Westport, New York

Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,312 at the 2010 census.

The Town of Westport is on the eastern border of the county and is 35 miles (56 km) south of Plattsburgh and 93 miles (150 km) south of Montreal. Westport is inside the Adirondack Park.

Westport is the birthplace of the Adirondack chair.

The Essex County Fair is held in the town. The Essex County Fairgrounds was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

History

Early history

In 1642, Jesuit missionary Isaac Jogues was tortured by Iroquois at Coles Bay. He survived and was eventually saved by merchants from New Amsterdam.

The town was founded by William Gilliland in 1764 who surveyed an area in the southern part of the town and was granted 2,300 acres (9.3 km²); he also established the neighboring towns of Elizabethtown, named for his wife, and Willsboro. Gilliland originally called his patent "Bessboro" after his little daughter </Royce, Caroline Halstead (1902). Bessboro: a history of Westport, Essex Co., N.Y.. Open Library. p. 3.>. The original settlement, which may have supplied wood to Benedict Arnold's troops, was completely destroyed during the American Revolutionary War in connection with British General John Burgoyne's march from Canada to Saratoga. The first permanent settlement was in 1785.

Incorporation

The Town of Westport was established in 1815 from part of the Town of Elizabethtown. The community of Westport set itself off from the town in 1907 by incorporation. The Village of Westport abandoned this status as an incorporated village as of Dec 31, 1992.

Westport the resort

By the mid-nineteenth century, Westport was a fashionable resort town. Its social scene was regularly reported on in The New York Times and by the Boston press. Like many other East Coast resorts, Its popularity gradually declined, starting in the 1930s, as first automobiles and then airplanes made possible a wider selection of vacation sites. Since the 1950s, however, Westport's lakeshore property has steadily increased in value. Although once most of the "summer people" stayed for weeks, now distinctions are not as clear: there are "year-round summer people" whose livelihood stems from outside Westport, weekenders whose principal residence is fairly close by (for example, Albany, which is two hours distant by car), and commuters to workplaces as distant as Plattsburgh, New York, and Middlebury, Vermont.

Westport is home to Camp Dudley YMCA, the oldest summer camp in continuous operation in the United States, founded in 1885 by Sumner F. Dudley, moved to Westport in 1891. Meadowmount, the summer school for string players founded by Ivan Galamian, is about eight miles (13 km) from the center of town. Westport is known as the ice fishing capital of Essex County.

Westport is also home to the only professional theatre in the Adirondacks proper. The Depot Theatre was founded in 1979, and operates out of the historic Amtrak railway station. The 136-seat, air-conditioned theatre hosts plays and musicals on its main stage during the summer months, as well as an annual Gala. Outside of the Main Stage season, the Depot Theatre holds play readings, fundraisers, and receptions in the Depot Theatre Gallery located in the lobby.

Geography

File:Painted Lady B&B, Westport, NY.jpg

The Victorian Lady bed and breakfast, one of many historic houses in Westport

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 66.9 square miles (173 km²), of which, 58.4 square miles (151 km²) of it is land and 8.5 square miles (22 km²) of it (12.65%) is water.

The east town line is formed by Lake Champlain and the border of Vermont. The town is inside the Adirondack Park.

New York State Route 9N, New York State Route 22, and County Route 44 are north-south highways in Westport. NY-9N and NY-22 become conjoined in Westport village. Interstate 87, the Northway, passes across the northwest part of Westport.

Birding

Several sites on the Lake Champlain Birding Trail are located in Westport:

• the Coon Mountain Preserve (administered by the Nature Conservancy),
• the Webb Royce Swamp,

and

• the Westport Boat Launch.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	1,095		—
1830	1,513		38.2%
1840	1,932		27.7%
1850	2,352		21.7%
1860	1,981		−15.8%
1870	1,577		−20.4%
1880	1,737		10.1%
1890	1,864		7.3%
1900	1,727		−7.3%
1910	1,867		8.1%
1920	1,492		−20.1%
1930	1,534		2.8%
1940	1,657		8.0%
1950	1,597		−3.6%
1960	1,565		−2.0%
1970	1,453		−7.2%
1980	1,439		−1.0%
1990	1,446		0.5%
2000	1,362		−5.8%
2010	1,312		−3.7%
Est. 2014	1,306		−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

File:Westport Library, Westport, NY.jpg

The Westport Library, built 1887

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,362 people, 593 households, and 381 families residing in the town. (Note that since the census excludes summer residents, the figures in this section are for year-round residents only.) The population density was 23.3 people per square mile (9.0/km²). There were 887 housing units at an average density of 15.2 per square mile (5.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.65% White, 0.15% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

There were 593 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $49,917. Males had a median income of $31,042 versus $26,550 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,063. About 5.2% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Westport is served by the Westport Central School, a K-12 school that is the only public school in the Westport Central School District. Westport also has a branch of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension and is the location of the Meadowmount School of Music, a well-known summer music program. Additionally, the Depot Theatre runs a summer apprentice program for children ranging from elementary school to high school age.

Public transport

File:D&H Railroad Depot, Westport, New York.jpg

Westport, NY train station, home to the Depot Theatre

See also: Westport (Amtrak station)

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Westport, operating its Adirondack daily in both directions between Montreal and New York City. A bus connection is available from Westport to Lake Placid, New York. The Amtrak station also houses The Depot Theatre.

Notable accidents/incidents

On August 28, 2006, at approximately 6:45 p.m. local time, a Greyhound bus traveling from New York City to Montreal overturned on the Adirondack Northway in Westport, New York, after suffering a blown tire, killing five and injuring 48.

