Warwick is a

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 ori ...

in the southwestern part of

Orange County, New York Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798. Orange ...

, United States. Its population was 32,027 at the 2020 census. The town contains three villages (

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Greenwood Lake Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately long, straddling the border of New York and New Jersey. It is located in the Town of Warwick and the Village of Greenwood Lake, New York (in Orange County) and West Milford, New Jersey (in ...

, and

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

) and eight hamlets ( Amity, Bellvale, Edenville, Little York, Wisner, New Milford, Pine Island, and Sterling Forest).

History

In the early 1700s, one of the original patent holders, Benjamin Aske, named his land "Warwick", presumably after an area of England near his original ancestral home. He began to sell it off to settlers in 1719. His first parcel of land, 100 acres, was sold to Lawrence Decker. Other familiar family names of the Valley appeared in subsequent years. The European population of the valley grew rapidly from 1730 to 1765, and the previously existing populations of indigenous native people declined as forests and land were cleared for pasture and were re-organized. By the start of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, almost all of the native population had disappeared in various ways. The region has been referred to as Warwick since the early eighteenth century, but a governmental form for a town named Warwick was officially created in 1788. During the

American War for Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Warwick was the site of a Continental Army encampment. The

Hudson River Chain The Hudson River Chains were a series of chain booms constructed across the Hudson River at West Point by Continental Army forces from 1776 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. These served as defenses preventing British naval vessels ...

was forged at

Sterling Iron Works The Sterling Iron Works owned by Peter Townsend was one of the first steel and iron manufacturers in the Thirteen Colonies and the first steel producer in the Province of New York. The company was most famous for forging the Hudson River Chain that ...

in Warwick, preventing the British Navy from sailing up the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

. In 1783,

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

traveled through Warwick, stopping at Baird's Tavern and spending the night in the home of John Hathorn. Warwick is situated along a freight rail line, which, as it did with many other towns in Orange County (such as Goshen, Middletown, and Newburgh), contributed to the growth of the area. The nineteenth-century writer and naturalist

Henry William Herbert Henry William Herbert (7 April 1807 – 17 May 1858), pen name Frank Forester, was a British-born American novelist, poet, historian, illustrator, journalist and writer on sport. Starr writes that "as a classical scholar he had few equals ...

, writing as Frank Forrester, popularized the area with his 1845 book, "The Warwick Woodlands". Today, the town of Warwick is a rural community with many agricultural pursuits that stimulate its economy.

Geography

The town of Warwick comprises much of the southern tip of Orange County. It borders the townships of Vernon and West Milford to the south, both in the state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. To its north, Warwick is bordered by Chester via Sugar Loaf, Orange County's oldest

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 ...

, antedating both Warwick and Chester, and which was part of Warwick until the mid-nineteenth century. To its east, Warwick is bordered by the town of Tuxedo, home of the

New York Renaissance Faire The New York Renaissance Faire is a Renaissance faire located in Tuxedo, New York off New York State Route 17A. In 2022, the faire celebrated its 45th season. The faire comprises permanent structures and has twenty stages and more than 100 shops. ...

, and the hamlet of Tuxedo Park. 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 t ...

, the town is the second largest township in New York State and has a total area of 104.9 square miles (271.6 km²), of which 101.7 square miles (263.3 km²) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) (3.04%) is water.

is Orange County's largest lake, and it is bisected by the border between New Jersey (to the south) and New York (on its north).

Glenmere Lake Glenmere Lake is a colonial mill pond or reservoir located in Orange County, New York, United States. It is New York State's largest habitatWarwick Municipal Airport and two regional state highways, New York State Route 17A (NY 17A) and NY 94. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

passes through Warwick, which has been designated an Appalachian Trail Community.

Climate

Demographics

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 30,764 people, 10,868 households, and 7,955 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 302.6 people per square mile (116.8/km²). There were 11,818 housing units at an average density of 116.2 per square mile (44.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.06%

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 o ...

