Fishkill (town), New York - Wikipedia

Town in New York, United States

Fishkill, New York
Town
Town hall
Seal
Location of Fishkill, New York
Coordinates: 41°31′40″N 73°54′54″W / 41.52778°N 73.91500°W / 41.52778; -73.91500
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Dutchess
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Town Supervisor	Ozzy Albra (D)
• Town Council	Gregory Totino (D) John Forman (R) Brian Wrye (R) Jacqueline Bardini (D)
Area
• Total	32.0 sq mi (82.9 km2)
• Land	27.3 sq mi (70.8 km2)
• Water	4.7 sq mi (12.1 km2)
Elevation	260 ft (80 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	24,226
• Density	809/sq mi (312.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	12524 (Fishkill) 12527 (Glenham) 12508 (Beacon) 12533 (Hopewell Junction) 12590 (Wappingers Falls)
Area code	845
FIPS code	36-25978
GNIS feature ID	0978958
Website	www.fishkill-ny.gov

Fishkill is a town in the southwestern part of Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of New York City. The population was 24,226 at the 2010 census.[1] Fishkill surrounds the city of Beacon, and contains a village, which is also named Fishkill, the majority of the hamlet of Brinckerhoff and the census-designated place of Merritt Park.

The name Fishkill derives from the Dutch words vis kill, meaning "fish creek".[2] The location of Fishkill was known as Tioranda by the Native American peoples. The name means "The place where two waters meet".[3] Fishkill is one of the nine original towns in Dutchess County, and is best known today for its rich history dating to the American Revolutionary War period and scenic views of the Hudson Highlands.

History

[edit]

In 1683, New York City merchants Francis Rombouts and Gulian Verplanck purchased 85,000 acres (340 km2) in Dutchess County from the Wappinger confederacy of Native Americans for a quantity of goods including rum, powder, and tobacco. In 1685 it was granted as the royal Rombout Patent. Neither ever lived on the land, intending to use it only for fur trading. The first white settlers were Rombout's daughter, Catheryna, and her husband, Roger Brett, who built a mill at the mouth of Fishkill Creek as it flows into the Hudson River.[4]

Originally, the boundaries of Fishkill extended far beyond the boundaries of the present-day Town of Fishkill. When the town was incorporated in 1788, Fishkill's land area included the present-day City of Beacon and Village of Fishkill, as well as the Town of Wappinger, Village of Wappingers Falls, Town of East Fishkill and a portion of the Town of LaGrange. During the 19th century, as other towns incorporated, Fishkill's area was reduced until the incorporation of the City of Beacon in 1913 resulted in Town boundaries approximate to modern town lines.

A number of areas within the town retain their Native American names, including Matteawan Road and the hamlet of Wiccopee, which overlaps into the modern town of East Fishkill. Daniel Nimham, the final sachem of the Wappinger people, was born in the Wiccopee area in 1726.

Fishkill played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War when a huge military encampment known as the Fishkill Supply Depot was established one mile (1.6 km) south of the village of Fishkill to guard the mountain pass to the south. Signal fires lay in readiness on tops of the surrounding mountains. The Fishkill encampment became the main supply depot for the northern department of the Continental Army. The first copies of the New York State Constitution were printed at Fishkill in 1777.[4] Mount Beacon, located in the town, earned its name for the signal fires at the summit which were used for Continental Army communications during the war.

As commander of the Continental Army, George Washington spent considerable time in Fishkill, and in 1778, noted Fishkill silversmith John Bailey crafted a sword for Washington near present-day Maurer-Geering Park. The sword was a particular favorite of Washington's, and he carried it for the remainder of the war.[5] Upon his death, Washington bequeathed a sword to each of his five nephews, and nephew Samuel Washington received the Bailey sword. He donated it to Congress in 1843.[6] The sword now lies in the Smithsonian Institution, as part of the National Museum of American History.[7]

Today, the town's economy is diverse, comprising tourism, medical care, retail and restaurants, warehouses, recreation spots and a wealth of small businesses.

