Westbury, New York
Encyclopedia
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village
in Nassau County
, New York
in the United States
. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead.
Westbury is a very diverse community, made up of Italian-Americans, African-Americans and Hispanic Americans. Many of the Hispanics are of Salvadoran
origin. However, the neighborhood has more recently seen an influx of Arab-Americans and Indian-Americans. Many of the Italian-Americans in the village trace their origins to the town of Durazzano
in Southern Italy, and are closely related. A great number still reside on the Hill across from Saint Brigid's Church. The nickname for the village since the mid-1970s has been "A Community for All Seasons" (presumably, because residents tend to live there 12 months of the year).
. Many of the early settlers were Quakers. The village was incorporated in 1932.
Westbury's Jericho Turnpike
was once a trail used by the Massapequa Indians. As far back as the 17th century, it served as a divider between the early homesteads north of the Turnpike and the great plains to its south. Today, it serves as a state highway complex.
In 1657, Captain J. Seaman purchased 12000 acres (48.6 km²) from the Algonquian Tribe of the Massapequa Indians. In 1658, Richard Stites and his family built their homestead in this area. Theirs was the only family farm until an English Quaker, Edmond Titus and his son, Samuel, joined them and settled in an area of Hempstead Plains known to us today as the Village of Westbury. In 1675 Henry Willis, also an English Quaker, named the area "Westbury", after his hometown in England. Other Quaker families who were also seeking a place to freely express their religious beliefs joined the Tituses and Willises. The first Society of Friends meeting house was built in 1700. The early history of Westbury and that of the Friends are so interconnected that they are essentially the same.
These settlers, like many other landowners throughout the colonies, owned slaves. In 1775, compelled by their religious beliefs, the Quakers freed all 154 African-Americans that they had enslaved. Many of these freed men and women built their own homesteads on the open land near the sheep grazing pastures. Their new community consisted of farms and dairies. In 1834, with Quaker assistance, they and their descendants built the New Light Baptist Church. Now known as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the building still stands on the corner of Union Ave. and Cross St.
The outbreak of the American Revolution disrupted Westbury's tranquility. From the beginning of the war until 1783, British soldiers and German mercenaries occupied local homes, confiscated livestock and cleared the woods for troop firewood. With the close of the war, Westbury received its third group of settlers, the German Hessians, who chose not to return to their home country. Instead, they remained in what is now known as New Cassel. This name was chosen after the section of Germany from which many mercenaries had come.
By 1840, the Long Island Railroad had built through Westbury. In this same year, the first public school was built. The railroad made it easier for German, Italian, Irish and Polish immigrants to work Westbury's farms and in 1857, St. Brigid's Parish was founded.
At the same time more African-American families came to the area via the Underground Railroad. For some, Westbury was only one stop on the way to Canada, but several stayed in this area after being harbored in secret rooms in the homes of the Quakers. In the years after the Civil War, until near the turn of the century, the few stores that comprised the small village around the railroad depot, were mainly black owned.
The Village moved from its agricultural setting in the late 19th century when the very wealthy began to settle and build mansions. This area is now known as Old Westbury. Post Avenue soon became a commerce center to serve the surrounding estates. Various estate workers began to move in as well. Streets were mapped out and constructed. Post Avenue received electricity in 1902 and in 1914 a water company was founded.
From the 1850 s to the 1900 s, Westbury's population and ethnic diversity began to rise as many people of Irish, Italian and Polish origins continued to settle.
In response to a rumor that northern Westbury planned to incorporate, thereby leaving the southern part without a name, residents collected enough petitions for third class incorporation in 1932. The Village included Grantsville, the section south of Union Avenue around A.M.E. Zion church, but did not take in New Cassel since the few families that lived there thought it would only unnecessarily increase their taxes.
In 1938, the Northern State Parkway
was constructed and in 1940, Roosevelt Raceway. In 1941, the Second World War began. Westbury sent 1,400 persons to serve our country. This was 20% of the community's population, making it the highest percentage of any comparable community in the United States.
