Pine Bush is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Crawford, in Orange County, New York, U.S., roughly coterminous with the 12566 ZIP code and 744 telephone exchange in the 845 area code (both of which spill over into adjacent regions of the Town of Shawangunk in Ulster County (Another regional identifier, the Pine Bush Central School District, takes in part of the Town of Mamakating in Sullivan County as well). The population was 1,539 at the 2000 census.
Pine Bush is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area.
History
The community was one of the four early nineteenth century settlements in the town. It has previously been known as "Shawangunk," "Crawford," and "Bloomfield." Currently, there is another community called "Crawford," located to the northwest in bordering Ulster County.
UFO sightings in Pine Bush
Though sightings of UFOs in and around Pine Bush date back to the 1950s, the period of time between the late 1970s and the early 1990s saw a huge increase in UFO activity throughout the Town of Crawford area, as well as within, or near, the Village of Pine Bush proper. At one point in the mid-1980s, UFO sightings along West Searsville Road was nearly a nightly event. Hundreds of UFO enthusiasts would line the road each night and revel in the shooting blobs of colored light that would streak across the sky at absurd rates of speed. The crush of sight-seekers became so intense that travel along the road was hampered, leading local authorities to pass a special ordinance prohibiting parking along the otherwise rural stretch of road. Local long-time residents interviewed in 2003 still remembered the throngs of UFO enthusiasts, parked every summer night in front of their houses, sitting in lawnchairs with early-model video cameras at the ready. Other long-time area residents on the other side of town also have testified to witnessing unexplained bright-colored lights seen through local forest trees late at night. Two residents interviewed testified to being restrained in their bed with a harmless "force field" while non-verbal communications were expressed directly into their conscious thought, warning them not to open their eyes or else "they would be afraid". When the "force-field" was lifted, the interviewee and her husband both sprang from their bed in time to see a medium-sized saucer-shaped craft with colored perimeter lights and tiny white orbiting tracers slowly lift off from the adjacent field and into the low cloud cover.
In more recent years, Pine Bush UFO sightings have dropped off considerably, though a die-hard group of enthusiasts still maintain vigils at such areas at the Old Jewish Cemetery along Route 52 between Pine Bush and Walden, NY. Monthly meetings of a local UFO sightings group still take place every first Wednesday at 8 P.M. in nearby Walker Valley at a cozy little venue known as the Little Blue Schoolhouse. Such has been the strong association between Pine Bush and UFOs that some local businesses have capitalized on the perception, notably the Cup and Saucer Diner (as in UFO saucer), and Butch's famous UFO barber shop right on the main street in town; it is a colorful, old-fashioned establishment, packed with local UFO memorabilia and photographs.
A growing town
Pine Bush businesses and population has nearly tripled in the last 10 years. Many city dwellers have moved, and continue to move, to Orange County since 9/11/01. There are currently six gas stations 2.1-mile (3.4 km), three pizzerias, three banks, a bed and breakfast and a hotel named The Harvest Inn. The town has installed a new diner, stoplight, and chain franchises. Also, every year in June, Pine Bush hosts a fair with small rides and attractions.
Geography
Pine Bush is located at 41°36′32″N 74°17′55″W / 41.60889°N 74.29861°W / 41.60889; -74.29861 (41.608823, -74.298726).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), all land.
Pine Bush is on the border of Ulster County, New York and Orange County. The Shawangunk Kill, a small river, marks this boundary. It is located at the intersection of New York State Route 52 and New York State Route 302.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,539 people, 612 households, and 411 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 734.4 per square mile (283.0/km²). There were 654 housing units at an average density of 312.1/sq mi (120.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.74% White, 0.78% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.09% of the population.
There were 612 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,679, and the median income for a family was $55,815. Males had a median income of $38,203 versus $30,577 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,626. About 4.3% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Pine Bush Central School District
The Pine Bush Central School District serves portions of seven townships located in Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange counties. The system, one of the largest in the area, includes four elementary schools, two middle schools and a high school.
References
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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