In 1996, the animal rights group PETA suggested the town change its name to something less suggestive of violence toward fish. The name derives from the Dutch vis kill, meaning "fish creek."[2] For this reason, the town declined.[8]

In 2021, the Town commissioned an eight-foot bronze statue depicting Daniel Nimham from noted Hudson Valley sculptor Michael Keropian. The statue was installed at the Arrowhead intersection of NY-52 and NY-82 (41° 32.685′ N, 73° 52.16′ W.) in May 2022 and dedicated on June 11, 2022. Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra hosted the ceremony which featured comments from elected officials, educators, the sculptor, and a number of special presentations by Native American community groups.[9]

Government

[edit]

The Town of Fishkill is overseen by a Town Supervisor a Town Council, comprising four Councilmembers. The Town Supervisor and Town Council are elected to four-year terms, and town law limits the Town Supervisor and Town Council to two terms of service. As of 2025, the Town Supervisor is Ozzy Albra, and the Town Council consists of Jacqueline Bardini, John Forman, Gregory Totino and Brian Wrye.[10]

Tourism

[edit]

Fishkill is home to a number of tourist locations, including a number of historically significant sites.[11] Popular sites include:

• Dutchess Stadium, home of the Hudson Valley Renegades Minor League Baseball team
• Mount Gulian
• SplashDown Beach, a seasonal water and amusement park
• Stony Kill Farm
• Van Wyck Homestead Museum

Geography

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.0 square miles (82.9 km2), of which 27.3 square miles (70.8 km2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12.1 km2), or 14.55%, is water. The elevation of the town varies from sea level along the Hudson River (Fishkill Waterfront, Fishkill Landing, Dutchess Junction) to 1,600 feet (490 m) above sea level (South Beacon Mountain).

The southern town line is the border between Dutchess and Putnam counties and between the towns of Fishkill and Philipstown. The western town line is defined by the Hudson River, across which lie the Orange County towns of Cornwall, New Windsor, and Newburgh, as well as the city of Newburgh. The city of Beacon is contained within the town, though Fishkill's area west of Beacon is mostly occupied by the Hudson.[12] To the north is the town of Wappinger, and to the east is the town of East Fishkill.

The town's namesake, the Fishkill Creek, runs from east to west across the town and empties into the Hudson River. As the word Fishkill derives from the Dutch vis kill, meaning "fish creek," the English use of "Fishkill Creek" creates a bilingual tautology.

Interstate 84 passes through the town in an east-west direction, with access from Exits 41, 44, and 46 and US 9 passes through both the town and village of Fishkill in a north-south direction.

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	8,203	—
1830	8,292	1.1%
1840	10,437	25.9%
1850	9,240	−11.5%
1860	9,546	3.3%
1870	11,752	23.1%
1880	10,732	−8.7%
1890	11,840	10.3%
1900	13,016	9.9%
1910	13,858	6.5%
1920	2,095	−84.9%
1930	2,890	37.9%
1940	3,615	25.1%
1950	3,863	6.9%
1960	7,083	83.4%
1970	11,935	68.5%
1980	15,506	29.9%
1990	17,655	13.9%
2000	20,258	14.7%
2010	22,107	9.1%
2020	24,226	9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[13][1]

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,258 people, 6,856 households, and 4,264 families residing in the town. The population density was 738.9 inhabitants per square mile (285.3/km2). There were 7,040 housing units at an average density of 257 inhabitants per square mile (99.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 77.19% White, 14.13% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.49% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Of the population 10.47% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,856 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 37.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% 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 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,745, and the median income for a family was $63,574. Males had a median income of $42,106 versus $32,198 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,662. 5.4% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 6.2% were under the age of 18 and 7.5% were 65 or older.

Sports

[edit]

Fishkill is home to the Hudson Valley Renegades, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Yankees, which plays at Heritage Financial Park in the South Atlantic League.

