Virgil, New York
Encyclopedia
Virgil is a town in Cortland County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 2,287 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Roman
poet Virgil
. It is the birthplace of Groton, NY, mayor Brandon Wing.
The Town of Virgil is in the southwest part of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland
.
used to pay soldiers of the American Revolution
. "Virgil" was the name of one of the townships of the Military Tract, this name being assigned by a clerk interested in the Classics
.
Virgil was first settled around 1792. The town was formed from the Town of Homer
in 1804. Virgil was reduced by the formation of the Towns of Harford
and Lapeer
in 1845. Virgil also lost territory to the Towns of Cortlandville
and Freetown
.
In 1865, the population was 2,009.
, the town has a total area of 47.4 square miles (122.8 km²), of which, 47.3 square miles (122.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
The west town line is shared with Dryden
in Tompkins County
. The east town line is shared with Freetown
; part of this line is the Tioughnioga River
. The north town line is shared with Cortlandville
. The south town line separates Virgil from Harford
and Lapeer
.
US Route 11 and I-81
pass near the east town line by the Tioghnioga River. New York State Route 215
, which begins in the City of Cortland
in the neighboring town of Cortlandville
, ends at the intersection with New York State Route 392
in the hamlet of Virgil. New York State Route 13
cuts across the northwest corner of the town.
of 2000, there were 2,287 people, 833 households, and 623 families residing in the town. The population density
was 48.3 people per square mile (18.7/km²). There were 982 housing units at an average density of 20.7 per square mile (8.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.46% White, 0.61% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 833 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,292, and the median income for a family was $45,402. Males had a median income of $31,974 versus $23,788 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,024. About 5.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
, 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 2,287 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
poet Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
. It is the birthplace of Groton, NY, mayor Brandon Wing.
The Town of Virgil is in the southwest part of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
.
History
The region was part of the Central New York Military TractCentral New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
used to pay soldiers 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...
. "Virgil" was the name of one of the townships of the Military Tract, this name being assigned by a clerk interested in the Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
.
Virgil was first settled around 1792. The town was formed from the Town of Homer
Homer (town), New York
Homer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 6,363 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Greek poet Homer.The Town of Homer contains a village called Homer...
in 1804. Virgil was reduced by the formation of the Towns of Harford
Harford, New York
Harford is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 920 at the 2000 census.The Town of Harford is in the southwest part of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland.- History :...
and Lapeer
Lapeer, New York
Lapeer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 686 at the 2000 census.The Town of Lapeer is on the south border of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland.- History :...
in 1845. Virgil also lost territory to the Towns of Cortlandville
Cortlandville, New York
Cortlandville is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 7,919 at the 2000 census.The Town of Cortlandville surrounds the City of Cortland and is at the western border of the county.- History :...
and Freetown
Freetown, New York
For an area of the same name in East Hampton, New York see: Freetown Freetown is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States...
.
In 1865, the population was 2,009.
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 47.4 square miles (122.8 km²), of which, 47.3 square miles (122.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.08%) is water.
The west town line is shared with Dryden
Dryden, New York
Dryden, New York can refer to:* Dryden , New York* Dryden , New York...
in Tompkins County
Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
. The east town line is shared with Freetown
Freetown, New York
For an area of the same name in East Hampton, New York see: Freetown Freetown is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States...
; part of this line is the Tioughnioga River
Tioughnioga River
The Tioughnioga River is a tributary of the Chenango River in central New York in the United States. It drains a dissected plateau area east of the Finger Lakes at the northernmost edge of the watershed of the Susquehanna River....
. The north town line is shared with Cortlandville
Cortlandville, New York
Cortlandville is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 7,919 at the 2000 census.The Town of Cortlandville surrounds the City of Cortland and is at the western border of the county.- History :...
. The south town line separates Virgil from Harford
Harford, New York
Harford is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 920 at the 2000 census.The Town of Harford is in the southwest part of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland.- History :...
and Lapeer
Lapeer, New York
Lapeer is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 686 at the 2000 census.The Town of Lapeer is on the south border of Cortland County and is south of the City of Cortland.- History :...
.
US Route 11 and I-81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
pass near the east town line by the Tioghnioga River. New York State Route 215
New York State Route 215
New York State Route 215 is a north–south state highway located entirely within Cortland County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an intersection with NY 392 in the town of Virgil to a junction with NY 13 in the city of Cortland...
, which begins in the City of Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
in the neighboring town of Cortlandville
Cortlandville, New York
Cortlandville is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 7,919 at the 2000 census.The Town of Cortlandville surrounds the City of Cortland and is at the western border of the county.- History :...
, ends at the intersection with New York State Route 392
New York State Route 392
New York State Route 392 is an east–west state highway in south-central New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with the concurrency of NY 13 and NY 38 in the village of Dryden in Tompkins County. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with U.S...
in the hamlet of Virgil. New York State Route 13
New York State Route 13
New York State Route 13 is a state highway that runs mainly north–south for between NY 14 in Horseheads and NY 3 west of Pulaski in Central New York in the United States. In between, NY 13 intersects with Interstate 81 in Cortland and Pulaski and meets the New York...
cuts across the northwest corner of 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 2,287 people, 833 households, and 623 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 48.3 people per square mile (18.7/km²). There were 982 housing units at an average density of 20.7 per square mile (8.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.46% White, 0.61% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.22% 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 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 833 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,292, and the median income for a family was $45,402. Males had a median income of $31,974 versus $23,788 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 $19,024. About 5.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Virgil
Hall's Hill Blueberry Farm on Tower Road www.hallshillblueberryfarm.com- East Virgil – A hamletHamlet (place)A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the southeast part of the town on NY-392. - Franks Corners – A location in the southwest part of the town.
- Greek Peak Mountain ResortGreek PeakGreek Peak Mountain Resort is a ski resort, with a vertical drop of , located near Cortland, New York. Greek Peak offers day and night skiing 7 days a week from late December until mid March. This mountain features 32 trails with varied terrain. It also has 6 lifts, 2 magic carpet lifts, and a...
– A skiingSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
area on NY-392, east of Virgil hamlet. - Hollenbeck Hollow – A valley near the west town line.
- Messengerville ( also known as "State Bridge") – A hamlet at the east town line where NY-392New York State Route 392New York State Route 392 is an east–west state highway in south-central New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with the concurrency of NY 13 and NY 38 in the village of Dryden in Tompkins County. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with U.S...
terminates at its intersection with US Route 11. - Virgil – The hamlet of Virgil at the junction of Routes NY-215New York State Route 215New York State Route 215 is a north–south state highway located entirely within Cortland County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an intersection with NY 392 in the town of Virgil to a junction with NY 13 in the city of Cortland...
and NY-392New York State Route 392New York State Route 392 is an east–west state highway in south-central New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with the concurrency of NY 13 and NY 38 in the village of Dryden in Tompkins County. Its eastern terminus is at a junction with U.S...
. Virgil Creek flows through this community.