Pine Plains (town), New York

Pine Plains is a town in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,569 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the geographic character of the region.

The Hamlet of Pine Plains is on the north border of the county.

History

The town was part of the Little Nine Partners Patent of 1706. The town was first settled around 1740 by Moravian missionaries. The Town of Pine Plains was formed from the Town of North East in 1823.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 81.2 km² (31.4 sq mi). 80.0 km² (30.9 sq mi) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 sq mi) of it (1.47%) is water.

The north town line is the border of Columbia County, New York. Three small lakes lie west of the community of Pine Plains: Stissing Pond which is excellent for swimming, Thompson Pond which is dedicated to conservation for wildlife, and Twin Island Lake, the largest out of the lakes lie in the center of the town.

The most prominent physical feature is Stissing Mountain which at convert|1403|ft|m|abbr=on. elevation, towers over the local area. The mountain is formed of pre-cambrian gneiss that remains after numerous cycles of glaciation have scoured and reformed the surrounding terrain.

The town has recently been battling NYC speculators about zoning restrictions through the zoning contingencies of former town supervisor Scott Chase.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 2,569 people, 988 households, and 700 families residing in the town. The population density was 83.2 people per square mile (32.1/km²). There were 1,161 housing units at an average density of 37.6/sq mi (14.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.26% White, 0.90% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.

There were 988 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $46,900. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,259. About 5.7% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Pine Plains

*Bethel -- A hamlet in the south-central part of town.
*Hammertown -- A hamlet east of Pine Plains village.
*Mount Ross -- A location in the northwest corner of the town.
*Pachin Mills -- A hamlet in the north part of the town near the Columbia County border.
*Pine Plains -- The hamlet of Pine Plains.
*Pulvers Corners -- A location in the northeast part of the town.

References

External links

* [http://pineplains.lib.ny.us/ Pine Plains Free Library]
* [http://www.bearsystems.com/pineplai/pineplai.html Pine Plains information]