In the mid 1950's, Westbury virtually ran out of undeveloped land and with it came the end of the building boom. In 1940, Westbury listed its population at 4,525. By 1960, Westbury's population had grown to 14,757, according to the census data for that year. Many Caribbean and Latin American families began to settle during this time and in the decades that followed.
As the birth rate declined, people married at a later age and the high cost of buying a home prevented many people from assuming a mortgage in the 1970s, Westbury again underwent change. Today, the Village's population remains over 15,000 and is rich with ethnic and racial diversity. The Village of Westbury is indeed a unique place to live and is truly a community for all people, a Community For All Seasons.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
In addition to Westbury Village itself, unincorporated regions surrounding its borders also use the Westbury name, including New Cassel
, Salisbury
(South Westbury) and parts of Jericho
. For example, the world-famous Westbury Music Fair
performing venue (now known as the Capital One Theatre at Westbury), located in the Westbury postal zone, is part of the Jericho hamlet.
The region is grouped under the name Greater Westbury, a region that also includes organizations with common interests, such as those in Carle Place, New York
to the south and Old Westbury, New York
to the north. The school districts that serve the Greater Westbury region, based on the boundaries, are Westbury (including New Cassel), Carle Place, ast Meadow, New York|East Meadow], East Williston
and Jericho. The only homes zoned for East Meadow Schools are actually located in the Hamlet of Salisbury
, which is in the Town of Hempstead.
Westbury School District students attend Westbury High School
.
of 2000, there were 14,263 people, 4,638 households, and 3,441 families residing in the village. The population density
was 5,979.0 people per square mile (2,304.2/km2). There were 4,714 housing units at an average density of 1,976.1 per square mile (761.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 61.62% White, 22.65% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.72% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 5.95% from other races
, and 4.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.85% of the population.
There were 4,638 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.49.
In the village the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $74,032, and the median income for a family was $77,988. Males had a median income of $41,844 versus $36,316 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $28,018. About 3.6% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead.
Westbury is a very diverse community, made up of Italian-Americans, African-Americans and Hispanic Americans. Many of the Hispanics are of Salvadoran
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
origin. However, the neighborhood has more recently seen an influx of Arab-Americans and Indian-Americans. Many of the Italian-Americans in the village trace their origins to the town of Durazzano
Durazzano
Durazzano is a comune in the Province of Benevento in the Italian region Campania, located about 30 km northeast of Naples and about 30 km west of Benevento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,130 and an area of 13.2 km².Durazzano borders the following municipalities:...
in Southern Italy, and are closely related. A great number still reside on the Hill across from Saint Brigid's Church. The nickname for the village since the mid-1970s has been "A Community for All Seasons" (presumably, because residents tend to live there 12 months of the year).
History
The first settlers arrived in 1658 in the region known as the Hempstead PlainsHempstead Plains
The Hempstead Plains is a region of central Long Island in New York state in what is now Nassau County. It was once an open expanse of native grassland estimated to once extend to about . It was separated from the North Shore of Long Island by the Harbor Hill Moraine, later approximately the route...
. Many of the early settlers were Quakers. The village was incorporated in 1932.
Westbury's Jericho Turnpike
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...
was once a trail used by the Massapequa Indians. As far back as the 17th century, it served as a divider between the early homesteads north of the Turnpike and the great plains to its south. Today, it serves as a state highway complex.
In 1657, Captain J. Seaman purchased 12000 acres (48.6 km²) from the Algonquian Tribe of the Massapequa Indians. In 1658, Richard Stites and his family built their homestead in this area. Theirs was the only family farm until an English Quaker, Edmond Titus and his son, Samuel, joined them and settled in an area of Hempstead Plains known to us today as the Village of Westbury. In 1675 Henry Willis, also an English Quaker, named the area "Westbury", after his hometown in England. Other Quaker families who were also seeking a place to freely express their religious beliefs joined the Tituses and Willises. The first Society of Friends meeting house was built in 1700. The early history of Westbury and that of the Friends are so interconnected that they are essentially the same.
