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120-569: Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York , United States, in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on eastern Long Island . The village developed as a working port on Gardiners Bay . The population was 2,772 at the 2020 census. The entire business district is listed as the historic Sag Harbor Village District on the National Register of Historic Places . A major whaling and shipping port in

240-678: A county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under the general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with

360-560: A municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or

480-506: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,

600-642: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village

720-497: A little house on the edge of his property, including The Winter of Our Discontent , which was set in a fictionalized version of Sag Harbor and whose main character works at a grocery store modelled after Schiavoni's. His view from the writing house overlooked the Upper Sag Harbor Cove. As recounted in his memoir, Travels with Charley , Steinbeck started an 11-week trip with his dog, Charley, from Sag Harbor across

840-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of

960-425: A park, but it is deemed a navigational hazard because of the possibilities of unexploded ordnance. It is privately owned now. A manor house built by David Gardiner in 1774 burned to the ground in 1947, it is thought after a guest fell asleep while smoking. Valuable antiques were destroyed, with the caretaker escaping by jumping from a window. Owing to the high cost of upkeep, the island was put up for sale in 1937. It

1080-602: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had

1200-404: A trust fund for upkeep of the island, but it was exhausted by the 1970s. When Alexandra Gardiner Creel died, her rights passed to her daughter, Alexandra Creel Goelet. Robert David Lion Gardiner and Goelet were to have a highly publicized dispute over ownership and direction of the island. Robert accused Alexandra of wanting to sell and develop the island. She accused him of not paying his share of

1320-481: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for

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1440-510: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in

1560-403: A village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in the state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are

1680-494: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will

1800-699: A writer and performer, attempted suicide at the bridge in September 2002 and October 2003. The United States Coast Survey map from the mid-1830s shows the square symbols for houses in the Eastville area. By 1840, the St. David A.M.E. Zion congregation built a church on Eastville Avenue. Poet and educator Olivia Ward Bush-Banks (1869–1944) was born in Sag Harbour on February 27, 1869, to parents of African and Montauk descent. Noted Author Colson Whitehead wrote

1920-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for

2040-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of

2160-518: Is a nonprofit arts center in Sag Harbor was founded by artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik . It opened April 15, 2021, and has an exhibition space and artists residency program. The Sag Harbor- North Haven Bridge was renamed in November 2008 as The LCpl Jordan Haerter Veterans' Memorial Bridge. It is believed to be the site of the 1995 suicide of Ray Johnson , a Pop artist. Spalding Gray ,

2280-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in

2400-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to

2520-512: Is home to New York state 's largest colony of ospreys and is one of the few locations in the world where they build their nests on the ground, as there are no natural predators to the bird on the island. In addition to the family mansion and the Gardiners Island Windmill , structures on the island include a private airstrip on the south side and a carpenter's shed said to have been built in 1639. The shed's claim to being

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2640-749: Is in the Towns of both Southampton and East Hampton. The dividing line is Division Street, known as Town Line Road just south of the village. Most of the defining 19th-century landmarks of the village — including its Main Street, Old Whaler's Church , John Jermain Memorial Library , Whaling Museum , Custom House , the Old Burying Ground, Oakland Cemetery , Mashashimuet Park , and Otter Pond are in Southampton. However, almost all of

2760-558: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in

2880-639: Is open to the public. The Masonic Lodge (Wamponamon 437), which occupies the second floor, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. Lafever is also credited with designing the Old Whaler's Church and the Masonic Temple. The broken mast monument in Oakland Cemetery is the most visible of several memorials to men who died at sea. The whaling business collapsed after 1847, as other methods were discovered to create kerosene and other fuels;

3000-488: Is the home of actress Julie Andrews . Administrative divisions of New York#Village See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York . The state is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the five boroughs of New York City, have

3120-647: Is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with the power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has

3240-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon

3360-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),

3480-673: The Manhattan . He was on a voyage to Japan, and became one of the first Americans to visit Tokyo Bay . Pyrrhus Concer , an African-American sailor, also served on the ship; he was the first African-American man known to be seen by the Japanese . Cooper continued with major sailing expeditions. On January 26, 1853, he left Sag Harbor on the Levant , bound to the South Pole. He was the first person to set foot on East Antarctica . In 1870

