Northport, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northport, New York
Village
Incorporated Village of Northport
Main Street in Northport, just east of Woodbine and Bayview Avenues
Location within Suffolk County
Northport, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Northport, New York Location in New York Show map of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Township	Huntington
Settled	1656
Incorporated	1894
Government
• Type	Incorporated Village
Area
• Total	2.53 sq mi (6.55 km2)
• Land	2.30 sq mi (5.96 km2)
• Water	0.23 sq mi (0.59 km2)
Elevation	0-59 ft (0-18 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,347
• Density	3,190.19/sq mi (1,231.71/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11768
Area codes	631, 934
FIPS code	36-53396
GNIS feature ID	0958968

Northport is a historic village in New York, located on the North Shore of Long Island. It is part of the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County. In 2020, about 7,347 people lived there.

In the 1600s, English settlers called this area Great Cow Harbour. This was because they grazed their cattle on the land near the harbor. The name was officially changed to Northport in 1837. Later, in 1894, the community became an official village to help local people manage their own area.

The Incorporated Village of Northport is famous for its old-fashioned village center. You can still see trolley tracks on Main Street. These tracks are from a streetcar line that used to take people to the Long Island Rail Road station in East Northport. Main Street starts at the Village Green by the harbor and goes towards what used to be Vernon Valley. This area is now part of East Northport.

History of Northport

Early European Settlement

The first people to live in the Northport area were the Matinecocks. They were one of 13 Native American tribes on Long Island. The Matinecocks called their land Opcathontyche, which means "wading place creek". In 1656, Chief Asharoken, the leader of the Matinecocks, sold the land to three Englishmen.

The land was perfect for farming, so early settlers let their cattle graze near the harbor. This is why the area became known as Great Cow Harbour. A nearby place, Centerport, was called Little Cow Harbour. The oldest house still standing in Northport, the Skidmore House on Main Street, was built in 1761. In 2009, the village passed a law to protect old buildings like this one.

Growth and Shipbuilding

Woodbine Avenue and Northport Harbor, around 1900

In the early 1800s, Great Cow Harbor was mostly a farming community. By the 1830s, there were only eight houses. But a new business, shipbuilding, quickly brought big changes and growth. The village stopped focusing on farming as shipbuilding became its main industry. By 1837, people started calling the village Northport.

By 1860, Northport's population was 1,016. By 1874, it was the busiest village on Suffolk County's north shore. It had three shipyards, five places to repair boats, two hotels, and at least six general stores. Northport's shipbuilding boom lasted for 50 years. But it slowed down when ships started being made of steel instead of wood.

Railroads and Trolleys

Main Street, between 1902 and 1909

On April 25, 1868, the Long Island Rail Road opened a train station in Northport village. This was a very important way for people to travel, especially for those who commuted to work. However, a few years later, the LIRR moved the Northport station to a new spot in Larkfield. This was done to extend the railway to Port Jefferson. The new station opened on January 13, 1873, and kept the name Northport.

To avoid confusion, train conductors would call the new station "East of Northport". This was because it was east of the railway point that sent trains north to the old village station. Even though Larkfield was mostly south of Northport, the area became known as East Northport. The old train line to Northport village became known as the Northport Branch. After the old village station closed in 1899, Northport built a 2.5-mile trolley line. This trolley took commuters between Main Street and the new Northport station in Larkfield. The new commuter trolley started running in April 1902. The trolley became less popular as cars became more common. Its last trip was on August 19, 1924.

Village Growth and Annexation

Even though it was called Northport since 1837, the village officially became "incorporated" in 1894. This made it the first village in the Town of Huntington to do so. Over the years, Northport grew bigger by adding other nearby communities.

Around the time of the Revolutionary War, about 31 families settled 1.5 miles east of Northport. This area was first called Red Hook and then Vernon Valley in 1820. By 1874, Vernon Valley had about 150 people. Vernon Valley became part of Northport in the mid-1900s. Northport also added the areas of Crab Meadow and parts of the Freshpond community.

Modern Northport Life

Northport Memorial Park at the edge of Northport Harbor

By the 1920s, the waterfront, which had been used a lot for business, was in bad shape. The village decided to buy the land along the harbor. In 1932, they created Northport Memorial Park. This park is a very important part of Northport today.

In 1967, the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) opened the Northport Power Station. This is the largest oil-fueled power plant on the East Coast. Its four huge smokestacks are a famous landmark. You can see them from as far away as Connecticut across Long Island Sound. Each stack is 600 feet tall.

The Northport Trolley, which stopped running in 1924, became popular again in the 1970s and 1980s. It carried tourists along Main Street on weekends. This new trolley was pulled by horses and ran on rubber tires, not the old tracks. But the original tracks can still be seen on Main Street today.