These settlers, like many other landowners throughout the colonies, owned slaves. In 1775, compelled by their religious beliefs, the Quakers freed all 154 African-Americans that they had enslaved. Many of these freed men and women built their own homesteads on the open land near the sheep grazing pastures. Their new community consisted of farms and dairies. In 1834, with Quaker assistance, they and their descendants built the New Light Baptist Church. Now known as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the building still stands on the corner of Union Ave. and Cross St.
The outbreak of the American Revolution disrupted Westbury's tranquility. From the beginning of the war until 1783, British soldiers and German mercenaries occupied local homes, confiscated livestock and cleared the woods for troop firewood. With the close of the war, Westbury received its third group of settlers, the German Hessians, who chose not to return to their home country. Instead, they remained in what is now known as New Cassel. This name was chosen after the section of Germany from which many mercenaries had come.
By 1840, the Long Island Railroad had built through Westbury. In this same year, the first public school was built. The railroad made it easier for German, Italian, Irish and Polish immigrants to work Westbury's farms and in 1857, St. Brigid's Parish was founded.
At the same time more African-American families came to the area via the Underground Railroad. For some, Westbury was only one stop on the way to Canada, but several stayed in this area after being harbored in secret rooms in the homes of the Quakers. In the years after the Civil War, until near the turn of the century, the few stores that comprised the small village around the railroad depot, were mainly black owned.
The Village moved from its agricultural setting in the late 19th century when the very wealthy began to settle and build mansions. This area is now known as Old Westbury. Post Avenue soon became a commerce center to serve the surrounding estates. Various estate workers began to move in as well. Streets were mapped out and constructed. Post Avenue received electricity in 1902 and in 1914 a water company was founded.
From the 1850 s to the 1900 s, Westbury's population and ethnic diversity began to rise as many people of Irish, Italian and Polish origins continued to settle.
In response to a rumor that northern Westbury planned to incorporate, thereby leaving the southern part without a name, residents collected enough petitions for third class incorporation in 1932. The Village included Grantsville, the section south of Union Avenue around A.M.E. Zion church, but did not take in New Cassel since the few families that lived there thought it would only unnecessarily increase their taxes.
In 1938, the Northern State Parkway
Northern State Parkway
The Northern State Parkway is a long limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens-Nassau County line, where the parkway continues westward into New York City as the Grand Central Parkway...
was constructed and in 1940, Roosevelt Raceway. In 1941, the Second World War began. Westbury sent 1,400 persons to serve our country. This was 20% of the community's population, making it the highest percentage of any comparable community in the United States.
In the mid 1950's, Westbury virtually ran out of undeveloped land and with it came the end of the building boom. In 1940, Westbury listed its population at 4,525. By 1960, Westbury's population had grown to 14,757, according to the census data for that year. Many Caribbean and Latin American families began to settle during this time and in the decades that followed.
As the birth rate declined, people married at a later age and the high cost of buying a home prevented many people from assuming a mortgage in the 1970s, Westbury again underwent change. Today, the Village's population remains over 15,000 and is rich with ethnic and racial diversity. The Village of Westbury is indeed a unique place to live and is truly a community for all people, a Community For All Seasons.
Geography
Westbury is located at 40.758930°N 73.588173°W.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 village has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
In addition to Westbury Village itself, unincorporated regions surrounding its borders also use the Westbury name, including New Cassel
New Cassel, New York
New Cassel is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 14,059 at the 2010 census.New Cassel adjoins the Village of Westbury and is part of the Greater Westbury area...
, Salisbury
Salisbury, Nassau County, New York
Salisbury is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 12,093 at the 2010 census. Many but not all are housed in Levitt style homes adjacent to Eisenhower Park, formerly Salisbury Park. The region is also known by locals as South Westbury,...
(South Westbury) and parts of Jericho
Jericho, New York
Jericho is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 13,567. The area is served by the Jericho Union Free School District, the boundaries of which differ somewhat from those of the hamlet...
