Mattituck is a

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 ...

and

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) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census. Located 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, Mattituck CDP roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name.

History

Mattituck is believed to have derived its name from the Algonquian name for "Great Creek". Mattituck Creek has been dredged and is used extensively by pleasure craft on Long Island Sound (the Mattituck Inlet is the entrance into Mattituck Creek, and the whole waterway is now popularly referred to as Mattituck Inlet). It is only one of two harbors (the other being Mt. Sinai harbor) on the north side of Long Island on the Sound east of Port Jefferson. The Mattituck Inlet and James Creek (which has also been dredged for boats) on the

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 ...

come within of each other and would provide a shortcut between the Peconic and Sound through the North Fork if connected via a canal. However, authorities have resisted the connection, fearing an ecological disaster. Still, the inlet is blamed for

coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwar ...

because it interrupts the longshore drift on the sound.

Corchaug Metoac is an erroneous term used by some to group together the Munsee-speaking Lenape (west), Quiripi-speaking Unquachog (center) and Pequot-speaking Montaukett (east) American Indians on what is now Long Island in New York state. The term w ...

Indians, who were the first residents of the area, sold land to Theophilus Eaton, governor of

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

. The area was eventually settled by

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

colonists. The meadowlands were held in common by the residents of Southold from its founding in 1640. The town of Southold was established by Charter to the New Haven Colony of Connecticut in 1658. The woodlands were also held in common until 1661, when that land was divided among individual proprietors. Mattituck was occupied by British troops during the Revolutionary War and Governor Tryon visited. Mattituck hosts an annual Strawberry Festival and is located in the heart of over 30 vineyards in the Long Island Wine Region. The festival is usually held on Father's Day weekend every year.

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 community has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.88%, 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 4,198 people, 1,651 households, and 1,231 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 485.7 per square mile (187.6/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 267.6/sq mi (103.4/km²). The racial makeup of the hamlet was 96.62%

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 ...

, 1.17%

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 ...

, 0.02% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.64% from other races, and 1.02% 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 2.55% of the population. There were 1,651 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.97. In the community, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household in the hamlet was $55,353, and the median income for a family was $63,370. Males had a median income of $42,917 versus $34,813 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 $26,101. About 4.5% of families and 5.6% 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 5.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District is attended by residents of Mattituck, Cutchogue and Laurel. The sports teams' name is the Tuckers.Mattituck Tuckers T-Shirts (MaxPreps)
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Notable people

* Josephine Silone Yates (1852-1912), born in Mattituck, first African American woman to head a college science department, Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri * John Bunyan Reeve (1831-1916), born in Mattituck, minister, professor that organized Howard University's Theology department and social activist. Uncle of Josephine Silone Yates *

James Aldrich James Aldrich (1810–1856) was an editor and minor poet. Aldrich was born in Mattituck, New York Mattituck is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census ...

(1810–1866), born in Mattituck, noted poet and journalist * William Lynch, Jr. (1941–2013), born in Mattituck, former New York City Deputy Mayor and political strategist * Greg Sacks (1952) NASCAR Driver *

Cory Stearns Paul Cornell "Cory" Stearns (born October 16, 1985) is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. Stearns is also a high fashion mo ...

(1985) Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre

References

External links

{{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)