Balmville, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Balmville, New York
settlement_type = CDP
nickname =
motto =

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pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Orange
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 5.5
area_land_km2 = 5.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.1
area_land_sq_mi = 2.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 3339
population_density_km2 = 607.1
population_density_sq_mi = 1572.3

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 66
elevation_ft = 217
latd = 41 |latm = 31 |lats = 40 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 1 |longs = 28 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 12550
area_code = 845
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-04286
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0942941
website =
footnotes =

Balmville is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,339 at the 2000 census.

Balmville is a community in the eastern part of the Town of Newburgh. It is immediately north of, and adjoins, the City of Newburgh.

Balmville is home to the Balmville Tree, New York's smallest state forest. The tree is one of three federally protected in the nation. It is called a "miracle tree" due to its age (over 300 years) for its species.

Balmville is also the site of the Powelton Club Country Club.

Geography

Balmville is located at coor dms|41|31|40|N|74|1|28|W|city (41.527893, -74.024426)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 3,339 people, 1,257 households, and 946 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,572.3 per square mile (608.1/km²). There were 1,288 housing units at an average density of 606.5/sq mi (234.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 79.66% White, 9.46% African American, 0.03% Native American, 3.05% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 4.88% from other races, and 2.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.03% of the population.

There were 1,257 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,979, and the median income for a family was $72,925. Males had a median income of $50,426 versus $38,884 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,646. About 1.0% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Balmville Elementary School

Balmville has been a part of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District since consolidation in 1963. The original Balmville School building stood on what later became the Desmond Estate. When that building (which has long since been demolished) outgrew its space, it was replaced by a new building built on land donated by Warren Delano of the Delano family with funds donated by his daughter, Annie Delano-Hitch. Mrs. Hitch was a lifelong Balmville resident whose sister was Sara Delano Roosevelt, the mother of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This old elementary school building with a cornerstone indicating construction in 1897 is still standing today. It stands on what is now the northeast corner of U.S. Route 9W and Fostertown Road. (The current Route 9W was constructed in the late 1920s.) It is immediately north of the current elementary school, at the southeast corner of 9W and Fostertown Road, which was initially constructed in 1953-54, but was added onto many times since, most recently in 2007. In 2007, the Board of Education of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District voted to demolish the older school building and expend $375,000 to do so. The school board concluded that the building is "unstable" and poses a "health and safety hazard even to those just walking or parking outside." This conclusion was based upon an architectural survey commissioned by the Board of Education. Local civic and historic groups rose up and demanded that this historically and architecturally significant building be spared. Local developers Rick Milton and Keith Libolt stepped forward and offered buy the building, restore it, and lease it back to the school district. Milton charged that District Administrators and the architect's report "scared the board into thinking that the building is going to fall down. It's not true." Milton further charged that the administrators were simply looking for a quick way to create more parking spaces for the "new" school and contended that additional parking could be found elsewhere on the school property. The Board of Education relented and rescinded its demolition order. Although most classes have been held in the "new" Balmville School since 1954, some classes had been held in the "old" building as late as the mid-1970s, and it had been used for offices and other administrative purposes up to the mid-1980s. It had been used for storage since. Milton and Libolt propose using the "old" building for administrative and office space, freeing the space used in the "new" building for these purposes for expanding the school library. [Articles by Michael Randall, The Middletown (New York) "Times Herald Record", Oct. 17, 2007 and Oct. 27, 2007] On Oct. 30, 2007, the Board of Education voted to table the demolition for the time being. [Article by Michael Randall, The Middletown (New York) "Times Herald Record", Oct. 31, 2007]

The Balmville Tree

The Balmville Tree is located behind the current Balmville Elementary School, where Balmville Road, River Road, and Commonwealth Avenue intersect. It is the smallest state forest in New York, and is one of only three trees protected by the Federal government. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2000.

Balmville Grange

The Balmville Grange Hall is located on Fostertown Road 2/10 of a mile west of the intersection with Route 9W and is the last remaining grange in the Town of Newburgh. It celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 28, 2003. [Article in "The" "Sentinel" (semi-weekly newspaper), Sept. 30, 2003.]

Newburgh Beacon Bridge and Interstate 84

The western terminus of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge is in Balmville. In fact, Interstate 84, which crosses the Bridge, bisects Balmville just south of the Powelton Club. Property had been taken from the Powelton Club for the construction of this highway, although not as much land was taken as occurred in the 1920s for the construction of U.S. Route 9W. The New York State Bridge Authority recently constructed parking lots on Grand Avenue to accommodate hikers who utilize the pedestrian crosspath on the Bridge. This was done to discourage vehicle parking under the overpass, a security concern since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

References

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