Ossining, New York Facts for Kids

The town of Ossining includes two villages: the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor. The famous Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison, is also located in Ossining.

Geography of Ossining
History of Ossining
Population in Ossining
Education in Ossining
- Public Schools
- Ossining Public Library
Notable People from Ossining
Gallery
See also

Geography of Ossining

Ossining covers a total area of about 15.7 square miles (40.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 11.6 square miles (29.9 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 4.2 square miles (10.7 square kilometers), is water.

The town's western border is the wide Hudson River. To the north, Ossining is bordered by the Croton River.

History of Ossining

Early Beginnings

The land where Ossining is today was bought in 1685 by Frederick Philipse. He bought it from the Sint Sinck people, who were part of the Lenape Native American group. Philipse's large estate, called Philipsburg Manor, stretched from what is now the Bronx all the way to the Croton River.

During the American Revolutionary War, the last owner of the manor, Frederick Philipse III, supported the British. He left for England, and the State of New York took over his land in 1779.

From Sing Sing to Ossining

In 1813, a village called Sing Sing was officially created. A well-known maximum-security prison, now called Sing Sing Correctional Facility, opened in Sing Sing in 1826. It was built to replace an older prison in New York City.

In 1845, the New York State Legislature created a new town. This new town was formed from the northern part of the Town of Mount Pleasant. A local Native American expert suggested naming the new town "Ossinsing." This name was a different way of saying "Sing Sing." A year later, the last "s" was removed to make it easier to say, becoming "Ossining."

In 1901, officials decided to change the village name from Sing Sing to Ossining too. This was done to avoid confusion between products made in the village and items made at the Sing Sing prison.

Growth and Historic Sites

In 1902, an area southeast of Ossining village, known as Whitson's Corners, became the village of Briarcliff Manor.

Today, two important historical places in Ossining are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Jug Tavern and the Scarborough Historic District. They help tell the story of the town's past.

Population in Ossining

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	4,939	—
1860	6,766	37.0%
1870	7,798	15.3%
1880	8,760	12.3%
1890	10,058	14.8%
1900	10,895	8.3%
1910	12,828	17.7%
1920	12,358	−3.7%
1930	17,724	43.4%
1940	18,911	6.7%
1950	20,137	6.5%
1960	26,199	30.1%
1970	32,397	23.7%
1980	30,680	−5.3%
1990	34,124	11.2%
2000	36,534	7.1%
2010	37,674	3.1%
2020	40,061	6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 36,534 people living in Ossining. There were 12,355 households, and 8,537 families. About 33.1% of households had children under 18 living with them.

The average household had 2.64 people, and the average family had 3.14 people. About 21.8% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age in the town was 37 years.

Education in Ossining

Public Schools

The Ossining Union Free School District runs the public schools in the area. This includes Ossining High School, where older students attend.

Ossining Public Library

The Ossining Public Library serves everyone in the Village and Town of Ossining. It was first started in 1893 as the Sing Sing Public Library.

The library has a large collection of books, non-print items, and many newspapers and magazines. It is also part of the Westchester Library System, which means people can access over a million items from other libraries in the county.

In 2005, a big project began to build a new library. The new building, which is 48,000 square feet, opened in March 2007. It offers many new features, like over 50 public internet computers, a theater with 250 seats, and an art gallery.

Notable People from Ossining

Many interesting people have connections to Ossining:

David T. Abercrombie, who helped start the company Abercrombie & Fitch.
Jason Robert Brown, a famous composer and writer for musical theater.
Northern Calloway, an actor known for playing David on Sesame Street.
John Cheever, a well-known author.
Kara DioGuardi, a singer and songwriter.
Peter Falk, an actor famous for his role as Columbo.
Khalid Khannouchi, an American record holder for the marathon race.
Jamie Loeb, a professional tennis player.
Jesse Lee Soffer, an actor.
Matt Striker, a former WWE interviewer and commentator.
Igby Rigney, an actor.

Gallery

Painting by Samuel Colman of the view looking north from Ossining (1867)
A photograph of Sing Sing Prison from about the same time (c.1863-1885)
Like most of the river towns along the Hudson in the middle- to late-19th century, Ossining was the location of the mansions and estates of the rich. The Kane Mansion was built in 1843....
...while "Hillside", the house of General Edwin McAlpin, was built prior to 1895
Two arched bridges cross Sing Sing Kill in Ossining. Broadway is carried on the lower bridge, while the Croton Aqueduct was carried on the upper one
The upper bridge is today used as a pedestrian bridge, and is part of the state Old Croton Aqueduct Trail