Every September, Northport celebrates its history with Cow Harbor Day. This event happens after the annual Great Cow Harbor 10K race.

Geography and Landscape

Northport Village Dock in Northport Harbor

Northport is located at 40°54′10″N 73°20′39″W. The village covers about 2.5 square miles. Most of this area is land (2.3 square miles), and a small part is water (0.2 square miles).

Most of Northport has low, steep hills. These hills were formed by glaciers a long time ago. To the west is the calm Northport Harbor. To the north is Long Island Sound. To the east, you can find woods and marshland.

A special place in Northport is Steer's Pit, also known as "The Pit" by locals. It's a large dip in the cliffs near Northport Harbor. This unusual area was created by a company called Steers and Steers. They mined sand there from 1923 to the 1950s. The sand was sent to New York City. It was used to make sidewalks when mixed with cement and rocks. Today, some of the Pit has homes and condos. Part of it is also a park used for youth soccer and baseball. The Northport Fire Department also has a training area there, which hosts an annual firemen's fair in the summer.

Population and People

In 2020, Northport had 7,347 people living in 2,906 households. About 1,926 of these were families.

In 2010, there were 7,401 people in the village. Most of the people (92.04%) were White. About 2.59% were African American, and 1.25% were Asian. About 5.09% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the village was 40 years old. About 23.8% of the people were under 18. About 12.1% were 65 or older. The average household had 2.55 people, and the average family had 3.07 people.

The median income for a household in Northport was $90,250. For a family, it was $104,488. This means half the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.

Education

The Northport-East Northport Union Free School District serves the village. Children living in Northport attend public schools within this district.

Arts and Culture

Northport's yearly Cow Harbor Day festival celebrates the village's history. It is held every September on the Sunday of the third full weekend. Since 1977, it has followed the Great Cow Harbor 10K race, which takes place the day before. Cow Harbor Day brings thousands of visitors to Northport each September.

The events begin with a parade down Main Street. The parade includes floats, the local Northport High School marching band, antique cars, and a temporary return of the trolley. The trolley was common on this route in the early 1900s. Costumes and floats related to cows are also a popular theme. Celebrations are held at Northport Memorial Park, right by the harbor. There is live music, boat races, and other fun activities. For the past thirteen years, the US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary Band have led the parade. The Regimental Band from Kings Point also makes an appearance each year.

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Northport:

Artists

• Jules Olitski – a famous painter and sculptor.

Performing Arts

• John Dias – a reporter for CBS New York.
• Robert Burke – an actor known for Law & Order.
• Peter Calandra – a pianist and composer for Broadway, movies, and TV.
• Edie Falco – an actress famous for her role as Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos.
• Alison Fanelli – an actress known for The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
• Elizabeth Hendrickson – a TV actress known for All My Children.
• Patti LuPone – a Tony Award-winning Broadway and TV actress, known for Evita.
• Chris Messina – a TV actor known for Six Feet Under.
• Dan Milano – a TV writer and voice actor, co-creator of Greg the Bunny.
• Gretchen Rau – an Academy Award-winning set decorator for movies.
• John Scurti – a TV actor known for Rescue Me.
• Craig Ricci Shaynak – a TV character actor.
• Marcia Marcia Marcia – a Drag Queen from RuPaul's Drag Race.

Musicians

• Wendy Andreiev (Wendy Wild) – lead singer for several New York bands in the 1980s.
• Wheatus – a band.
• Ian Matthias Bavitz (Aesop Rock) – a hip-hop, rap artist.
• Brendan B. Brown – lead singer for the band Wheatus.
• Frank Funaro – drummer for Cracker.
• Steve Nardelli – singer and songwriter with The Syn.
• Blue Öyster Cult – a band.
• Bassam Saba – a musician and co-founder of the New York Arabic Orchestra.

Writers

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – wrote Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) in Asharoken in 1942.
• Edwin G. Burrows – won a Pulitzer Prize for History for Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898.
• Greg Fox – a nationally known comic strip artist/writer (his comic Kyle's Bed & Breakfast is set in Northport).
• Jack Kerouac – a famous Beat novelist and writer.

Sports

• Greg Buttle – a former NFL football player for the New York Jets.
• Darius Kasparaitis – a former NHL ice hockey player.
• Andy Lally – a race car driver and street luge racer.
• Allie Long – a U.S. Olympic soccer player.
• Audrey Shin – a figure skater.
• Michael Brannigan – a track runner.

Other Notable People

• Nicholas Allard – Dean and President of Brooklyn Law School.
• Andrew Geller – an architect.
• Bruce Morrison – a former United States congressman.
• Alia Sabur – known for being the youngest professor in history.

See also

In Spanish: Northport (Nueva York) para niños