Wappingers Falls, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wappingers Falls, New York
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

imagesize = 300px
image_caption = Historic buildings downtown


image_

|pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
pushpin_mapsize =


mapsize =
map_caption =


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Dutchess
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 3.1
area_land_km2 = 3.0
area_water_km2 = 0.2
area_total_sq_mi = 1.2
area_land_sq_mi = 1.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 4929
population_density_km2 = 1668.5
population_density_sq_mi = 4321.4

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 47
elevation_ft = 154
latd = 41 |latm = 35 |lats = 57 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 55 |longs = 5 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 12590
area_code = 845 Phone exchanges = AXminster-6, AXminster-7 and AXminster-8
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-78168GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0968775GR|3
website =
footnotes = :"For the Native American tribe, see Wappani."Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 4,929 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the local Wappinger Indians.

One half of the Village of Wappingers Falls is in the Town of Wappinger and the other half is in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Wappinger Creek forms the dividing line between the Towns of Poughkeepsie and Wappinger within the Village.

US 9 passes through the village, as well as NY 9D.

The area code for Wappingers Falls is 845.

The Village of Wappinger also holds claim to New York State's 6th oldest library, the Grinnell Library

*TV stations (with antenna pointed south) WCBS-TV-2, WNBC-TV-4, WNYW-TV-5, WABC-TV-7,WWOR-TV-9, WPIX-TV-11, WNET-13, WMHT-TV-42

*TV stations (with antenna pointed north) WRGB-TV-6, WTEN-TV-10, WXXA-TV-23, WMHT-TV-42, WCWN-45

History

The area was part of the Rombout Patent. The community was founded around 1659. The Village of Wappingers Falls was incorporated in 1871 and included the adjacent community of Channingville.

The local waterfall was important for early industrial development.

The accusations of Tawana Brawley, then a Wappingers Falls resident, that she was raped there in 1987 gained national prominence.

In another case getting national attention, the defendant in Elektra v. Santangelo, one of the cases where the recording industry attempted legal action against alleged song-file traders, is a Wappingers Falls resident.

Geography

Wappingers Falls is located at coor dms|41|35|57|N|73|55|5|W|city (41.599093, -73.918077)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.1 square miles (3.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (4.96%) is water.

Wappinger Creek flows through the village.

As mentioned above, one half (closer to 2/3) of the Village of Wappingers Falls is located within the Town of Wappinger. However the large post office which services both municipalities is located in the Village of Wappingers Falls. Thus both the Village of Wappingers Falls and the Town of Wappinger (as well as portions of Fishkill, East Fishkill, Poughkeepsie and Lagrange)all have the same zip code; WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590. This often results in confusion. The Town of Wappinger is 28 square miles. Truckers and travelers often attempt to locate an address in the 1.2 square mile Village of Wappingers Falls when the location they are actually seeking is somewhere in the much larger Town of Wappinger (or portions of Fishkill, East Fishkill, Poughkeepsie and Lagrange).

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,929 people, 1,980 households, and 1,191 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,321.4 people per square mile (1,669.4/km²). There were 2,119 housing units at an average density of 1,857.8/sq mi (717.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 82.02% White, 5.98% African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.04% Asian, 5.64% from other races, and 3.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.05% of the population.

There were 1,980 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $39,123, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $38,147 versus $26,607 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,491. About 10.4% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

Places of worship

The Dutchess County Hindu Samaj Temple is located on Brown Road (on CR-94; All-Angels Hill Road). It also has Yoga classes and hosts other cultural events. A mosque is also present at the intersection of All-Angels Hill Road (CR-94) and Myers Corners Road (CR-93). There are numerous churches also in the area.

Fictional links

In Ward Moore's 1953 alternate history novel "Bring the Jubilee", the protagonist, Hodgins M. Backmaker, is a native of Wappingers Falls.

Books

* Gianpaolo Zeni, "En Merica! L'emigrazione della gente di Magasa e Valvestino in America", Cooperativa Il Chiese, Storo 2005.

References

External links

* [http://grinnell.wappingers.lib.ny.us/ Grinnell Library Association]
* [http://www.bearsystems.com/wappfall/wappfall.html Area information]
* [http://www.dickshovel.com/wap.html Summary history of the Wappinger tribe]
* [http://www.wappingersfallsny.gov/ Village of Wappingers Falls, New York]
* [http://www.hindusamajtemple.org/ Hindu Samaj Temple]