Katonah is 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 ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
(CDP) within the town of
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Westchester County
Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New York. The Katonah CDP had a population of 1,679 at the
2010 census.
History
Katonah is named for
Chief Katonah
Katonah was a Lenape sachem who led parts of two bands of Wappinger in what is today the far southeastern part of mainland New York State and southwestern Connecticut: the Wiechquaeskeck in the Greenwich, Stamford areas of Connecticut, and the ...
, an
American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists.
During the American Revolution military battles or skirmishes did not take place in the area that is now the Village of Katonah. However, most local men joined the Continental side, with some joining the New York 4th Regiment of the Line and most joining the local Militia. Though
Bedford Township lay in what was called "Neutral Ground", supposedly unmolested by military forces of either side, its inhabitants were preyed on by the lawless of both sides. This area suffered less from such depredations than other areas in the Neutral Ground, because of the proximity of the Croton River and the "Westchester Lines", a sparse string of outposts defended by units of the Continental Army.
Founded with the name Whitlockville, the town changed its name, and later was moved south to its present site in 1897, when its former site (''Old Katonah'') was flooded by the construction of the
New Croton Dam
The New Croton Dam (also known as Cornell Dam) is a dam forming the New Croton Reservoir, both parts of the New York City water supply system. It stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about north of New York City.
...
, which raised the water level behind it enough to submerge the existing Muscoot Dam, and the town, under the resultantly expanded
Muscoot Reservoir
The Muscoot Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in northern Westchester County, New York, located directly north of the village of Katonah. Part of the system's Croton Watershed, it is 25 miles (40 kilometres) north ...
. More than 50 buildings were moved from the old site to ''New Katonah'', rolled on logs pulled by horses. The move was originally ordered to start in 1894, but litigation delayed the process by almost three years. Evidently, not all of the moved houses were within the affected area, leaving empty foundations where new houses would eventually be built upon.
An eleven-year-old child named B. Robertson wrote the following to a children's magazine on March 2, 1897:
Katonah was not the only village affected by New York City's growing demand for water. The villages of Kirbyville and New Castle Corners were also condemned by the city but were never moved.
Trademark attempt
In early 2007, groups representing the hamlet came out in opposition to a trademark filed by homemaking mogul
Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
for a new furniture line called the "Katonah Collection". Stewart purchased a estate in Katonah in 2000, and it is there that she spent her five months of house arrest following her prison term resulting from charges of
"lying to investigators". Representatives stated that Stewart was seeking to "honor the town" and the new furniture line was "...paying homage to this beautiful region." The pending trademark was contested by th
Katonah Village Improvement Societyan
Katonah Architectural Hardware along with support from the
Ramapough Mountain Indians
The Ramapough Lenape Nation is a state-recognized tribe in New Jersey. They were previously named the Ramapough Mountain Indians (also spelled Ramapo), also known as the Ramapough Lenape Nation or Ramapough Lunaape Munsee Delaware Nation.
They ...
who foresaw legal conflict should Stewart succeed in trademarking the name for her furniture line. (View current appeals at th
U.S. Trademark Office)
Demographics
Katonah is classified as a hamlet, with no legal status as an administrative jurisdiction. The Katonah post office serves portions of the towns of Bedford,
Lewisboro
Lewisboro is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 12,411 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John Lewis, an early settler. Lewisboro is a suburb of New York City.
History
After purchasing land from ...
and
Somers. Katonah was identified as a census-designated place (CDP) for the first time in 2010.
According to the 2010 United States Census, the CDP of Katonah had a total population of 1,679 people, compared to 10,739 residents of the Katonah ZIP code, 10536. In 2010, half (5,391, or 50.2%) of the Katonah ZIP code's population resided in the town of Bedford, 36.9% in Somers and 12.9% in Lewisboro.
Within the Katonah CDP, there were 589 households, and 445 families residing at the 2010 census. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 2,398.6 per square mile (883.7/km
2). There were 619 housing units at an average density of 884.3/sq mi (325.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.1%
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 o ...
, 2.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 2.6%
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 ...
, 5.4%
some other race, and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 11.9% of the population.
There were 589 households, out of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were headed by
married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83, and the average family size was 3.24.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
For the period 2007–11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the CDP was $166,296, and the median income for a family was $146,923. Male full-time workers had a median income of $104,250 versus $94,674 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 CDP was $60,408. About 4.7% of families and 6.7% 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 12.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Community
![Jay St Katonah fr train jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Jay_St_Katonah_fr_train_jeh.jpg)
The hamlet of Katonah includes two National Historic Landmarks:
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. U ...
