Ossining (pronounced OSS-in-ing) is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is a part of the larger Town of Ossining. In 2020, about 27,551 people lived there. This was an increase from 25,060 people in 2010.

Geography of Ossining
People of Ossining
History of Ossining
Why the Name Changed
Getting Around Ossining
Education in Ossining
- Ossining Public Library
Important Buildings
Ossining in Movies and TV
Famous People from Ossining
Sister Cities
Fire Department Vehicles
See also

Geography of Ossining

Ossining is located on the eastern side of the Hudson River. It sits next to the widest part of the river, known as the Tappan Zee.

The village covers a total area of about 6.3 square miles (16.4 square kilometers). About 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers) of this is land. The remaining 3.1 square miles (8.1 square kilometers) is water.

People of Ossining

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	5,345	—
1870	4,696	−12.1%
1880	6,578	40.1%
1890	9,352	42.2%
1900	7,939	−15.1%
1910	11,480	44.6%
1920	10,739	−6.5%
1930	15,241	41.9%
1940	15,996	5.0%
1950	16,098	0.6%
1960	18,662	15.9%
1970	21,659	16.1%
1980	20,196	−6.8%
1990	22,582	11.8%
2000	24,010	6.3%
2010	25,060	4.4%
2020	27,551	9.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 25,060 people living in Ossining. The population included people of many different backgrounds. About 61.8% were White, 15.6% Black, and 4.2% Asian. Many residents, about 41.4%, were of Hispanic or Latino origin.

By 2020, the population grew to 27,551 people. The village continues to be a diverse place. For example, about 21.7% of the village's population was of Ecuadorian background.

History of Ossining

Ossining has a long and interesting history. The land was originally home to the Sint Sinck Indians. They were part of the Wappinger Confederacy. In 1685, a man named Frederick Philipse bought this land from them.

His large estate, called Philipsburg Manor, stretched from what is now Manhattan to the Croton River. During the American Revolutionary War, the last owner, Frederick Philipse III, supported the British. Because of this, the State of New York took control of his land in 1779.

In 1838, Benjamin Brandreth built a factory in Ossining. He made popular health pills called Vegetable Universal Pills. His company became very successful. Brandreth was also the village president for many years.

Many buildings in Ossining are very old and important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main shopping area is known as the Downtown Ossining Historic District. The Sparta neighborhood is also a special historic area. Ossining is recognized as one of only 14 areas in New York's Urban Cultural Park System. This system helps attract visitors to learn about the state's heritage.

Other historic places include the Richard Austin House, Brandreth Pill Factory, and First Baptist Church of Ossining. Also listed are Highland Cottage, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Rectory, and Washington School.

Why the Name Changed

Until 1901, the village was called Sing Sing. However, the name was changed to Ossining. This was done to avoid being confused with the famous Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a prison located there. The prison is still one of Ossining's largest employers today.

Getting Around Ossining

Ossining's Metro-North Station, dates back to the days of New York Central Railroad.

Ossining has several ways to get around. The train station offers commuter rail service. You can take a train to Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Trains also go to Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie. These trains run on the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line.

The Bee-Line Bus System also provides bus service within Ossining. There is also a NY Waterway ferry. This ferry connects Ossining with Haverstraw in Rockland County during busy travel times.

Major roads in Ossining include US 9. This road runs along Highland Avenue and Albany Post Road. Other state routes like NY 133 and NY 134 also start here. Part of NY 9A goes through the eastern edge of the village.

Education in Ossining

Ossining has a good public school system. The Ossining Union Free School District operates several schools. There are also three private schools nearby. In 2000, Ossining High School was recognized as one of the top-performing schools in the United States.

There are also two college campuses close to Ossining. One is a Westchester Community College campus located right in Ossining. Another is a Pace University campus in nearby Briarcliff Manor.

Ossining Public Library

The Ossining Public Library serves all residents of the Village and Town of Ossining. It first opened in 1893 as the Sing Sing Public Library. Today, the library has over 110,000 books. It also has many non-print items and hundreds of newspapers and magazines.

The library is part of the Westchester Library System. This means its users 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 opened in March 2007. It is 48,000 square feet (4,460 square meters) and offers many new services. These include over 50 public internet computers, a theater, and an art gallery. It also has a modern radio frequency (RFID) system for checking out books.

The main reading room of the library is named after John Cheever. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who lived in Ossining for many years. When he passed away, flags on public buildings in Ossining were lowered for 10 days.

Important Buildings

Ossining is well-known as the home of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility. This is one of the most famous prisons in America.

The village is also home to the worldwide Maryknoll Catholic missions. Another important place is the Crotonville Institute. This is a famous leadership training center for General Electric, founded in 1956.

Ossining in Movies and TV

Ossining has appeared in popular TV shows. In the TV series Mad Men, the main character Don Draper and his family live in Ossining for several seasons. Later, his ex-wife Betty and their children continue to live there.

In the TV show The Shield, an inmate is offered a transfer to Ossining. This is mentioned as a safe place, avoiding the older name of Sing Sing.

Famous People from Ossining

Many notable people have connections to Ossining:

Henry Campbell Black, author of Black's Law Dictionary, was born here in 1860.
Edmund March Blunt, a navigator and publisher, lived in Ossining.
Ken Buck, a United States Representative, was born in Ossining.
Robert Byrne, a chess grandmaster.
John Cheever, a writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, lived in Ossining from 1961 until his death in 1982.
Nick DiPaolo, a comedian.
Peter Falk, an actor, attended Ossining High School.
Anne Francis, an actress, was born in Ossining.
Jamie Loeb (born 1995), a tennis player.
Raven-Symoné, an actress.
Jesse Lee Soffer, an actor, was born in Ossining. He is known for his role as Det. Jay Halstead in the Chicago TV series.
Obi Toppin, a basketball player, won National Player of the Year in 2020 while at the University of Dayton.
Stefan Zweig, an Austrian writer, lived briefly in Ossining. He finished his autobiography there in 1941.