Romulus 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 Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,383 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Romulus Romulus () was the legendary foundation of Rome, founder and King of Rome, first king of Ancient Rome, Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus ...

, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics. It is located in the central part of the county, northwest of

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, New York. The town has 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 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

), also called

. Government offices for the town are located in nearby Willard.Town of Romulus, New York
Retrieved May 28, 2015. Romulus is home of the rare

Seneca white deer The Seneca white deer are a rare herd of deer living within the confines of the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County, New York. When the depot was created in 1941, a fence was erected around its perimeter, isolating a small herd of whit ...

, one of the largest populations of white deer in the world. They are located on the grounds of the former

Seneca Army Depot The former Seneca Army Depot occupied between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake in Seneca County, New York. It was used as a munitions storage and disposal facility by the United States Army from 1941 until the 1990s. The Depot was listed in the ...

. It is now a private wildlife refuge and conservation center which offers scenic tours.Seneca White Deer
Retrieved Apr. 19, 2018.

History

Before the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

, this area was controlled by both the Cayuga and the

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

nations of the

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

(Iroquois). French

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

missionaries visited the area in the 17th century. The

Sullivan Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 1779 ...

in 1779 destroyed native villages and drove many of the Native Americans away. Romulus contains the area of

Kendaia Kendaia, known as ''Appletown'', was a village of the Seneca and Cayuga Nations of Iroquois located in what is now the Town of Romulus, New York. The name has been variously transcribed into English as ''Thendara'', ''Candaia'', ''Conday'', or ''K ...

(Apple Town), a former

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

(Seneca) village destroyed by the residents in anticipation of the arrival of the

on September 5, 1779. After the war, this town became part of the

Central New York Military Tract The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Establishment Th ...

, land for veterans of the Revolution. Returning natives were provided with land at the north end of Cayuga Lake. This reservation was partly in the eastern side of modern Romulus. The first non-native settlers arrived around 1789. The town was formed while still part of

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...

in 1794. In 1800, part of Romulus was used to make the town of Fayette. The north part of Romulus was used to form the town of Varick in 1830. The town also contains the former

(1941 - 1990s), built during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and finally closed in 2001. It was a major employer for citizens of Romulus and surrounding parts of Seneca County.

Seneca Army Airfield Seneca Army Airfield is a closed facility of the United States Army that was originally built as the operational field for Sampson Air Force Base around 1953. Following the closure of the base, the field was turned over to the Army and became part ...

, located along N.Y. Route 96A, provided a long

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

for transport aircraft. Willard State Hospital was converted to a state prison drug treatment center in 1995. The town is home to the

Five Points Correctional Facility Five Points Correctional Facility (FPCF) is a maximum security state prison for men located in Romulus, New York, and operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Five Points is known as a supermax prison. ...

, a New York state maximum security prison for men. (Portions of a diary written by Henry McLafferty Jr (1819–1859) are available online from the

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Public Library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

Romulus Revisited: Extracts from the Diary of Henry McLafferty, Jr.
1856–1857).

Geography

The town lies between

Cayuga Lake Cayuga Lake (,,) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under long. Its average width is , and it is ...

and Seneca Lake at latitude 42° 45' 8" N. and longitude 76° 50' 2" W. at an altitude of 705 ft (214 m). 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 (26.34%) is water. Romulus is in the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

district of New York and lies between

and Seneca Lake.

New York State Route 89 New York State Route 89 (NY 89) is a north–south state highway in central New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 13, NY 34, and NY 96 in the Tompkins County city of Ithaca to an i ...

New York State Route 96 New York State Route 96 (NY 96) is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 (Future I-86) in the South ...

New York State Route 96A New York State Route 96A (NY 96A) is a state highway in Seneca County, New York, in the United States. It is a north–south road between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, two of the Finger Lakes. NY 96A is two lanes wide for most of its ...

, and

New York State Route 414 New York State Route 414 (NY 414) is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 352 in the Steuben County city of Co ...

are all north-south highways in 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 2010, there were 4,316 people, 821 households, and 576 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 114.2 people per square mile (44.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 66.5%

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 ...

