Hyde Park is a town in Dutchess County, New York, bordering the Hudson River north of Poughkeepsie. Within the town are the hamlets of Hyde Park, Staatsburg, and Haviland. Hyde Park is known as the hometown of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States. His house there, the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as are the homes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Isaac Roosevelt, and Frederick William Vanderbilt, along with Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.
Hyde Park is home to the main campus of the Culinary Institute of America, a four-year college for culinary and baking and pastry arts, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, the first presidential library in the United States.
Hyde Park's population was 21,571 at the 2010 census. US Route 9 passes through the town near the Hudson River.
History
Settlement of the region officially began around 1742, but may have begun as early as 1710. The name of the area was changed to "Hyde Park" around 1810. Previously, it was part of the Fauconnier Patent and was named "Stoutenburgh", after the town's first settler, Jacobus Stoughtenburg. Part of the town was from the Great Nine Partners Patent of 1697.
Dr. John Bard had called his estate "Hyde Park" in honor of Edward Hyde, who was Lord Cornbury and governor of New York. In 1804 a tavern keeper named Miller, seeking new guests, renamed the tavern "the Hyde Park Inn", much to the annoyance of Dr. Bard. He then applied for a post office to be located at his inn, common among tavern keepers. The request was granted as the "Hyde Park post office". The settlement gradually came to be known not as Stoutenburgh but as Hyde Park, which it officially became in 1812. Hyde Park was a part of Clinton, New York until 1821, when it was incorporated as a separate town. The Hyde Park Railroad Station, located at the mouth of Crum Elbow Creek along the Hudson River, was used by the town's residents, including the Roosevelts.
The town includes Frederick William Vanderbilt's spring and autumn mansion, now maintained as the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.
The Roosevelt family
Hyde Park is the hometown of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882â€"1945), 32nd president of the United States (1933â€"1945). His estate, Springwood, is the site of the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site maintained by the National Park Service. Also on the site are his presidential library and museum. Roosevelt used this residence throughout his life. FDR's historical house is now a museum that can be visited.
Val-Kill was the home of Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is located about 2 miles (3Â km) east of the home of FDR.
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt are both buried in the rose garden at "Springwood".
President Roosevelt's father, James Roosevelt, Sr., served a term as supervisor of the town of Hyde Park.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Hyde Park has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.2Â km2), of which 36.7 square miles (95.0Â km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3Â km2), or 8.02%, is water.
The Hudson River defines the west town line, which is the border of Ulster County. Hyde Park is bordered by the town of Poughkeepsie to the south, Rhinebeck to the north, and Clinton and Pleasant Valley to the east.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,851 people, 7,395 households, and 5,220 families residing in the town. The population density was 564.2 people per square mile (217.8/km²). There were 7,704 housing units at an average density of 208.5 per square mile (80.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.02% White, 4.25% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.23% of the population.
There were 7,395 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 24.7% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,870, and the median income for a family was $58,047. Males had a median income of $42,251 versus $28,176 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,260. About 4.4% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Hyde Park
Communities
- East Parkâ€"A hamlet east of Hyde Park village.
- Havilandâ€"A community in the southern part of the town.
- Hyde Parkâ€"The hamlet of Hyde Park is on Route 9 near the Hudson River.
- Staatsburgâ€"A hamlet by the Hudson River in the northwest part of the town.
Places of interest
Notable people
Actors
- Joseph Mazzello, actor known for his roles in Jurassic Park, The Pacific, and The Social Network
Artists
- Alice Provensen, renowned artist and children's books illustrator
- Martin Provensen, children's books illustrator and designer of the Kellogg's mascot, Tony the Tiger
Businesspeople
- Perry Collins, visionary behind the Russian American Telegraph
- André Balazs, celebrity hotelier and restaurateur
- Beatrice Forbes, Countess of Granard, daughter of Ogden Mills and wife to Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
- Bob Guccione, publisher, film producer
- Kathy Keeton, magazine publisher and author
- Ogden Mills, financier, philanthropist, racehorse owner/breeder
- Gladys Mills Phipps, socialite and thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder who began the Phipps family dynasty in American horse racing
- Isaac Roosevelt, businessman and paternal grandfather of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- James Roosevelt I, businessman and father of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- John Aspinwall Roosevelt, businessman, US Navy Officer, Bronze Star recipient and son of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Frederick William Vanderbilt, businessman, philanthropist and railroad magnate
Journalism
- Lorena Hickok, journalist
Music
- Rudolf Firkušný, Czech-born classical pianist
- Ed Summerlin, American composer, jazz saxophonist, and music educator
- James Syler, American composer fluent in various musical genres including Wind Ensemble, Choral, Orchestral, and Chamber Music.