- Historic Home of Bill & Lois Wilson, where the respective cofounders of
Alcoholics Anonymous and
Al-Anon Family Groups lived from 1941 until their deaths in 1971 and 1988, and the
John Jay Homestead, the former home of
John Jay
John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...
, the first
Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States. Nearby is
The Harvey School
The Harvey School is a co-educational, college preparatory school near Katonah, New York, for students in grades 6 through 12. It is located on a wooded, 125-acre campus and has an annual budget (2015) of $14 million. AP courses in biology, Ame ...
, a private day school founded in the 19th century which offers five-day boarding, and which counts among its alumni ''
Doonesbury
''Doonesbury'' is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, ...
'' cartoonist
Garry Trudeau
Garretson Beekman Trudeau (born July 21, 1948) is an American cartoonist, best known for creating the '' Doonesbury'' comic strip. Trudeau is also the creator and executive producer of the Amazon Studios political comedy series ''Alpha House'' ...
.
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
,
Ralph Lauren, and a number of other notables live in Katonah.
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...
,
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Lively ( Brown; born August 25, 1987) is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles, Lively is the daughter of actor Ernie Lively, and made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She starred as Brid ...
, and
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over billion.
He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
live near Katonah as well.
By its residents, Katonah is often styled as a "village". The Katonah Village Improvement Society is a group that promotes community engagement, the arts, and business activity in the hamlet. The local library is called the Katonah Village Library and some other commercial functions and public works incorporate similar "village" terminology. Katonah generally has a concentration of population and businesses which may include portions of several towns. Katonah has its own
Metro-North station. As a result of the hamlet's close proximity to New York City and its immediate connection to the aforementioned railroad station and the interstate, a sizable portion of the town consists of commuters. The area is part of the Katonah-Lewisboro school district.
From 1921 to 1937, Katonah was home to the
Brookwood Labor College, the nation's first residential labor college.
The average house price in Katonah, as of 2006, was US$912,000.
Notable sites
![Stepping Stones, Katonah, NY](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Stepping_Stones%2C_Katonah%2C_NY.jpg)
The
Katonah Village Historic District, and
St. Luke's Episcopal Church are 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 ...
. The
John Jay Homestead, the former home of US Supreme Court Chief Justice
John Jay
John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the f ...
, is a
New York State Historic Site
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, recreation a ...
and
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
.
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. U ...
, home of
Alcoholics Anonymous founders
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
and
Lois Wilson, is also a National Historic Landmark.
The
Katonah Museum of Art is located in Katonah. The
Caramoor International Music Festival
The Caramoor Summer Music Festival is a music festival founded in 1945 that is held on the estate of the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, which includes a Mediterranean-style stucco villa and is located about north of New York City in Ka ...
, which hosts the
Orchestra of St. Luke's
The Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) is an American chamber orchestra based in New York City, formed in 1974.
Orchestra of St. Luke’s presents over 70 concerts, programs, and events in a variety of diverse musical genres every season, including an ...
, is held annually at
Caramoor, east of the hamlet.
John Jay High School holds its annual commencement ceremony at Caramoor as well. The Katonah Poetry Series led by former US Poet Laureate
Billy Collins
William James Collins (born March 22, 1941) is an American poet, appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York (retired, 2016). Collins ...
holds readings at Katonah Village Library. Katonah Historical Museum opened in 1984 and is in the lower level of the library. Another attraction is Muscoot Farm. During the 1920s-1930s farming activity there was peaking, the farmland coming from the Hopkin's family has been taken care of by Westchester County thus far since 1967 due to high labor costs. The farm has many animals, camps, workshops for youth and adults, hayrides, opportunities for field trips, and even birthday events. Another attraction is the Katonah Art Center, which has two large painting studios, a children's studio, a pottery studio, a multi-arts studio, a darkroom, and a Mac computer lab. They also offer pottery, photography, painting and drawing classes, and summer camps.
Katonah was home to the
Brookwood Labor College, the first labor college in the United States, providing adult education and training in
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...
and
activism. It was located on Cedar Road from 1919 until its closure in 1937.
Schools and emergency services
Katonah is a part of the
Katonah-Lewisboro School District. It contains Katonah Elementary School, although some students attend Increase Miller Elementary School in neighboring
Goldens Bridge. Some students in Katonah also attended Lewisboro Elementary School until its closure in 2014, which was highly controversial.
All middle and high school students in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District attend
John Jay Middle School and
John Jay High School. Katonah is also home to the private co-educational, college preparatory school
The Harvey School
The Harvey School is a co-educational, college preparatory school near Katonah, New York, for students in grades 6 through 12. It is located on a wooded, 125-acre campus and has an annual budget (2015) of $14 million. AP courses in biology, Ame ...
, and formerly
The Montfort Academy
The Montfort Academy is an American private, Roman Catholic high school in Mt. Vernon, New York.
