Deerpark, New York

For the similarly named hamlet in Suffolk County, seeDeer Park, New York.

Deerpark, New York
Town
The refurbishedHuguenot Schoolhouse,now the historical museum of Deerpark
Location inOrange CountyandNew York
Deerpark, New York Deerpark, New York
Coordinates:41°27′N74°39′W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Orange
Settled	1690
Established	1798
Government
•Town Supervisor	Gary Spears (R,C,I) Town Council Arthur T. Trovei (R,C,I) David M. Dean (R,C,I) Kenneth E. Smith (R,C,I) Al Schock (R,C,I)
Area
• Total	67.95 sq mi (175.98 km2)
• Land	66.50 sq mi (172.23 km2)
• Water	1.45 sq mi (3.75 km2)
Population (2020)
• Total	7,509
• Density	110/sq mi (43/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4(EDT)
ZIP Code	12729, 12746, 12780, 12785
Area code	845
FIPS code	36-071-19961
Website	townofdeerpark.org

Deerparkis atownin the western part ofOrange County, New York,United States, and part of theNew York metropolitan area.As of the2020 Census,the population was at 7,509. Thecenter of populationof New York is located inCuddebackville,ahamletin Deerpark.Cuddebackville and Deerpark most prominently serve as the headquarters of both the globalFalun Gongreligious movement and theShen Yunperformance artstroupe, based at theDragon Springscompound.

History

Dutch & Huguenot colonists settled in the area in the 17th century, centered on a Dutch settlement named Waghackamack and later renamed to Minisink. The settlement was part of theboundary dispute between New York and New Jersey,which began circa 1700 and was not resolved until 1773.During theAmerican Revolution,the area was raided twice by Mohawk Leader, Joseph Brant. The more impactful of the raids took place on July 20, 1776, causing mass destruction in the town and leading to theBattle of Minisink.

The town of Deerpark would be established in 1798, being formed from the southeastern section ofMamakating.The town got its name from a tract of land enclosed with a brush fence, referred to as McDaniel’s “Deerpark” by locals.On May 11, 1853, what is nowPort Jerviswould split off from the town, becoming its own incorporated village.

Geography

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 67.9 square miles (176 km²), of which 66.4 square miles (172 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (2.14%) is water. It is considered the second largest town in area in Orange County.

The southwestern town line is the border ofPennsylvania,marked by theDelaware River.The western and northern town lines are the border ofSullivan County,New York. TheNeversink Riverflows through the town. The city of Port Jervis is located at the southern corner of the town, and a small portion of the town borders onMontague Township, New Jersey.

US Route 209parallels the course of theNeversink River.Hawk's Nestscenic overlook alongNew York State Route 97offers views of theDelaware River.Interstate 84passes through the southern portion of town near the New Jersey state line.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	955		—
1810	1,230		28.8%
1820	1,340		8.9%
1830	1,167		−12.9%
1840	1,607		37.7%
1850	4,032		150.9%
1860	5,186		28.6%
1870	9,387		81.0%
1880	11,420		21.7%
1890	2,156		−81.1%
1900	1,932		−10.4%
1910	1,696		−12.2%
1920	1,615		−4.8%
1930	1,779		10.2%
1940	2,227		25.2%
1950	2,519		13.1%
1960	2,777		10.2%
1970	4,370		57.4%
1980	5,633		28.9%
1990	7,832		39.0%
2000	7,858		0.3%
2010	7,901		0.5%
2020	7,509		−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of thecensusof 2000, there were 7,858 people, 2,906 households, and 2,115 families residing in the town. The population density was 118.3 inhabitants per square mile (45.7/km²). There were 3,332 housing units at an average density of 50.2 per square mile (19.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.52%white,5.54%African American,.27%Native American,.57%Asian,.74% fromother races,and 1.36% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 5.82% of the population.

There were 2,906 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% weremarried couplesliving together, 9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $49,987. Males had a median income of $40,070 versus $25,642 for females. Theper capita incomefor the town was $18,252. About 7.4% of families and 14.8% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

• Cahoonzie– A hamlet in the western part of the town on NY-42.
• Cuddebackville– A hamlet at the intersection of US-209 andNY-211,located approximately ten miles north ofPort Jervis.The community was named after Colonel William Cuddeback, the original owner of the site.
• Dragon Springs– A compound of theFalun Gongmovement, home to its leaderLi Hongzhiand many of his followers.
• Godeffroy– A small hamlet south of Cuddebackville on US-209.
• Huguenot– A hamlet north of Port Jervis on US-209.Huguenot SchoolhouseandNeversink Valley Grange Hall No. 1530are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.The community is named after the Huguenot immigrants that moved there to escape religious persecution.
• Montague Valley Wildlife Management Area– A conservation area near Cahoonzie.
• Paradise– A hamlet on County Road 7 by the northern town line.
• Port Orange– A hamlet north of Cuddebackville on US-209.
• Prospect Hill– A hamlet west of Cuddebackville.
• Rio– A hamlet on NY-42 near the northern town line.Cottage in the Pineswas listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
• Roses Point– A location south of Cuddebackville on US-209.
• Sparrowbush– A hamlet and census-designated place west of Port Jervis on NY-42 and the Delaware River.
• Westbrookville– A hamlet north of Cuddebackville on US-209, located on the border ofOrangeandSullivan County

Education

Port Jervis School Districtserves most of Deerpark, includingSparrow Bush.A small portion is zoned toEldred Central School District.

The Port Jervis district operates Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School (HBE) inCuddebackville.Additionally Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School is in Deerpark, but with a Port Jervis postal address.The zoned secondary schools for the district are Port Jervis Middle School andPort Jervis High School,the former in Port Jervis,and the latter in Deerpark but with a Port Jervis postal address.Kuhl and Port Jervis High are on the same property.

Notable people

• Karl Brabenec,former town supervisor and member of theNew York State Assembly,from the 98th District (2014–present)
• Bruce Manning,filmmaker, screenwriter, and novelist
• William H. Cuddeback,politician and judge who was on theNew York Court of Appeals(1912–1919)
• Thomas Swartwout,early settler and founder of the town (Wagheckemeck Patent, October 14, 1697) along with Pierre Guimard, Jacques Caudebec, Anthony Swartwout, Gerardus Swartwout, David Jamison & Jan Tyse.

See also

• Chinese people in New York City
• Cuddebackville Dam
• Neversink Preserve
• Huguenot Schoolhouse

References

Notes

External links

• Official website