Pierrepont, New York

Pierrepont, New York
—  Town  —
Pierrepont, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 44°32′53″N 75°0′44″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	St. Lawrence
Area
• Total	60.7 sq mi (157.3 km2)
• Land	60.4 sq mi (156.4 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation	922 ft (281 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	2,674
• Density	44.3/sq mi (17.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code	36-57771
GNIS feature ID	0979365

For Pierrepont Manor, New York, see Jefferson County, New York

Pierrepont is a town and hamlet in St. Lawrence County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,674. It was named after Hezekiah Pierrepont, the early owner of much of the town's territory. The Town of Pierrepont is centrally located in the county and is southeast of Canton. A hamlet of the same name is in the town of Pierrepont. On the other hand, the village or hamlet of Pierrepont Manor is located in Jefferson County.

History

The first European-American settlers arrived around 1806/7, after the American Revolutionary War, when many settlers from New England migrated into upstate New York. The town was established in 1818 from parts of the Towns of Russell and Potsdam. Later the town gave up territory to form, in whole or part, the Towns of Fine (1844), Clifton (1868), and Clare (1882).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 60.7 square miles (157 km²), of which, 60.4 square miles (156 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) of it (0.51%) is water.

The Raquette River, which is the longest river in St. Lawrence County and the third longest in New York state, flows through the northeast part of the town.

New York State Route 56 crosses the northeast part of Pierrepont, and New York State Route 68 is an east-west highway.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,674 people, 1,039 households, and 744 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.3 people per square mile (17.1/km²). There were 1,233 housing units at an average density of 20.4 per square mile (7.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.77% White, 0.19% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.52% Asian, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.

There were 1,039 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,890, and the median income for a family was $44,500. Males had a median income of $36,398 versus $23,438 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,239. About 7.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Pierrepont

• Austins Corners – A location by the south town line.
• Browns Bridge – A location in the northeast part of the town at the Raquette River. Called Browns Bridge, the steel deck bridge is actually green and is a popular spot for swimming. Also, a dam and penstock are located at Browns Bridge. County Route 24, also known as the Russell Turnpike Road, goes through Browns Bridge.
• Coney Island: A dead-end roadway in Hannawa Falls located on the Raquette River. It was once home to a small amusement park in the 1920s through the 1940s. The park contained a pavilion for dancing and roller skating. It had a large water slide near the river and other attractions. Many local baseball teams played on the large baseball field.
• Crary Mills: A hamlet in the northwest part of the town at the town line. Crary Mills is located on the town lies of Pierrepont, Colton and Canton. County Route 35 goes through the hamlet. The Crary Mills Mighty Mall houses small specialty shops.
• Deans Corners – A location in the southwest part of Pierrepont.
• Hannawa Falls: A hamlet in the eastern part of the town on NY-56. The community was previously called "Cox's Mill", "East Pierrepont", and "Ellsworth". At present, Hannawa Falls contains two convenience stores (Chip's Place and the Country Store), a post office (ZIP 13647), a volunteer fire department, two bars, and community park and beach (Postwood Park and the 4-H plantation). Hannawa Falls, at one time, had a two-story school house, since converted and used as apartments. Potsdam Central School District absorbed the school in the 1970s. Children today attend Potsdam Central Schools. State Route 56 travels through the hamlet with County Routes 59 and 24 bordering the hamlet.
• Moores Corners – A location in the southwest part of the town.
• Pierrepont – The hamlet of Pierrepont is on NY-68 at County Road 24. The town hall and museum are located here. Pierrepont also has its own fire department.
• Sellecks Corners – A location in the southeast part of Pierrepont.
• Vebber Corners: A location in the southeast part of the town south of Washburn Corners.
• Washburn Corners: A location in the eastern part of the town.
• West Pierrepont – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town.
• Willisville – A location in the eastern part of Pierrepont.
• Wilson Corners: A location in the south part of the town south of Washburn Corners.
• Postwood and 4-H: A popular place to swim, Postwood Park is a small beach located on the Raquette River. In the mid part of the 20th century, Postwood had camping grounds. Next to Postwood is a large tract of county-owned land known as 4-H. It was once a popular spot for local 4-H troops. Today, many enjoy its trails for snowmobiling, four-wheeling and hiking. Local high school students use this area for parties and camping.

External links

• Early Pierrepont history