. For example, the world-famous Westbury Music Fair
Westbury Music Fair
The NYCB Theater at Westbury is an entertainment venue located in Westbury, New York constructed in theater in the round style with seating for 3,000 that was originally developed as a means to present top performers and productions of popular theatrical musicals at a series of venues located in...
performing venue (now known as the Capital One Theatre at Westbury), located in the Westbury postal zone, is part of the Jericho hamlet.
The region is grouped under the name Greater Westbury, a region that also includes organizations with common interests, such as those in Carle Place, New York
Carle Place, New York
Carle Place is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. As of 2010 the CDP population was 4,981...
to the south and Old Westbury, New York
Old Westbury, New York
Old Westbury is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 4,671....
to the north. The school districts that serve the Greater Westbury region, based on the boundaries, are Westbury (including New Cassel), Carle Place, ast Meadow, New York|East Meadow], East Williston
East Williston, New York
East Williston is an incorporated village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 2,556 at the 2010 census.The Village of East Williston is in the Town of North Hempstead.- History :...
and Jericho. The only homes zoned for East Meadow Schools are actually located in the Hamlet of Salisbury
Salisbury, Nassau County, New York
Salisbury is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 12,093 at the 2010 census. Many but not all are housed in Levitt style homes adjacent to Eisenhower Park, formerly Salisbury Park. The region is also known by locals as South Westbury,...
, which is in the Town of Hempstead.
Westbury School District students attend Westbury High School
Westbury High School (Old Westbury, New York)
Westbury Senior High School is a ninth-through-12th-grade school of the Westbury Union Free School District , the district covering the village of Westbury, New York...
.
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 14,263 people, 4,638 households, and 3,441 families residing in the village. 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 5,979.0 people per square mile (2,304.2/km2). There were 4,714 housing units at an average density of 1,976.1 per square mile (761.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 61.62% White, 22.65% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.72% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 5.95% 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 4.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.85% of the population.
There were 4,638 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% 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, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.49.
In the village the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $74,032, and the median income for a family was $77,988. Males had a median income of $41,844 versus $36,316 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 village was $28,018. About 3.6% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable natives
Notable natives of Westbury include:- Bradford D. Carroll, Sports Editor and T.V. writer
- Neil CavutoNeil CavutoNeil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
, FOX Business NetworkFox Business NetworkFox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
anchor and executive - DJ RekhaDJ RekhaDJ Rekha is a London-born musician, DJ, producer, curator, and activist. She has been credited with pioneering Bhangra music in North America...
, Credited for starting New York's South Asian bhangra scene - Doctor DreDoctor DreAndré "Doctor Dré" Brown is an African American radio personality and former MTV VJ.-Career:Doctor Dré is best known for being the co-host of MTV's hip hop music specialty program Yo! MTV Raps with partner Ed Lover. The duo also starred in the 1993 film Who's the Man?...
, rapper, MTV VJ and also DJ for Power 105.1WWPR-FMWWPR-FM, also known as "Power 105.1", is an urban contemporary radio station that features hip hop and R&B licensed to New York City that serves the Greater New York area....
in New York - Russ Hauck, U.S. Naval Academy, Mayor of Altamonte Springs, Florida
- Paul HewittPaul Hewitt-External links:**...
, Head Men's Basketball Coach at Georgia Tech - Skip JutzeSkip JutzeAlfred Henry "Skip" Jutze is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a catcher.- Baseball career :...
, Major League Baseball player - Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals. - Matt Kaplowitz, COO of We in the Zone Entertainment Records, Grandson of Original New York Knickerbocker and former NBA Champion Ralph KaplowitzRalph KaplowitzRalph Kaplowitz was an American basketball player. Kaplowitz played in the first two seasons of the Basketball Association of America , now known as the National Basketball Association , and was at the time of his death the oldest living person to have played for the New York...
- Mims (Rapper)
- Bill O'ReillyBill O'Reilly (commentator)William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
, Fox News talk show host - Joe SatrianiJoe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, virtuoso guitarist, composer, producer and guitar teacher
External links
- Westbury official website
- Westbury Memorial Public Library Current home of the Historical Society of the Westburys