Eastchester 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 o ...

in southern

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

, United States. The population was over 34,641 at the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

over 32,363 at the 2010 census. There are two

villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

within the town: Bronxville and Tuckahoe. The town contains a

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, suc ...

also named Eastchester, which is the whole town of Eastchester excluding Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

History

The town that is now called Eastchester began settlement in 1664 when ten families migrated from

Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the New York metropolitan ar ...

Thomas Pell Thomas Pell, 1st Lord of Pelham Manor (1608 – September 21, 1669) was an English-born physician who bought the area known as Pelham, New York, as well as land that now includes the eastern Bronx and southern Westchester County, New York, and foun ...

, who at that time also owned the territory that is now

New Rochelle New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state o ...

and Pelham, granted a deed to the group to "settle down at Hutchinsons'," where the home of

Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson (née Marbury; July 1591 – August 1643) was a Puritan spiritual advisor, religious reformer, and an important participant in the Antinomian Controversy which shook the infant Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. Her ...

had stood some twenty years before. The ten original families were shortly joined by another 26. Laws for the region were established the following year, in 1665, under an agreement called the "Eastchester Covenant". The covenant was a rare document for this period. It contained 26 provisions, including such items as education of children, disposition and upkeep of property, and support of a minister. Confirmation of their 1664

land patent A land patent is a form of letters patent assigning official ownership of a particular tract of land that has gone through various legally-prescribed processes like surveying and documentation, followed by the letter's signing, sealing, and publi ...

was granted by Governor

Richard Nicolls Richard Nicolls (sometimes written as Nichols, 1624 – 28 May 1672) was the first English colonial governor of New York province. Early life Nicolls was born in 1624 in Ampthill in Bedfordshire, England. He was the son of Francis Nicolls ( ...

in 1666 after the occupation of the area by the English. A controversy arose in 1700 when the settlers signed a deed with the Native Americans. The tract of land involved was known as "Long Reach" because of its odd geographical makeup. The sites included are the present Bronxville, Tuckahoe, and a section of northwest

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

. The dispute over the ownership of the land involved the towns of New Rochelle, Westchester and the Pell family. When a decision was reached in favor of Eastchester, England's Queen Anne granted a second patent in 1708. Eastchester was a farming community at the outbreak of 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 Revoluti ...

. Although no major battles were fought here, as the heart of the Neutral Ground it saw constant fighting for over 13 years, being harassed by both sides as well as by the cowboys and skinners (the guerrillas of the day). Eastchester's rural makeup began to change with the coming of the railroad in the 1840s. An area of of land was incorporated as the village of Mount Vernon in 1853 by a group of New York businessmen; the village of Bronxville was incorporated in 1898; and the village of Tuckahoe in 1903. Today, Eastchester is bounded by Scarsdale on the north, New Rochelle on the east,

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York (state), New York, after New York City and Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. The popul ...

on the west, and Mount Vernon on the south. The town covers approximately five square miles, including Bronxville and Tuckahoe.

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

was a member of Leewood Country Club. Eastchester High School 2021 jeh

The Marble Schoolhouse and

Tuckahoe High School Tuckahoe High School is a historic high school located in Eastchester, Westchester County, New York. It was built in 1930–1931, and is a three-story brick building with Aztec-inspired cast stone trim in the Art Deco style. The front facade is ...

are 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 ...

. In 1899, the University system of New York State granted a charter to the Waverly Union School, located in present day Eastchester (called Upper Tuckahoe at the time), which housed grades kindergarten through twelve. This charter marks the beginnings of the Eastchester Union Free District. Waverly was the center of the Eastchester educational community, until Eastchester High School was completed in 1927. Waverly continued to serve as an elementary school until 1983. In 1990, it was refurbished and opened as the Waverly Early Childhood Center. The Wilmot School near the corner of White Plains Road and Wilmot Road was a K-8 school that serviced the north end of town after 1909. When the Greenvale elementary school was erected in 1936, the Wilmot School was converted into Eastchester's Town Hall. In 1964, the clubhouse of the Oak Ridge Country Club was converted into the present Town Hall, and the Wilmot School was torn down. The Cooper School, located in the northern end of town, was an elementary school built in the 1920s. It was demolished in 1980 and the land sold to a private housing developer. The original schoolyard lives on as Cooper Field, leased to the town of Eastchester at the rate of one dollar per year. The park is also referred to as Vaccaro Park, as it was originally donated by Carmela Vaccaro the matriarch of one of the largest and longest standing families in Eastchester. The Anne Hutchinson School, another elementary school, was built in 1953, and additional classrooms constructed several years later. A primary wing was built at the Greenvale School in the 1950s.

