| Official Name: | Willsboro, New York |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Coordinates: | 44.3747°N -73.4067°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Name2: | Essex |
| Government Type: | Town Council |
| Leader Title: | Town Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Shaun Gillilland (R) |
| Leader Title1: | Town Council |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 190.06 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 73.38 |
| Area Land Km2: | 110.62 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 42.71 |
| Area Water Km2: | 79.44 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 30.67 |
| Elevation M: | 39 |
| Elevation Ft: | 128 |
| Population Total: | 1905 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Density Km2: | 17.22 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 44.60 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 12996 |
| Area Code: | 518 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-031-82271 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0979643[3] |
Willsboro is a town in Essex County, New York, United States, and lies south of the city of Plattsburgh. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 1,905.[2] The town is named after early landowner William Gilliland.
During the American Revolution, British troops under John Burgoyne camped on the Bouquet River.
The region was first settled by Europeans in 1765 by William Gilliland. Originally called "Milltown" by its founder (for the sawmill he located on the falls of the Bouquet River, located in the center of the town), it was renamed "Willsborough" (subsequently shortened to "Willsboro") shortly after the Revolutionary War, in honor of the founder.
The town has always had a thriving agricultural and tourism tradition, though the Industrial Revolution made its mark on the community as well. Through much of its history, Willsboro's main employer was a paper mill (which produced the wood pulp used in the manufacture of paper). A blue limestone quarry was also an important industry locally. The stone quarried from this mine was utilized in the construction of the Albany State Capitol and the Brooklyn Bridge. [4]
One of the noted residents was the paper manufacturer Augustus G. Paine, Jr., who resided in Willsboro for a portion of the year, when he was not in New York, since his large business was located in Willsboro. He commissioned the architect C. P. H. Gilbert to construct the Essex County Bank in 1921.[5] In May 1930, Paine donated a whole library to the town of Willsboro, in memory of his mother, in the sum of $150,000.[6] Both the bank and the library were constructed by Gilbert in the Neoclassical style.[7]
Paine also had Flat Rock Camp, his summer retreat on the shores of Lake Champlain, constructed for his family.[8]
After the Second World War, the paper industry started to decline, and when the paper mill closed in the 1960s the town faced economic difficulties. In order to compensate for the loss, the community relied heavily on tourist dollars, focusing on the scenic landscape, lake frontage, and lush wilderness the area offered visitors. Recently, new industries have moved to the town, most notably a wollastonite mine, curtain and furniture manufacturers, and numerous web-based service companies. Willsboro is also becoming a bedroom community for the city of Plattsburgh to the north.
The Adsit Log House, Abraham Aiken House, Flat Rock Camp, Ligonier Point Historic District, Sheldon–Owens Farm, Willsboro Congregational Church, and The Willsboro School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 190.1km2, of which 110.7km2 is land and 79.4km2, or 41.80%, is water.[1]
The eastern town line, marked by Lake Champlain, is the border of Vermont. The Boquet River enters Lake Champlain in the town, east of Willsboro village.
New York State Route 22 is a north–south highway which passes through Willsboro.
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 1,903 people, 803 households, and 549 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,468 housing units at an average density of 34.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 98.42% White, 0.26% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.26% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 803 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together; 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,715, and the median income for a family was $40,272. Males had a median income of $30,244 versus $20,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,209. About 3.8% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.