New Paltz (village), New York
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New Paltz is a village in Ulster County in the U.S. state of New York. It is about 90 miles north of New York City. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 6,034.
The Village of New Paltz is located within the Town of New Paltz. New Paltz is also home to the State University of New York New Paltz, founded in 1828.
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History
The village of New Paltz was established in 1678. Prior to the establishment of the village, Native American tribes were living in the area.
The first European residents were Huguenot refugees from France. These refugees fled to the Palatinate in Germany before going to New Paltz. This region is called the Pfalz in the German language. This is the origin of the name New Paltz. The settlers were led by Louis Dubois, who along with his son and 10 other leading Huguenots formed a self governing council called the duzine, one of the earliest representative forms of colonial government in the Americas. The DuBois fort was later built to protect the settlement from the Native Americans, but aside from a kidnapping, it was never used. Huguenot Street, a National Historic District, has stone houses built by these refugees. This street is known as the oldest street in America with its original houses. Under nominal Dutch rule, the settlers had purchased from the local tribe a several-thousand acre tract of land from the Hudson River to the mountains, and later had their grant confirmed by the English.
The National Historic Landmark Mohonk Mountain House was built in 1869.
Starting in the late twentieth century, New Paltz increasingly became an outer commuting suburb of New York City. Residents either commute daily, commute part time, or telecommute. This trend accelerated as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
This suburbanization increasingly uses agricultural lands for housing and commercial development. Much of this land in the New Paltz area had been apple orchards.
The mayor is Jason West, elected on the Green Party ticket. On February 26, 2004, he announced that the village would start performing same-sex civil weddings. See Same-sex marriage in the United States. On June 8 2004, a New York judge ruled that West lacked the authority to perform any further marriages.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.6 km² (1.8 mi²). 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.70% water.
The Wallkill River runs north through New Paltz and flows into the Hudson River. The Shawangunk Mountain, which includes the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park, is just outside of New Paltz. This mountain is considered to be one of the best rock climbing sites in America.
The Shawangunk Ridge Coalition [1] (http://www.shawangunkridge.org) is an environmental protection interest group. The Phillies Bridge Farm Project [2] (http://www.philliesbridge.org) provides local, environmentally friendly agriculture practices and education programs.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 6,034 people, 1,898 households, and 586 families residing in the village. The population density is 1,346.7/km² (3,482.5/mi²). There are 1,957 housing units at an average density of 436.8/km² (1,129.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 73.42% White, 7.79% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 7.01% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 8.35% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. 11.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,898 households out of which 12.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.1% are married couples living together, 7.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 69.1% are non-families. 41.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.03 and the average family size is 2.66.
In the village the population is spread out with 6.9% under the age of 18, 58.7% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 10.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 22 years. For every 100 females there are 80.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 78.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $21,747, and the median income for a family is $51,186. Males have a median income of $33,103 versus $22,935 for females. The per capita income for the village is $11,644. 36.9% of the population and 11.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 18.6% of those under the age of 18 and 12.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Notable residents
- Louis Dubois, founder of one of the earliest Huguenot colonies in the Americas
- Abe Attell was a boxing champion.
- Floyd Patterson was a boxing champion.
- Lewis DuBois was a descendant of the original Huguenot refugees and a military commander in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Politics
The Village of New Paltz Government has an elected Mayor and Village Board. Mayor Jason West is a member of the Green Party, a third party. This party rarely wins elections in the political culture of the United States, which is dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties.
Transportation
New Paltz is exit 18 on the New York State Thruway which is also designated as Interstate 87. There is frequent bus service between The Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City and New Paltz with connections to many other villages and cities. Stewart International Airport is the nearest major airport to New Paltz. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail [3] (http://www.gorailtrail.org) is on the bed of the Wallkill Valley Rail transport, the former main transportation link for New Paltz.
External links
- New Paltz Community Information (http://www.newpaltz.org)
- Village of New Paltz Government (http://www.villageofnewpaltz.org)
- Huguenot Historical Society (http://www.hhs-newpaltz.org) documents the history of New Paltz with a focus on the Huguenot refugees and their descendants
- Elting Library (http://elting.newpaltz.lib.ny.us/) contains a special local history collection
- G. Steve Jordan Nature Photography (http://mohonkimages.com/)
- State University of New York at New Paltz (http://www.newpaltz.edu)
- Mohonk Mountain House (http://www.mohonk.com)
- WikiPaltz, a Wiki about New Paltz (http://wiki.newpaltzsa.com)