Carmel, New York

Carmel (pronounced CAR-muhl) is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 34,305.[3]

Carmel, New York
Town
View of Carmel from US 6
Location of Carmel, New York
Coordinates: 41°23′6″N 73°43′46″W
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyPutnam
Area
  Total40.69 sq mi (105.39 km2)
  Land35.91 sq mi (93.00 km2)
  Water4.79 sq mi (12.40 km2)  11.26%
Elevation
646 ft (197 m)
Population
 (2010)
  Total34,305
  Estimate 
(2016)[2]
34,255
  Density953.99/sq mi (368.34/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
10512 & 10541
Area code(s)845 Exchanges: 225,228
FIPS code36-12529
GNIS feature ID0978793
Websitewww.carmelny.org

The Town of Carmel is on the southern border of Putnam County, abutting Westchester County. There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages.

History

The statue of Sybil Ludington on Gleneida Avenue
The original 1814 Putnam County Courthouse. General James Townsend, Architect.

The town was settled around 1740 by George Hughson. On the night of April 26, 1777, after learning the news that the British had begun burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode her horse, Star, the entire night through the hamlets of Carmel, Mahopac, Kent Cliffs and Farmers Mills, warning those along the way that the British were coming before returning home at dawn. A statue memorializing Sybil Ludington sits alongside Lake Gleneida.

Carmel was formed with Franklin town from part of Frederick town on March 17, 1795, while still a part of Dutchess County. (Franklin was renamed Patterson April 6, 1808. Frederick changed its name to Kent April 15, 1817.)[4] Carmel was transferred to Putnam County when Dutchess County was split to form Putnam County in 1812 and Carmel was designated the county seat. In 1861, a small part of Carmel was taken to be added to the town of Putnam Valley.

Putnam County Courthouse

The Putnam County Courthouse was built in 1814. It is the second oldest working[5] courthouse in New York State. General James Townsend, of Carmel, was the architect. A landmark on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, the building has a classical front facade. There was one hanging there in 1844. A jail was added in 1855. A new Putnam County Courthouse was completed in early 2008, located nearby on Gleneida Avenue.

Carmel High School

Significant events

  • December 4, 1965 – Two passenger planes collided in mid-air killing four people.
  • July 29, 1971 – A F-2 tornado 1.9 miles (3.1 km) away from the city center caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.
  • September 1982 – June 1983 – Carmel High School Boys Track star Mike Stahr is ranked first in the US for the mile run, losing only one high school track race during his junior and senior year. He set state records and was the Millrose mile winner two years in a row.
  • July 10, 1989 – A F-2 (max. wind speeds 113–157 mph) tornado 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away from the Carmel town center traveled east across Fair Street near the King's Grant condos, injured five people and caused between $5,000,000 and $50,000,000 in damages.
  • September 11, 2001 – eight Carmel residents died in the September 11 terrorist attacks: Police Officer Stephen Patrick Driscoll, Firefighter Daniel Harlin, Firefighter Thomas Joseph Kuveikis, Firefighter Robert Minara, George Paris of Cantor Fitzgerald, Firefighter Christopher Blackwell, David Fodor of Fiduciary Trust, and Firefighter George Cain. The town has a memorial dedicated at Spain-Cornerstone Park on the corner of Fair Street and Route 52.
  • 2002 – A scene for the Adam Sandler movie Mr. Deeds was filmed at the Wendy's in the Putnam Plaza. Although most of the scene was edited from the film, they do show the helicopter sitting in the parking lot in the movie.
  • April 27–28, 2007 – The Town of Carmel hosted a two-day militia encampment along Lake Gleneida. The event celebrated the 230th anniversary of the heroism of Sybil Ludington.

Government

Carmel is governed by a Town Supervisor and the Town Board. The Carmel Town Hall is located at 60 McAlpin Avenue in Mahopac.

Emergency Services

Law Enforcement is primarily handled by the Carmel Police Department, with the Putnam County Sheriff's Department and the New York State Police supplementing coverage.

Fire Protection Services are provided by the Carmel Fire Department, Croton Falls Fire District, Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department, and Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department.

Emergency Medical Services are provided to the town based on nature and location of emergency. Basic Life Support Ambulance service is provided by Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department, Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department, and North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Advanced Life Support Ambulance and First Response service is provided by EMStar Ambulance under contract by Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services.

