Ellenville, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellenville
Village
Downtown Ellenville, looking east along Canal Street (NY 52) toward the Shawangunk Ridge
Location in Ulster County and the state of New York.
Ellenville Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Ulster
Town	Wawarsing
Area
• Total	8.78 sq mi (22.74 km2)
• Land	8.69 sq mi (22.51 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation	338 ft (103 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,167
• Density	479.35/sq mi (185.08/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	12428
Area codes	845
FIPS code	36-23965
GNIS feature ID	0949508

Ellenville is a small village in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is part of the town of Wawarsing. In 2020, about 4,167 people lived there.

Geography of Ellenville

Ellenville is located in a beautiful area. It is about 90 miles northwest of New York City. It is also 90 miles southwest of Albany, the state capital.

The village sits where two main roads meet: NY 52 and U.S. Route 209. A special road called the Shawangunk Scenic Byway also runs through Ellenville.

Ellenville is in the Rondout Valley. It is at the base of the Catskill Mountains to the east. To the west, you can see the Shawangunk Ridge. This ridge is so special that it is listed as one of the "75 Last Great Places on Earth." This list was made by the Nature Conservancy.

Two creeks, Sandburg Creek and Beer Kill, meet in Ellenville. They then join the Rondout Creek. The Rondout Creek flows north into the Hudson River near Kingston. Ellenville is part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

The village covers about 8.8 square miles (22.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

People of Ellenville

In 2010, there were 4,135 people living in Ellenville. They lived in 1,578 homes. About 1,047 of these were families.

Many different groups of people live in Ellenville. About 68% of the people were White. Around 14% were African American. About 28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

In Ellenville, about 28.5% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was around 35.9 years.

History of Ellenville

A map of Ellenville from 1887, showing important places.

The area where Ellenville is now was first called "Socconessing." This name was given by the Esopus Munsee tribe of the Lenape. "Socconessing" means "a muddy place where the water comes out." This refers to the Sandburg Creek. The Esopus people lived here for thousands of years.

The first building in the center of the village was built around 1798. It was built by Alpheus Fairchild. He moved from Connecticut. The area was first called "Fairchild City" or "The City" after him.

Later, Nathan and Maria Hoornbeek bought a building and turned it into an inn. This inn, the Hoornbeek Tavern, was a meeting place. Important decisions about the community were made there. The idea to change the village's name to "Ellenville" was suggested at this tavern. The leaders couldn't agree on a name. So, Ellen Snyder, Maria Hoornbeek's sister, suggested they name it after her.

Charles Hartshorn came to "The City" in 1823. He opened the first store. He also helped choose the new name, "Ellenville." Hartshorn became the first postmaster. In 1856, he was elected the first president of the new village of Ellenville.

A famous American composer, Homer Newton Bartlett, lived in Ellenville for many years.

Just north of the village is the Joseph Y. Resnick Airport. It is named after U.S. Congressman Joseph Yale Resnick. He was from Wawarsing. The Ellenville Regional Hospital was also dedicated by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This was at Congressman Resnick's request.

Ellenville was featured on a TV show called My Kind of Town in 2005.

Several buildings in Ellenville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Christ Lutheran Church and Parsonage and the United States Post Office.

Ellenville is also known for hang gliding. In the 1970s and 1980s, it became a big center for this sport. There are three major hang-gliding schools here. It is considered one of the best places to learn hang gliding east of the Mississippi River. You can often see hang gliders launching from the Shawangunk Ridge.

St. Mary's Church

St. Mary's Church has a long history in Ellenville. Father John Raffeiner started a Catholic group here in 1850. A small church was built and named St. Mary's.

Later, in 1881, a new church was built. It was dedicated to St. Andrew. In 1903, a dam above the village broke. The flood almost washed away St. Mary's Church. But a floating barge got stuck against a tree. This helped to divert the water and saved the church.

Transportation and Business

The Old Mine Road was one of America's first roads. It helped Ellenville grow. But because there were no rivers for boats, the Delaware & Hudson Canal was built in the 1820s. This canal helped Ellenville become a busy town for trade and making things.

Later, the New York, Ontario and Western Railway (O&W) replaced the canal. This train line brought many tourists to Ellenville. Dozens of hotels, inns, and places to stay opened up.

Even after passenger trains stopped in the 1940s, people still came to Ellenville for vacations. This was thanks to the Old Mine Road becoming US 209. However, cheaper air travel and changing tastes led to a decline in tourism.

Ellenville was also known for making things. For example, Napanoch axes and Ellenville glass bottles were well-known. Knife making was a big industry for over 100 years. The Ulster Knife Company, which later became Imperial Schrade, was a major employer. It closed in 2004.

In the early 1900s, a special spring was found in Ellenville. It was called the Sun-Ray Spring. Its water was sold as "World's Purest Spring Water." During World War II, Pepsi-Cola was even bottled in Ellenville using this water.

After World War II, a local man named Joseph Resnick started a company called Channel Master. They made TV antennas. This company built a large factory near Ellenville. It provided many jobs. Later, the factory closed, which caused many people to lose their jobs. This added to Ellenville's economic challenges.

Education in Ellenville

The village is part of the Ellenville Central School District. Students from prekindergarten to 12th grade attend Ellenville Central School. In 1938, the school chose the Blue Devil as its official mascot.

Notable People from Ellenville

Many interesting people have connections to Ellenville:

• Natalie Appleton, a Canadian pop singer and actress, went to high school here.
• Barbara Bel Geddes, an actress known for the TV show Dallas.
• Jim Conroy, a voice actor.
• Denny Dillon, an actress and comedian.
• Mari Gilbert, an activist who helped victims of crime.
• Buddy Hackett, a famous American actor and comedian.
• Isaac Heller, a toy maker who helped start Remco.
• James Caan, a well-known American actor.
• Pete Michels, an animation director for shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy.
• Joseph Y. Resnick, a U.S. Representative.

See also

In Spanish: Ellenville para niños