- Jeff Tyzik, conductor, arranger, and trumpeter with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Political figures
- Marion Dickerman, suffragist, educator, vice-principal of the Todhunter School
- Ernest I. Hatfield, member of the New York State Senate from 1948â€"64
- Morgan Lewis, American military commander during the Revolutionary War and 4th Governor of New York
- Henry Brockholst Livingston, early 19th Century Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Maturin Livingston, early 19th century political figure and Recorder of New York City from 1804â€"06
- Gloanna W. MacCarthy, American Republican Party politician and former member of the New Jersey General Assembly
- Ogden L. Mills, lawyer, businessman and politician and former United States Secretary of the Treasury
- William Nelson, member of U.S. Congress from 1847â€"51
- James Kirke Paulding, American writer and former United States Secretary of the Navy from 1838â€"1841
- Edmund H. Pendleton, member of the United States House of Representatives from 1831â€"33
- Nathaniel Pendleton, 18th century lawyer and judge
- Greg Quinn, farmer and activist partly responsible for the overturning of the New York state ban on the commercial cultivation of black currants
- Eleanor Roosevelt, politician, diplomat, activist and longest-serving First Lady of the United States
- Elliott Roosevelt, former mayor of Miami Beach, Florida, US Army Brigadier General during World War II, author and son of President F.D. Roosevelt
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States from 1933â€"45
- Hall Roosevelt, youngest brother of Eleanor Roosevelt, former comptroller for the city of Detroit
- Sara Roosevelt, mother of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Sue Serino, member of the New York State Senate
- John H. Selkreg, 19th-century American newspaper editor and former member of the New York State Senate from 1874â€"77
- J. Griswold Webb, member of the New York State Senate from 1923â€"34
- William W. Woodworth, former town supervisor and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1845â€"47
- Rob Zerban, businessman, Culinary Institute of America graduate and Democratic Party congressional candidateâ€
Religious figures
- John Bard, Christian philanthropist; founder of Bard College
- Fr. James J. LeBar, Roman Catholic priest; chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of New York in the United States
- Bp. Donald Edmond Pelotte, third Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexicoâ€
Science and medicine
- Samuel Bard, personal physician to George Washington and founder of the first medical school located in New York State
- Maunsell Crosby, well regarded ornithologist, writer, and farmer
- David Hosack, noted physician, botanist, and educator
Sports
- Wes Bialosuknia, former professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association
- George Browne, professional baseball player from 1901â€"12; member of the 1905 World Series Champion New York Giants
- Craig Capano, former professional soccer player with the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer
- Rube DeGroff, professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1905â€"06
- Ellen Roosevelt, three time U.S. National Championship tennis player between 1890 and 1893 and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Grace Roosevelt, two time U.S. National Championship tennis player in doubles in 1891 and mixed doubles in 1889
- Amar'e Stoudemire, professional All-star basketball player currently playing with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroCup
- Brett Wilkinson, former member of the U.S. National Rowing Team who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Kyle Winter, former professional rugby player and member of the Indonesian National Rugby Team
- Ricky Horton, former professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals (1984-1987). Pitcher. Played in the 1985, 1987, 1988 (with the Dogers) world series.
Writers
- Hilary Masters, 20th century novelist
- Joan Slonczewski, microbiologist and science fiction writer
- Justin Taylan, author and World War II historian and founder of Pacific Wrecks
In popular culture
- In a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 film North by Northwest, the train comes to an unexpected stop at the Hyde Park Railroad Station.
- Portions of the 1994 movie Wolf starring Jack Nicholson were filmed at Hyde Park's Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.
- Hyde Park was the setting for portions of James Mangold's 1995 film Heavy, including the Culinary Institute of America.
- The Hulk travels to Hyde Park in Marvel Comics 1997 issue of Avengers (vol. 2 #4).
- In 2007, Hyde Park's Eveready Diner was featured on Season 1 (Ep. 6) of Guy Fieri's television series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.
- Although primarily filmed in London, England, Hyde Park was the backdrop for Roger Michell's 2012 film Hyde Park on Hudson about President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park was featured on the Syfy show Ghost Hunters (Season 10, Ep. 2) which aired on September 2, 2015.
- The Hyde Park Drive-In was used for the filming of the upcoming 2016 film, Look Away starring Matthew Broderick and Chloë Sevigny.
See also
- Hyde Park Central Schools
- Maritje Kill
References
External links
- Official website
- Hyde Park Free Library
- Town of Hyde Park Historical Society