Halcott is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Greene County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The population was 258 at the 2010 census. The town is in the southwestern corner of the county.

History

The first recorded settlers, the Valkenburg family, arrived around 1813, although some non-permanent settlers had attempted to live in the area about 1790. The town was established in 1851 from the town of Lexington. It was named for sheriff George W. Halcott. In 1900, the town population was 272.

Geography

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 town has a total area of , all land. Sign for Halcott in Fleischmanns, NY

Halcott is in the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

. The western and southern town lines are the border of Delaware County. The northern and eastern borders are the range of mountains from

Bearpen Mountain Bearpen Mountain is a mountain located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. The mountain's highest peak is in Greene County, but its northwest subpeak at is the highest point in Delaware County at 3,520 ft. Bearpen Mountain is flank ...

to Halcott Mountain, beyond which lies the neighboring town of Lexington. The town of Halcott is basically the valley of Vly Creek, and ringed by mountains on three sides. Most access to the town is from the south, via the Delaware County

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 ...

of Fleischmanns. The pass between Bearpen and neighboring

Vly Mountain Vly Mountain is a mountain located in the town of Halcott, New York, United States in Greene County. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Vly Mountain is flanked to the northwest by Bearpen Mountain, to the east by Vinegar Hill, to t ...

is traversed by Halcott Mountain Road, an unimproved county highway which reaches at the col, making it the highest elevation free public through road in New York State. It is also the only route between Halcott and the rest of Greene County. Like Hardenburgh in nearby

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

, to reach the rest of the county via a paved road one must leave and go through a portion of either Ulster or Delaware counties. Due to this geographic isolation, Halcott is the only place in Greene County whose telephones are in the 845 area code.

Demographics

At the 2000

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 ...

, there were 193 people, 84 households and 54 families residing in the town. 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 8.4 per square mile (3.2/km²). There were 288 housing units at an average density of 12.5 per square mile (4.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45%

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 ...

, and 1.55% 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 ...

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 1.04% of the population. There were 84 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% 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, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.70. Age distribution was 18.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.3 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $31,094, and the median family income was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,417 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 town was $21,627. About 14.5% of families and 20.8% 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 31.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.4% of those 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Halcott

*Halcott Center – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

near the southern town line, in Greene County. This is the only named community in the town, and the locale to which most mail is addressed. The town's post office was located in this area until 1985, when its 12437 ZIP code was retired and mail service was merged with the 12430

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

in neighboring Fleischmanns located in Delaware County. The hamlet of Halcottsville is to the west, also in Delaware County. * Halcott Mountain – A mountain east of the town in the

Catskill Park The Catskill Park is in the Catskill Mountains in New York in the United States. It consists of of land inside a Blue Line in four counties: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. As of 2005, or 41 percent of the land within, is owned by ...

. It is one of the

Catskill High Peaks The Catskill High Peaks are all of the mountains in New York's Catskill Mountains above in elevation whose summits are separated either by ''or'' a vertical drop of at least between it and the next nearest separate summit. By usual standards, ...

. The summit and much of the mountain are actually in Lexington. *Vly Creek – A stream that flows southward past Halcott Center. The town is its basin. *

– A mountain along the northeastern town line, also one of the Catskill High Peaks. *

– Another of the Catskill High Peaks, with a summit of .

References

External links

Town of Halcott official website
{{authority control Towns in Greene County, New York