3600-600: The Connecticut Colony . He reportedly purchased the island from the local Montaukett people for "a large black dog, some powder and shot , and a few Dutch blankets." The Indians called the island Manchonake , while Gardiner initially called it Isle of Wight , because it reminded him of the Isle of Wight in England . The Montauketts gave Gardiner the title, at least in part because of his support for them in

3720-597: The Forbes family . The island is 5.19 square miles (13.4 km ) in size. Its 3,318 acres include more than 1,000 acres (400 ha) of old growth forest and another 1,000 acres (405 ha) of meadows. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th century. In 1989, the island was said to be worth $ 125 million. The island has the largest stand of white oak in the American Northeast. Other trees include swamp maple , wild cherry and birch . The island

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3840-494: The Long Island Rail Road built a Sag Harbor Branch to the village. It began to carry visitors and summer residents attracted to the harbor and the light of eastern Long Island. Given changes in passenger traffic and railroad operations, the former station is now operated as a gardening store. New residents continued to settle in the village. In 1896, the oldest synagogue on Long Island, Temple Adas Israel ,

3960-565: The Old Whaler's Church . Sag Harbor supplanted Northwest , another port about 5 miles (8 km) east of the village in the Town of East Hampton. International ships and the whaling industry had started in Northwest, but its port was too shallow for the developing traffic. The most valuable whale product was whale oil , which was used widely in lamps. Sag Harbor became a major port for

4080-894: The Pequot War . The island was not part of the Connecticut Colony or the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations of the British, nor was it a part of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands . It evidently fell under the jurisdiction of Earl of Stirling, William Alexander , who had been given Long Island by the King of England in 1636 and required Gardiner to gain his approval of the land grant through his agent James Farrett. It has been privately owned by Gardiner's descendants for 385 years. The royal patent of 1639 gave Gardiner

4200-653: The Sag Harbor News ; the merged papers became the Sag Harbor News and Corrector . This amalgamated newspaper was subsequently purchased in the late 1920s by the Gardner family, owners of The Sag Harbor Express . They made the latter the only newspaper in town. The Sag Harbor Express is still the newspaper for Sag Harbor Village, the Village of North Haven, the Sag Harbor School District and

4320-519: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it

4440-411: The United States Census Bureau , the village has an area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km), of which 1.8 square miles (4.7 km) is land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km), or 22.44%, is water. In the village of Sag Harbor, fresh drinking water was obtained from digging wells to support the town's population. “The original source of water supply was secured from four dug wells in the southern part of

4560-432: The "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted the power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county

4680-526: The "right to possess the land forever", with the island being declared a proprietary colony Gardiner was given the title of Lord of the Manor and the attenuating privileges of governorship. On October 5, 1665, after the British had taken over New Netherlands and established the Province of New York , and it had been established that Long Island would not be part of the Connecticut Colony, Richard Nicolls ,

4800-475: The 19th century, by the end of this period and in the 20th century, it became a destination for wealthy people who summered there. Sag Harbor is about three-fifths in Southampton and two-fifths in East Hampton (the Town boundary being Division Street). Its landmarks include structures associated with whaling and its early days when it was designated as the first port of entry to the new United States. It had

4920-679: The Bay Street marina complex, including Sag Harbor Yacht Club and Breakwater Yacht Club, at the foot of Main Street, is in East Hampton. Also there are the village's high school, the Sag Harbor State Golf Course , and the historic freedmen 's community of Eastville, first developed in the early 1800s. The whaling industry in Sag Harbor peaked in the 1840s, but its importance had been widely recognized. Writer Herman Melville mentioned Sag Harbor in his novel Moby Dick . Arrived at last in old Sag Harbor; and seeing what

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5040-581: The Bridgehampton School District. WLNG has been on-the-air at 92.1 FM since April 1969. The station previously operated on 1600 AM from 1963 until 1969. Since 1915, four movie theaters have operated at 90 Main Street. They were George's Theatre, The Elite, Glynne's Sag Harbor Theatre, and the Sag Harbor Theatre. The latter was known for its art deco neon sign that read "Sag Harbor." The theatre changed its name to

5160-399: The British excursions, Americans captured some of the crew. The British came to arrest then owner John Lyon Gardiner, who, being a delicate man, adopted the "green room defense", where he stayed in a bed with green curtains surrounded by medicine to make him look feeble. The British, not wanting a sick man on board, let him be. The British were to bury several personnel on the island during

