Merrick, New York
Encyclopedia
Merrick is a hamlet (and census-designated place
) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County
, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the CDP
population was 22,097. The name "Merrick" is taken from Meroke, the name (meaning peaceful) of the Algonquian
tribe formerly indigenous to the area. It is served by the Merrick station
on the Long Island Rail Road
.
, the CDP has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²), of which 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²), or 19.27%, is water.
of 2000, there were 22,764 people, 7,524 households, and 6,478 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 5,423.3 per square mile (2,092.7/km²). There were 7,602 housing units at an average density of 1,811.1/sq mi (698.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.2% White, 0.6% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races
, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.70% of the population.
There were 7,524 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were married couples
living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $93,132, and the median income for a family was $99,589 (According to a 2007 estimate, these values had risen to $111,536 and $122,319 respectively). Males had a median income of $79,607 versus $41,618 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $26,334. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
" all along the South Shore of what is now Nassau County. After Sachem Tackapousha signed a treaty with Merrick's first colonists in 1643, Puritans who fled England started settling there. During the colonial period, Merrick became a trading center because vessels could enter Jones Inlet and sail up deep channels to docks beside what is now Merrick Road. During the War of 1812 these channels, canals and coves made Merrick a haven for buccaneers who preyed on merchants. Pirates in whaleboats once robbed prominent landowner George Hewlett and two friends while they were duck hunting, ripping the silver buttons from their coats. At one point, residents armed with muskets captured one bandit leader and shipped him to New York in irons for trial.
Merrick as Mecca: During a surge of religious activity in the 1860s, Methodists from around the state congregated in Merrick annually. In the beginning, horses and buggies were pulled into two circles around an open field for 10 days of services. The camp normally attracted about 300 worshipers, but some meetings were attended by up to 10,000. Circular streets, such as Fletcher and Asbury Avenues, lined with small cottages that developed around the campground, remain today in the North Merrick neighborhood called the Campgrounds or Tiny Town by residents.
Turning Points: The construction of the South Shore Rail Road, predecessor of the Long Island Rail Road
, through Merrick in the late 1880s began a period of development. The boom in population and growth after World War II gradually led to Merrick and North Merrick developing distinct identities and separate school districts.
(BMCHSD). Below are the schools, their grade levels, and the towns that attend them.
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 Hempstead in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the CDP
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...
population was 22,097. The name "Merrick" is taken from Meroke, the name (meaning peaceful) of the 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 formerly indigenous to the area. It is served by the Merrick station
Merrick (LIRR station)
Merrick is a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially located on Sunrise Highway, between Hewlett Avenue and Merrick Avenue, in Merrick, New York...
on the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
.
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 CDP has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²), of which 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²), or 19.27%, 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 22,764 people, 7,524 households, and 6,478 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 5,423.3 per square mile (2,092.7/km²). There were 7,602 housing units at an average density of 1,811.1/sq mi (698.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.2% White, 0.6% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.94% 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 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.70% of the population.
There were 7,524 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 11.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $93,132, and the median income for a family was $99,589 (According to a 2007 estimate, these values had risen to $111,536 and $122,319 respectively). Males had a median income of $79,607 versus $41,618 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 $26,334. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
When Europeans arrived, the place was called "MerokeMetoac
Metoac is the collective name for the group of culturally and linguistically related Native American settlements roughly east of what is now the Nassau County line on, Long Island in New York at the time of European contact in the 17th century. Metoac does not specifically refer to political,...
" all along the South Shore of what is now Nassau County. After Sachem Tackapousha signed a treaty with Merrick's first colonists in 1643, Puritans who fled England started settling there. During the colonial period, Merrick became a trading center because vessels could enter Jones Inlet and sail up deep channels to docks beside what is now Merrick Road. During the War of 1812 these channels, canals and coves made Merrick a haven for buccaneers who preyed on merchants. Pirates in whaleboats once robbed prominent landowner George Hewlett and two friends while they were duck hunting, ripping the silver buttons from their coats. At one point, residents armed with muskets captured one bandit leader and shipped him to New York in irons for trial.
Merrick as Mecca: During a surge of religious activity in the 1860s, Methodists from around the state congregated in Merrick annually. In the beginning, horses and buggies were pulled into two circles around an open field for 10 days of services. The camp normally attracted about 300 worshipers, but some meetings were attended by up to 10,000. Circular streets, such as Fletcher and Asbury Avenues, lined with small cottages that developed around the campground, remain today in the North Merrick neighborhood called the Campgrounds or Tiny Town by residents.
Turning Points: The construction of the South Shore Rail Road, predecessor of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, through Merrick in the late 1880s began a period of development. The boom in population and growth after World War II gradually led to Merrick and North Merrick developing distinct identities and separate school districts.
Schools
The schools in Merrick and North Merrick make up the Merrick and North Merrick School Districts, as well as part of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School DistrictBellmore-Merrick Central High School District
Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District is the central high school district of the Long Island hamlets of Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, and North Merrick, New York. More than 5000 students, grades 7-12, attend the Bellmore-Merrick secondary schools...
(BMCHSD). Below are the schools, their grade levels, and the towns that attend them.
| School | Grades | Town(s) That Go To School |
|---|---|---|
| Birch School | K-6 | Merrick |
| Roland A. Chatterton School | K-6 | Merrick |
| Norman J. Levy Lakeside School | K-6 | Merrick |
| Park Avenue School | K-6 | North Merrick |
| Camp Avenue School | K-6 | North Merrick |
| Harold D. Fayette School | K-6 | North Merrick |
| Old Mill Road School | K-6 | North Merrick |
| Merrick Avenue Middle School* | 7–8 | North Merrick, Merrick |
| Sanford H. Calhoun High School Sanford H. Calhoun High School Sanford H. Calhoun High School is a high school located in Merrick, New York, United States. It is one of three high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District... * |
9–12 | North Merrick, Merrick |
| John F. Kennedy High School* | 9–12 | South Merrick, Merrick, Bellmore |
| Sacred Heart Elementary School | Pre-School-8 | All |
- An asterisk means that the school is part of the Bellmore Merrick Central High School District. All other schools are in the district of town that attends them.
Notable people
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Films
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(dir. Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand) - 2010 – Mildred PierceMildred Pierce (mini-series)Mildred Pierce is a five-part miniseries that first aired on HBO on March 27, 2011. Adapted from James M. Cain's 1941 novel, it was directed by Todd Haynes, and starred Kate Winslet in the title role, alongside Guy Pearce, Evan Rachel Wood, and Melissa Leo...
(starring Kate Winslet, directed by Todd Haynes)