Ridge, New York
Encyclopedia
Ridge is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Suffolk County, New York
, United States
. The population was 13,380 at the 2000 census.
Ridge is served by the Longwood Central School District
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.2 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
Ridge is located at the northwestern end of the Long Island Pine Barrens Region
and is referred to by a sign in the center of town as the "Gateway to the Pine Barrens."
, was allowed to purchase a large tract of land on the South Shore of Long Island in recognition of his being mayor
of Tangier
in Africa. The land, called St. George's Manor, stretched from the Carmans River
(then called the Connecticut River) in the west to the edge of Southampton Town
in the east with a northern border around present-day New York State Route 25
, as much as 81000 acres (327.8 km²) of land. He made his manor seat on the south shore in present-day Mastic
, and the northern part, now the south side of Ridge, was called "The Swamp" or "Longswamp." A house wasn't built at Longswamp until after the American Revolution
. In 1817, William Sydney Smith inhabited the house and changed the name to Longwood.
In 1955, what then remained of William Smith's original manor was primarily located in Ridge and was surrounded by the world growing up around it, in the form of the Brookhaven National Laboratory
and the surrounding towns becoming increasingly populated. Longwood's 750 acres (3 km²) fell into the hands of Elbert Clayton Smith, who immediately moved his family from California to live there. He seems to have been very generous to his new community; his donations included 51 acre (0.20638986 km²) to the school board for the construction of Longwood High School and six acres (0.02 km²) to Middle Island Presbyterian Church. In 1967, Elbert Smith died, and the Longwood Estate was carved into housing developments and nearly destroyed until enough noise was made about preservation to have the house and 35 acre (0.1416401 km²) of land given to the Town of Brookhaven
in 1974. The Smith Estate
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981.
and his descendants farmed a 4000 acres (16.2 km²) farm on a plot of ground that Samuel had always referred to as "the Ridge" based on the geographical terrain. First called "Randallville", Ridge was the name selected by its residents for postal delivery and remains the name for this hamlet to this day. The Randall burial plot near the William Floyd Parkway
includes the grave of LT Stephen Randall(1736–1818), patriot of the American Revolution
and a Suffolk County Militia
veteran of the Battle of Long Island
, August 27, 1776 as part of a company of Suffolk County Minutemen commanded by Captain Daniel Mulford, his wife Elizabeth Swezey (1747–1834) and several descendants.
of 2000, there were 13,380 people, 5,545 households, and 3,476 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 993.6 per square mile (383.5/km²). There were 5,922 housing units at an average density of 439.8/sq mi (169.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.99% White, 3.45% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races
, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.51% of the population.
There were 5,545 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,140, and the median income for a family was $60,039. Males had a median income of $49,539 versus $31,384 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $23,387. About 4.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
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...
(CDP) in Suffolk County, New York
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 13,380 at the 2000 census.
Ridge is served by the Longwood Central School District
Longwood 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...
.
Geography
Ridge is located at 40°54′26"N 72°52′58"W (40.907128, -72.882909).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 13.6 square miles (35.2 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.66%) is water.
Ridge is located at the northwestern end of the Long Island Pine Barrens Region
Long Island Central Pine Barrens
The Long Island Central Pine Barrens is a large area of publicly protected pine barrens in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island, covering more than ....
and is referred to by a sign in the center of town as the "Gateway to the Pine Barrens."
The Longwood Estate
In 1693, William "Tangier" Smith, who owned a homestead in Setauket, New YorkSetauket-East Setauket, New York
Setauket-East Setauket is a census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island along the "Gold Coast." As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 15,931. It is one of the most affluent communities in the state and is among the wealthiest towns...
, was allowed to purchase a large tract of land on the South Shore of Long Island in recognition of his being mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
in Africa. The land, called St. George's Manor, stretched from the Carmans River
Carmans River
The Carmans River is a long river in Brookhaven in Suffolk County on Long Island.It is one of the four largest rivers on Long Island and is similar to other Long Island rivers in that is totally groundwater generated , although a lake did exist long ago. Almost all of the river is specifically...
(then called the Connecticut River) in the west to the edge of Southampton Town
Southampton (town), New York
The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...
in the east with a northern border around present-day New York State Route 25
New York State Route 25
New York State Route 25 is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends for just over from east midtown Manhattan in New York City to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point on the end of Long Island's North Fork...
, as much as 81000 acres (327.8 km²) of land. He made his manor seat on the south shore in present-day Mastic
Mastic, New York
Mastic is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 15,436 at the 2000 census. Mastic is a community located in the southeast part of the Town of Brookhaven....
, and the northern part, now the south side of Ridge, was called "The Swamp" or "Longswamp." A house wasn't built at Longswamp until after 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...
. In 1817, William Sydney Smith inhabited the house and changed the name to Longwood.
In 1955, what then remained of William Smith's original manor was primarily located in Ridge and was surrounded by the world growing up around it, in the form of the Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
and the surrounding towns becoming increasingly populated. Longwood's 750 acres (3 km²) fell into the hands of Elbert Clayton Smith, who immediately moved his family from California to live there. He seems to have been very generous to his new community; his donations included 51 acre (0.20638986 km²) to the school board for the construction of Longwood High School and six acres (0.02 km²) to Middle Island Presbyterian Church. In 1967, Elbert Smith died, and the Longwood Estate was carved into housing developments and nearly destroyed until enough noise was made about preservation to have the house and 35 acre (0.1416401 km²) of land given to 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...
in 1974. The Smith Estate
Smith Estate (Ridge, New York)
Smith Estate, also known as Longwood Estate - Smith House, is a historic estate located at Ridge in Suffolk County, New York. It is preserved and maintained by the Town of Brookhaven. The Longwood Estate is part of a huge parcel of land originally purchased by William "Tangier" Smith in the 1600s,...
was added to 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...
in 1981.
"Randallville"
In 1738, northern Ridge was settled by widower Samuel Randall of North Stonington, CT; his only son Stephen RandallStephen Randall
Stephen John Randall is a former English cricketer. Randall is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off break. He was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire....
and his descendants farmed a 4000 acres (16.2 km²) farm on a plot of ground that Samuel had always referred to as "the Ridge" based on the geographical terrain. First called "Randallville", Ridge was the name selected by its residents for postal delivery and remains the name for this hamlet to this day. The Randall burial plot near the William Floyd Parkway
County Route 46 (Suffolk County, New York)
Suffolk County Road 46 is a major county road in eastern Suffolk County, New York. It runs north and south from County Route 75 in Smith Point County Park to New York State Route 25A near the border of Shoreham and Wading River...
includes the grave of LT Stephen Randall(1736–1818), patriot of 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...
and a Suffolk County Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
veteran of the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
, August 27, 1776 as part of a company of Suffolk County Minutemen commanded by Captain Daniel Mulford, his wife Elizabeth Swezey (1747–1834) and several descendants.
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 13,380 people, 5,545 households, and 3,476 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 993.6 per square mile (383.5/km²). There were 5,922 housing units at an average density of 439.8/sq mi (169.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.99% White, 3.45% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.75% 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 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.51% of the population.
There were 5,545 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,140, and the median income for a family was $60,039. Males had a median income of $49,539 versus $31,384 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 $23,387. About 4.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Longwood's Journey (Longwood Public Library):