Fallsburg is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The town is in the eastern part of the county. The population was 12,234 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River. This town is the very heart of a once popular predominately Jewish summer resort area known as the Catskills Borscht Belt.
Geography
The east town line is the border of Ulster County, New York. It is also bordered by the Town of Thompson, the Town of Neversink, and the Town of Liberty.
The town is known for many small lakes, ponds, wooded areas, and former dairy farms.
Major bodies of water in the Town of Fallsburg include: Loch Sheldrake, also known as Sheldrake Pond, Echo Lake, Evans Lake, Morningside Lake, Pleasure Lake, and the Neversink River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 79.0 square miles (204.6 km²), of which, 77.6 square miles (201.0 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it (1.73%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 12,234 people, 3,761 households, and 2,478 families residing in the town. The population density was 157.6 people per square mile (60.9/km²). There were 6,661 housing units at an average density of 85.8/sq mi (33.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 75.19% White, 15.56% African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.04% from other races, and 2.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.53% of the population.
There were 3,761 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% 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 3.16.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 133.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 142.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,036, and the median income for a family was $39,216. Males had a median income of $31,949 versus $24,583 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,744. About 15.9% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
- Divine Corners – A location north of Loch Sheldrake. Home to many bungalow colonies.
- Fallsburg – The hamlet of Fallsburg, formerly known as "Neversink Falls" or "Old Falls," or just plain "Fallsburgh", is on Route 42.
- Glen Wild – A hamlet by the south town line.
- Hasbrouck – A hamlet in the north part of the town.
- Hurleyville – A hamlet formerly called "Luzon Station."
- Loch Sheldrake – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town on Route 52.
- Mountain Dale – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town, formerly called "Sandburg."
- South Fallsburg – A hamlet by the west town line.
- Woodridge – The Village of Woodridge. Formerly known as "Centreville."
- Woodbourne – A hamlet on Route 52 north of Fallsburg hamlet.
- Woodbourne Correctional Facility – A New York prison south of Woodbourne.
Characteristic pine forest at Fallsburg
Lake Nityananda, on the property of the Shree Muktananda Ashram, Fallsburg
Education
Fallsburg Central School District is the "Home of the Comets".[2]
Facilities
Notable residents
- Francis S. Currey – former United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Grew up in Hurleyville in a dairy farming family.
- Andrew Neiderman – former English teacher at Fallsburg Central High School. Prolific author of horror novels, including Devil's Advocate, made into a movie starring Al Pacino.
- Raúl Juliá – actor
- Greg Kulz – San Francisco tattoo artist
Notable former hotels and bungalow colonies
- Ambassador Hotel (site later became a summer amusement park, now abandoned)
- Brickman Hotel (now part of SYDA Foundation's Shree Muktananda Ashram)
- Cutler's Cottages and Day Camp (now a religious bungalow colony)
- Dishner's Bungalow Colony (now Skolya Bungalow Colony)
- Eldorado Hotel (formerly Zeiger's; later Palms Country Club; now a religious bungalow colony)
- Fallsburg Mansion (Main Street Houses public apartment complex built on front parcel of site)
- Flagler Hotel (later The Fountains of Rome; now a religious camp)
- Gibber's Hotel (now a religious camp)
- Gilbert's Hotel (now part of SYDA Foundation's Shree Muktananda Ashram)
- Heiden Hotel (burned to the ground in May 2008)
- Irvington Hotel (now a religious bungalow colony)
- Lansman's Bungalow Colony and Day Camp (now Lansman's Co-Op and Day Camp)
- Leibowitz Pine View Hotel (now a medium security prison next to Woodbourne Maximum)
- Majestic Hotel (South Fallsburg, New York)
- Morningside Hotel (on Morningside Lake, now part of the town park)
- Nemerson Hotel (later The Deville; the Bel Fior; Zucker's La Vista, now a religious camp)
- Pines Hotel and Ski (Formerly Ratner's. Purchased by religious group in 1998 but still abandoned. Pines Golf Course still open as of 2008)
- Pollack's Fallsburg Country club (now a religious camp)
- Plaza Hotel (property now privately owned)
- Pleasant Valley Bungalow Colony and Day Camp
- Raleigh Hotel (reopened in 2007)
- Regal Hotel (now a religious camp)
- Silverman's River View Hotel
- Saxony Hotel (later the Polonia)
- Schenk's Hotel (now a religious camp)
- Hotel Senator (later the Levitt)
- Shady Nook Hotel and Country Club
- Stieglitz Bungalow Colony (now River Valley Summer Estates)
- Summit Hotel
- Windsor Hotel (later TM; then part of SYDA Foundation's Shree Muktananda Ashram; now a religious camp)
References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Fallsburg Central School District". http://www.fallsburgcsd.net/. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
External links
Coordinates: 41°43′55″N 74°36′05″W / 41.73194°N 74.60139°W / 41.73194; -74.60139
