Town of Rye, New York
Encyclopedia
Rye is a town in Westchester County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 45,928 at the 2010 census. It is a separate municipality from the city of Rye
. The town of Rye (often referred to as "Rye Town") contains two villages – Port Chester
and Rye Brook
– along with a portion of the Rye Neck section of the village of Mamaroneck
(the remainder of the village of Mamaroneck is in the town of Mamaroneck
). These villages comprise the entire area of the town of Rye.
Town Council:
, the town has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which 7 square miles (18.1 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), or 6.33%, is water.
The town of Rye consists of two discontiguous portions. The City of Rye separates the village of Mamaroneck (to the southwest) from the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook (to the north and northeast).
, Connecticut
), Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Peter Disbrow, purchased Manursing Island (called Menussing by the Indians) from the Mohegan Indians. A tract of land lying between the Byram River
and Blind Brook was sold by the Indians to Peter Disbrow on May 22, 1661. That year the four men were joined by John Budd, an original settler of Long Island
(Southold) and, previously, New Haven
. The four men bought additional lands from the Indians on June 2, 1662. The four men are regarded as the founders of Rye. Another settler, John Horton, purchased some additional lands. By 1662, the town of Hastings had 12 proprietors: Thomas Studwell, John Brondig, William Odell, Thomas Applebe, Philip Galpin, Richard Fowler, William Odell, Peter Disbrow, John Coe, Samuel Allen, Thomas Studwell and John Budd. A neighboring town named Hastings was merged into Rye in the 1660s, no later than 1666, as a 1666 sale of house by John Budd to a George Kniffen of Stratford for 37 pounds, ten shillings, was noted has having been conducted "by agreement of the men of Hastings, now called Rye."
Connecticut and New York both claimed the area, but in these early days, the colonists considered themselves to be under the protection of Connecticut. Connecticut formally ceded Rye to New York in 1683 as part of a boundary agreement, cementing the Connecticut Panhandle
.
John Budd, who in 1663 was selected by the colonists to be its representative to the government of Connecticut, had purchased a large portion of land west of Blind Brook, an area called Apawquammis by the Indians, for the sum of eighty pounds sterling on November 8, 1661, one of three major land purchases by Budd from the Indians in the area that month. In 1666, Budd purchased yet another large parcel. By this time, other colonists had grown concerned at the size of Budd's holdings, and Budd's willingness to "settle people upon it," which they regarded as "extreamely prejuditial to the towne" of Rye. On October 2, 1668, nine inhabitants of Rye, apparently led by Peter Disbrow, petitioned the governor in Hartford
to force Budd to sell some of his holdings to them. The petition failed, and Budd continued selling tracts to new settlers, as did his descendants. One such sale, in 1745, of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) was from another John Budd, a grandson of the founder, to Peter Jay, father of John Jay
, subsequently the president of the Continental Congress
, co-author with Alexander Hamilton
and James Madison
of the Federalist Papers
, and Chief Justice of the United States, among other major distinctions.
The town grew and developed Poningo Neck, the current business district of the city of Rye
, and finally the Saw Pit area, known today as Port Chester. Original roads, including the Post Road, King Street, and Grace Church Street, are some of the oldest roads, then carriage paths, that led residents in and out of the area.
The Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
of 2000, there were 43,880 people, 15,389 households, and 10,818 families residing in the town. The population density
was 6,298.5 people per square mile (2,430.7/km²). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 2,269.8 per square mile (876.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.30% White, 5.14% Black or African American
, 0.35% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.41% from other races
, and 4.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.51% of the population.
There were 15,389 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.31.
23.5% of the town's population is under the age of 18, 8.5% are from 18 to 24, 33.3% are from 25 to 44, 20.7% are from 45 to 64, and 14.0% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,675, and the median income for a family was $65,342. Males had a median income of $42,868 versus $36,875 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $28,948. About 6.9% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, 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 45,928 at the 2010 census. It is a separate municipality from the city of Rye
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
. The town of Rye (often referred to as "Rye Town") contains two villages – Port Chester
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
and Rye Brook
Rye Brook, New York
Rye Brook is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the town of Rye. Prior to the village's establishment on July 7, 1982, the area was an unincorporated section of the town of Rye...
– along with a portion of the Rye Neck section of the village of Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck (village), New York
Mamaroneck is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 18,929 at the 2010 census. It is located partially within the town of Mamaroneck and partially within the town of Rye. The portion in Rye is unofficially called "Rye Neck"...
(the remainder of the village of Mamaroneck is in the town of Mamaroneck
Mamaroneck (town), New York
Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...
). These villages comprise the entire area of the town of Rye.
Government
Town Supervisor:- Joseph Carvin
Town Council:
- William Villanova- Deputy Supervisor
- David Gelfarb
- Michele Mendicino
- Robert Nioras
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 town has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which 7 square miles (18.1 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), or 6.33%, is water.
The town of Rye consists of two discontiguous portions. The City of Rye separates the village of Mamaroneck (to the southwest) from the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook (to the north and northeast).
