Amenia, New York
Amenia is a town located on the eastern border of Dutchess County in the US State of New York. The town’s name has been derived from the Latin word, ‘amoena,’ which means “pleasant to the eye.”
Geography Of Amenia
The town of Amenia covers a total area of 112.9 sq. km, of which 1.0 sq. km is occupied by water and 111.9 sq. km is occupied by land. The town is bordered on the eastern side by the US State of Connecticut. The town of Amenia is drained by the 24.8km long Ten Mile River, which is, in turn, a tributary of the Housatonic River. The Ten Mile River is formed at the meeting point of the Webatuck and the Wassaic Creeks in the southern portion of the town of Amenia. The U.S. Route 44 highway passes through the northern part of the town and intersects with the New York State Route 22 within the hamlet of Amenia.
Population Of Amenia
In 2019, the town of Amenia had a population of 1,074 people with a median age of 43.3. As of 2019, about 104 people (9.68% of the residents) of Amenia were born outside the country. The most common birthplace of the foreign-born residents of New York is the Dominican Republic, followed by China and Jamaica. The largest ethnic groups in Amenia are non-Hispanic White representing 74.5% of the town’s population, the Hispanic group at 15.7%, African Americans at 4.47%, two or more races at 2.98%, and others at 2.33%. As of 2019, the median household income in Amenia was $67,750, and the median property value was $239,900. The average car ownership in the town was three cars per household.
Brief History Of Amenia
The town of Amenia was a part of the Great Nine Partners Patent, a land grant in New York’s Dutchess County, made by the Colonial Governor Benjamin Fletcher on May 27, 1697. The indigenous Pequot people were the early inhabitants of the area and lived in the village that was located in the northeastern part of the town. The indigenous Scatacooks from Connecticut held sacred social gatherings called “pow-wows” in the southern part of the town. A patent for land along the Wassaic Creek was granted to Richard Sackett in 1703. Sackett settled in an area known as “Steel Works,” located about one mile south of Wassaic hamlet. Captain Garret Winegar arrived at the Amenia Union in 1724 from Germantown of New York’s Columbia County. Johannes Routh arrived at Hitchcock’s Corner in 1731, while Samuel Hitchcock came in 1757. For many years, Dr. Thomas Young resided at the Hitchcock’s Corner and named the town “Amenia,” derived from the Latin word, ‘amoena,’ which means “pleasant to the eye.” In 1762, the Precinct of Amenia was established by an act of the Colonial Legislature. The Town of Amenia was officially formed on March 7, 1788.