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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.00%, is water.

Communities in Eastchester

Village of Bronxville: * Bronxville Heights * Lawrence Park Village of Tuckahoe: * Waverly * Bronxville Manor * Crestwood Eastchester, unincorporated hamlet: * Lake Isle (sections also in

) * Twin Lakes * California Ridge * Hickory Hills * Huntley Estates * Chester Heights (sections also in

) * The North End * The Industrial Sector * Green Knolls * Garth Road * Waverly Heights * Bronxville Manor

Demographics

, there were 31,318 people, 12,626 households, and 8,408 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 6,376.3 people per square mile (2,462.7/km²). There were 13,035 housing units at an average density of 2,653.9 per square mile (1,025.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.35%

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 ...

, 5.80%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.07% Native American, 3.85% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.40% 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 1.51% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 5.48% of the population. There were 12,626 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% 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 ...

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% 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 3.09. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $101,425, and the median income for a family was $137,663. Males had a median income of $71,420 versus $47,725 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 $49,941. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% 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 ...

, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. On July 1, 2018 the

U.S. 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 ...

estimated the population at 32,964. There were 12,748 households and the racial makeup was 79.3%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Am ...

, 1.9% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.0% Asian, 3.9% from

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

, and 8.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.1% of the town was foreign-born and 24.1% spoke another language other than English at home. The median income from 2014-2018 was $120,867 and the per capita income was $74,393. 4.1% of the population lived below the poverty line in 2018.

Arts and culture

Notable locations

* Hotel Gramatan, built in 1905 to accommodate the burgeoning artist community of Lawrence Park in Bronxville. The hotel was demolished in 1972. * Lake Isle Country Club - opened before 1920 and was known as the Mount Vernon Country Club. * Marble Schoolhouse - one-room schoolhouse built in 1835; constructed of

Tuckahoe Marble Tuckahoe marble (also known as Inwood and Westchester marble) is a type of marble found in southern New York state and western Connecticut. Part of the Inwood Formation of the Manhattan Prong, it dates from the Late Cambrian to the Early Ordov ...

* Twin Lakes County Park - operated by the Westchester County Department of Parks with many trails, wildlife, Twin Lakes Farms horse stables, and a lake. * Town Hall - the site was originally a farm, later a country club and golf club. Dedicated in 1957 and converted to Pennsylvania style utilizing the existing stonework and slate roof. Town Hall is the only town center in Westchester County to house a wide variety of town departments and local civic functions. * Vernon Hills Shopping Center - constructed in the 1950s, it is the main shopping center in the town of Eastchester. * Westchester Funeral Home - founded in 1832, the home arranged the funeral for US President James A. Garfield in 1881.

Education

Eastchester Union Free School District serves a portion. *

Eastchester High School Eastchester High School is located in Westchester County, New York in the town of Eastchester. A part of the Eastchester Union Free School District, it is a former U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon school with approximately 1009 students ...

* Eastchester Middle School * Anne Hutchinson Elementary * Greenvale Elementary * Waverly School Tuckahoe Union Free School District serves a portion *

* Tuckahoe Middle School * Cottle Elementary Bronxville Union Free School District (one K-12 school) also serves a portion Private: * Immaculate Conception School of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the New York (state), State of New York. It encom ...

* Chapel School * St. Joseph School

Notable people

Harrison Bader Harrison Joseph Bader (born June 3, 1994), nicknamed "Tots," is an American professional baseball center fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals. Born and r ...

(born 1994),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

outfielder for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. *

Betty Broderick Elisabeth Anne Broderick (née Bisceglia; born November 7, 1947) is an American woman who was convicted of murdering her ex-husband, Daniel T. Broderick III, and his second wife, Linda (née Kolkena) Broderick, on November 5, 1989. At a second t ...

, high-profile murderer convicted of the killing of her ex-husband and his new wife *

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

, third Vice President of the United States under President Thomas Jefferson *

Tom Creavy Thomas Daniel Creavy (February 3, 1911 – March 3, 1979) was an American professional golfer, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1931. Born in Tuckahoe, New York, Creavy learned the game as a caddie at Siwanoy Country Club, and was the club ...

