Peconic is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) that roughly corresponds to the

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

by the same name in the

Town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

of Southold in Suffolk County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The CDP population was 683 at the 2010 census.

History

The community derives its name from

Peconic Bay The Peconic Bay is the parent name for two bays between the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is separated from Gardiners Bay by Shelter Island. Peconic Bay is divided by Robins Island into the Great ...

, which in turn derives its name from a Native American word meaning "nut trees". The area was originally called "Hermitage", and the name "Peconic" was adopted later. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was home to the Peconic School, an artist colony initially led by painters Benjamin Rutherfurd Fitz, Edward August Bell,

Henry Prellwitz Henry Prellwitz (1865–1940) was an American artist known for allegorical paintings and waterscapes of Peconic Bay, New York. Family and education Arthur Henry Prellwitz was born in New York, where his Prussian parents had emigrated. Prellwitz ...

and Edith Mitchill Prellwitz.

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theor ...

was staying in Peconic in 1939 when he signed the famous Einstein–Szilárd letter to

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. Goldsmith's Inlet was the site of a tidal mill that was improved with a windmill in 1870.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the hamlet has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.58%, is water.

Demographics

Demographics of the CDP

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,081 people, 426 households, and 310 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 682 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the community was 94.45%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.93%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.11% Asian, 2.41% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population. There were 426 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for a household in the community was $52,368, and the median income for a family was $60,956. Males had a median income of $49,167 versus $45,769 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $24,343. About 1.5% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

* Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District (small western portion of CDP of Peconic) * Southold Union Free School District (eastern part of CDP of Peconic)

Notable person

Painter Benjamin Rutherford Fitz was raised in Peconic. He died there in 1891.

References

{{authority control Southold, New York Census-designated places in New York (state) Hamlets in New York (state) Census-designated places in Suffolk County, New York Hamlets in Suffolk County, New York Populated coastal places in New York (state)