Chappaqua, New York
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Chappaqua (/ˈtʃæpəkwɑː/ CHAP-ə-kwah) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of New Castle, in northern Westchester County, New York, United States. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City. The hamlet is served by the Chappaqua station of the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line. As of the 2020 census, Chappaqua had a population of 2,598.[7]
Chappaqua was founded by a group of Quakers in the 1730s and was the home of Horace Greeley, New-York Tribune editor and U.S. congressman. Chappaqua's high school is named after him.
Since the late 1990s, the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, and the 67th secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, have lived there.
History
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In the early 1730s, a group of Quakers moved north from Purchase, New York, to settle in present-day Chappaqua. They built their homes on Quaker Road (more recently, Greeley Avenue; Quaker Road still exists but becomes North and South Greeley Avenue in the town center) and held their meetings at the home of Abel Weeks. Their meeting house was built in 1753 and still holds weekly meetings each Sunday. The area around the meeting house, known as Old Chappaqua Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[8] Horace Greeley's home, known as Rehoboth and built by Greeley himself, still stands in Chappaqua. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with Chappaqua Railroad Depot and Depot Plaza, Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and Greeley Grove, and the Greeley House.[8]
Various spellings were used for the name Native Americans gave to their valley and hillside. It was an Algonquian word, shah-pah-ka, and it meant "the rustling land" or "the rattling land," or a place where nothing is heard but the rustling of the wind in the leaves. The Quakers spelled it Shapiqua, Shapaqua, Shapequa, Shappaqua, and, finally, Chappaqua. Their meeting was often referred to as the Shapequa Meeting as early as 1745.[9]
On March 18, 1791, the government of New York decided to split the overly large town of North Castle (jokingly called "the two saddlebags") into two smaller towns, one of which was named New Castle. The border was drawn from the southwest corner of Bedford to the northeast edge of Mount Pleasant. New Castle's borders have remained the same since 1791, except for a small piece of land received from Somers in 1846 and the secession of Mount Kisco in 1978.
Chappaqua had great streams such as the Saw Mill River and Roaring Brook. These bodies of water powered mills to crush corn and press oil from beans. The eastern half of Chappaqua was very suitable for farming. The majority of the Quaker settlers of Chappaqua were farmers. The popular farming industry also helped give way to Chappaqua's high milk production. Other popular industries from Chappaqua included shoes, hardware, vinegar, pickles, eyeglasses, and furniture. Many early homes and businesses were demolished in the 1904 Chappaqua tornado.[10]
In 1846 when the New York and Harlem Railroad extended through Chappaqua, business became centered on the new train station. These businesses included a hotel, livery stables, a public library, and various stores and small factories. The railroad enabled commuters to travel to New York City and back each day.[citation needed]
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the 2020 U.S. census, Chappaqua has a total area of 0.45 square miles (1.2 km2), all land.[11] As delineated for the 2000 census, the CDP of Chappaqua covered a much greater area: 9.44 square miles (24.4 km2), of which 9.38 square miles (24.3 km2) was land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2), or 0.64%, was water.
Parts of the Chappaqua ZIP Code area are located in the towns of Mount Kisco, New Castle, Mount Pleasant, Yorktown, and Bedford, and the hamlet of Millwood. Parts of the Chappaqua Central School District include homes in other zip codes, such as 10570, the Pleasantville zip code.
Chappaqua is accessible from the Saw Mill River Parkway, which runs through Westchester County.
Climate
[edit | edit source]Downtown Chappaqua
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Chappaqua's downtown is located along King Street and South Greeley Avenue. It includes many commercial buildings such as restaurants, a bank, and various local hardware shops. South Greeley Avenue is also home to Robert E. Bell Middle school, the Chappaqua Library, and the local police station.
Demographics
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Note the Chappaqua census-designated-place is different from the Hamlet of Chappaqua, which has a much higher population as part of the Town of New Castle.
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, Chappaqua had a population of 2,598.[12][13] The median age was 43.1 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.9 males age 18 and over.[12]
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 970 households in Chappaqua, of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 65.7% were married-couple households, 8.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 1,004 housing units, of which 3.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%.[12]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,783 | 68.6% |
| Black or African American | 31 | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0 | 0.0% |
| Asian | 478 | 18.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 105 | 4.0% |
| Two or more races | 199 | 7.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 203 | 7.8% |
2010 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2010 census, following a major revision to the delineation of its boundaries by the Census Bureau, the population was 1,436.[15]
According to the 2010 census, males had a median income of $207,083 versus $128,750 for females. 0% of families were below the poverty line. 6.6% of people old enough had a high school or equivalent degree of education, 5.8 had some college but no degree, 4% had an associate degree, 37.3% had a bachelor's degree, and 46.3% had a graduate or professional degree.