, 4.51%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.60% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.61% 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 forme ...

or Latino of any race were 6.47% of the population. There were 10,868 households, of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.25. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

Education

The Warwick Valley Central School District serves as the public school system for Warwick residents and residents of the southern portion of the town of Chester. The Greenwood Lake Union Free School Distric

serves the residents of Greenwood Lake, with the GWL Elementary School and GWL Middle School; students have a choice of Chester Academy or Warwick Valley High School for their high school education. The Florida NY Union Free School Distric

serves the residents of Florida, NY, with Golden Hill Elementary School and S.S.Seward Institute.

Festivals

Applefest is an annual outdoor festival attracting as many as 35,000 people each year in October. The Hudson Valley Jazz Festival, originally named the Warwick Valley Jazz Festival, takes place during the summer. The annual George Washington Celebration is a tradition that celebrates when the Founding Father, Gen. Washington, came to Warwick and enjoyed a grog with his men in Baird's Tavern. This free community-wide tradition takes place the fourth weekend in July, and is carried on by the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, also known as the Warwick Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Warwick since its inception in 1906.

Transportation

Warwick is served by the 196 and 197 buses to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

(operated by

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

). It is also served by the Warwick inter-municipal bus.

Communities and locations in the town of Warwick

– village located by the junction of NY 94 and NY 17A *

– village located on NY 17A *

– village located on NY 17A at the north end of Greenwood Lake * Amity – hamlet located between Edenville and Pine Island near the

state line - It is served by the Amity Station of the Pine Island Fire Department and is the site of the Amity Presbyterian Church, which was first opened in 1796. Amity is also home to the Crystal Inn, a famous restaurant and bar located on Amity Road, which opened in 1965. * Bellvale – hamlet on NY 17A between Warwick village and Greenwood Lake * Black Walnut Hill – hamlet north of Hoopstick on Pulaski Highway * Cascade Lake – a small lake in the hills on the southern part of town * Center – a historic hamlet identified solely by the post office that was located at the Warwick Woodlands Hotel from 1909 to 1916 on the western shore of Greenwood Lake north of Furnace Brook. An earlier post office by the name of Warwick Woodlands, New York, operated at the same location from 1882 to 1891. * Durland – hamlet northeast of Warwick village and west of Wickham Lake * Edenville – hamlet in the western part of Warwick, on Pine Island Turnpike, just off County Route 1 (CR 1) * Greenwood Forest Farms – an early area retreat for African-American families * Hoopstick – hamlet north of Pine Island in the "black dirt" on Pulaski Highway, historically the home of nineteenth century barrel hoop makers * Lake – hamlet along King's Highway near the town line at Chester; Had a depot, freight house, creamery, post office, general store and long passing siding on the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway * Lakeville – hamlet located at the southern end of Sterling Lake * Liberty Corners – hamlet on CR 88, near the New Jersey state line in the southwestern part of the town * Little York – hamlet east of Pine Island * New Milford – hamlet near the New Jersey state line on NY 94 * Newport – hamlet south of Pine Island * Pine Island – hamlet at the junction of CR 1 (Pine Island Turnpike), CR 6 (Pulaski Highway), and CR 26 (Glenwood Road) near the northwest town line - It is the commercial center of the "black dirt" region. * Quaker Creek – hamlet south of Snufftown on Pulaski Highway, directly on the border with the town of Goshen * Snufftown – hamlet north of Pine Island near the town line; historically considered the "Snufftown section of the village of Florida", it is the last settlement in the Florida union-free school district, named for the habit of the early twentieth century farmers who relaxed on the front porch of one of the earliest homesteads, drinking beer, and chewing snuff. * Sterling Forest – a hamlet located at the New Jersey state line on the eastern shore of Greenwood Lake, and served by the Sterling Forest, New York, post office. It was the site of the first American rocket airplane flight that carried mail from New York to New Jersey on February 23, 1936. Babe Ruth often rented a cabin there for the summer season during his retirement. The Jehovah's Witnesses' world headquarters building is located in Sterling Forest.Norton, E.
Jehovah's Witnesses new world HQ nearly complete
''Warwick Advertiser'', published 9 June 2016, accessed 26 July 2022 * Wisner – hamlet northeast of Warwick village originally known as "Stone Bridge"; Had a depot, freight house, creamery, and siding on the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway as well as a post office, Grange general store and warehouse, the latter of which still stands. *

Glenmere Lake Glenmere Lake is a colonial mill pond or reservoir located in Orange County, New York, United States. It is New York State's largest habitat northern cricket frog The northern cricket frog (''Acris crepitans'') is a species of small hylid frog native to the United States and northeastern Mexico. These frogs are majorly in grey, green, and brown color with blotching patterns. Despite being members of the t ...

