Kerhonkson is a
hamlet and
census-designated place (CDP) in
Ulster 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 1,684 at the 2010 census.
The Kerhonkson CDP is an urban concentration that straddles the border of the town of
Rochester and the town of
Wawarsing, with the larger portion in Rochester.
US 209 is the hamlet's main artery. The western terminus of
US 44
U.S. Route 44 (US 44) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for through four states in the Northeastern United States. The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonkson, ...
/
NY 55
New York State Route 55 (NY 55) is a east-west state highway in southern New York, running from the Pennsylvania state line at the Delaware River in Barryville to the Connecticut state line at Wingdale. It is the only other state hig ...
is at Route 209 in the Wawarsing portion of the Kerhonkson CDP. The U.S. Postal Service Zip Code of Kerhonkson (12446) covers a much larger area of the town of Rochester, as well as part of Wawarsing and a small area of the town of
Olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
.
Kerhonkson Elementary School is one of two elementary schools in the Rondout Valley Central School District.
Soyuzivka, a Ukrainian resort and cultural center, is within the Kerhonkson Zip Code, in the town of Warwarsing.
Geography
The Kerhonkson CDP is located at .
with a total area of , all land. The CDP is in the valley of
Rondout Creek, a tributary of the
Hudson River, and adjacent to the Shawangunk Mountains, famous for the
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
and
biodiversity of the
Shawangunk Ridge.
The
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York on US 44/NY 55, west of New York State Route 299. The park, which features scenic overlooks of the nearby Catskill Mountains, is prima ...
is in the Kerhonkson Zip Code area, along Route 44/55.
Demography
As of the
census of 2010, there were 1,684 people, 684 households, and 433 families residing in the CDP. The
population density was 317.7 per square mile (120.3/km
2). There were 857 housing units at an average density of 161.7/sq mi (61.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.6%
White, 1.8%
African American, 0.7%
Native American, 1.3%
Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander, 1.4% from
other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 7.8% of the population.
There were 684 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% 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, 15.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, 6.6% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 36.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 19, 6.1% from 20 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
As of 2016 the median income for a household in the CDP was $41,541 and the median income for a family was $53,423. The
per capita income for the CDP was $17,964. As of 2000 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. Males had a median income of $32,008 versus $24,412 for females.
History
Colonial Era
Kerhonkson was the site of a colonial fort, on Deyo's Hill, that protected early immigrants from Native American attacks.
Before the
burning of Kingston
The Burning of Kingston, New York, took place on October 16, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War as part of the Saratoga Campaign.
In an attempt to relieve pressure on General John Burgoyne's forces in Saratoga, New York, British units und ...
on October 12, 1777, all the important documents and government officials were moved to Kerhonkson, remaining for two weeks until they were moved to
Albany, making Kerhonkson briefly the capital of New York.
Canal Era
The
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which would later build the Delaware and Hudson Railway. Between 1828 and 1899, the canal's barges carried anthracite coal from the mines of northeaster ...
was completed in 1828. This opened up local industries such as coal, lumber, dairy, and hotel. Barges towed by mules transported goods along Rondout Creek from Pennsylvania to the Hudson River. In the canal era, Kerhonkson was known as Middleport
Railroad Era
The Delaware and Oswego Railroad was constructed in 1909 along the old canal towpath and a station was constructed along Main Street to ship out dairy products. The Summitville to Kingston segment was acquired by the
New York, Ontario and Western. In the line's waning years, passenger service was reduced to Sunday and holiday service, and summer only. The tracks were pulled up in 1957 once products were being moved by truck upstate. The path is now a popular local hiking and biking destination known as the Rail Trail. It is 3.5 miles long.
Peg Leg Bates
In 1951, the famed tap dancer
Peg Leg Bates became the first African-American resort owner in the Catskills when he opened the Peg Leg Bates Country Club in
Palentown, a hamlet in the northern end of the Kerhonkson Zip Code. His wife Alice E. Bates died in 1987, and Bates leased the property to a new owner, Doreen Richardson, in 1989. Part of Route 209 in Ulster County was named “Clayton Peg Leg Bates Memorial Highway” in his honor.
Richardson operated the former Peg Leg Bates club as the "Mountain Valley Resort" until her death in 2012.
The Peg Leg Bates resort played an important role in the history of the civil rights movement in 1966 when a meeting of the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, often pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emerging in 1960 from the student-led sit-ins at segrega ...
(SNCC) held there voted to expel whites from its staff.
Religion
Congregation Tifereth Yehuda Veyisroel
Congregation Tifereth Yehuda Veyisroel, also known as the Kerhonkson Synagogue, is a historic synagogue located at Kerhonkson, Ulster County, New York. It was built in 1924, and is a one-story, rectangular, wood-frame building with a gable roof wi ...
is the primary Jewish temple in the area. It was constructed in 1924. The community house also found on that property was constructed in 1954. In 2013 it was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The Federated Church of Kerhonkson is a Protestant church that is partially of the
Methodist denomination and partially of the
Reformed
Reform is beneficial change
Reform may also refer to:
Media
* ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang
* Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group
* ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine
*''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
denomination. The church has a food pantry ("Christ's Cupboard"), a thrift shop, and a pet food pantry.
Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church is located on Foordmore Road. The parish is part of the
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford.
The Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes on Route 209 in Kerhonkson is a Catholic mission associated with the parish of St. Mary and St. Andrew in
Ellenville.
Local sports
Kerhonkson has hosted a baseball Little League, Indian Valley Little League, since 1953. Indian Valley won the 2017 District 16 championship, defeating Rondout Valley Little League. More recently Indian Valley removed its longtime mascot, Chief Wahoo, from signs, shirts, hats, website, and Facebook for its racial insensitivity.
The local swim team, the Kerhonkson Barracudas, are based out of the Kerhonkson Elementary School pool and compete against other local teams in the summer.
Local services
The Kerhonkson Fire Department is on Main Street near where the railroad used to be. It has a social hall that holds meetings of local organizations, dinners, and parties.
The Kerhonkson-Accord Volunteer Ambulance Corp is along Route 209 and provides first aid service for both Kerhonkson and
Accord
Accord may refer to:
Businesses and products
* Honda Accord, a car manufactured by the Honda Motor Company
* Accord (cigarette), a brand of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges
* Accord (company), a former public services provider in south England
* Accord H ...
.
Notable inhabitants
*
Edward Aldwell - music theorist, pianist, and pedagogue
*
Peg Leg Bates - entertainer
*
Noel King
Noel King (born 13 September 1956) is a former professional footballer and the current head coach of Women's National League club Shelbourne. For 10 years from 2000 until 2010 he was manager of the Republic of Ireland women's national team. ...
- broadcast journalist, formerly with NPR's
Morning Edition
World records
Kerhonkson contained what was once the world's largest
garden gnome, constructed in 2005; it is situated on
Route 209
The following highways are numbered 209:
Canada
* Manitoba Provincial Road 209
* Nova Scotia Route 209
* Prince Edward Island Route 209
* Quebec Route 209
* Saskatchewan Highway 209
China
* China National Highway 209
Costa Rica
* National Rout ...
in front of Kelder's Farm and is named Gnome Chomsky. There are two other, larger gnomes that now hold the distinction of being the world's largest.
References
External links
*
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Census-designated places in New York (state)
Census-designated places in Ulster County, New York
Hamlets in New York (state)
Wawarsing, New York
Ukrainian communities in the United States
Hamlets in Ulster County, New York