It is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Background
As of 2012, the school had been ranked for seven years in a row as ...
, a private, Roman Catholic high school that recently moved to
Mount Vernon, New York.
The hamlet is served by th
Katonah Volunteer Fire Department which also hosts the annual Katonah carnival, parade, and "chili night."
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
are provided by the Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The Bedford
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
department provides police and traffic enforcement to the town of Bedford, including Katonah,
Bedford Hills and
Bedford Village.
Local media
* All About Bedford, a local news website
* The ''Record-Review'', a weekly newspaper covering Katonah, Bedford, Bedford Hills, and
Pound Ridge
Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census. The town is located toward the eastern end of the county, bordered to the north and east by the town of Lewisboro, by Stamford, C ...
. The newspaper began publishing in 1995.
* The Lewisboro Ledger, which includes local news
* The Bedford-Katonah Patch, a blog and news website
* The Journal News (lohud), news coverage of both Westchester and Rockland County
* Katonah-Lewisboro Times, local newspaper by Halston Media
Notable people
*
George Randolph Barse
George Randolph Barse Jr. (July 31, 1861 – February 25, 1938) was an American artist and illustrator.
Born in Detroit, Barse attended public schools in Kansas City and went to Paris in 1878, where he spent five years training at the École na ...
jr., artist
*
Bold, hardcore punk band
*
Michel Camilo
Michel Camilo (born April 4, 1954) is a Grammy-award winning pianist and composer from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He specializes in jazz, Latin and classical piano work. Camilo lists some of his main influences as Chick Corea, Keith Ja ...
, pianist and composer
*
Douglas Durst
Douglas Durst (born December 19, 1944) is an American real estate investor and developer. He is the president of the Durst Organization, which he has been in charge of since 1992.
Early life and education
Durst was born in New York City in 1944< ...
, real estate developer
*
Richard L. Feigen, gallery owner
*
Noah Galvin
Noah Egidi Galvin (born May 6, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for playing Dr. Asher Wolke in the TV series '' The Good Doctor'', Kenny O'Neal in the ABC sitcom ''The Real O'Neals'' and later taking over the titular ro ...
, actor
*
Andy Milonakis
Andrew Michael Milonakis (; born January 30, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, and streamer. He is best known for his work on '' The Andy Milonakis Show'', a sketch comedy series that aired on MTV and MTV2 from 2005 to 2007. Othe ...
, actor and comedian
*
Sam Register
Samuel Barnard Register (born June 16, 1969) is an American television producer, animator, and businessman. He is the president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
Career
Formerly Vice President ...
, President of Warner Brothers Animation
*
Joan Slonczewski
Joan Lyn Slonczewski is an American microbiologist at Kenyon College and a science fiction writer who explores biology and space travel. Their books have twice earned the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel: '' A Door ...
, science fiction writer
*
George Soros
George Soros ( name written in eastern order), (born György Schwartz, August 12, 1930) is a Hungarian-American businessman and philanthropist. , he had a net worth of US$8.6 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated mo ...
, investor
*
Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing pu ...
, television personality
*
William Griffith Wilson (aka
Bill W. or
Bill Wilson), cofounder of
Alcoholics Anonymous and writer
*
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in fil ...
, actor
*
Lois Burnham Wilson (aka
Lois B. or
Lois Wilson), cofounder of
Al-Anon Family Groups and the
Stepping Stones (home)
Stepping Stones is the historic home of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson ( Bill W.) and his wife, co-founder of Al-Anon/Alateen Lois Wilson ( Lois W.), in Bedford Hills, New York. The historic site features their house (a Dutch Colon ...
Foundation
*
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and politician. Yang was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. He is the co-c ...
, entrepreneur, philanthropist, founder of Venture for America (VFA) and former candidate in the
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
Gallery
Image:Downtown Katonah.jpg, Downtown Katonah near The Blue Dolphin
Image:Katonah train station.jpg, Katonah Metro-North
Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connectic ...
station
Image:Muscoot_reservoir.JPG, Muscoot Reservoir
The Muscoot Reservoir is a reservoir in the New York City water supply system in northern Westchester County, New York, located directly north of the village of Katonah. Part of the system's Croton Watershed, it is 25 miles (40 kilometres) north ...
Image:Bridge over muscoot reservoir.JPG, Bridge over Muscoot Reservoir
Image:katonah hardware.JPG, Katonah Hardware
See also
*
Brookwood Labor College
References
External links
Katonah community websiteThe ''Record-Review'' newspaper
{{authority control
Hamlets in New York (state)
Census-designated places in New York (state)
Populated places established in 1897
Census-designated places in Westchester County, New York
Hamlets in Westchester County, New York