Goshen is a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a List of counties in New York, county located in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen (village), New York, Goshen. This count ...
, United States.
The population was 5,777 at the
2020 census. It is part of the
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the larger
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...
.
The village is within the town of
Goshen, some fifty miles northwest of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, on
New York State Route 17 in the center of Orange County. Goshen is the home of the
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, and hosted harness racing's top event, the
Hambletonian, from 1930 to 1956, at the former
Good Time Park. Racing is still held at the
Historic Track, a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in the center of the village.
History
The village was settled in 1714 and incorporated on March 28, 1809. In 1727 it was declared the "half-shire town" of Orange County, a predecessor to its current status as county seat. It did not take on that full status, however, until
Rockland County was split from the county in 1798, and Goshen was designated the seat since
Orangetown was in the new county. For a while afterward it shared that status with
Newburgh, moved into Orange as compensation for the lost territory, but since the late 19th century all county government functions have been centralized in Goshen.
Goshen was the site of the hanging of the famous outlaw
Claudius Smith, a British
Loyalist who— along with the Mohawk Indian Chief
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...
— raided the countryside surrounding Goshen during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. He and Brandt are said to have buried their many stolen treasures in the hills surrounding Goshen, and that Claudius is himself buried somewhere on the grounds of the old
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
Church – with his skull having been embedded in the wall. Smith was hanged on January 22, 1779, and exactly six months later, on July 22, 1779, Brant raided what is now
Port Jervis. A militia from Goshen set out to stop Brant, engaging in the disastrous
Battle of Minisink, in which 45 local militiamen were killed. A monument in the center of town marks the spot where their bones were buried in a mass grave 43 years after the battle.
As early as the 1750s, residents used to race their horses along what is now Main Street in the village's downtown. In 1838, a circular track was built around a nearby
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
ground. This was the first incarnation of the
Historic Track, where races are still held for one week each year, making it the oldest horse racing facility still in use in the United States. Later, the larger
Good Time Park was built, which hosted the
Hambletonian in later years. The
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame near the track recognizes Goshen's historic importance to the sport.
In the early 20th century, the village was the home of the
Interpines sanitarium, as well as the
Coates-Goshen automobile, which was built and produced for two years from 1908 to 1910. In 1950, Goshen had a population of 3,311 people. By 1990, the village had been largely built out, and the number of people stood at 5,255; despite a building boom in the
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
, the village has remained about the same size.
In 1992, the tiny, provincial village was rocked by the same criminal, Catholic priesthood pedophilia that was gradually being exposed nation and worldwide. Fr. Edward Pipala (then age 53) the pastor of St. John the Evangelist, R. Catholic Church on Murray Ave, had been molesting troubled, young teens in a number of parishes, including Sacred Heart in
Monroe,
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
and
Croton Falls for decades.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,676 people, 2,039 households, and 1,227 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 2,150 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 87.53%
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.61%
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, .14%
Native American, 1.55%
Asian, .07%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 2.26% from
other races, and .85% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 7.63% of the population.
There were 2,039 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $50,922, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $41,932 versus $31,711 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the village was $22,443. About 1.9% of families and 4.0% 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 0.8% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The village has a
mayor-council government that follows the same form as all other villages with that government in New York: a five-member village board consisting of a mayor and four trustees, all with equal voting power. The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
is the village's chief executive and carries out all day-to-day management functions. The mayor is Scott Wohl and the four trustees are Tony Scotto, Chris Gurda, Molly O'Donnell and Daniel Henderson.
The
Orange County Government Center is located in Goshen; a
brutalist work by
Paul Rudolph.
Infrastructure
Fire protection is provided to the village by the Goshen Fire Department, an all-volunteer organization comprising three fire companies (Dikeman Engine and Hose, Cataract Engine and Hose and Minisink Hook and Ladder). Each of the companies are housed in separate modern fire stations located in the district.
Notable people
*
Noah Webster
Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education" ...
taught here in the 1780s. The
local high school's
library
A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
is named after him, as is Webster Street, where the
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
's offices are located.
*
Henry Wisner represented
New York in the
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...
, produced gunpowder for
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
and his troops, and participated in efforts to block passage of the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
along the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
. An obelisk in memory of him sits prominently across from St. James Episcopal Church and was erected in 1897.
*
Henry Lawrence Burnett, a Brevet Brigadier General in the Union Army, who was a prosecutor on the tribunal that convicted the
Lincoln assassins, lived his later life in Goshen, where he died.
*
Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, an abolitionist and advocate for women's suffrage (October 28, 1842 – October 22, 1932), an orator, writer, actress, and teacher who lived in Goshen the last 40 years of her life.
*
Horace Pippin, Black painter, raised & educated in segregated Goshen schools.
*
William Henry Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State, once lived in Goshen.
*
Willie "The Lion" Smith, jazz pianist, born in Goshen, who has been honored since 2004 with the Goshen Jazz Festival.
*
Dale Memmelaar, (1937-2009) NFL Lineman Guard/Tackle, (played for the Cowboys, Browns, Cardinals, and Colts from 1959 to 1967)
*
Howard Mills III
Howard D. Mills III (born May 29, 1964) is an American insurance consultant and former politician from Goshen (town), New York, Goshen, New York. He served as New York's Insurance commissioner, Superintendent of Insurance from 2005 to 2006, and p ...
, former assemblyman and US Senate candidate was born in Goshen.
*
Bill Bayno, former college and NBA coach
*
Lauren Hough, Olympian
(equestrian, 2000) was born in Goshen.
*
John McLoughlin, a survivor of the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, currently resides in Goshen.
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goshen (Village), New York
Villages in New York (state)
County seats in New York (state)
Populated places established in 1714
Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area
Villages in Orange County, New York
1714 establishments in the Province of New York