Nassau 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 Rensselaer 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 4,545, down from 4,789 at the 2010 census. The Town of Nassau is at the southern border of the county.

History

The region was first settled around 1760. The town was originally formed as the "Town of Philipstown" in 1806 from parts of the Towns of Petersburgh,

Schodack Schodack is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 12,965 at the 2020 census. The town name is derived from the Mahican word, Escotak. The town is in the southwestern part of the county. Schodack is southeast of A ...

, and

Stephentown Stephentown is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 2,903 at the 2010 census. The town, which was originally Jericho Hallow in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was renamed for Stephen Van Rensselaer. The town is lo ...

. The town changed its name to "Nassau" in 1808, in honor of Fort Nassau, the first settlement by the Dutch in what is now New York. The Henry Tunis Smith Farm 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 1975.

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 45.2 square miles (117.1 km²), of which 44.5 square miles (115.4 km²) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.7 km²) (1.46%) is water. The southern town line is the border of Columbia County,

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 4,818 people, 1,851 households, and 1,330 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,058 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.66%

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 ...

, 1.08%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.54%

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 ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 1.37% 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 0.98% of the population. There were 1,851 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,526, and the median income for a family was $53,313. Males had a median income of $38,981 versus $26,804 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 $21,785. About 5.9% of families and 7.7% 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 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Nassau

*Alps – 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 ...

on NY 43, east of Denault Corners. The name stems from the mountainous terrain. *Brainard – A hamlet at the southern end of East Nassau at the junction of US 20 and NY 66. *Denault Corners – A hamlet on the northern town line at the junction of NY 43 and NY 66. *Dunham Hollow- A hamlet in the extreme northeastern part of the town at the junction of NY 43 and Dunham Hollow Road. The community was named after Isaac Dunham, a pioneer citizen. * East Nassau – The Village of East Nassau is located along the corridor of NY 66, on the eastern town line. *Hoags Corners – A hamlet at the northern end of East Nassau at the junction of NY 66 and Central Nassau Road. The community was named after W. B. Hoag, a pioneer citizen. *Jack's Corners – A hamlet on US 20, three miles east of the Village of Nassau. *Millers Corners – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town at the southwestern corner of Burden Lake. *

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...

– The Village of Nassau is at the western town line, centered around the junction of US 20 and NY 203. *North Nassau – A hamlet in the northern part of the town, at the junction of Hoags Corners and North Nassau roads.

Notable people

* Smith A. Boughton, leader of the Anti-Rent War, lived in Alps *

Fenner Ferguson Fenner Ferguson (April 25, 1814 – October 11, 1859) was an American attorney and politician from the Nebraska Territory. He was most notable for his service as member of the Michigan House of Representatives in 1849, chief justice of Nebraska T ...

Delegate Delegate or delegates may refer to: * Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia * Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique * Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations * Delegate (United ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from Nebraska Territory, born in Nassau * Lydia Davis, writer, translator, and essayist. Lives in East Nassau. *

Chester Griswold Chester Griswold (January 14, 1781 – September 7, 1860) was a New York Assemblyman from Nassau, New York, and a member of the political Griswold Family. Biography Griswold was born in Bolton, Connecticut, to Simeon Griswold and Ann Hutchi ...

, member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

town supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only borou ...

of Nassau, postmaster of Nassau * John Augustus Griswold, U.S. Congressman *

Simeon Griswold Simeon Griswold (May 16, 1752 – December 7, 1843) was a Massachusetts Representative from Pittsfield, Massachusetts and a member of the political Griswold Family. Early life Griswold was born in Bolton, Connecticut on May 16, 1752. He was one ...

, member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

* Samuel Ludlow, Nassau town clerk, later served as a state court judge in

Oswego, New York Oswego () is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in Upstate New York, about 35 miles (55km) northwest of Syracuse. It promotes itself as "The Port C ...

Charles Ezra Sprague Charles Ezra Sprague (October 9, 1842 – March 21, 1912) was an American accountant, born in Nassau, Rensselaer County, New York. He was a proponent of the constructed language Volapük, for which he authored the first major textbook in E ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer and accountant

References

External links

Town of Nassau homepage

{{authority control Towns in Rensselaer County, New York Towns in New York (state)