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39-522: The John Jay Homestead State Historic Site is located at 400 Jay Street in Katonah, New York . The site preserves the 1787 home of Founding Father and statesman John Jay (1745–1829), one of the three authors of The Federalist Papers and the first Chief Justice of the United States . The property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981 for its association with Jay. The house

78-490: A concentration of population and businesses which may include portions of several towns. Katonah has its own Metro-North station . As a result of the hamlet's close proximity to New York City and its immediate connection to the aforementioned railroad station and the interstate, a sizable portion of the town consists of commuters. The area is part of the Katonah-Lewisboro school district. From 1921 to 1937, Katonah

117-489: A crescent-shaped canal 1,000 feet (300 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide in the hill on the north side of the river, secured the canal with a masonry retaining wall, and built temporary dams to control the water flow. The initial construction lasted eight years, and extensive modifications and repairs went on for another six. Working conditions were often difficult. A silent film, The Croton Dam Strike , released in 1900, depicted labor–management problems related to

156-513: A graded school, and was proud of itself. Katonah was just one of a great number of settlements in northern Westchester and Putnam counties to be eradicated - variously moved, demolished, or burnt to the ground - during the creation of the Croton Watershed as part of New York City's drinking water supply. In early 2007, groups representing the hamlet came out in opposition to a trademark filed by homemaking mogul Martha Stewart for

195-685: A group of English colonists. During the American Revolution most local men supported the Continental side, with some joining the New York 4th Regiment of the Line and the majority the local Militia. Though Bedford Township lay in what was called "Neutral Ground", supposedly unmolested by military forces of either side, its inhabitants were preyed on by the lawless of both. The area suffered less from such depredations than other areas in

234-553: A household in the CDP was $ 166,296, and the median income for a family was $ 146,923. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 104,250 versus $ 94,674 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 60,408. About 4.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. The hamlet of Katonah includes two National Historic Landmarks: Stepping Stones - Historic Home of Bill & Lois Wilson, where

273-438: A new Croton system in 1885. Hydro engineer James B. Francis was brought in as a consultant for the construction. The proposed dam and reservoir were to cover 20 square miles (52 km ) of land occupied by public and private buildings, six cemeteries, and more than 400 farms. Condemnation disputes led to "protests, lawsuits, and confusion" before payment of claims and the awarding of construction contracts. The work force on

312-493: A new furniture line called the "Katonah Collection". Stewart purchased a 152-acre (0.62 km ) estate in Katonah in 2000, and it is there that she spent her five months of house arrest following her prison term resulting from charges of "lying to investigators" . Representatives stated that Stewart was seeking to "honor the town" and the new furniture line was "...paying homage to this beautiful region." The pending trademark

351-567: A number of other notables live in Katonah. Stanley Tucci , Blake Lively , and Ryan Reynolds live near Katonah as well. By its residents, Katonah is often styled as a "village". The Katonah Village Improvement Society is a group that promotes community engagement, the arts, and business activity in the hamlet. The local library is called the Katonah Village Library and some other commercial functions and public works incorporate similar "village" terminology. Katonah generally has

390-462: A site on the property of A.B. Cornell 4 miles (6.4 km) downstream of the original dam, which was submerged by the new reservoir. New Croton Reservoir was eventually able to supply 200 to 300 million US gallons (760,000 to 1,140,000 m ) a day via a new aqueduct that carried water to Jerome Park Reservoir in the north Bronx, New York City. The bridge over the spillway was replaced in 1975 and again in 2005. In that same year, because of

429-692: Is also a National Historic Landmark. The Katonah Museum of Art is a non-collecting institution presenting three to four visual arts exhibitions annually that examine a variety of disciplines, cultures, and historical periods. The Caramoor International Music Festival , which hosts the Orchestra of St. Luke's , is held annually at Caramoor , 2 miles (3 km) east of the hamlet. John Jay High School holds its annual commencement ceremony at Caramoor as well. The Katonah Poetry Series led by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins holds readings at Katonah Village Library. Katonah Historical Museum opened in 1984 and

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468-472: Is in the lower level of the library. Another attraction is Muscoot Farm. During the 1920s-1930s farming activity there was peaking, the farmland coming from the Hopkin's family has been taken care of by Westchester County thus far since 1967 due to high labor costs. The farm has many animals, camps, workshops for youth and adults, hayrides, opportunities for field trips, and even birthday events. Another attraction

