
Somers is a
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 ...
located in northern
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 21,541.
The nearby
Metro-North Commuter Railroad provides service to
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal station, terminal located at 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York Ci ...
in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, with an average commute time of 65 to 75 minutes from stations at
Purdys,
Goldens Bridge, Croton Falls, and
Katonah.
History
Somers was originally inhabited by
Native Americans known as Kitchawanks, part of the
Wappinger tribe, an
Algonquian people who called the land ''Amapaugh'', meaning "fresh water fish." This land was located in the eastern segment of an tract King
William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
granted to
Stephanus Van Cortlandt 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 ...
in 1697. The part of
Van Cortlandt Manor that ultimately became Somers and
Yorktown was known as the Middle District, or Hanover.
European settlement in the New Oltenia area began after Van Cortlandt's death in 1700 and the final partition of his estate in 1734. Early European settlers included tenants and freeholders from neighboring areas, among them English, Dutch, French
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
s and
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
s. At the first known town meeting of European settlers held on March 7, 1788, at an inn owned by
Benjamin Green, the town named Stephentown was established. However, there already existed a Stephentown in
Rensselaer County. To alleviate confusion, the name was changed in 1808 to Somers to honor
Richard Somers, a naval captain from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
who died in combat during the
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war ...
in 1804. A memorial in West Somers Park was erected in his honor at
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
It i ...
ceremonies in 1958.
In the early 19th century, New Oltenia, or Somerstown Plains, as it was then generally known, contained hat factories, carriage factories, three hotels, two general stores, an iron mine, a milk factory, and a sanctuary for boys operated by the
Christian Brothers. Today, the facility is known as Lincoln Hall, and houses incarcerated teens. There was a constant stream of goods and passengers to large markets and cities through the village. As early as 1809, a weekly newspaper was established, the ''Somers Museum and Westchester County Advertiser''. Though primarily agricultural, the rural economy also supported a varied population of weavers, preachers, merchants, cabinetmakers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and servants. A good system of roads was maintained and some operated as commercial "toll roads". The railroad, developed in the 1840s, bypassed the town of Somers, and affected a decline in growth over the next hundred years. The presence of the railroad in nearby communities did allow the agricultural emphasis to move towards dairy production and fruit growing, since the products could be shipped to markets in the city.
Industries continued to thrive, with grist, paper, saw and clothing mills operating in the area. Between 1890 and 1910, the
Croton and
Muscoot rivers were flooded to create the
New York City reservoir system thereby changing the local landscape considerably. In the 1920s small lake communities began to spring up as vacation havens for summer visitors and farmers’ guests. These lake communities became larger and firmly established, eventually evolving from seasonal to year-round neighborhoods now known as Lake Lincolndale, Lake Purdys and
Lake Shenorock. Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the rural countryside of Somers continued attracting "weekenders", many from New York City who became more mobile because of the proliferation of automobile travel. The construction of
Interstate 684
Interstate 684 (I-684) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the state of New York in the United States. There is also a short portion in Connecticut with no junctions. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkw ...
in the mid-1970s facilitated a resurgence of residential and commercial development in Somers for the next 20 years. Somers grew most rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s, after
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
and
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...
built large corporate facilities within it.
Somers is known for being the "cradle of the American
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 ...
". It gained this notoriety after
Hachaliah Bailey bought an
African elephant
African elephants are members of the genus ''Loxodonta'' comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant (''L. africana'') and the smaller African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''). Both are social herbivores with grey skin. ...
, which he named "
Old Bet". Somers was in a minor dispute with
Baraboo, Wisconsin, over which community is the "birthplace" of the American circus. Bailey intended to use the elephant for farm work, but the number of people it attracted caused Bailey to take her throughout the
Northeast. Bailey's success caused numerous others to tour with exotic animals, and during the 1830s the old-style circus and Bailey's attractions merged to form the modern circus. Old Bet died on tour in 1827. Bailey later erected the
Elephant Hotel in Somers in honor of Old Bet, and it was purchased by the town in 1927. It is a town
landmark
A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.
In modern-day use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures ...
and in 2006 was dedicated 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 ...
. The elephant remains a symbol of the town to this day, with the high school sports teams the Somers "Tuskers", whose mascot is an elephant. A charging elephant can also be seen on the towns anti-littering signs, placed around town by the Somers Litter Task Force in 2012. The Elephant Hotel is currently the Somers Town Hall.
The Mount Zion Methodist Church,
Gerard Crane House, Elephant Hotel, Somers Business Historic Preservation District, Bridge L-158 and
West Somers Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.88%, is water.
The town's northern border is the town of
Carmel in
Putnam County. Its eastern border is the town of
North Salem. Its southern borders are the towns of
Lewisboro,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, and
New Castle. Its western border is the town of
Yorktown.
U.S. Route 202 and
U.S. Route 6 pass through the town.
Climate
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 2010, there were 20,434 people, 6,802 households, and 5,169 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 7,098 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.81%
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 ...
, 1.7%
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 ...
, 0.05%
Native American, 1.86%
Asian, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.59% from
other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 2.96% of the population were
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.
There were 6,802 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% 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, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $101,421 and the median income for a family was $114,499. Males had a median income of $78,678 versus $45,367 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 town was $40,414. 2.0% of the population and 1.2% of families 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 ...
. 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education
The
Somers Central School District is the public school district of the town of Somers. It is made up of Primrose Elementary School, Somers Intermediate School, Somers Middle School, and
Somers High School for grades 9–12.
