight for the British.
When the Crown refused to return their land after the war, most Wappingers abandoned the area and joined with other displaced Native Americans elsewhere. Farmers and their families migrated to Mahopac from as far away as Cape Cod and rented land from the Philipse family. Wheelwrights and blacksmiths set up shops to assist the tenant farmers.
Although no battles were fought in Mahopac during the American Revolution
, the area was strategically important due to its location. With troop encampments in nearby Patterson
, Yorktown
, West Point, and Danbury, Connecticut
, it was a cross-roads between key Colonial garrisons.
Soldiers were also stationed in Mahopac Falls to guard the Red Mills, an important center for grinding grain and storing flour for the American troops.
Upon Colonial victory in the Revolution the Tory-sympathizing Philipse family lost its claim to the land, which was then resold to farmers by New York State.
After the incorporation of Putnam County in 1812 the Mahopac area grew steadily. By the middle-19th century the hamlet had become a summer resort community. The New York Central Railroad brought vacationers north from New York City to Croton Falls then transferred them via horse-drawn coach to Lake Mahopac. After the Civil War a direct rail spur was laid, creating boom times for the village.
The locale remained primarily a summer resort until after World War II
, when nearby highways such as the Taconic State and Saw Mill River parkways began to make travel by automobile convenient. With the passing of the last passenger service to Mahopac in 1959 the hamlet evolved into a year-round community, many of its residents making the reverse commute to New York City.
During the summer of 1956 Richard Yates
moved to Mahopac with his family and wrote much of his most famous novel Revolutionary Road
in the wellhouse of the estate on which he lived.
An exterior shot is used in which the Mahopac Farm Playhouse exterior was converted to read "SYRACUSE FARM PLAYHOUSE". The property which at times has been host to flea markets and antique shows was originally "The Borden Dairy Farm", which produced dairy products sold as far south as NYC.
Lake Mahopac contains three islands, Fairy, Petre, and Canopus, all privately owned. Fairy Island sports multiple homes accessible via a short causeway; Petre boasts a single Frank Lloyd Wright
designed residence, the A. K. Chahroudi Cottage; and Canopus has undeveloped land available for purchase. Boating, fishing and other water sports are permitted on the lake. Slips and support services are provided by two marinas.
Besides Lake Mahopac, other lakes include Lake Baldwin, Lake MacGregor, Kirk Lake, Lake Casse, Long Pond, Wixon Pond, Bryant Pond and Lake Secor.
Mahopac has a 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) library, featuring multiple reading rooms overlooking Lake Mahopac, abundant computers, a law library and conference rooms.
The Carmel Historical Society Museum in the Old Town Hall on McAlpin Avenue features many fascinating area artifacts.
It was the falls of the waters of the pond that drove the mill that gave the larger community comprising the southern half of the hamlet of Mahopac the name "Mahopac Falls".
Today, although the famous mill there is gone, one of its original millstones forms a part of the front steps of the Red Mills Branch of Mahopac National Bank.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the community has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²), of which, 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²) of it (17.57%) is water.
While the hamlet of Carmel
is the seat of the county government, the largest population center in the township of Carmel, Mahopac, hosts the Town Hall. Both Mahopac (10541) and Mahopac Falls (10542) have their own post offices.
of 2000, there were 8,478 people, 2,922 households, and 2,258 families residing in the hamlet. The population density
was 1,600.7 per square mile (617.6/km²). There were 3,099 housing units at an average density of 585.1/sq mi (225.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.2%White, 1.1% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.92% from other races
, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.
There were 2,922 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples
living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the hamlet the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% 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 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $86,592, and the median income for a family was $91,148. Males had a median income of $52,315 versus $36,419 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $29,245.
In athletics, Mahopac boasts strong legacies in wrestling ( John Degl 1991 NYS Champion & Joe Mazzurco 2000 NYS Champion), basketball, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, field hockey, baseball(Dave Fleming 1987 MHS Graduate & former Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners), football (The Russo Brothers) and lacrosse. School teams have won several New York State Championships. A long-time rivalry exists between the "Indians" and the neighboring Carmel High School Rams.
In spite of a 3-2 vote by the Carmel Town Board in favor of that pronunciation no consensus has emerged, the modern-day first-syllable-inflected "MAY-o-pac" being used by a large number of residents today.
Carmel itself has a pronunciation issue as well, with local residents unanimously pronouncing it CAR-mel, while visitors usually assume it's pronounced car-MEL until instructed otherwise.
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 the Town of 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...
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...