5280-523: The Gardiners, though trial testimony given by John Gardiner on July 17, 1699, makes no mention of any threats, and Kidd's conduct appears to have been quite civil. Kidd was tried in Boston, and Gardiner was ordered by Governor Bellomont to deliver the treasure as evidence. The booty included gold dust, bars of silver, Spanish dollars , rubies, diamonds, candlesticks, and porringers . Gardiner kept one of

5400-599: The Manor House. Indicating to Mrs. Gardiner that the box of gold was intended for the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Lord Bellomont , Kidd gave Mrs. Gardiner a length of gold cloth , captured from a Moorish ship off the coast of India, and a sack of sugar in thanks for her hospitality. A legend developed that Kidd warned that if the treasure was not there when he returned he would kill

5520-589: The Revolution, and both sides of the Civil War. The Gardiner family always came out on top. In 2005, the Goelets offered to place a conservation easement on the island in exchange for a promise from the Town of East Hampton not to rezone the land, change its assessment or attempt to acquire it by condemnation. The Goelets and East Hampton agreed upon the easement through 2025. Gardiners Island's NNL status

5640-506: The Sag Harbor Cinema in 1978. On December 16, 2016, a fire broke out and destroyed the cinema. The cinema was rebuilt by the non-profit Sag Harbor Partnership, opening again in 2021. Alan Alda 's 1986 film Sweet Liberty was shot in Sag Harbor. In 1991, The Bay Street Theater was founded by Sybil Christopher , Emma Walton Hamilton and Stephen Hamilton. It is in a building on Long Wharf and operates year-round. Sag Harbor

5760-605: The Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Subdivisions, known by the acronym SANS. They have begun a survey of the historic resources of this area, believing they may gain listing as a historic district on the State and National Register of Historic Places , through which they could establish protection for the district. On July 10, 2019 (NP ref#100004217) was listed as the Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Beach Subdivisions Historic District . According to

5880-525: The State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as

6000-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in

6120-586: The United States. Steinbeck Writers' Retreat is a writer's residency program at John Steinbeck's home in Sag Harbor. It is run by the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas in Austin. Every fellow and writer-in-residence interacts with the community during their time at the residency, through readings from novels, film screenings and discussions, or read-throughs of plays. The Church

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6240-485: The advancing British and Loyalist forces and departed from Sag Harbor by boat and ship for Connecticut. In 1777 American raiders under Return Jonathan Meigs attacked a British garrison at a fort on a hill in Sag Harbor, killing six and capturing 90 British soldiers in what was called Meigs Raid . The fort was dismantled after the war. The site has become known as the Old Burying Ground and is associated with

6360-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of

6480-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation

6600-494: The bay. By 2014, the village was using an ultra-violet system to kill the bacteria. The majority of Sag Harbor lies on a flat, sandy coastal plain which makes up much of southern Long Island and extends along the southern coast of the island. It is the remains of a glacial moraine. Small hills rise up from the shore at about 0.3 miles (0.48 km) inland. Knolls and hills are dominated mostly by Red and Scarlet oak trees , which are interspersed with pitch and white pines. On many of

6720-417: The beach by the time Mrs. Terry died in the late 1960s. [1] Later a few African-American celebrities and prominent New York businessmen made their summer homes there. As of the 2010s, there is pressure from investors who, consolidating lots and planning to build larger houses than is customary, pose a threat to the character of the neighborhoods. In 2016, a collective group was formed to study these impacts on

6840-536: The book Sag Harbor about his childhood in the area. After the Second World War, African Americans started to settle in what became the neighborhoods of Sag Harbor Hills, Ninevah, Azurest , Eastville and Chatfield's Hill. Mrs. Hunter J. Terry (1887 - 1968) had been a regular summer visitor here, at a coastal woodland acreage she called Azurest. She urged the owners, the Gales of Huntington, L.I., to develop

6960-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when

7080-565: The city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total, the state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in

7200-541: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted

7320-610: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,

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7440-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at

7560-595: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city

7680-473: The course of the war. Some of the British fleet that burned Washington assembled in the harbor in 1814. Gardiner's supply boats were manned by slaves during the war, and this made it easier for them to pass through British lines. After the State of New York abolished slavery in 1827, many of the freed Gardiner slaves went to live in Freetown , just north of East Hampton village . Julia Gardiner , who