– a lake on the border of New York and New Jersey * Mount Adam – a granite and shale mount directly on the border of the "black dirt", near the northern town line and directly southwest of Mount Eve * Mount Eve – a granite and shale mount, one-quarter mile south of Snufftown and northeast of Mount Adam * Pochuck Neck – a location near the western town line between Liberty Corners and Pine Island * Sterling Lake – a lake in the eastern part of the town * Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge – northernmost part only * Wickham Lake – a small lake near the northern town line

Notable people

Damon Amendolara Damon Lawrence Amendolara (born June 21, 1979) is the morning host (6a-10a ET) on the CBS Sports Radio Network, heard across North America. He was promoted to that time slot in March 2017. He previously worked as the evening host for WBZ-FM in Bos ...

- radio host on CBS Sports Radio * Steve Brinster – professional disc golfer and winner of the 2013

United States Disc Golf Championship The United States Disc Golf Championship is a disc golf tournament held at the Winthrop Gold Course, on the campus of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The professional event has been held annually as a PDGA sanctioned Major since 1 ...

* Carleton Carpenter, actor * E. Jean Carroll – advice columnist with ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'' magazine * James Cromwell – actor and long-term activist for community issues concerning environment *

Jasper Francis Cropsey Jasper Francis Cropsey (February 18, 1823 – June 22, 1900) was an important American landscape artist of the Hudson River School. Early years Cropsey was born on his father Jacob Rezeau Cropsey's farm in Rossville on Staten Island, New Yor ...

–

Hudson River School The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. The paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area ...

artist * Gus Dapperton - indie pop musician * Susan J. Elliott – author and media commentator, owns a residence in Pine Island * James Emery - jazz guitarist and founding member of the String Trio of New York *

Frederick Franck Frederick Sigfred Franck (April 12, 1909 – June 5, 2006) was a painter, sculptor, and author of more than 30 books on Buddhism and other subjects, who was known for his interest in human spirituality. He became a United States citizen in 19 ...

- painter, sculptor, and author *

John Hathorn John Hathorn (January 9, 1749 – February 19, 1825) was an American politician and Continental Army officer from New York. Life He completed preparatory studies and became a surveyor and a school teacher. He moved to Warwick in the Province of ...

– Commander in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and New York politician * Derek Jeter – owns a residence on the western shore of Greenwood Lake, originally known as Tiedemann Castle, built in 1915. *

Michael N. Kane Michael Nolan Kane (April 1, 1851 – June 15, 1924) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician from New York. Life Kane was born on April 1, 1851, in McLean, New York, the son of Patrick Kane and Catherine Nolan. Kane attended the local d ...

– lawyer, judge, and politician * Richard Kiley – actor * Bill Pennington – sports reporter for

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

and author of multiple books * Emilio Sanchez – American painter with works in

The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

and other collections *

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

– Secretary of State to

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, born and raised in the village of Florida *

Jimmy Sturr James W. Sturr Jr. is an American polka musician, trumpeter, clarinetist, saxophonist and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. His recordings have won 18 out of the 24 Grammy Awards given for Best Polka Album. Sturr's orchestra is on the Top Te ...

– eighteen-time Grammy Award winner, grew up and resides in the village of Florida * Jonathan Talbot – internationally known painter, collage artist, and author *

Gretchen Wyler Gretchen Wyler (born Gretchen Patricia Wienecke; February 16, 1932 – May 27, 2007) was an American actress and dancer. She was also an animal rights advocate and founder of the Genesis Awards for animal protection. Biography Early life ...

– American actress and dancer

References

External links

*
Town of Warwick

Directory of Warwick's three villages and eight hamlets
{{Authority control Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area Towns in Orange County, New York Towns in the New York metropolitan area Wallkill River