2000 census
[edit | edit source]At the 2000 census, with very different census-defined boundaries, Chappaqua had a population of 9,468.[16]
Demographic estimates
[edit | edit source]According to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the median household income is $250,000+.
Nationwide, Chappaqua ranks 42nd among the 100 highest-income places in the United States (with at least 1,000 households). In 2008, CNNMoney listed Chappaqua fifth in their list of "25 top-earning towns."[17] In 2007, the estimated median household income for Chappaqua residents was $198,000.[18]
Crime
[edit | edit source]Although Chappaqua's crime rate is far below the national average,[19] the area has had a few high-profile murders. In 1996, a battle between a lottery winner and his former lover over custody of their 5-year-old child resulted in a gun battle; the winner was acquitted of the murder of his former lover on the basis of self-defense, and convicted of the shooting of the woman's father.[20] In November 2006 a disbarred attorney drove the body of his severely injured wife to Northern Westchester Hospital, claiming that the couple had been ambushed and shot in the nearby town of Millwood. She died soon after. For over a year, police expressed skepticism about the husband's account and did not rule him out as a suspect. In December 2007 the man was charged with his wife's murder after trying to collect on life insurance policies.[21][22] Carlos Perez-Olivo was convicted October 4, 2008 for the murder of his wife, Peggy Perez-Olivo, who had been working as a teaching assistant at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School in Chappaqua.[23]
Government
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Chappaqua is within the New York State Assembly's 93rd district and the New York State Senate's 40th district. The village is in New York's 17th District.
Arts and culture
[edit | edit source]Notable structures
[edit | edit source]
- The international headquarters of Reader's Digest was in Chappaqua. The exterior featured statues of Pegasus.[24]
- The Chappaqua Friends Meeting House, circa 1753, is the oldest extant Quaker meeting house in Westchester County, and is a contributing property to the Old Chappaqua Historic District.[citation needed]
- America's first concrete barn was completed by Horace Greeley on his Chappaqua farm in 1856. It was also one of the first concrete buildings ever built in the U.S. Greeley's daughter and son-in-law later remodeled it into their house and named it Rehoboth.[citation needed]
- Part of the original structure of one of Horace Greeley's homes is part of the present-day New Castle Historical Society.[25]
- The Shamberg House, designed by Richard Meier, was built in Chappaqua in 1974.[26]
A Georgian-inspired mansion in Chappaqua served as the shooting location for the 2022 horror film Bodies Bodies Bodies.[27][28]
Education
[edit | edit source]The Chappaqua Central School District includes the village.[29] In 2024, Chappaqua Central School District had around 3.5 thousand students from grades K-12, above the national average.
Around 1928, Robert E. Bell Middle School,[30] known at the time as Horace Greeley School, was built. The present day Horace Greeley High School was built in 1957. The three elementary schools in Chappaqua were completed over a twenty-year period: Roaring Brook School[31] in 1951, Douglas G. Grafflin[32] in 1962, and Westorchard[33] in 1971.
In 2003, after the opening of the new middle school, Seven Bridges, and the moving of the fifth grade from Chappaqua's elementary schools to the middle schools, the district added a full day kindergarten.[34][35]
In 2024, Chappaqua Central School District was ranked as the 17th best public school district in New York State.[36]
Schools currently operating in Chappaqua include:[37]
- Robert E. Bell MS
- Douglas Grafflin ES
- Seven Bridges MS
- Roaring Brook ES
- Horace Greeley High School
- Westorchard ES
History of Chappaqua schools
[edit | edit source]Small, one-room schoolhouses devoid of windows were prevalent in the 1800s. In the Chappaqua region, there were eight such schoolhouses.[citation needed] These small schools prevailed until around 1870, when the Quakers built a large school called the Chappaqua Mountain Institute on Quaker Street. In the year 1885 the school caught fire,[38] and much refurbishing was done, with the addition of two new wings. It was sold in 1908 and the school's property is now owned by Children's Aid.
Utilities
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Emergency services
[edit | edit source]Emergency medical services and fire protection are provided by volunteer agencies. The Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides basic life support services to most of New Castle, including Chappaqua. Paramedic service is provided by Westchester EMS, a non-profit provider. The hamlet is protected by the New Castle Police Department, which also provides first-response services for medical emergencies. The volunteer-based Chappaqua Fire Department, established in 1910, provides firefighting services to the hamlet of Chappaqua.[39][40] The fire department currently maintains two firehouses in Chappaqua.[41]
Notable people
[edit | edit source]- Bill Ackman,[42] investor and CEO & Founder of Pershing Square Capital Management
- Adam Arkin,[43] American television, film, and stage actor, son of Alan Arkin
- Alan Arkin,[44] Academy Award-winning actor, best known for his roles in such films as The In-Laws, Catch-22, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Wait Until Dark, Argo, and Little Miss Sunshine.