The Community YMCA of Northern Westchester offers before- and after-school programming at Primrose, SIS and SMS and a summer camp for local children.
Communities and locations in Somers
*Amawalk – The
Amawalk Friends Meeting House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
*
Amawalk Reservoir – a
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
in the northern part of the town adjacent to US 202 and NY 118
*Amawalk Spillway – a spillway off the side of Route 35, from the reservoir
*Granite Springs – a small residential hamlet along US 202/NY 118 near the Amawalk Reservoir.
*Greenbriar – a housing development on Warren Street made up of townhouses and single family homes. Close to SMS and SIS.
*
Heritage Hills – a townhome development located on US 202
*Horton Estates – a living community by the Amawalk Reservoir
*Lake Lincolndale
[Lake Lincolndale](_blank)
/ref> – a hamlet north of Lincolndale, near the north county line
*Lake Purdy[Lake Purdy](_blank)
/ref> – a lake community off Route 116 near Interstate 684
Interstate 684 (I-684) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the state of New York in the United States. There is also a short portion in Connecticut with no junctions. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkw ...
and bordering the town of North Salem
*Katonah Post Office, Somers: a portion of Somers uses the Katonah post code and address. This is considered to be more fashionable.
* Lake Shenorock – a hamlet north of the Amawalk Reservoir.
* Lincolndale – a hamlet by the intersection of US 202 and NY 139
*Primrose Farms – a living community near Reis Park
* Shenorock – a hamlet near the northern county line by NY 118
*Somers – the hamlet of Somers. The Somers Hamlet Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
*Somers Chase – a housing development located on US 202, east of the Somers Central School District's intermediate and middle schools
*Somers Commons – a commercial development (formerly known as Baldwin Place Mall prior to major reconstruction of the site) located on US 6 near the hamlet of Mahopac
*The Willows – a townhouse development located on US 202
*Whitehall Corners
Points of interest
* Angle Fly Preserve, administered by the Somers Land Trust
* Bridge L-158, the only remaining double-intersection Whipple truss rail bridge in New York
* Elephant Hotel
* Lake Lincolndale
* Lake Purdy
* Lasdon Park and Arboretum
* Muscoot Farm
* Old Stone House, on old Route 100
* Reis Park and the Wright Reis Homestead
* Somers Library
Somers in popular culture
Somers has been used as a location for a handful of prominent movies. In 1923, famed silent film director D. W. Griffith recorded portions of the historical drama ''America'' in Somers. The film was released the following year. More recently, a scene from the 1984 movie ''Falling in Love
Falling in love is the development of strong feelings of attachment and love, usually towards another person.
The term is metaphorical, emphasizing that the process, like the physical act of falling, is sudden, uncontrollable and leaves the ...
'' (starring Meryl Streep) used Dean's Bridge railroad crossing in a scene, the 1987 movie '' The Secret of My Success'' (starring Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...
) was filmed in Lasdon Park and Muscoot Farm. Muscoot Farm was also used as the location for the orphanage scenes in the 2007 movie ''August Rush
''August Rush'' is a 2007 Drama (film and television), musical drama directed by Kirsten Sheridan & produced by Richard Barton Lewis. The screenplay is by Nick Castle and James V. Hart, with a story by Paul Castro and Castle. It involves an 11-ye ...
'' (starring 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 comedie ...
among others). Two scenes in the movie '' I Am Legend'' (starring Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
) were filmed on Stuart's Farm. The 2013 movie '' A Birder's Guide to Everything'', directed by Rob Meyer, is based in Somers.
Somers has also been used as a location for television production. The episode "The Arena Family" of '' Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'', which first aired on May 15, 2006, was filmed in the Purdys section of Somers.
Reis Park
Reis Park was named after Carolyn Reis, who left it to the community in 1966 after she found out that she would not be able to have children herself. The park has facilities for playing baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and tennis. There are also a jungle gym and a concession stand where there once stood 83 acres of apple and peach orchards.
Notable people
* Hachaliah Bailey, pioneer of the American circus who exhibited " Old Bet", the elephant that gives the Elephant Hotel its name
* Anne Beatts, one of the original writers for ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'', created the sitcom '' Square Pegs'' partly based on her Somers high school experiences; grew up in Somers
* Graham Clarke (born 1970), musician, songwriter, arranger, and entertainer
* Billy Collins, former United States Poet Laureate
*James Comey
James Brien Comey Jr. (; born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who was the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until Dismissal of James Comey, his termination in May 2017. Comey was a registered Repub ...
, former FBI director
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a United States federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI director is appointed for a ...
* Jeff Gorton, executive vice president of the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
* Mike Kaplowitz, county legislator
* Allison Larkin (born 1977), author of five novels including ''Home of the American Circus'', set in Somers
*Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Alcott Pinchot (; born May 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Balki Bartokomous on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Perfect Strangers (TV series), Perfect Strangers'' (1986–1993). He also perform ...
, actor known for playing Balki on '' Perfect Strangers''; lives in Somers
* Jenifer Rajkumar, 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 ...
politician; grew up in Somers
* Brian Span, professional soccer player who currently plays for IFK Mariehamn in the Finnish Premier Division, after a brief career in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
* Andrew Yang, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, entrepreneur, lawyer, and philanthropist; grew up in Somers
References
Town of Somers History (Somers Historical Society)
External links
Town of Somers official website
{{Authority control
Towns in Westchester County, New York
Towns in New York (state)
Towns in the New York metropolitan area