Orwell 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 ...

Oswego County Oswego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,525. The county seat is Oswego. The county name is from a Mohawk-language word meaning "the pouring out place", referring to the point at ...

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 1,167 at the 2010 census. The town was named after

Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitari ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. The Town of Orwell is in the north-central part of the county.

History

The town was first settled around 1806. The Town of Orwell was created from part of the Town of Richland in 1817. In 1828, Orwell was reduced by the founding of the Town of Boylston, but more territory was obtained from Richland in 1844. The Town of Orwell is a "dry" community.

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 (3.75%) is water.

Transportation

County Route 2 runs east/west from U.S. 11 in Pulaski and Redfield. County Route 22 runs north/south from U.S. 11 in Ellisburg (as Jefferson County Route 122) to NY 69 in

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

. Oswego County Public Transit provides service between Orwell and

Fulton Fulton may refer to: People * Robert Fulton (1765–1815), American engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful steam-powered ship * Fulton (surname) Given name * Fulton Allem (born 1957), South African golfer * Fult ...

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 1,254 people, 419 households, and 300 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 701 housing units at an average density of 17.6 per square mile (6.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.17%

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 ...

, 0.88%

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 ...

, 0.32% Native American, 0.08%

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 ...

, and 0.56% 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 0.48% of the population. There were 419 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% 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, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.23. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 120.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $34,000 versus $21,500 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 $15,256. About 16.6% of families and 21.5% 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 25.7% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Orwell

*Beecherville – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, northeast of Stillwater. *Bennett Bridge – A location south of Pekin. *Castor Corners – A location northwest of Orwell village. *Chateaugay – 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 ...

east of Orwell village. It was also called "Shatagee." *Little America – A location southeast of Stillwater. *New Scriba – A hamlet on the northern town line east of Vorea. *Orwell – The hamlet of Orwell, sometimes called "Orwell Corners," is at the junction of Routes 2 and 22. * Salmon River Falls – A waterfall located within the town. * Salmon River Reservoir – Part of the

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

is in the southeastern part of the town. *Stillwater – A hamlet in the southeastern section of the town. The Stillwater Bridge 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 1997. *Vorea – A hamlet northeast of Orwell village near the northern town line.

References

External links

Town of Orwell
{{authority control Syracuse metropolitan area Towns in Oswego County, New York Towns in New York (state)