Notable residents

[edit]

• Elizabeth Allen, theatre, television and film actor and singer; lived in Fishkill prior to her death.
• Catheryna Rombout Brett, landowner and businesswoman; owned a considerable portion of Dutchess County in the colonial period.
• Elijah A. Briggs, American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient; lived in Fishkill for many years prior to his death.
• Robert Kanigher, comic book, playwright, television and film writer for DC Comics noted for writing Wonder Woman and The Flash lived in Fishkill prior to his death.
• Marquis de Lafayette, French noble and military leader who assisted Washington during the Revolutionary War; was nursed to health after a long illness in Fishkill.
• Daniel Nimham, final sachem of the Wappinger people and American Revolutionary War combat veteran; born in Fishkill in 1726.
• Margaret Sanger, birth control activist and sex educator had her summer home in Fishkill from the mid-1920s until 1949.[14]
• Benjamin Strong Jr., banker and Governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

See also

[edit]

• Fishkill Correctional Facility
• Mount Gulian
• Stony Kill Farm
• Van Wyck Homestead Museum

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "2020 Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
2. ^ a b Hooper Shelton. "Fisher County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
3. ^ Elijah Middlebrook Haines, The American Indian (Uh-nish-in-na-ba), p. 788
4. ^ a b "Skinner, Willa. "Town History", Town of Fishkill". Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
5. ^ Journal, Anthony P. Musso For the Poughkeepsie. "Washington's favorite sword made by Fishkill cutler". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
6. ^ "George Washington's Sword". New York Historic. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
7. ^ "George Washington's Battle Sword and Scabbard". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
8. ^ "A fishy name will stay the same". CNN. September 6, 1996. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
9. ^ MidHudson News (June 13, 2022). "Fishkill honors 'native son'". MidHudson News. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
10. ^ "2024/01/17 07:00 PM Town Board Regular Meeting - Web Outline - Town of Fishkill, New York". fishkilltownny.iqm2.com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
11. ^ "All there is to experience in: Fishkill".
12. ^ "American FactFinder - Search". Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. ^ "The Margaret Sanger Papers Project". sanger.hosting.nyu.edu. Retrieved April 3, 2023.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fishkill, New York.

• Town of Fishkill official website
• Village of Fishkill
• Fishkill area information
• Blodgett Memorial Library (Fishkill)
• Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee
• Rombout Fire Company
• Fishkill Reformed Church
• Fishkill Historical Society

v t e Municipalities and communities of Dutchess County, New York, United States
County seat: Poughkeepsie
Cities	Beacon Poughkeepsie
Towns	Amenia Beekman Clinton Dover East Fishkill Fishkill Hyde Park LaGrange Milan North East Pawling Pine Plains Pleasant Valley Poughkeepsie Red Hook Rhinebeck Stanford Union Vale Wappinger Washington
Villages	Fishkill Millbrook Millerton Pawling Red Hook Rhinebeck Tivoli Wappingers Falls
CDPs	Amenia Arlington Bard College Barrytown Brinckerhoff Chelsea Cove Crown Heights Dover Plains Fairview Freedom Plains Haviland Hillside Lake Hopewell Junction Hyde Park MacDonnell Heights Marist College Merritt Park Myers Corner New Hackensack New Hamburg Pine Plains Pleasant Valley Red Oaks Mill Rhinecliff Salt Point Shorehaven Spackenkill Staatsburg Titusville Upper Red Hook Vassar College Wassaic Wingdale
Otherhamlets	Annandale-on-Hudson Bangall Boston Corner‡ Castle Point Chelsea Glenham Holmes Lithgow Mabbettsville Oniontown Pleasant Plains Quaker Hill Rock City Shekomeko Sylvan Lake Van Keurens Verbank
Former communities	New Guinea Community Site
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
New York portal United States portal