History
The town of Rye has its original roots on Manursing Island. On June 29, 1660, three settlers living in "Grenege" (now known as GreenwichGreenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
), Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Peter Disbrow, purchased Manursing Island (called Menussing by the Indians) from the Mohegan Indians. A tract of land lying between the Byram River
Byram River
The Byram River is a river approximately in length, in southeast New York and southwestern Connecticut in the United States.The river has an elevation of at its headwaters at Byram Lake in Westchester County, New York, and flows in a southward direction, crossing the New York-Connecticut border...
and Blind Brook was sold by the Indians to Peter Disbrow on May 22, 1661. That year the four men were joined by John Budd, an original settler of 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...
(Southold) and, previously, New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. The four men bought additional lands from the Indians on June 2, 1662. The four men are regarded as the founders of Rye. Another settler, John Horton, purchased some additional lands. By 1662, the town of Hastings had 12 proprietors: Thomas Studwell, John Brondig, William Odell, Thomas Applebe, Philip Galpin, Richard Fowler, William Odell, Peter Disbrow, John Coe, Samuel Allen, Thomas Studwell and John Budd. A neighboring town named Hastings was merged into Rye in the 1660s, no later than 1666, as a 1666 sale of house by John Budd to a George Kniffen of Stratford for 37 pounds, ten shillings, was noted has having been conducted "by agreement of the men of Hastings, now called Rye."
Connecticut and New York both claimed the area, but in these early days, the colonists considered themselves to be under the protection of Connecticut. Connecticut formally ceded Rye to New York in 1683 as part of a boundary agreement, cementing the Connecticut Panhandle
Connecticut Panhandle
The Connecticut Panhandle, informally known to locals as the Tail, is in southwestern Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as part of Norwalk and containing some of the most...
.
John Budd, who in 1663 was selected by the colonists to be its representative to the government of Connecticut, had purchased a large portion of land west of Blind Brook, an area called Apawquammis by the Indians, for the sum of eighty pounds sterling on November 8, 1661, one of three major land purchases by Budd from the Indians in the area that month. In 1666, Budd purchased yet another large parcel. By this time, other colonists had grown concerned at the size of Budd's holdings, and Budd's willingness to "settle people upon it," which they regarded as "extreamely prejuditial to the towne" of Rye. On October 2, 1668, nine inhabitants of Rye, apparently led by Peter Disbrow, petitioned the governor in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
to force Budd to sell some of his holdings to them. The petition failed, and Budd continued selling tracts to new settlers, as did his descendants. One such sale, in 1745, of 150 acre (0.607029 km²) was from another John Budd, a grandson of the founder, to Peter Jay, father of John Jay
John Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....
, subsequently the president of the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
, co-author with Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
and James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
of the Federalist Papers
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles or essays promoting the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788...
, and Chief Justice of the United States, among other major distinctions.
The town grew and developed Poningo Neck, the current business district of the city of Rye
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, and finally the Saw Pit area, known today as Port Chester. Original roads, including the Post Road, King Street, and Grace Church Street, are some of the oldest roads, then carriage paths, that led residents in and out of the area.
The Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach
Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach
Rye Town Park-Bathing Complex and Oakland Beach is a historic park and public beach located on Long Island Sound at Rye, Westchester County, New York. It is located next to the separately listed Playland Amusement Park. It was designed in 1909 by architects Upjohn & Conable and landscape...
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 2003.
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 43,880 people, 15,389 households, and 10,818 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 6,298.5 people per square mile (2,430.7/km²). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 2,269.8 per square mile (876.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 71.30% White, 5.14% Black or African American
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...
, 0.35% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.41% 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 4.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.51% of the population.
There were 15,389 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.31.
23.5% of the town's population is under the age of 18, 8.5% are from 18 to 24, 33.3% are from 25 to 44, 20.7% are from 45 to 64, and 14.0% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,675, and the median income for a family was $65,342. Males had a median income of $42,868 versus $36,875 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 $28,948. About 6.9% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Parks
The Town of Rye operates two parks.- Crawford Park sits on 35.6 acres (144,068.2 m²) in the village of Rye BrookRye Brook, New YorkRye Brook is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the town of Rye. Prior to the village's establishment on July 7, 1982, the area was an unincorporated section of the town of Rye...
. It contains soccer fields, a pavilion area, softball field, open fields, a playground, and the mansion. - Rye Town Park/Oakland Beach is located along Forest Avenue in the city of Rye on sixty two acres of grasslands, forests, open fields, duck pond, and beach. It is next to PlaylandPlayland (New York)Playland, often called Rye Playland and also known as Playland Amusement Park, is an amusement park located in Rye, New York. Run by Westchester County, it is the only government owned-and-operated amusement park in the United States.-History:...
Park on Long Island SoundLong Island SoundLong Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
External links
- Town of Rye official website
- Village of Port Chester
- Chronicle of a Border Town. History of Rye, Westchester County, New York, 1660–1680; including Harrison and White Plains till 1788. By Charles W. Baird. [The Atlantic monthly. / Volume 29, Issue 173, March 1872]
Further reading
- History of the County of Westchester from Its First Settlement to the Present Time, by Robert Bolton Jr., Alexander S. Gould, Publisher, New York, 1848