507-420: Is open year-round for tours. The John Jay Homestead is located in a rural setting east of the village of Katonah, on the north side of Jay Street ( New York State Route 22 ). It is a 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story gambrel-roofed brick building, with single-story gable-roofed wings to either side. The main facade is five bays wide, with sash windows arranged symmetrically around the centered entrance. The center bay

546-610: Is slightly wider than the others, and the entrance is topped by a four-light transom window. A shed-roof porch shelters the entire span of the first floor, wrapping around in open sections to secondary entrances in the side wings. The home was constructed in two major phases, on 600 acres (240 ha) of land that was part of a larger 5,200-acre (2,100 ha) parcel that his maternal grandfather Jacobus Van Cortlandt purchased from Chief Katonah around 1700. John Jay made arrangements in February 1787 with brickmakers and carpenters for

585-567: Is the Katonah Art Center, which has two large painting studios, a children's studio, a pottery studio, a multi-arts studio, a darkroom, and a Mac computer lab. They also offer pottery, photography, painting and drawing classes, and summer camps. Katonah was home to the Brookwood Labor College , the first labor college in the United States, providing adult education and training in social justice and activism . It

624-520: The Jay Estate in Rye. Katonah, New York Katonah / k ə ˈ t oʊ n ə / is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Bedford , Westchester County , in the U.S. state of New York . The Katonah CDP had a population of 1,603 at the 2020 census . Katonah is named for Chief Katonah , a Native American sachem from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by

663-639: The September 11 attacks on New York City, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection proposed permanent closure of the road across the top of the dam. Pedestrians and emergency vehicles were allowed to use New Croton Dam Road, but all other traffic was re-routed. The department made plans to replace temporary vehicle barriers with permanent barriers after completion of a New Croton Dam Rehabilitation Project in 2011. U.S. Geological survey provides average daily discharge data for

702-552: The United States Supreme Court , spent his retirement years on this property. The house remained in the Jay family until 1959, when it was given to Westchester County , which turned it over to the state. The state undertook the reversal of some alterations made after Jay's ownership, and opened it as a historic site. In 1977, the non-profit Friends of John Jay Homestead was founded to increase public awareness of

741-491: The masonry dam is 266 feet (81 m) broad at its base and 297 feet (91 m) high from base to crest. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest dam in the world. It impounds up to 19 billion US gallons (72,000,000 m ) of water, a small fraction of the New York City water system's total storage capacity of 580 billion US gallons (2.2 × 10  m ). The original Croton Dam ( Old Croton Dam )

780-537: The Croton Dam here. Record discharge at the Croton Dam since records began in 1933 was on 1955-10-16 with 33,000 cfs (cubic feet per second); this was after dual hurricanes Connie and Diane . Croton Gorge Park offers views of the dam from directly downstream. The Old Croton Trail , a popular hiking and biking path that roughly follows the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct , has an endpoint near

819-548: The Katonah CDP, there were 589 households, and 445 families residing at the 2010 census. The population density was 2,398.6 inhabitants per square mile (926.1/km ). There were 619 housing units at an average density of 884.3 units per square mile (341.4 units/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.1% White , 2.5% African American , 0.2% Native American , 2.6% Asian , 5.4% some other race , and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.9% of

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858-582: The Katonah-Lewisboro School District attend John Jay Middle School and John Jay High School . Katonah is also home to the private co-educational, college preparatory school The Harvey School , and formerly The Montfort Academy , a private, Roman Catholic high school that recently moved to Mount Vernon, New York . The hamlet is served by the Katonah Volunteer Fire Department , which also hosts

897-693: The Neutral Ground because of the proximity of the Croton River and the "Westchester Lines", a sparse string of outposts defended by units of the Continental Army. Originally known as Whitlockville, the settlement changed its name, then moved south to its present site in 1897, when what is known by some as "Old Katonah" was flooded by the construction of the New Croton Dam . This raised the water level behind it enough to submerge

936-543: The annual Katonah carnival, parade, and "chili night." Emergency medical services are provided by the Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The Bedford police department provides police and traffic enforcement to the town of Bedford, including Katonah, Bedford Hills and Bedford Village . New Croton Dam Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1906. Designed by Alphonse Fteley (1837–1903),

975-429: The dam's construction. Designed by Alphonse Fteley (1837–1903), the masonry dam is 266 feet (81 m) broad at its base and 297 feet (91 m) high from base to crest. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest dam in the world. Its foundation extends 130 feet (40 m) below the bed of the river, and the dam contains 850,000 cubic yards (650,000 m ) of masonry. The engineers' tablet mounted on