, 29.2%

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 ...

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 ...

, .5% Native American, .3%

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 ...

, 2.8% 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 .7% 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 9.2% of the population. There were 821 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 22.2% 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 2.71 and the average family size was 3.20. In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.2% under the age of 20, 13.0% from 20 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 264.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 324.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $56,705, and the median income for a family was $63,676. Males had a median income of $37,177 versus $30,313 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 $13,396. About 3.8% of families and 6.3% 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 7.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Housing

There were 1,101 housing units at an average density of 29.1 per square mile (11.2/km²). 25.4% of housing units were vacant. There were 821 occupied housing units in the town. 571 were owner-occupied units (69.5%), while 250 were renter-occupied (30.5%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 12.2%. ''NOTE: It is common for resort communities to have higher than normal vacant house counts. Many are vacation homes which are seasonal and not regularly occupied.''

Communities and locations in the town of Romulus

*Elm Beach – A location on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, south of Poplar Beach on NY-89. *

– A state

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

in the town. *Hayts Corners – A hamlet in the southeast of Romulus at the junction of County Roads 129 and 130. *

– A hamlet located by NY-96A near the state park, built on the site of a former Seneca village. *Marsh Corner – A hamlet in the eastern part of the town, east of Romulus village. *Pontius Point – A projection into Seneca Lake north of the state park. *Poplar Beach – A hamlet on the shore of Cayuga Lake, on NY-89. *

– The hamlet of Romulus is by the north town line on NY-96. It was originally called "Romulusville." *Romulus Center – A location in the central part of the town, near the junction of NY-414 and NY-96. *Sampson – A community located in the state park. * Sampson State Park – A

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

on the east shore of Seneca Lake. It is on the site of Sampson Naval Base during

and

Sampson Air Force Base Sampson Air Force Base is a closed United States military facility, last used by the United States Air Force Air Training Command as a Basic Military Training Center. It was closed in 1956 and put into caretaker status. As of at least the 20 ...

during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. *

– A south half of the former supply location is in the town. The land is being re-converted to other uses. The white deer — a genetic quirk that developed naturally on the 7,000-acre, fenced-in expanse — have thrived, even as the depot itself has transitioned from one of the most important Cold War storehouses of bombs and ammunition to a decommissioned relic. It is now home to the

Seneca White Deer The Seneca white deer are a rare herd of deer living within the confines of the former Seneca Army Depot in Seneca County, New York. When the depot was created in 1941, a fence was erected around its perimeter, isolating a small herd of whit ...

wildlife refuge and conservation center. * Seneca Lake – Deepest of the Finger Lakes. *Tannery Corners – A location in the southeast of Romulus, south of Poplar Beach. * Willard – A hamlet in the southwest corner, on the shore of Seneca Lake and County Road 132. *

Willard Drug Treatment Center Willard Drug Treatment Campus was a specialized state prison in Seneca County, New York, United States. The prison focuses on treatment of drug-addicted convicts. Willard Drug Treatment Campus is located in Willard, a community in the Town o ...

– A former state mental hospital that was taken over by the state prison system.

Notable people

William Watts Folwell William Watts Folwell (February 14, 1833 – September 17, 1929) was an educator, writer and historian who was the first president of the University of Minnesota. Biography Folwell was born in 1833 in Romulus, New York. He attended Hobart Coll ...

, the first president of the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

was born in Romulus in 1833.

Jeptha Wade Jeptha Homer Wade (August 11, 1811 – August 9, 1890) was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and one of the founding members of Western Union Telegraph. Wade was born in Romulus, New York, the youngest of nine children of Jeptha and Sara ...

, American Industrialist and founding member of Western Union, was born in Romulus in 1811.

References

External links

Town of RomulusRomulus Revisited: Extracts from the Diary of Henry McLafferty, Jr. 1856 - 1857

Deer Haven Park, LLC

Seneca White Deer, Inc.
{{authority control Populated places established in 1794 Towns in Seneca County, New York 1794 establishments in New York (state)