Nassau, New York Explained

Official Name:	Nassau, New York
Settlement Type:	Town
Mapsize:	300px
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	United States
Subdivision Type1:	State
Subdivision Name1:	New York
Subdivision Type2:	County
Subdivision Name2:	Rensselaer
Leader Title:	Supervisor
Leader Name:	David Fleming
Established Title:	Incorporated
Established Date:	1806 (as Town of Philipstown)
Unit Pref:	Imperial
Area Footnotes:	^[1]
Area Total Km2:	117.16
Area Land Km2:	115.11
Area Water Km2:	2.05
Area Total Sq Mi:	45.24
Area Land Sq Mi:	44.44
Area Water Sq Mi:	0.79
Population As Of:	2020
Population Total:	4545
Population Density Km2:	auto
Population Density Sq Mi:	auto
Timezone:	Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:	-5
Timezone Dst:	EDT
Utc Offset Dst:	-4
Elevation M:	280
Elevation Ft:	919
Coordinates:	42.55°N -106°W
Postal Code Type:	ZIP code
Postal Code:	12123
Area Code:	518
Blank Name:	FIPS code
Blank Info:	36-49517
Blank1 Name:	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:	0979250

Nassau is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 4,545 in 2020, down from 4,789 at the 2010 census.^[2]

The Town of Nassau is at the southern border of the county.

History

The region was first settled around 1760. The town was originally formed as the "Town of Philipstown" in 1806 from parts of the Towns of Petersburgh, Schodack, and Stephentown. The town changed its name to "Nassau" in 1808, in honor of Fort Nassau, the first settlement by the Dutch in what is now New York.

The Henry Tunis Smith Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.2 square miles (117.1 km²), of which 44.5 square miles (115.4 km²) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.7 km²) (1.46%) is water.

The southern town line is the border of Columbia County, New York.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 4,818 people, 1,851 households, and 1,330 families residing in the town. The population density was 108.2sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 2,058 housing units at an average density of 46.2sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 96.66% White, 1.08% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 1,851 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,526, and the median income for a family was $53,313. Males had a median income of $38,981 versus $26,804 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,785. About 5.9% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Nassau

• Alps  - A hamlet on NY 43, east of Denault Corners. The name stems from the mountainous terrain.
• Brainard – A hamlet at the southern end of East Nassau at the junction of US 20 and NY 66.
• Denault Corners  - A hamlet on the northern town line at the junction of NY 43 and NY 66.
• Dunham Hollow- A hamlet in the extreme northeastern part of the town at the junction of NY 43 and Dunham Hollow Road. The community was named after Isaac Dunham, a pioneer citizen.^[4]
• East Nassau  - The Village of East Nassau is located along the corridor of NY 66, on the eastern town line.
• Hoags Corners  - A hamlet at the northern end of East Nassau at the junction of NY 66 and Central Nassau Road. The community was named after W. B. Hoag, a pioneer citizen.^[5]
• Jack's Corners  - A hamlet on US 20, three miles east of the Village of Nassau.
• Millers Corners  - A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town at the southwestern corner of Burden Lake.
• Nassau  - The Village of Nassau is at the western town line, centered around the junction of US 20 and NY 203.
• North Nassau  - A hamlet in the northern part of the town, at the junction of Hoags Corners and North Nassau roads.

Notable people

• Smith A. Boughton, leader of the Anti-Rent War, lived in Alps^[6]
• Fenner Ferguson, Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska Territory, born in Nassau^{[7] [8]}
• Lydia Davis, writer, translator, and essayist. Lives in East Nassau.^[9]
• Chester Griswold, member of the New York State Assembly, town supervisor of Nassau, postmaster of Nassau^{[10] [11]}
• John Augustus Griswold, U.S. Congressman^[12]
• Simeon Griswold, member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives^[13]
• Samuel Ludlow, Nassau town clerk, later served as a state court judge in Oswego, New York^[14]
• Charles Ezra Sprague, Union Army officer and accountant^[15]

Further reading

• Book: Anderson, George Baker . Landmarks of Rensselaer County New York . D. Mason and Company . Syracuse, New York . 1897 . 1728151.
• Book: Hayner, Rutherford . Troy and Rensselaer County New York: A History . registration . New York . Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc . 1925 . 22524006.
• Book: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett . History of Rensselaer Co., New York with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers . Everts & Peck . Philadelphia . 1880 . 3496287.
• Book: Weise, Arthur James . History of the Seventeen Towns of Rensselaer County from the Colonization of the Manor of Rensselaerwyck to the Present Time . 1880 . J. M. Francis & Tucker . Troy, New York . 6637788.

External links

• Town of Nassau homepage
• History of Nassau, New York

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. July 5, 2017.
2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census results, Nassau town, Rensselaer County, New York. https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Nassau%20town,%20Rensselaer%20County,%20New%20York
3. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
4. Book: University of the State of New York Bulletin. 1914. University of the State of New York. 51.
5. Book: University of the State of New York Bulletin. 1914. University of the State of New York. 52.
6. Book: Eisenstadt . Peter . 2005 . The Encyclopedia of New York State . Syracuse University Press . Syracuse, NY . 201 . 978-0-8156-0808-0.
7. Forbes . Alice Ferguson . January 1925 . Fenner Ferguson, First Chief Justice of Nebraska . Nebraska Law Bulletin . Lincoln, NE . Nebraska State Bar Association . 308–316 . Google Books.
8. Book: Light, Richard Upjohn . 1990 . Upjohn: A Study in Ancestry, Covering 14 Generations and 450 Years . I . Kalamazoo, MI . R. U. Light . 186 . Google Books.
9. News: Emre . Merve . October 1, 2023 . Why Lydia Davis Loves Misunderstandings . New York, NY . October 1, 2023.
10. News: . Chester Griswold Obituary . The New York Times . New York, New York . September 21, 1860 . October 10, 2019 .
11. Web site: John A. Griswold Papers, 1848-1894 . . York State Library. New York State Library . October 10, 2019 .
12. Web site: Biography, John Augustus Griswold . Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress . Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives . Washington, DC . September 7, 2022.
13. News: Niles . Hezekiah . Hezekiah Niles . January 6, 1844 . Revolutionary Worthies: Simeon Griswold . . Baltimore, MD . 294 . Google Books.
14. Book: Anderson, George Baker . 1897 . Landmarks of Rensselaer County, New York . Syracuse, NY . D. Mason & Company . 546, 554 . Google Books.
15. Book: Nash, Eugene Arus . 1911 . A History of the Forty-fourth Regiment . Chicago, IL . R. R. Donnelley & Sons . After page 384 . Google Books.