1014-522: The existing Muscoot Dam, the waters it empounded, and the village, under the resultantly expanded Muscoot Reservoir . More than 50 buildings were moved from the old site to "New Katonah", rolled on logs pulled by horses. The move was originally ordered to start in 1894, but litigation delayed this by almost three years. Evidently not all of the moved houses were within the affected area, leaving empty foundations where new houses would eventually be built upon. An eleven-year-old child named B. Robertson wrote

1053-501: The first phase of construction, which was completed in 1790. The second phase, executed in 1800–01, included the extension of the main block to five bays and the addition of the wings (one replacing the first kitchen wing). Jay, whose long and illustrious career included the Continental Congress , drafting of New York's first state constitution, Governor of New York , and Chief Justice of both New York's Supreme Court and

1092-400: The following to a children's magazine on March 2, 1897: The people of Katonah do not want to have it thought that New York City has made them move because they are careless about their drainage. It is because the city is going to make a new reservoir where the old village of Katonah now stands. Katonah has three churches, a public library and reading-room, a village improvement association, and

1131-411: The headhouse nearest the spillway lists the spillway length as 1,000 feet (300 m) and the total length of the dam and spillway combined as 2,188 feet (667 m). New Croton Dam impounds up to 19 billion US gallons (72,000,000 m ) of water, a small fraction of the New York City water system's total storage capacity of 580 billion US gallons (2.2 × 10  m ). Work began in 1892 at

1170-422: The new dam included stonemasons and laborers who had worked on the original dam. John B. Goldsborough, superintendent of excavations and hiring for the project, also recruited stonemasons from southern Italy, who re-located to New York. Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1906. Building the dam meant diverting the river from its normal path and pumping the riverbed dry. To accomplish this, workers dug

1209-405: The population. There were 589 households, out of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were headed by married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

John Jay Homestead State Historic Site - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-619: The respective cofounders of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Family Groups lived from 1941 until their deaths in 1971 and 1988, and the John Jay Homestead , the former home of John Jay , the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States . Nearby is The Harvey School , a private day school founded in the 19th century which offers five-day boarding, and which counts among its alumni Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau . Bruce Willis , Ralph Lauren , and

1287-660: The site. It raises funds and provides volunteer assistance for the Homestead's preservation, restoration and interpretation. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1981. In 2004, the landmark, known as Bedford House, was added to the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County , a group of 16 sites which include the Rye African-American Cemetery , Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site and

1326-619: The towns of Bedford, Lewisboro and Somers . Katonah was identified as a census-designated place (CDP) for the first time in 2010. According to the 2010 United States Census, the CDP of Katonah had a total population of 1,679 people, compared to 10,739 residents of the Katonah ZIP code, 10536. In 2010, half (5,391, or 50.2%) of the Katonah ZIP code's population resided in the town of Bedford, 36.9% in Somers and 12.9% in Lewisboro. Within

1365-436: Was 2.83, and the average family size was 3.24. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males. For the period 2007–11, the estimated median annual income for

1404-596: Was built between 1837 and 1842 to improve New York City's water supply. By 1881, after extensive repairs to the dam, which was 50 feet (15 m) high, the Old Croton Reservoir was able to supply about 90 million US gallons (340,000 m ) a day to the city via the Old Croton Aqueduct . To meet escalating water needs, the Aqueduct Commission of the City of New York ordered construction of

1443-616: Was contested by the Katonah Village Improvement Society and Katonah Architectural Hardware , along with support from the Ramapough Mountain Indians who foresaw legal conflict should Stewart succeed in trademarking the name for her furniture line. (View current appeals at the U.S. Trademark Office .) Katonah is classified as a hamlet, with no legal status as an administrative jurisdiction. The Katonah post office serves portions of

1482-602: Was home to the Brookwood Labor College , the nation's first residential labor college. The average house price in Katonah, as of 2006, was US$ 912,000. The Katonah Village Historic District , and St. Luke's Episcopal Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The John Jay Homestead , the former home of US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay , is a New York State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark . Stepping Stones , home of Alcoholics Anonymous founders Bill and Lois Wilson ,

1521-516: Was located on Cedar Road from 1919 until its closure in 1937. Katonah is a part of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District . It contains Katonah Elementary School, although some students attend Increase Miller Elementary School in neighboring Goldens Bridge . Some students in Katonah also attended Lewisboro Elementary School until its closure in 2014, which was highly controversial. All middle and high school students in

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