Education

George Fischer Middle School is Carmel's primary Middle School. Built in 1963, it was named after a former school board member, George F. Fischer. It contains a large number of students (1,000+), and contains grades 5–8. It is notable for its music program.[6]

Constructed in 1929, Carmel High School, which serves 1,843 students, is located on Fair Street across the street from the post office in the heart of town. The original building had four additions built over the years. One was built in 1936 with money from the New Deal. One was built in 1969, and another in 1980. The fourth was opened in September 2007. The new wing holds science classrooms and a library.

St. James the Apostle is a Catholic elementary school in Carmel that opened in 1954; it serves as an additional educational option for families.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.7 square miles (105 km2), of which 36.1 square miles (93 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) is water. The total area is 11.26% water.

The south town line is the border of Westchester County, New York. The town is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City (measured from Central Park) and approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of Danbury, Connecticut.

Notable sites and organizations

Communities and locations in Carmel

  • Boyds Corners-
  • Carmel – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town and home to the seat of Putnam County.
  • Baldwin Place – A hamlet at the junction of US 6 and NY 118.
  • Carmel Hills – A hamlet south of Carmel village.
  • Crafts – once a hamlet of Carmel with its own Post Office, off of Drewville Road, south of Route 6, named after the Craft Family, descendants of Pilgrims.
  • Field Corners
  • Hopkins Corners
  • Houseman Corners
  • Kent-
  • Kent Cliffs-
  • Lake Carmel-
  • Ludington -
  • Mahopac – A hamlet where the town government is located.
  • Mahopac Falls – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
  • Mahopac Mines – Abandoned mines on the east side of town near the old Ames building.
  • Mahopac Point – The easternmost section of Carmel
  • Mahopac Golf Club – Located on the north side of Lake Mahopac is a beautiful 18 hole private golf and beach club.
  • McLaughlin Acres
  • Rock Hill Camp – A Girl Scout camp opened in 1922, located in Mahopac on Long Pond.[8]
  • The Sedgewood Club – (Previously the Carmel Country Club) A private community with golf and tennis facilities near the Hamlet of Carmel,
  • Thompkins Corners-
  • Secor Corners
  • Seven Hills-
  • Stillwater – A hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
  • Tilly Foster – A hamlet southeast of Carmel village near the east town line

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.
2016 (est.)34,255[2]
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
  • Total Population: 33,196
  • Males, 49.0%; Females – 51.0%
  • Median Age: 40.1 years
  • By Race
    • White, 90.5%
    • Hispanic (of any race), 8.0%
    • Asian, 3.0%
    • Black or African American, 1.0%
    • Other Race, 2.7%
  • Average Household Size: 2.99
  • Median Household Income: $105,406 (2015[10])
  • Per Capita Income: $42,034 (2015)
  • High School Graduation Rate: 94.1%
  • College Graduation Rate: 42.1%

Source: US Census[11]

Elected officials

  • Governor Andrew Cuomo, elected 2011
  • US Senator Charles Schumer, elected 1999
  • US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, elected 2009
  • Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, elected 2013
  • State Senator Peter Harckham, elected 2018
  • Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, elected 2016
  • County Executive MaryEllen Odell, elected 2011
  • County Legislator William Gouldman (District 2), elected 2014[12]
  • County Legislator Carl L. Albano (District 5), elected 2011[13]
  • County Legislator Joseph Castellano (District 7), elected 2012[14]
  • County Legislator Amy Sayegh (District 8), elected 2018[15]
  • County Legislator Neal Sullivan (District 9), elected 2016[16]
  • Town Supervisor Kenneth Schmitt, elected 2010
  • Town Councilman Michael Barile, elected 2018[17]
  • Town Councilwoman Suzanne McDonough, elected 2010[17]
  • Town Councilman John D. Lupinacci, elected 2012[17]
  • Town Councilman Jonathan Schneider, elected 2012[17]

Notable people

References

  1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 5, 2017.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Carmel town, Putnam County, New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  4. Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York State, J. H. French: 1860
  5. "County Courthouse Building & Historical Marker". Adventures Around Putnam. Rohit Tripathi. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  6. "George Fischer Middle School – Homepage". Gfms.carmelschools.org. 2015-02-13. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  7. "Hospital Information". HealthQuest. Health Quest. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  8. Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  10. "District 2 – Legislator William J. Gouldman". Putnam County Online. County of Putnam, NY. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. "Legislator Carl L. Albano". Putnamcountyny.com. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  12. "District 7 – Legislator Joseph F. Castellano". Putnam County Online. County of Putnam, NY. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  13. "Legislator Amy Sayegh". Putnamcountyny.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  14. "District 9 – Legislator Neal L. Sullivan". Putnam County Online. County of Putnam, NY. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. Archived March 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.