, PGA golfer who won the 1931 PGA Championship * John Doherty, former MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox *

Johnny Farrell John Joseph Farrell (April 1, 1901 – June 14, 1988) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the U.S. Open in 1928. Over the course of his career, he won 22 PGA Tour events. Early life Born in White Plains, New York, Farre ...

, PGA golfer who won the 1928 U.S. Open *

Jimmy Fink Jimmy Fink is a New York metropolitan area radio personality, producer and writer. Early life and education Fink was born and raised in Eastchester, New York. His family owned the Fink Bakery, a New York City which operated in Manhattan and ...

, New York radio personality *

Nick Fotiu Nicholas Evlampios Fotiu (born May 25, 1952) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988. Playing career Fotiu's father was of Greek descent, ...

, NHL Forward who lived on the shores of Lake Innisfree during his tenure with the NY Rangers *

Mario Gabelli Mario Joseph Gabelli (born June 19, 1942) is an American stock investor, investment advisor, and financial analyst. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Gabelli Asset Management Company Investors (Gamco Investors), an investment firm headqua ...

, stock investor who lived on the shores of Lake Innisfree *

, early advocate of religious freedom *

Willie Macfarlane William Macfarlane (29 June 1889 – 15 August 1961) was a Scottish professional golfer. Biography Macfarlane was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. Like many British golfers of his era, he took a position as a club professional in the United State ...

, PGA golfer who won the U.S. Open in 1925 *

Bobby Moynihan Bobby Moynihan (born January 31, 1977) is an American actor, comedian and writer who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 until 2017. He also voiced Louie Duck on Disney's ''DuckTales'' from 2017 to 2021, Panda in ''We Bare B ...

, actor & comedian from Saturday Night Live * Eric Naposki, NFL player, convicted of "love triangle" murder for financial gain *

Kenneth Posner Kenneth Posner is an American lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals '' Wicked'' and '' Hairspray'', two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st cen ...

, Tony Award-winning theatrical lighting designer *

Tony Sayegh Tony Sayegh (born October 29, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York) served as a White House Senior Advisor for Strategy until February 2020, and is a former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, serving from March ...

, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U. S. Department of the Treasury *

T. F. Secor Theodosius Fowler Secor (March 22, 1808April 29, 1901) was an American marine engineer. Secor co-founded T. F. Secor & Co. in New York in 1838 (better known by its later name, the Morgan Iron Works), which was one of the leading American marine ...

(1808–1901), marine engineer and co-founder of T. F. Secor & Co. *

Jess Sweetser Jesse William Sweetser (April 18, 1902 – May 27, 1989) was an amateur golfer, best known as the first American-born player to win the British Amateur. Early life Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sweetser later attended Phillips Exeter Academy and ...

, golfer who won the British Amateur Championship in 1926 * Ed Ward, writer and music critic *

John Peter Zenger John Peter Zenger (October 26, 1697 – July 28, 1746) was a German printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed ''The New York Weekly Journal''. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but t ...

, defendant in a landmark legal case that laid the foundation for press freedom

Gallery

File:Leewood Golf Course East cloudy jeh.jpg, Leewood Golf Course File:Town of Eastchester Welcome Sign 2010.JPG, Town of Eastchester welcome sign File:Marble schoolhouse 800.jpg, Marble schoolhouse File:Mickey Spillane's Restaurant 2012.JPG, Mickey Spillane's Restaurant File:IC Church 800.jpg, Immaculate Conception Church File:Lake Isle 800.jpg, Lake Isle Country Club File:Anne Hutchinson School on Mill Road.JPG, Anne Hutchinson School File:Interlaken 800.jpg, Interlaken Reservoir File:Holy Mount 800.jpg, The entrance to Holy Mount Cemetery File:Holy Mount Cemetery in Eastchester NY.jpg, The graves in Holy Mount Cemetery File:Eastchester Public Library 2012.JPG, Eastchester Public Library File:Eastchester High School Banner 2012.JPG, Banner at Eastchester High School

In popular culture

* ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

'' (1982). The film starred

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

. * Main Street in Tuckahoe was used for a scene in the film ''

Riding in Cars with Boys ''Riding in Cars with Boys'' is a 2001 American biographical film based on the autobiography of the same name by Beverly Donofrio, about a woman who overcame difficulties, including being a teen mother, and who later earned a master's degree. The ...

'' (2001)

References

External links

Town of Eastchester official website
{{authority control Towns in Westchester County, New York Towns in the New York metropolitan area 1664 establishments in the Province of New York