. An exurb 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...
some 47 miles (75.6 km) to the south, Mahopac is located on US Route 6
U.S. Route 6 in New York
U.S. Route 6 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Bishop, California, to Provincetown, Massachusetts. In New York, US 6 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
on the County's southern central border with Westchester County. As of the 2011 census, the population was 8,675.
History
Mahopac and Mahopac Falls play central roles in the history of Putnam County.Originally inhabited by the Wappinger
Wappinger
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...
Native Americans, an Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
tribe, the hamlet's land was patented in 1697 by Adolphus Philipse, son of a wealthy Anglo-Dutch gentryman. During the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, Wappingers throughout Putnam County traveled north to Massachusetts to fight for the British.
When the Crown refused to return their land after the war, most Wappingers abandoned the area and joined with other displaced Native Americans elsewhere. Farmers and their families migrated to Mahopac from as far away as Cape Cod and rented land from the Philipse family. Wheelwrights and blacksmiths set up shops to assist the tenant farmers.
Although no battles were fought in Mahopac during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the area was strategically important due to its location. With troop encampments in nearby Patterson
Patterson, New York
Patterson is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The town is in the northeast part of the county. Interstate 84 passes through the southwest part of the town. The population was 11,306 at the 2000 census. The town is named after early farmer Matthew Paterson...
, Yorktown
Yorktown, New York
Yorktown is a town in Westchester County, New York, in the suburbs of New York about north of midtown Manhattan. The town lies on the north border of Westchester County...
, West Point, and Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, it was a cross-roads between key Colonial garrisons.
Soldiers were also stationed in Mahopac Falls to guard the Red Mills, an important center for grinding grain and storing flour for the American troops.
Upon Colonial victory in the Revolution the Tory-sympathizing Philipse family lost its claim to the land, which was then resold to farmers by New York State.
After the incorporation of Putnam County in 1812 the Mahopac area grew steadily. By the middle-19th century the hamlet had become a summer resort community. The New York Central Railroad brought vacationers north from New York City to Croton Falls then transferred them via horse-drawn coach to Lake Mahopac. After the Civil War a direct rail spur was laid, creating boom times for the village.
The locale remained primarily a summer resort until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when nearby highways such as the Taconic State and Saw Mill River parkways began to make travel by automobile convenient. With the passing of the last passenger service to Mahopac in 1959 the hamlet evolved into a year-round community, many of its residents making the reverse commute to New York City.
During the summer of 1956 Richard Yates
Richard Yates (novelist)
Richard Yates was an American novelist and short story writer, known for his exploration of mid-20th century life.-Life:...
moved to Mahopac with his family and wrote much of his most famous novel Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road, the first novel of author Richard Yates, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962 along with Catch-22 and The Moviegoer. When it was published by Atlantic-Little, Brown in 1961, it received critical acclaim, and the New York Times reviewed it as "beautifully crafted.....
in the wellhouse of the estate on which he lived.
Mahopac today
The hamlet of Mahopac encircles a picturesque 587 acres (237.6 ha) lake, from which it draws its name. Mahopac has had several motion pictures filmed on location. Among them are scenes from "TOOTSIE" a 1982 American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, with a supporting cast that includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, and producer/director Sydney Pollack.An exterior shot is used in which the Mahopac Farm Playhouse exterior was converted to read "SYRACUSE FARM PLAYHOUSE". The property which at times has been host to flea markets and antique shows was originally "The Borden Dairy Farm", which produced dairy products sold as far south as NYC.
Lake Mahopac contains three islands, Fairy, Petre, and Canopus, all privately owned. Fairy Island sports multiple homes accessible via a short causeway; Petre boasts a single Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
designed residence, the A. K. Chahroudi Cottage; and Canopus has undeveloped land available for purchase. Boating, fishing and other water sports are permitted on the lake. Slips and support services are provided by two marinas.
Besides Lake Mahopac, other lakes include Lake Baldwin, Lake MacGregor, Kirk Lake, Lake Casse, Long Pond, Wixon Pond, Bryant Pond and Lake Secor.
Mahopac has a 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) library, featuring multiple reading rooms overlooking Lake Mahopac, abundant computers, a law library and conference rooms.
The Carmel Historical Society Museum in the Old Town Hall on McAlpin Avenue features many fascinating area artifacts.
Mahopac Falls
In Colonial times a large grist mill sat near the present-day intersection of Route 6N, Hill Street, and Myrtle Avenue. Drawing its water from the streams that drained Kirk Lake and Lake Mahopac, it was the largest building in the entire county. Early settlers to the area, tenant farmers renting land from the Philipse family, provided grain for its wheel. Over time the mill's red paint came to identify the area, known to this day as 'Red Mills'.It was the falls of the waters of the pond that drove the mill that gave the larger community comprising the southern half of the hamlet of Mahopac the name "Mahopac Falls".