- Bibi Besch,[45] actress
- Dave Bickler,[46] lead singer of Survivor
- Dan Biederman,[47] urban redevelopment expert
- Mark Bomback, screenwriter
- Tina L. Brozman, former Chief Justice of the Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York
- Dan Bucatinsky, actor, producer, director, 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series as James Novak in Scandal.
- Bill and Hillary Clinton, former governor of Arkansas and U.S. president, and former first lady, U.S. senator, and United States Secretary of State. The Clintons purchased their home in Chappaqua for $1.7 million in 1999, near the end of Bill Clinton's presidency.[48]
- Renee Cox, Jamaican-American artist, photographer, political activist, and curator
- Leo Esaki, a Japanese physicist, was living in the town when he won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1973.[49]
- Aerin Frankel[50], professional and Team USA ice hockey goaltender.
- Ace Frehley,[51] lead guitarist of Kiss
- Eric Fromm, tennis player
- Jean Craighead George, author of children's novels My Side of the Mountain (set in the Catskills) and Julie of the Wolves
- Bob Giraldi, television and commercial director
- Earl G. Graves, Jr., former NBA player
- Horace Greeley, reformer, politician, editor of the newspaper New York Tribune. He came to Chappaqua to live in a rural area, so in 1853 he bought 78 acres (320,000 m2) of land just east of the railroad. His land included upland pastures near present-day Aldridge Road, Greeley Hill, and the marshy fields now the site of the Bell Middle School fields and the shopping area along South Greeley Avenue.
- Nora Guthrie,[52] daughter of Woody Guthrie and sister of Arlo Guthrie
- Roxanne Hart, American television, film and stage actress, appeared in Highlander, nurse on Chicago Hope among other roles. (Her father, Edward Hart, was principal of Horace Greeley High School)
- David Ho, prominent HIV/AIDS researcher
- Ian Hunter, singer and guitar player with the band Mott The Hoople.[53]
- Mary Beth Hurt, actress
- Paul F. Iams, founder of the Iams pet food company
- Kenneth T. Jackson, American historian
- Stu Jackson, former NBA head coach and current senior vice president of the NBA
- Herman Kahn, Cold War military strategist
- Heather Paige Kent, actress, podcaster and reality TV personality
- Jonathan Klein, former president of CNN
- Peter Kunhardt, documentary film-maker
- Sandra Lee, host of Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, a show on the Food Network
- Brian Leiser, musician
- Paul Levitz, president of DC Comics
- Ferdinand Lundberg, author, journalist, economist
- Andrew McCabe, former acting director of the FBI
- William F. May, former chairman and chief executive of the American Can Company, co-founder of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.[54]
- Richard McKelvey, noted political scientist and professor at California Institute of Technology
- Jordan Mechner, creator of Prince of Persia, also filmmaker
- Adam Mosseri, entrepreneur, head of Instagram
- Jacqueline Novak, comedian
- Daniel O'Keefe, Reader's Digest editor and inventor of the secular holiday Festivus. His son, Dan O'Keefe, popularized the holiday in 1997 by writing it into the plot of the television sitcom Seinfeld.[55]
- Frank R. Pierson, screenwriter and film director
- Robert L. "Nob" Rauch, financier and flying disc sports executive
- Andy Rubin, technology pioneer (hand-held devices)
- Jay O. Sanders, American character actor
- Peter Saul, painter
- Paul Schrader, writer and director
- John and Elizabeth Sherrill, Christian writers
- Ben Stiller, actor
- Bert Sugar, boxing historian
- Martin J. Sullivan, former president and former chief executive officer of American International Group, Inc.[56]
- Rene Syler, journalist
- Christine Taylor, actress
- Jeff Van Gundy,[48] former head coach of the Houston Rockets, former head coach of the New York Knicks
- Kevin Wade, screenwriter known best for Working Girl[57]
- Dar Williams,[43] singer-songwriter
- Vanessa Williams,[43] Miss America 1984 beauty pageant, model, actress, singer
- Jenna Wolfe, sportscaster
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ↑ "Chappaqua". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "2010 Demographic Profile Data: Chappaqua CDP, New York". Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "FIPS55 Data: New York". FIPS55 Data. United States Geological Survey. February 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 19, 2006.
- ↑ "Post Offices By County: Westchester County, New York". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Places: New York". 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:NRISref
- ↑ Warde, Robert (1982). Chappaqua: Our Connections to Its Past. Chappaqua Central School District (CCSD).
- ↑ "Chappaqua Tornado". Westchester County Archives.
- ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Chappaqua CDP, New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Chappaqua CDP, New York". United States Census Bureau. 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2000 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Chappaqua CDP, New York". United States Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- ↑ Cox, Jeff. "25 top-earning towns: Wondering where the wealth is? Residents of these 25 places have the highest median household incomes in the country", CNNMoney.com, 2007.