Access to medical care

Westport, New York, is in a rural area in the Adirondack Park, and so most of its access to medical care is via the ferry operated by Lake Champlain Transportation Company. The nearest emergency room is Elizabethtown Community Hospital, a 25-bed rural hospital with eight doctors on its active medical staff, which is a nine-mile drive. About 34 miles by car, accessible via ferry, is the emergency room of Fletcher Allen Hospital, a large, full-service hospital affiliated with the University of Vermont. During times when the ferry from Essex is not running, the nearest full-service emergency room is at CVPH Medical Center, in Plattsburgh, New York, an approximately 45-mile drive. Slightly closer, though a longer drive over rural roads, is Porter Hospital in Middlebury, Vermont, accessible via the bridge at Crown Point, New York.

Elizabethtown Community Hospital operates a small satellite clinic in Westport, New York.

Notable people

File:Westport Inn Annex, Westport, NY.jpg

The Westport Inn Annex, 1877, now The Inn on the Library Lawn.

File:Floral Hall, Essex County Fairgrounds, Westport, NY.jpg

The Floral Hall at the historic Essex County Fairgrounds

Some notable Westport, NY residents, past and present, include:

• Edward Cornell (b. 1944), artist, painter, and theater director.
• John T. Cutting (1844–1911), U.S. Representative from California
• Walter Damrosch (1862–1950), conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra and music director of NBC Radio
• Dorothy DeLay (1917–2002), violin teacher, primarily at Juilliard, Meadowmount, and the Aspen Music Festival and School
• Ben Goldwasser (b. 1982), keyboardist for indie rock act MGMT.
• Taylor Haskins (b. 1971), trumpeter, musician.
• William Higby (1813–1887), U.S. Representative from California
• Henry Lee Higginson (1834–1919), founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Anne LaBastille (1935–2011), author and naturalist
• Nathan Myrick (1822–1903), founder of La Crosse, Wisconsin
• John Eugene Osborne (1858–1943), Governor of Wyoming and United States Assistant Secretary of State
• Case Patten (1874–1935), professional baseball player
• William Wallace Barbour Sheldon (1836–1914), architectural engineer and pioneer of California
• Robert E. Sherwood (1896–1955), playwright, editor, and screenwriter
• Joseph Champlin Stone (1829–1902), U.S. Representative from Iowa
• Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell (b. 1946), American politician
• Mary Emma Woolley (1863–1947), President of Mount Holyoke College from 1900–1937

Communities and locations in Westport

Inhabited locations

• Wadhams (formerly "Wadhams Mills" and "The Falls") – is a hamlet just north of Westport on NY Rte. 22 at the junction of County Roads 8 and 10. Wadhams has its own free public library, volunteer fire department, and a dam which produces hydro-electricity . All of these can be seen while standing on the bridge next to the Wadhams Free Library. Wadhams is best known locally for its farmers' market and Dogwood Bread Co. (formerly called Merrick's). The farmers' market takes place in front of the bakery. Wadhams is also known for its annual Strawberry Festival.
• Westport – The hamlet of Westport, was formerly a village between 1907 and 1992. The community is located on the shore of Lake Champlain on NY-9N at the junction of NY-22.

Geographical locations

• Barber Point – A projection into Lake Champlain south of Bluff Point.
• Black River – A stream forming part of the west town line.
• Bluff Point – A projection into Lake Champlain south of Westport village.
• Cole's Bay – A small bay of Lake Champlain, south of Northwest Bay.
• Furnace Point – A projection into North West Bay, north of Westport village.
• Hoisington Brook – A stream entering Lake Champlain at Westport village.
• Moore Point – A projection into Lake Champlain south of Barber Point.
• Nichols Pond – A small lake near the west town line.
• North West Bay – A bay of Lake Champlain by Westport village.
• Split Rock Mountain – An elevation at the boundary between Westport and the Town of Essex, known for its rattlesnake population.
• Stacy Brook – A stream entering Lake Champlain at Cole's Bay.

See also

• Camp Dudley, YMCA
• Meadowmount School of Music
• Lake Champlain
• Soundwaves Westport

Further reading

• A Walking Tour Guide to Westport, New York, on Lake Champlain by Jessica Roemiscer, Westport, NY: The Westport Chamber of Commerce and the Westport Historical Society, 1982, 1989, 1998.
• A View of Westport, NY on Lake Champlain, 1902–1972 by Raymond C. Clark, Westport, NY 1972.
• Bessboro: A History of Westport, Essex County, New York by Caroline Halstead Royce, Westport, NY 1904. Available on Google Books.
• Bessboro Beginnings by Carlin Walker, Westport, NY 1988 [1].
• Personal names: A supplement to the index in Bessboro, a history of Westport, Essex Co., N.Y. by Caroline Halstead Royce
• Glenn's History of the Adirondack's, a multi-volume series by Morris F. Glenn

External links

• Town of Westport
• Town of Westport: History of Westport, NY
• Future for Westport
• Essex County Historical Society: Historical summary of Westport; Town historian reports
• Photos and Postcards from Early Westport, NY, Westport Library.
• Coon Mountain Preserve
• Westport Central School
• Arts Council for the Northern Adirondacks headquartered in Westport
• Westport Chamber of Commerce
• Westport, NY on Wolfam Alpha
• Champlain Area Trails
• Westport on on the Adirondack Northway: I-87