Today, although the famous mill there is gone, one of its original millstones forms a part of the front steps of the Red Mills Branch of Mahopac National Bank.
Lake Secor
Lake Secor received its name from the Secor family who were the first white people to officially call the land their own. In the early 20th century Secor turned into a "bungalow city" where the urbanites spent their summer weekends. At first the area was largely Germans, later in the mid fiftys it peaked opening up to all family types. In the 1940s and 50s a summer camp for Jewish children (Secor Lake Camp) operated on the other side of the lake from the bungalows. In the eighties Secor was divided half and half between the people that resided there and the city folk who came up on weekends. Today it has over 500 families living on the 26 roads that enclose it.Geography
Mahopac is located at 41°22′11"N 73°44′15"W (41.369657, -73.737463).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 community has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²), of which, 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²) of it (17.57%) is water.
While the hamlet of Carmel
Carmel Hamlet, New York
Carmel Hamlet is the seat of Putnam County, New York, United States. It is a hamlet located in the Town of Carmel. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,650....
is the seat of the county government, the largest population center in the township of Carmel, Mahopac, hosts the Town Hall. Both Mahopac (10541) and Mahopac Falls (10542) have their own post offices.
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 8,478 people, 2,922 households, and 2,258 families residing in the hamlet. 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 1,600.7 per square mile (617.6/km²). There were 3,099 housing units at an average density of 585.1/sq mi (225.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.2%White, 1.1% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.92% 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 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.
There were 2,922 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the hamlet the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% 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 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $86,592, and the median income for a family was $91,148. Males had a median income of $52,315 versus $36,419 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 $29,245.
Mahopac Central School District
The Mahopac Central School District is divided into six schools: an all-kindergarten facility (the Falls School), three 1-5 schools (Lakeview, Fulmar Road, and Austin Road), a Middle School (Mahopac MS) and a High School (Mahopac HS).In athletics, Mahopac boasts strong legacies in wrestling ( John Degl 1991 NYS Champion & Joe Mazzurco 2000 NYS Champion), basketball, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, field hockey, baseball(Dave Fleming 1987 MHS Graduate & former Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners), football (The Russo Brothers) and lacrosse. School teams have won several New York State Championships. A long-time rivalry exists between the "Indians" and the neighboring Carmel High School Rams.
Notable residents, past and present
- Joe TorreJoe TorreJoseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, a former professional baseballProfessional baseballBaseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player, owns a home on Lake Mahopac. - Marc WeinerMarc WeinerMarc Weiner is an American comedian, clown, puppeteer, and television producer. Born into the Weiner family as the middle child between his brothers Jonas and Jess, Has 3 children, Rebecca who is married to Yerucham Pliner, Max who is a successful musician and Sara who is very pretty...
, a comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and puppeteerPuppeteerA puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
featured on the NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
show WeinervilleWeinervilleNickelodeon Weinerville is an American television program on Nickelodeon that was produced in 1993 and 1994, aired in re-runs until 1997. The show was based around a giant puppet stage which was designed to look like a city, called Weinerville...
. - Jeff PearlmanJeff PearlmanJeff Pearlman is an American sports writer. He has written two books about baseball and was the author of the infamous John Rocker interview in Sports Illustrated. In October 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of Walter Payton titled, "Sweetness: The Engimatic Life of Walter Payton." It...
, a sportswriter. - The B-52s, a rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, rented a mansion on Lake Mahopac. - Richard YatesRichard Yates (novelist)Richard Yates was an American novelist and short story writer, known for his exploration of mid-20th century life.-Life:...
, a novelist. - Henry WinklerHenry WinklerHenry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
, an actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, famous for his role in Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
. - Dave FlemingDave FlemingDavid Anthony Fleming is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1991 to 1995, mostly for the Seattle Mariners.Fleming was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, and went to high school in Mahopac, New York...
, a former Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. - Sour Shoes, a member of Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's "Wack Pack".
Pronunciation differences
While the name "Mahopac" is believed to stem from a Native American word, its original pronunciation is lost to history. Long-time Mahopac residents claim that "Ma-HO-pac" was used by residents until the hamlet's evolution into a full-time community after World War II.In spite of a 3-2 vote by the Carmel Town Board in favor of that pronunciation no consensus has emerged, the modern-day first-syllable-inflected "MAY-o-pac" being used by a large number of residents today.
Carmel itself has a pronunciation issue as well, with local residents unanimously pronouncing it CAR-mel, while visitors usually assume it's pronounced car-MEL until instructed otherwise.