- ↑ Berger, Joseph. "Feeling the Wall Street Pinch at Home", The New York Times, November 1, 2008.
- ↑ World, Leading Real Estate Companies of the. "Chappaqua, NY Real Estate Homes for Sale".
- ↑ "Lotto Winner Guilty in a Killing, Cleared in 2d", The New York Times, March 21, 1998.
- ↑ Fitzgerald, Jim. "Husband Not Ruled Out in Murder Probe", Associated Press, November 22, 2006.
- ↑ McFadden, Robert D. and Santos, Fernanda. "Westchester Lawyer Charged in Wife’s 2006 Shooting Death", The New York Times, December 21, 2007.
- ↑ "Lawyer Convicted in Wife’s Death", Associated Press, October 5, 2008.
- ↑ Deffenbaugh, Ryan (December 16, 2016). "Iconic Reader's Digest headquarters will house apartment dwellers". Westfair Business Journal. Westfair Business Publications. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Horace Greeley House Ornament – New Castle Historical Society".
- ↑ Cassara, Silvio (1995). Richard Meier: Works and Projects. Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona.
- ↑ Zucker, Dave (July 14, 2021). "This Murder Movie House in Chappaqua Is Absolutely Killing It". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ↑ Edwards, Jeff (August 15, 2022). "Hudson Valley Mansion Is The Real Star Of That New Pete Davidson Movie". Patch.
- ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Westchester County, NY" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 16, 2024. - Text list
- ↑ "Robert E. Bell Middle School". Archived from the original on March 14, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "Roaring Brook School". Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006.
- ↑ "Douglas G. Grafflin". Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006.
- ↑ "Westorchard". Archived from the original on December 23, 2006. Retrieved December 8, 2006.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Merri. "IN THE SCHOOLS; The Half-Day Stress Of Kindergarten", The New York Times, February 23, 2003.
- ↑ "Minutes, Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education, May 25, 2004". Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
- ↑ "Chappaqua Central School District - New York". Niche. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ↑ "Our Schools". Chappaqua Central School District. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ↑ "Driven Out By The Fire; The Quaker Schoolhouse At Chappaqua Burned. The Teachers And Children In The Bitter Cold In Their Night Clothes--Cool Young Farragut", The New York Times, February 22, 1885.
- ↑ "New Castle Fire District #1". chappaquafd.org.
- ↑ The Chappaqua Fire Department will celebrate our 100th Anniversary., Chappaqua Fire Department.
- ↑ "Chappaqua Fire Department - Fire Stations". www.chappaquafd.org.
- ↑ William Ackman: Targeting Target Archived May 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Hershenson, Roberta. "Footlights", The New York Times, March 27, 2005.
- ↑ Lague, Louise. "Stardom Was a Catch-22 for Alan Arkin, but His Wife and a Guru Helped Beat the System", People Magazine, March 26, 1979.
- ↑ Van Gelder, Lawrence. "Bibi Besch, 54, Dies; TV and Film Actress And a Force in Guild", The New York Times, September 14, 1996.
- ↑ Serico, Chris. "Survivor’s lead singer is a Real Man of Genius who teaches tunes to Chappaqua kids" Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine, Journal News, November 29, 2007.
- ↑ "bryantpark.org". Archived from the original on October 14, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 Montgomery, David. "The Clintons Are Coming and Chappaqua Braces", The Washington Post, September 4, 1999.
- ↑ Smith, Craig (March 10, 2016). "image of Leo Esaki in Chappaqua". Getty Images. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Stats". www.thepwhl.com. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ↑ Mann, Ted. "Ace Frehley Goin’ Solo (Again)" Archived 2008-12-23 at the Wayback Machine, Journal News, February 19, 2008.
- ↑ Staudter, Thomas. "Plucking New Songs From Guthrie Archives", The New York Times, January 4, 2004.
- ↑ "The Official Ian Hunter Website - The Horse's Mouth". www.ianhunter.com.
- ↑ Chamoff, Lisa (September 22, 2011). "William May, former chairman and CEO of Greenwich's American Can Co., dies at 95". Connecticut Post. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
- ↑ A Festivus for the rest of us by Mindie Paget, December 18, 2005.
- ↑ Sherwell, Philip (October 11, 2008). "Martin Sullivan: Briton blamed by Congress as a villain of the global financial crisis. It has been a rough few months for Martin Sullivan, the jovial Essex boy who was until recently feted as the most influential British businessman in America". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
- ↑ Kevin Wade Filmography, Fandango
External links
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- Hamlets in New York (state)
- Census-designated places in New York (state)
- Census-designated places in Westchester County, New York
- Hamlets in Westchester County, New York
- New Castle, New York