Kirkwood 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 Broome 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 5,495 at the 2020 census. The town is named after

James P. Kirkwood James Pugh Kirkwood (27 March 1807 – 22 April 1877) was a 19th-century American civil engineer, and general superintendent of the Erie Railroad in the year 1849–1850.Edward Harold Mott Between the Ocean and the Lakes: The Story of Erie'' Colli ...

, who was an engineer responsible for constructing the local railroad. The town is in the south-central part of the county, southeast of

Binghamton Binghamton () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the conflue ...

History

''Circa'' 1781, Jonathan Fitch built a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

here, becoming the first pioneer settler. The Town of Kirkwood was formed from the town of Conklin in 1859. In 2006 and 2011, parts of the town were damaged when the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

overflowed its banks.

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 , of which is land and , or 1.27%, is water. The southern town line is the state line of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

( Susquehanna County). The

forms the western border. U.S. Route 11 and

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

pass through the town, following the course of the Susquehanna. Interstate 86/

New York State Route 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Souther ...

passes across the north part of the town.

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 5,651 people, 2,247 households, and 1,611 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 182.5 people per square mile (70.5/km²). There were 2,469 housing units at an average density of 79.7 per square mile (30.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.75%

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 ...

, 0.60%

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 ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.39%

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 ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.16% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.90% 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 0.64% of the population. There were 2,247 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,279, and the median income for a family was $45,993. Males had a median income of $34,543 versus $23,275 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 $19,228. About 4.0% of families and 5.9% 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 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. Windsor Central School District is the primary school district in Kirkwood among other towns including Windsor and West Windsor. Susquehanna Valley Central School District encompasses the southernmost part of Kirkwood as well as the town of Conklin and the town of Binghamton.

Communities

Kirkwood is located in the central part of Broome County, geographically adjacent to the northeast bank of the

. The town's boundaries extend from the

city limits on the north, to the Pennsylvania border on the south. Kirkwood's

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

and their locations within town boundaries (from north to south) are: *Popes Ravine – Northwest Kirkwood, along the Susquehanna River and bordering the city of Binghamton. *Brookvale (formerly "Stanley Hollow") – Northeast Kirkwood, on County Road 52. This hamlet is no longer formally recognized, but Brookvale remains a landmark community within town. *Five Mile Point – North of Kirkwood Center, nearest the junction of

I-81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Isla ...

and

NY 17 New York State Route 17 (NY 17) is a major state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in Mina and follows the Southern T ...

. Named due to its location, five miles from Binghamton's

Broome County Courthouse Broome County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Binghamton in Broome County, New York. It is a massive -story structure, built on a raised foundation, in the form of a Latin Cross and topped with an elegant copper dome. Originally c ...

. *Kirkwood Center (also simply "Kirkwood") – Small, geographical center of town, along its western border. Located halfway between Binghamton and Kirkwood Village, and between

US 11 {{Infobox road , country=USA , type=US , route=11 , map={{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, frame-height=330, type=line, from=U.S. Route 11.map , map_custom=yes , map_notes=US 11 in red, US 11E in blue, US 11W in ...

and I-81. *Langdon – North of Kirkwood Village, on County Road 32. *Kirkwood Village – Largest hamlet within town, located along the Susquehanna River bank and US 11. *Riverside – Southernmost part of town, a mile north of the Pennsylvania border and along US 11.

References

External links

Town of Kirkwood official website

{{authority control Binghamton metropolitan area Towns in Broome County, New York