Lewisboro, New York

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Lewisboro is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 12,324 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Lewis.

The Town of Lewisboro is in the northeastern part of the county.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Communities and locations in Lewisboro 5 Parks and Preserves in Lewisboro 6 Lewisboro's Lakes 7 Schools in Lewisboro 8 External links

History

After purchasing land from the local natives, the first settlers established themselves around South Salem. The town was formed in 1747 as the "Town of Salem." By 1790 the town assumed its current dimensions as lands were removed for other towns. The name also changed to South Salem in 1806. John Lewis, a financier, requested that the town be given his name and established a fund for the town, though he did not follow through on his promise of a railroad link. Lewisboro is noted for its elaborate gardens, most notable in its public traffic triangles. Dry-stone walls and elaborate colonial mansions are other dominant features.

Lewisboro also has two historical characters. Sarah Bishop is the hermit of West Mountain. Apparently mistreated by British soldiers at the time of the Revolutionary War, she retreated to a solitary life in the Lewisboro area. A spot known as "Sarah Bishop's Cave" is on the hill on the north side of Lake Rippowam, near Mountain Lakes Camp. The second historical character appeared around the time of the Civil War. The Leatherman was a wanderer who got his name from homemade leather garments. He is frequently mentioned as being in Lewisboro in the middle of the 19th century. He followed a route past homes that would offer him a meal and reappeared at the same doorsteps for 25 years. One of the hiking destinations in Ward Pound Ridge is to the Leatherman's cave, reportedly one of his more frequent homes.

Geography

The east town line is the border of Connecticut. Interstate 684 passes near the west side of the town. The town is shaped roughly like the profile of a stealth plane.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 75.4 km² (29.1 mi²). 72.1 km² (27.9 mi²) of it is land and 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it (4.36%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 12,324 people, 4,218 households, and 3,425 families residing in the town. The population density was 170.9/km² (442.5/mi²). There were 4,465 housing units at an average density of 61.9/km² (160.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.18% White, 1.19% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.48% of the population.

There were 4,218 households out of which 47.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $112,462, and the median income for a family was $129,473. Males had a median income of $84,616 versus $48,900 for females. The per capita income for the town was $54,795. About 1.4% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Lewisboro

• Cross River -- A hamlet.
• Cross River Reservoir -- A reservoir partially in the western portion of the town.
• Goldens Bridge -- A hamlet in the western part of the town.
• Lewisboro -- The hamlet of Lewisboro on Route 123.
• South Salem -- A hamlet.
• Truesdale Lake -- A neighborhood in South Salem
• Vista -- A hamlet.
• Waccabuc -- A neighborhood.

Parks and Preserves in Lewisboro

Lewisboro is rich in natural areas and is a component of the biotic corridor. Two Westchester County Parks are on Lewisboro's borders, and there are 6 town parks and several community preserves.

• Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is Westchester County's largest (470 acre) park. In addition to many trails, there are camping facilities and a Trailside Museum. The main entrance is on route 121 in Cross River.
• Mountain Lakes Camp is a County park on the northern border of Lewisboro, with beautiful ponds and trails in the forest. The most popular trail leads to the Look Out which is perched on top of a cliff overlooking Lake Waccabuc and Lake Oscaleta.
• Onatru Farm on Elmwood Road is one of Lewisboro's preëminent parks and includes tennis facilities and playing fields as well as some town offices. This area also includes some walking trails.
• The Lewisboro Town Park on Route 35 contains tennis courts, the town pool, ball fields, and outdoor basketball courts. When ice skating is available in winter, a sign is posted. There are also some walking trails in this park.
• The Leon Levy Preserve was acquired by the town in 2006 as open space. While some trails exist in this 370 acre parcel, as of 2007 additional horse and hiking trails are under development and parking is still limited.
• The Brownell Preserve is 118 acres of forested land given to the town. It has a 2 mile trail that loops past an overlook of Lake Katonah.
• The Old Field Preserve was obtained in 2003, and contains about 100 acres of woods, wetlands, and sizable old fields (thus, the name). The meadows will be preserved to support the birds and animals that are dependent upon this increasingly rare habitat.
• Fox Valley Park has a variety of sports facilities for the town, including very busy soccer fields, ball fields, and tennis courts.

See Walking Wild Lewisboro for information on park facilities and trail maps.

Lewisboro's Lakes

There are 7 lakes in the town of Lewisboro. Lake Waccabuc, Lake Oscaleta, and Lake Rippowam are interconnected and are collectively known as the Three Lakes, and are natural (not man-made) lakes. Lake Waccabuc is the largest and most well known of these, and the area of town named after it has a separate post office. Lake Oscaleta and Lake Rippowam are also called the Twin Lakes, probably because of Twin Lakes Village, a development which runs between them. The other lakes in town are Lake Truesdale, Lake Katonah, Lake Kitchawan, and Timber Lake. Recognizing the importance of the lake communities in the town, in 2007 a Lakes Committee was formed by the Town of Lewisboro.

Schools in Lewisboro

The public schools in Lewisboro are part of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. John Jay High School in Cross River is noted for its:

• Model UN club (winner of dozens of awards in many international competitions over the past 10 years)
• Science Olympiad team (currently 7th in NY state)
• Campus Congress (Student Government)
• Performing Arts Department
• Varsity Football Team
• Varsity LaCrosse Team

Further, the Bridges to Community, Habitat For Humanity, Red Cross, and other charitable clubs are all highly active as well as other prominent varsity sports.

John Jay High School (Cross River, New York) is also in the top 200 schools in the nation ranked by NEWSWEEK. [1]

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