Cherry Valley is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in
Otsego County,
New York, United States.
The population was 520 at the 2010 census.
The Village of Cherry Valley is in the
Town of Cherry Valley. Cherry Valley is located approximately 13 miles northeast of
Cooperstown
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...
and eight miles east of the northern end of
Otsego Lake.
History
The village was established in 1740 by
John Lindesay under the name ''Lindesay's Bush''. The name was changed to Cherry Valley by Reverend Dunlop. On November 11, 1778,
[ during the ]American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, forty-seven village residents were killed by a British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
raiding party, an event to become known as the Cherry Valley Massacre
The Cherry Valley massacre was an attack by British and Iroquois forces on a fort and the town of Cherry Valley in central New York on November 11, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It has been described as one of the most horrific ...
.
The village was incorporated in 1812,[ setting itself apart from the town.
The ]Cherry Valley Village Historic District
Cherry Valley Village Historic District is a national historic district in Cherry Valley in Otsego County, New York. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United ...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1988.
Geography
Cherry Valley is located at (42.800359, -74.750063).
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.5 km2), all land.
The village is located on New York State Route 166
New York State Route 166 (NY 166) is a north–south state highway in Otsego County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from NY 28 in the village of Milford to U.S. Route 20 (US 20) north of the village of ...
at the junction of County Highways 50 and 54. It is in the northeastern part of the county.
Cherry Valley Creek flows southward through the village.
Demographics
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 592 people, 237 households, and 159 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,041.5 people per square mile (401.0/km2). There were 288 housing units at an average density of 506.7 per square mile (195.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.99% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.51% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 237 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,375, and the median income for a family was $41,375. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $20,104 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the village was $15,808. About 9.8% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Additional village facts
The village is somewhat off the beaten path (In spite of US Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. ...
passing a few miles north), not much visited by tourists; Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian a ...
and Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...
used to visit to escape city life, especially in the autumn when the maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...
leaves change color. Many people around Cherry Valley are dairy farmers; tapping maple trees for sap, which is then refined into syrup, is a common spring practice. The area looks much like it did in the 19th century. Historic re-enactments are held to commemorate the importance of Cherry Valley during the American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
.
Area attractions include the Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
, the Bates Hop House, Cherry Valley Museum, Judd Falls, Otsego Lake, and Glimmerglass State Park.
There is an annual Memorial Day celebration which includes a Craft Fair, Bake sale, Flea Market, Chicken BBQ, and parade.
Historical and cultural significance
Cherry Valley was the birthplace of John H. Funk (1817-1871), State Assemblyman from New York City in 1857, and his younger sister, Jane
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...
(1823-1860), better known as the "notorious" courtesan Fanny White.
Cherry Valley has a long history as an artist and writer's community. Willa Cather
Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', '' The Song of the Lark'', and ''My Ántonia''. In 1923, ...
left New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
for the isolated village in 1911, writing ''O Pioneers!
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
'' while there. Poet Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...
bought a farm there in the 1960s, and the town became a haven and destination point for many of the major personalities of the Beat scene: William Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
, Gregory Corso
Gregory Nunzio Corso (March 26, 1930 – January 17, 2001) was an American poet and a key member of the Beat movement. He was the youngest of the inner circle of Beat Generation writers (with Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burrou ...
, Peter Orlovsky
Peter Anton Orlovsky (July 8, 1933 – May 30, 2010) was an American poet and actor. He was the long-time partner of Allen Ginsberg.
Early life and career
Orlovsky was born in the Lower East Side of New York City, the son of Katherine (née ...
, Herbert Huncke
Herbert Edwin Huncke (January 9, 1915 – August 8, 1996) was an American writer and poet, and an active participant in a number of emerging cultural, social and aesthetic movements of the 20th century in America. He was a member of the Beat ...
, Ray Bremser, Anne Waldman
Anne Waldman (born April 2, 1945) is an American poet.
Since the 1960s, Waldman has been an active member of the Outrider experimental poetry community as a writer, performer, collaborator, professor, editor, scholar, and cultural/political activ ...
, Robert Creeley
Robert White Creeley (May 21, 1926 – March 30, 2005) was an American poet and author of more than sixty books. He is usually associated with the Black Mountain poets, though his verse aesthetic diverged from that school. He was close with Char ...
, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919 – February 22, 2021) was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. The author of poetry, translations, fiction, theatre, art criticism, an ...
, Harry Smith, and many others all spent time either living or visiting there. Poet Charles Plymell
Charles Plymell (born April 26, 1935, in Holcomb, Kansas) is a poet, novelist, and small press publisher. Plymell has been published widely, collaborated with, and published many poets, writers, and artists, including principals of the Beat Gene ...
still lives in Cherry Valley — he and his wife ran Cherry Valley Editions from their home, publishing small editions of major writers. Jazz pianist Paul Bley
Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...
is a resident as are Mark Mastroianni and National Book Award nominated novelist Dana Spiotta
Dana Spiotta (born 1966) is an American author. She was a recipient of the Rome Prize in Literature, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship.
Her novel ''Stone Arabia'' (2011) was a National Book Critics Circle ...
.
Transgender pioneer, actress and Andy Warhol Superstar Candy Darling
Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar and transgender icon. She starred in Andy Warhol's films ''Flesh'' (1968) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971), and was a muse of The Velve ...
is buried in the historic Cherry Valley Cemetery. A significant portion of the award-winning feature-length documentary film about her life, ''Beautiful Darling
''Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar'' is a 2010 feature-length documentary film about Candy Darling, pioneering trans woman, actress and Andy Warhol superstar. The film was written and directed by James ...
'' (2010), was shot in Cherry Valley. Photographer Ryan McGinley
Ryan McGinley (born October 17, 1977) is an American photographer living in New York City. McGinley began making photographs in 1998. In 2003, at the age of 25, he was one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of Ameri ...
staged several photo shoots in and around the village, and the artist Dash Snow
Dashiell A. Snow (July 27, 1981 – July 13, 2009) was an American artist based in New York City.Roberta Smith"Dash Snow, New York Artist, Dies at 27" ''The New York Times'', July 14, 2009. Snow's photographs included scenes of sex, drugs, viole ...
shot one of his last 8mm pieces, ''Sisyphus, Sissy Fuss, Silly Puss'', there in late May 2009.
Actress Jill Flint
Jill Flint is an American television and film actress, best known for her role of Jill Casey in the USA Network TV series '' Royal Pains'', and as the popular character Lana Delaney on CBS' award-winning series ''The Good Wife''. She also plays ...
('' Royal Pains'' and '' The Night Shift'') was born and raised in Cherry Valley. Singer, musician and composer Vanessa Bley (daughter of Paul Bley
Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...
) was raised in Cherry Valley.
References
External links
Greater Cherry Valley Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
Cherry Valley information
Cherry Valley Museum
Cherry Valley History
Official Cherry Valley website
{{authority control
Villages in New York (state)
Villages in Otsego County, New York