Eastchester (town), New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eastchester, New York
Town
Eastchester Town Hall
Location of Eastchester (town), New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Settled	1664
Established	1665
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	4.94 sq mi (12.80 km2)
• Land	4.85 sq mi (12.57 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation	194 ft (59 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	32,363
• Estimate  (2016)	33,006
• Density	6,801.15/sq mi (2,625.92/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10707, 10708, 10709
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-21820
GNIS feature ID	978916

Eastchester is a town in southern Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 32,363 at the 2010 census, and 32,964 as of 2018's census estimates. There are two villages within the town: Bronxville and Tuckahoe. The town contains a census-designated place also named Eastchester, which is the whole town of Eastchester excluding Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km²), of which 4.9 square miles (13 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), or 2.00%, is water.

History

The town that is now called Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from Fairfield, Connecticut. Thomas Pell, who at that time also owned the territory that is now New Rochelle and Pelham, granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons'," where the home of Anne Hutchinson had stood some twenty years before. The ten original families were shortly joined by another 26.

Laws for the region were established the following year, in 1665, under an agreement called the "Eastchester Covenant". The covenant was a rare document for this period. It contained 26 provisions, including such items as education of children, disposition and upkeep of property, and support of a minister.

Confirmation of their 1664 land patent was granted by Governor Richard Nicolls in 1666 after the occupation of the area by the English.

Eastchester was a farming community at the outbreak of the American Revolution. Although no major battles were fought here, as the heart of the Neutral Ground it saw constant fighting for over 13 years, being harassed by both sides as well as by the cowboys and skinners (the guerrillas of the day). Eastchester's rural makeup began to change with the coming of the railroad in the 1840s. An area of 370 acres (1,500,000 m²) of land was incorporated as the village of Mount Vernon in 1853 by a group of New York businessmen; Today, Eastchester is bounded by Scarsdale on the north, New Rochelle on the east, Yonkers on the west, and Mount Vernon on the south. The town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

Babe Ruth was a member of Leewood Country Club.

The Marble Schoolhouse and Tuckahoe High School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Wilmot School near the corner of White Plains Road and Wilmot Road was a K-8 school that serviced the north end of town after 1909. When the Greenvale elementary school was erected in 1936, the Wilmot School was put to use as Eastchester's Town Hall. In 1964, the clubhouse of the Oak Ridge Country Club was converted into the present Town Hall, and the Wilmot School was torn down. The Cooper School, located in the northern end of town, was an elementary school built in the 1920s. It was demolished in 1980 and the land sold to a private housing developer. The original schoolyard lives on as Cooper Field, leased to the town of Eastchester at the rate of one dollar per year. The park is also referred to as Vaccaro Park, as it was originally donated by Carmela Vaccaro the matriarch of one of the largest and longest standing families in Eastchester. The Anne Hutchinson School, another elementary school, was built in 1953, and additional classrooms constructed several years later. A primary wing was built at the Greenvale School in the 1950s.

In popular culture

• Various Eastchester High School students appeared in the movie "Garp" and the area south of Leewood Country Club was used as a filming location The World According to Garp (1982). The film starred Robin Williams.
• Main Street in Tuckahoe was used for a scene in the film Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

Landmarks and attractions

Twin Lakes Park

• Hotel Gramatan, built in 1905 to accommodate the burgeoning artist community of Lawrence Park in Bronxville. The hotel was demolished in 1972.
• Immaculate Conception Church, a Catholic church that has been located in the town for many years.
• Lake Isle Country Club was originally known by two other names. It opened before 1920 and was known as the Mount Vernon Country Club. In the 1940s the clubs name was changed to Vernon Hills Country Club but when it was purchased in 1979 the name changed for a third time and thus became what is known today as the Lake Isle Country Club (according to the historical book "Out of the Wilderness: The Emergence of Eastchester, Tuckahoe & Bronxville, N.Y. 1664 - 2014). This is where town residents can go to play golf, tennis, or swim in the pools during the summer and engage in other recreational activities.
• Marble Schoolhouse, one-room schoolhouse built in 1835; constructed of Tuckahoe Marble
• Twin Lakes County Park, a park operated by the Westchester County Department of Parks with many trails, wildlife, Twin Lakes Farms horse stables, and a lake.
• Town Hall, the site was originally a farm, later a country club and golf club. Dedicated in 1957 and converted to Pennsylvania style utilizing the existing stonework and slate roof. Town Hall is the only town center in Westchester County to house a wide variety of town departments and local civic functions.
• Vernon Hills Shopping Center, the main shopping center in the town of Eastchester. Constructed in the 1950s, the complex contains high-end stores such as American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor LOFT, Brooks Brothers, The Children's Place, Lord & Taylor, and Starbucks.
• Westchester Funeral Home, one of the oldest funeral homes in New York City, was founded in 1832 in Greenwich Village by Samuel Benedict and moved to Eastchester around the turn of the century. The funeral home and founder's son, Charles A. Benedict arranged the funeral of President Garfield after his assassination in 1881.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000^[update], there were 31,318 people, 12,626 households, and 8,408 families residing in the town. The population density was 6,376.3 people per square mile (2,462.7/km²). There were 13,035 housing units at an average density of 2,653.9 per square mile (1,025.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.35% White, 5.80% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.48% of the population.

