Mahopac, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mahopac, New York
Census-designated place & hamlet
Putnam National Golf Course in Mahopac
Location in Putnam County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Putnam
Town	Carmel
Area
• Total	7.32 sq mi (18.96 km2)
• Land	6.13 sq mi (15.87 km2)
• Water	1.19 sq mi (3.09 km2)
Elevation	666 ft (203 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,932
• Density	1,457.33/sq mi (562.72/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10541
Area code(s)	845
FIPS code	36-44534
GNIS feature ID	0956273

Mahopac (/ˈmeɪəˌpæk/ or /ˌməˈhoʊpæk/) is a small community in Putnam County, New York. It is also known as Lake Mahopac because it surrounds a large lake. This area is about 47 miles (75 km) north of New York City. It is located on US Route 6, near the border with Westchester County. In 2020, about 8,933 people lived here.

History of Mahopac

Early Days and Native Americans

Long ago, the land where Mahopac is now was home to the Wappinger people. They were a Native American tribe. In 1697, a rich man named Adolphus Philipse got a huge piece of land. This land included all of what is now Putnam County. It was known as the Philipse Patent.

During the French and Indian War, some Wappinger people from Putnam County went to Massachusetts. They helped the British fight in the war. After the war, the British Crown did not give their land back. Because of this, most Wappingers left the area. They moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and then to other places with other Native American groups.

Settlers and the American Revolution

Farmers and their families began to move to Mahopac. They came from places like Cape Cod and rented land from the Philipse family. People who made wheels (wheelwrights) and worked with metal (blacksmiths) also set up shops. They helped the farmers.

No battles were fought in Mahopac during the American Revolution. However, the area was very important because of its location. It was a crossroads between important American army camps. These camps were in nearby Patterson, Yorktown, West Point, and Danbury, Connecticut. Soldiers were placed in Mahopac Falls to guard the Red Mills. This was a key place for grinding grain and storing flour for the American troops.

Growth and Development

After the American Revolution, the Philipse family lost their land. This was because they had supported the British. New York State then sold the land to farmers and people who wanted to invest. After Putnam County was officially formed in 1812, the Mahopac area grew steadily.

By the mid-1800s, Mahopac had become a popular summer resort. The New York and Harlem Railroad brought vacationers north from New York City. They would get off the train in Croton Falls. Hotels would even have races with decorated horse-drawn coaches to bring passengers from the train to Lake Mahopac. After the American Civil War, a direct train line was built to Mahopac. This made the village grow even more.

Mahopac stayed mostly a summer resort until after World War II. Then, new highways like the Taconic State and Saw Mill River parkways made it easy to travel by car. The last passenger train service to Mahopac ended in 1959. After that, Mahopac became a place where people lived all year round. Many residents now travel to New York City for work.

Lake Mahopac

The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Massaro House on Petre Island

The community of Mahopac surrounds Lake Mahopac. This lake covers about 587 acres (238 hectares). It has three islands: Fairy, Petre, and Canopus. All of these islands are privately owned.

• Fairy Island has several homes. You can reach them by a short road.
• Petre Island has the Massaro House. This house was inspired by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It also has a smaller house designed by Wright.
• Canopus Island is still undeveloped.

People can enjoy boating, fishing, and other water sports on Lake Mahopac. There are two marinas that offer places to dock boats and other services.

A world record brown bullhead fish was caught in Lake Mahopac. It weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces (3.3 kg). This happened on August 1, 2009, and the angler was Glenn Collacuro.

Besides Lake Mahopac, other lakes in the Mahopac area include Kirk Lake, Lake Casse, Lake Secor, Teakettle Spout Lake, and Long Pond. Lake Mahopac is part of the Croton River watershed. However, it is not part of New York City's water supply system. Kirk Lake, on the other hand, is part of that system.

Geography

Mahopac covers a total area of about 6.7 square miles (17.57 square kilometers). About 5.3 square miles (13.7 square kilometers) of this is land. The remaining 1.1 square miles (2.9 square kilometers) is water.

The town of Carmel is where the government for Putnam County is located. However, Mahopac is the largest community in the town of Carmel. The Town Hall for Carmel is located in Mahopac.

Both Mahopac (ZIP code 10541) and Mahopac Falls (10542) have their own post offices.

Population Information

In 2010, there were 8,369 people living in Mahopac. The population density was about 1,585 people per square mile (612 people per square kilometer). Most of the people living here were White (91.1%). About 10.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Mahopac in 2010 was 38 years old. About 25.3% of the population was under 18 years old.

Schools

The Mahopac Central School District has five schools:

• Three elementary schools for grades K-5: Lakeview Elementary School, Fulmar Road Elementary School, and Austin Road Elementary School.
• One middle school for grades 6-8: Mahopac Middle School.
• One high school for grades 9-12: Mahopac High School.

Pronunciation of Mahopac

The name "Mahopac" is thought to come from a Native American word. It might mean "Great Lake" or "Lake of the Great Serpent."

Older residents of the area say that the name used to be pronounced "Ma-HO-pac." This is similar to how other local Native American names are said, like Mohegan and Mohansic. However, many people today say "MAY-o-pac." This change happened as more people moved to the area in the 1960s and 1970s.

Even though the local town board voted for the traditional pronunciation, both ways are used today.

See also

In Spanish: Mahopac para niños