v t e Hudson River watershed
Tributaries	Batavia Kill Batten Kill Birch Creek Black Meadow Creek Boreas River Bowery Creek Bowmans Creek Breakneck Brook Brimstone Creek Canajoharie Creek Caroga Creek Casperkill Catskill Creek Cayadutta Creek Cedar River Claverack Creek Clove Brook Cobleskill Creek Coeymans Creek Coxsackie Creek Cross River Croton River East Branch Croton River East Branch Sacandaga River East Canada Creek East Kill Eightmile Creek Esopus Creek Fall Kill Fishkill Creek Fonteyn Kill Fulmer Creek Hannacrois Creek Honnedaga Brook Hoosic River Indian River Jackson Creek Jan De Bakkers Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kayaderosseras Kinderhook Creek Kisco River Lake Creek Little Shawangunk Kill Maritje Kill Miami River Mill Creek Mohawk River Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Moyer Creek Muddy Kill Neepaulakating Creek Normans Kill Nowadaga Creek Ohisa Creek Onesquethaw Creek Opalescent River Oriskany Creek Otsquago Creek Otter Kill Papakating Creek Peekskill Hollow Creek Plattekill Creek Platter Kill Pocantico River Pochuck Creek Poesten Kill Potic Creek Quassaick Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Sacandaga River Sauquoit Creek Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sawyer Kill Schoharie Creek Schroon River Shawangunk Kill Sparkill Creek Sprout Creek Steele Creek Stockport Creek Stony Clove Creek Taghkanic Creek Tenmile Creek Tin Brook Titicus River Trout Brook Verkeerder Kill Vloman Kill Wallkill River Walloomsac River Wappinger Creek Wawayanda Creek West Branch Papakating Creek West Branch Sacandaga River West Canada Creek West Kill Wynants Kill
Lakes	Alcove Reservoir Ashokan Reservoir Basic Creek Reservoir Beacon Reservoir Bog Brook Reservoir Cedar Lake Chadwick Lake Chub Lake Cross River Reservoir Croton Falls Reservoir Dyken Pond East Branch Reservoir East Caroga Lake Fall Lake Franklinton Vlaie Garnet Lake Glenmere Lake Great Sacandaga Lake Great Vlaie Henderson Lake Honnedaga Lake Indian Lake Lizard Pond Lake Maratanza Muscoot Reservoir Lake Neepaulin New Croton Reservoir Notch Lake Piseco Lake Lake Pleasant Queechy Lake Rondout Reservoir Sacandaga Lake Saratoga Lake Sturgeon Pool Surprise Lake Sylvan Lake Lake Tear of the Clouds Thompson Pond Titicus Reservoir Trout Lake West Caroga Lake Whaley Lake Winnisook Lake
Towns	New York Albany Amsterdam Beacon Bedford Beekman Bennington Bethlehem Blooming Grove Briarcliff Manor Carmel Catskill Clifton Park Cohoes Colonie Cortlandt East Fishkill East Greenbush Fishkill Glenville Gloversville Greenburgh Guilderland Halfmoon Herkimer Haverstraw Hyde Park Kingston Kirkland LaGrange Lloyd Malta Middletown Milton Monroe Montgomery Moreau Mount Pleasant New Castle New Hartford New Paltz New Windsor New York City Newburgh Niskayuna North Adams Nyack Ossining Peekskill Plattekill Poughkeepsie Queensbury Rome Rotterdam Saugerties Schenectady Shawangunk Sleepy Hollow Somers Southeast Troy Utica Wallkill Wappinger Warwick West Point Whitestown Wilton Yonkers Yorktown New Jersey Alpine Bayonne Cliffside Park Edgewater Englewood Cliffs Fort Lee Hoboken Jersey City North Bergen Sparta Tenafly Weehawken West New York
Landmarks	Adirondack Mountains Adirondack Park Ashokan Bridge Blenheim Bridge Buskirk Bridge Catskill Mountains Champlain Canal Cohoes Falls Copeland Bridge Delaware and Hudson Canal Eagleville Bridge East River Erie Canal George Washington Bridge Harlem River Helderberg Escarpment Holland Tunnel Hudson Highlands State Park Kaaterskill Clove Kaaterskill Falls Kill Van Kull Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge Lincoln Tunnel Mid-Hudson Bridge Newburgh–Beacon Bridge Tappan Zee Bridge (2017–present) The Palisades Perrine's Bridge Plotter Kill Preserve Pollepel Island Popolopen Rexleigh Bridge Rip Van Winkle Bridge Salisbury Center Bridge Schoharie Bridge Shushan Bridge Statue of Liberty Taconic Mountains Verkeerder Kill Falls Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge Walkway over the Hudson Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge West Canada Lake Wilderness Area