There were 12,626 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $101,425, and the median income for a family was $137,663. Males had a median income of $71,420 versus $47,725 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,941. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

On July 1, 2018 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 32,964. There were 12,748 households and the racial makeup was 79.3% non-Hispanic white, 1.9% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.0% Asian, 3.9% from two or more races, and 8.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.1% of the town was foreign-born and 24.1% spoke another language other than English at home.

The median income from 2014-2018 was $120,867 and the per capita income was $74,393. 4.1% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2018.

Communities in Eastchester

Village of Bronxville:

• Bronxville Heights
• Lawrence Park

Village of Tuckahoe:

• Waverly
• Bronxville Manor
• Crestwood

Eastchester, unincorporated hamlet:

• Lake Isle (sections also in New Rochelle)
• Twin Lakes
• California Ridge
• Hickory Hills
• Huntley Estates
• Chester Heights (sections also in New Rochelle)
• The North End
• The Industrial Sector
• Green Knolls
• Garth Road
• Waverly Heights
• Bronxville Manor

Image gallery

• 

  Town of Eastchester welcome sign

• 

  Marble schoolhouse

• 

  Mickey Spillane's Restaurant

• 

  Immaculate Conception Church

• 

  Lake Isle Country Club

• 

  Anne Hutchinson School

• 

  Interlaken Reservoir

• 

  The entrance to Holy Mount Cemetery

• 

  The graves in Holy Mount Cemetery

• 

  Eastchester Public Library

• 

  Banner at Eastchester High School

Education

Eastchester High School

Tuckahoe High School

Eastchester Union Free School District serves a portion.

• Eastchester High School
• Eastchester Middle School
• Anne Hutchinson Elementary
• Greenvale Elementary
• Waverly School

Tuckahoe Union Free School District serves a portion

• Tuckahoe High School
• Tuckahoe Middle School
• Cottle Elementary

Bronxville Union Free School District (one K-12 school) also serves a portion

Private:

• Immaculate Conception School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
• Chapel School
• St. Joseph School

Notable people

• Harrison Bader, Major League Baseball Player for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Aaron Burr, third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson
• Tom Creavy, PGA golfer who won the 1931 PGA Championship
• John Doherty, former MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox
• Johnny Farrell, PGA golfer who won the 1928 U.S. Open
• Jimmy Fink, New York radio personality
• Nick Fotiu, NHL Forward who lived on the shores of Lake Innisfree during his tenure with the NY Rangers
• Mario Gabelli, stock investor who lived on the shores of Lake Innisfree
• Anne Hutchinson, early advocate of religious freedom
• Willie Macfarlane, PGA golfer who won the U.S. Open in 1925
• Bobby Moynihan, actor & comedian from Saturday Night Live
• Kenneth Posner, Tony Award-winning theatrical lighting designer
• Tony Sayegh, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U. S. Department of the Treasury
• T. F. Secor (1808–1901), marine engineer and co-founder of T. F. Secor & Co.
• Jess Sweetser, golfer who won the British Amateur Championship in 1926
• Ed Ward, American writer and music critic
• John Peter Zenger, defendant in a landmark legal case that laid the foundation for press freedom

Images for kids

• 

  Eastchester High School

• 

  Leewood Golf Course

See also

In Spanish: Eastchester para niños