7800-614: The diamonds which he later gave to his daughter. A plaque on the island marks the spot where the treasure was buried. The Gardiners sided with the colonists during the American Revolution . A fleet of thirteen British ships sailed into the island's Cherry Harbor and began foraging and pillaging its manor house at will; they were planning to turn it into a private hunting preserve. Among the British interlopers were Henry Clinton and John André . At one point, Major André and Gardiner's son Nathaniel Gardiner exchanged toasts on

7920-711: The district attorney for Brooklyn is called the Kings County District Attorney). Gardiners Island The island has been owned by the Gardiner family and their descendants since 1639 when Lion Gardiner purchased it from the Montaukett chief Wyandanch . At 5.19 square miles (13.4 km ), it is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States, though slightly smaller than Naushon Island in Massachusetts, owned by

8040-413: The estimated $ 2 million per year upkeep and taxes of the island. Robert said he would not oppose ownership by the government or a private conservancy group. The case went to court in 1980 and Robert was initially barred from visiting the island, but in 1992, courts ruled that he could visit the island (although the Goelets and Gardiner were not on the island at the same time). Robert Gardiner, who claimed

8160-712: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,

8280-532: The first Governor of the Province, issued a new patent to Lion Gardiner's son David. In 1688, when Governor Thomas Dongan granted a patent formally establishing the East Hampton municipal government, there was an attempt to annex the island, which the Gardiners successfully resisted. Gardiner's Island would remain independent of outside municipal jurisdiction until after the American Revolution , when it

8400-417: The first United States custom house erected on Long Island. Sag Harbor was settled by English colonists sometime between 1707 and 1730. Many probably migrated from New England by water, as did other settlers on eastern Long Island. The first bill of lading to use the name "Sag Harbor" was recorded in 1730. While some accounts say the village was named for the neighboring settlement of Sagaponack , which at

8520-649: The first was coal oil . The discovery of petroleum in Titusville, Pennsylvania , in 1859 sealed the end. Many of the ships based in Sag Harbor carried erstwhile miners around South America to San Francisco during the California Gold Rush , where the vessels were abandoned. The last whaling ship — the Myra , captained by Henry W. Babcock — sailed from Sag Harbor in 1871. Mercator Cooper sailed as crew out of Sag Harbor on November 9, 1843, on

8640-499: The harbor at night, without any advance planning; the young commanding midshipman, C. Claxton R.N., was curious about the village. He later wrote about his youthful misadventures years when serving as editor of The Naval Monitor. They landed at the wharf, but an alarm gun was fired before they could set fire to the coasting vessel docked there and they quickly retreated. Claxton and his men made it safely back to HMS Ramillies , anchored off Gardiners Island . The village of Sag Harbor

8760-537: The island at the expiration of Sperry Rand's lease in 1963. Gardiner inherited three Gardiner fortunes: from his father, his uncle and his Aunt Sarah. The island was designated as a National Natural Landmark (NNL) in April 1967 by the National Park Service , in recognition of its waterfowl and shorebird habitat, and its role as a breeding ground for osprey . Sarah Diodati Gardiner had also set aside

8880-794: The island. Nathaniel Gardiner was a surgeon for the New Hampshire Continental Infantry . He was the American surgeon who later attended to André before he was executed for spying with Benedict Arnold . Following the revolution, the island was formally brought under East Hampton town jurisdiction. During the War of 1812 , a British fleet of seven ships of the line and several smaller frigates anchored in Cherry Harbor and conducted raids on American shipping through Long Island Sound . Crews would come ashore for provisions, which were purchased at market prices. During one of

9000-560: The island. One source states it was named in General Order 194 of 27 December 1904 for Daniel Tyler , a general and Civil War veteran who died in 1882. Another claim is that it was named for former President John Tyler (1841–1845), who married Julia Gardiner Tyler , born on Gardiners Island. The fort was intended to consist of Battery Edmund Smith, with emplacements for two 8-inch M1888 disappearing guns and two 5-inch M1900 guns on pedestal mounts. Records indicate that it

9120-604: The jurisdiction of East Hampton). Between 1890 and 1893 the island was shrinking at the rate of 10 + 3 ⁄ 4 feet (3.3 m) per year. On March 7, 1894, the lighthouse was abandoned and shortly afterward fell into the ocean. A lighted buoy was then moored ¼ miles northeast of the lighthouse. During the Spanish–American War , the War Department appropriated $ 500,000 to build the Fort Tyler battery on

9240-461: The land as a peaceful resort for African Americans. Lots were cheap at the time, although loans were not available. Thus lots and houses are small. The streets Terry Drive, Richards Drive, and Meredith Avenue were named for members of her family. The roads Walker and Milton were named for African-American whalers. Cuffee Drive was named for Paul Cuffee , a prominent African-American whaler. The first homeowners and two more generations had lived here near

9360-465: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by

9480-416: The lighthouse began in 1854, with the lighthouse being first lit in 1855 following a $ 7,000 construction expenditure. It was a 27-foot (8.2 m) square 1½ story brick building with a sixth order Fresnel Lens producing a fixed white light located 33 feet (10 m) above sea level. A March 1888 nor'easter caused a break in the peninsula, permanently turning the point into an island (but leaving it under

9600-593: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as

9720-516: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of

9840-432: The many different cultures working in shipping and whaling. As the first stop for ships entering United States territory, Sag Harbor received ships bound for New York City. The United States government placed a customs house in the town, the first on Long Island, to collect duties and other fees. During the War of 1812 , a British squadron dominated and controlled most of Long Island Sound. Several open British boats entered

9960-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by

10080-620: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by

10200-401: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with

10320-506: The newspaper business. He published The Corrector weekly until 1837; then published it semi-weekly until his death in 1859. His sons Alexander and Brinley Sleight Hunt took over and published the newspaper daily. When this proved unprofitable, they reverted to weekly publication. The Corrector later was known as the Sag Harbor Corrector . The Sag Harbor Corrector was eventually purchased in 1919 by Burton Corwin, owner of

10440-525: The notional title "16th Lord of the Manor of Gardiner's Island" and lived in East Hampton , married in 1961 but had no children, leaving him with no direct heir. In 1989, Gardiner attempted unsuccessfully to adopt a middle-aged Mississippi businessman, George Gardiner Green Jr., as his son. Green was a descendant of Lion Gardiner. Upon Robert's death in 2004, total ownership passed to Goelet. Shortly before his death he said: We have always married into wealth. We've covered all our bets. We were on both sides of

10560-443: The oldest surviving wood-frame structure in New York state is disputed by some. No primary sources authenticating its construction have been produced, only a description by Robert David Lion Gardiner in a 1976 documentary about the island. An earlier source that describes the settlement and early life on the island makes no mention of the shed. The island was settled by Lion Gardiner in 1639, who moved there with his family from

10680-455: The population. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 2,772 village residents. There were 1,120 households, of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

10800-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use

10920-581: The protected bay shores, wetlands and dune ecosystems dominate the land. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,313 people, 1,120 households, and 583 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,345.1 inhabitants per square mile (519.3/km). There were 1,942 housing units at an average density of 1,129.4 per square mile (436.1/km). The racial makeup of the village was 85.78% White , 7.44% African American , 0.52% Native American , 0.95% Asian , 2.72% from other races , and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.31% of

11040-527: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in

11160-749: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within

11280-402: The sailors did there; and then going on to Nantucket , and seeing how they spent their wages in that place also, poor Queequeg gave it up for lost. Thought he, it's a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan. Historic buildings from this period include the Old Whaler's Church , a Presbyterian church that sported a 185-foot-high (56 m) steeple . When the church opened in 1843,

11400-634: The same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution the only body that can create governmental units is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether

11520-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of

11640-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as

11760-641: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,

11880-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within

12000-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that

12120-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in

12240-545: The steeple made it the tallest structure on Long Island . The steeple collapsed during the Great Hurricane of 1938 . While the church has received major restoration, the steeple has not been rebuilt. Whaling merchant Benjamin Huntting II commissioned a grand, 1845 Greek Revival home designed by American architect Minard Lafever . It is now owned and used by The Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum, which

12360-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake

12480-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to

12600-555: The time was called Sagg, historians say Sagaponack and Sag Harbor both were named after a tuber cultivated by the local Pequot people and used as a staple crop. In their Algonquian language, they called the vegetable sagabon . It was one of the first crops colonists sent to England. The tuber-producing vine is now known as the Apios americana . During the American Revolutionary War , New York Patriots fled from

12720-503: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as

12840-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of

12960-488: The transport of torpedoes to Sag Harbor. Among those observing the tests was Thomas Alva Edison . Divers occasionally still find torpedoes from this era on the bay floor. Most of the wharf's buildings, including one now operated as the Bay Street Theatre, were built during this period. Sag Harbor was the residence of writer John Steinbeck from 1955 until his death in 1968. Steinbeck did some of his writings in

13080-489: The village of Sag Harbor”. As Sag Harbor's population has increased, the village has had to start bringing in fresh water from pipe lines. As in many areas, the village practice of running sewage and storm water into the bays of Sag Harbor had to change. Sewage from the village of Sag Harbor is processed by the Department of Public Works, Wastewater Treatment Plant. It uses "chlorine to kill bacteria" before [sewage] enters

13200-427: The way of local news, concentrating instead on a story, sermon, and both national and international events. It is likely folks learned all the local gossip and goings on at the general store barber shop, or on the street corner." The community newspaper The Corrector was first published in 1822. According to Zaykowski, Henry Wentworth Hunt came to the village from Boston with three sons, two of whom followed him into

13320-492: The whaling industry, and the processing and sale of this oil. By 1789 Sag Harbor had "had more tons of square-rigged vessels engaged in commerce than even New York City ." It had become an international port. After the Second Session of Congress on July 31, 1789, Sag Harbor was declared as the first official port of entry to the United States. Its streets were filled with sailors, artisans, merchants, representatives of

13440-417: Was $ 52,275 and the median family income was $ 70,536. Males had a median income of $ 41,181 versus 34,750 for females. The village's per capita income was $ 40,566. About 1.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over. As of 2015, the village's median household income was $ 100,900, and the median per capita income

13560-399: Was $ 63,995. The value of owner-occupied housing was $ 918,500 with a margin of error of +/- $ 53,587. Three of the special tax districts in Sag Harbor were ranked among the 20 Lowest Property Tax Districts on Long Island and those same three districts were ranked among the 30 lowest special tax districts in all of New York State. Long Island's first newspaper, Frothingham's Long-Island Herald ,

13680-412: Was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.81. In the village, the population was spread out, with 16.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The village's median household income

13800-545: Was bought by a multimillionaire relative, Sarah Diodati Gardiner, for $ 400,000. She erected a new 28-room manor house in the Georgian style. She died in 1953, unmarried, at age 90. Upon her death in 1953, the island passed in trust to her nephew Robert David Lion Gardiner and niece Alexandra Gardiner Creel (brother and sister). From 1955 until 1963, Sperry Rand leased the island for top echelon meetings. Robert David Lion Gardiner and Alexandra Gardiner Creel occupied

13920-466: Was formally annexed to East Hampton. Gardiner established a plantation on the island, raising corn , wheat, fruit, tobacco, and livestock. Privateer William Kidd stopped at the island in June 1699 while sailing to Boston to answer charges of piracy . With the permission of the island's proprietor, he buried a chest, a box of gold , and two boxes of silver in a ravine between Bostwick's Point and

14040-503: Was founded in Sag Harbor. During World War I , the E. W. Bliss Company tested torpedoes in the harbor a half mile north of the village. (They did not have live warheads.) As part of the process, Long Wharf in Sag Harbor was reinforced with concrete . Rail spurs were built along the wharf to carry torpedoes to be loaded onto ships for testing. At the time, the wharf was owned by the Long Island Rail Road, which handled

14160-511: Was never armed. The shifting sands caused problems for the fort and it was abandoned in the late 1920s. In 1938, Gardiners Point Island was declared a National Wildlife Refuge by Franklin D. Roosevelt and transferred to the Agriculture Department. During World War II , the former Fort Tyler was used for target practice and was reduced to its present state of ruin. The state of New York briefly considered turning it into

14280-545: Was published in Sag Harbor by David Frothingham between 1791 and 1796. His wife, Nancy Pell, ran the newspaper until 1802. Frothingham was sued and found guilty of slander by Alexander Hamilton for an article published in the Brooklyn newspaper, The Argus . Unable to pay the bond, Frothingham became a seaman. He is believed to have died at sea, somewhere off the coast of Africa. According to local historian Dorothy Zaykowski, "Sag Harbor's earliest newspapers published little in

14400-587: Was to become President John Tyler 's second wife and First Lady in 1844, was born on the island in 1820. Gardiners Point Island is an tiny islet in Block Island Sound that is the former location of both the Gardiners Island Lighthouse and Fort Tyler . Once a peninsula of Gardiner's Island, it is the location of a 14 acres (5.7 ha) parcel the federal government purchased from the Gardiners in 1851 for $ 400. Work on

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