The town's name, Pine Plains, comes from the flat, open areas with pine trees that are common in this region. The main part of Pine Plains, also called the hamlet of Pine Plains, is found on the northern edge of Dutchess County.

Discovering Pine Plains' Past

Early Settlements and Town Formation

Pine Plains was once part of a large land grant called the Little Nine Partners Patent, given out in 1706. The first people to settle here were Moravian missionaries. They arrived around 1740 to live near the native Mahican village of Shekomeko. The town of Pine Plains was officially created in 1823. It was formed from a part of the nearby town of North East.

P.T. Barnum's Winter Home

In the 1880s, something very interesting happened in Pine Plains. The famous showman P.T. Barnum chose the town as a winter home for his circus animals! He picked Pine Plains because it was a quiet, rural area. This meant fewer people would bother the animals. It was also close to many different railroad lines, which made it easy to move the animals around.

Briarcliff Farms and Modern Agriculture

In 1907, a man named Walter W. Law moved his large farm, Briarcliff Farms, to Pine Plains. He later sold it in 1918. A few years later, in 1916, a New York banker named Oakleigh Thorne and his business partners bought a lot of land. They started raising Angus cattle, which are a type of cow, under the name Briarcliff Farm.

The big farm was later divided into smaller farms in the late 1940s. Many of these smaller farms continued until the early 1980s. They eventually closed because of high property taxes and tough economic times. Today, some of this land is still used for farming. For example, Berkshire Stud bought 550 acres (2.2 km²) in 1983 to raise horses.

Exploring Pine Plains' Geography

Pine Plains covers a total area of about 31.17 square miles (80.7 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 30.59 square miles (79.2 km²), is land. The rest, about 0.59 square miles (1.5 km²), is water.

The northern border of Pine Plains touches Columbia County. To the north are the towns of Gallatin and Ancram. To the east, you'll find the town of North East. Stanford is to the south, and Milan is to the west.

Lakes and Mountains

West of the main Pine Plains hamlet, there are three small lakes:

Stissing Lake: This lake is great for swimming.
Thompson Pond: This pond is a special place for wildlife conservation.
Twin Island Lake: Locals often call this "Mud Pond."

Right next to these lakes, to the west, is Stissing Mountain. This is the highest point in the town, reaching about 1,403 feet (428 meters) high. The mountain is made of very old rock called Precambrian gneiss. This rock has been shaped by many ice ages over millions of years. Stissing Mountain is so unique that it's even featured as a permanent exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History!

Land Use and Planning

In 2009, Pine Plains created its first zoning rules. These rules help decide how land can be used for homes, businesses, or other purposes. The town updated its overall plan for development in 2021.

Carvel Farm

Pine Plains is also home to a huge, two-thousand-acre farm. This farm was put together by Tom Carvel, who started the famous Carvel ice cream parlor chain. As of October 2024, the farm is listed for sale by the Durst Organization. This group had plans to build a housing community there.

Understanding the Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	1,503	—
1840	1,334	−11.2%
1850	1,416	6.1%
1860	1,412	−0.3%
1870	1,503	6.4%
1880	1,352	−10.0%
1890	1,308	−3.3%
1900	1,263	−3.4%
1910	1,420	12.4%
1920	1,252	−11.8%
1930	1,209	−3.4%
1940	1,301	7.6%
1950	1,360	4.5%
1960	1,608	18.2%
1970	1,792	11.4%
1980	2,199	22.7%
1990	2,287	4.0%
2000	2,569	12.3%
2010	2,473	−3.7%
2020	2,218	−10.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

According to the census of 2020, there were 2,218 people living in Pine Plains. There were 988 households, which are groups of people living together, and 700 families. The population density was about 83.2 people per square mile (32.1 people per km²).

Most of the people in Pine Plains are white (96.26%). There are also small percentages of black or African American (0.90%), Native American (0.66%), and Asian (0.66%) residents. About 1.36% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

About 33.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.60 people, and the average family had 3.03 people. The median age in the town was 40 years old. This means half the people were younger than 40 and half were older.

The median income for a household in Pine Plains was $43,125. For families, the median income was $46,900. About 9.2% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 14.0% of those under 18 years old.

Communities and Locations

Pine Plains is made up of several smaller communities and locations:

Bethel – A small community in the south-central part of town.
Hammertown – A community located east of the main Pine Plains village.
Mount Ross – A specific spot in the northwestern corner of the town.
Pachin Mills – A community in the northern part of the town, close to the Columbia County border.
Pine Plains – This is the main village, located in the center of the town.
Pulver's Corners – A location found in the northeastern section of the town.

Points of Interest

Pine Plains has several interesting places to visit:

Graham-Brush Log House: A historic log house.
The Pines: Another historic site in the town.
Stissing Mountain and Thompson Pond Preserve: A natural area for hiking and wildlife.
Evergreen Cemetery: A historic cemetery.

Schools in Pine Plains

Pine Plains is the center of the Pine Plains Central School District. This school district is quite large. It includes parts of nine different towns across two counties: Columbia County and Dutchess County.

As of 2024, about 800 students attend schools in the district. Two of the three schools are located right in the town of Pine Plains. These are Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center, which serves grades 3-5, and Stissing Mountain Jr/Sr High School.

Getting Around Pine Plains

For those traveling by train, Wassaic station is about 13 miles (21 km) south of Pine Plains. This station is on Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line. The Rhinecliff Station is another option, located about 18 miles (29 km) to the west. This station is on the Amtrak line.

Culture and Entertainment

Music and Theater

From the 1920s to the 1970s, Stissing Lake was home to the Stissing Lake camps. These were summer camps for boys and girls. A young boy named Jerry Herman spent his summers there in the 1940s. He later became a famous composer and lyricist. He wrote many popular Broadway musicals, including Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles, and Mame.

Pine Plains was also the original home of Tri-Arts, a theater group. They performed in the Carvel Theatre.

The Stissing Center

Around 2016, there was a lot of talk about fixing up a big building in town. This building became known as Memorial Hall. It was first built in 1915 and used as a theater for silent films and live shows. Later, it was changed into different shops. After many changes, Memorial Hall has become The Stissing Center. Renovations are still ongoing as of 2023.

Horse and Cattle Farms

Besides several cattle farms, Pine Plains is also known for its many horse farms. Berkshire Stud farm is here, and some of their horses have even raced in the famous Kentucky Derby. For example, Audible, a horse that raced in 2018, was born here in 2015.

The land that used to be Briarcliff Farms is now home to the Mashomack Polo club. This club has hosted many important polo events over the years.

Famous People from Pine Plains

Many interesting people have connections to Pine Plains:

Philip Amelio (1977–2005); an actor and teacher.
Thomas Carvel (1906–1990); the founder of Carvel Ice Cream.
Thom Christoper (1940-2024); a television and stage actor.
John Michael Doar (1921-2014); a civil rights lawyer.
Matt Finley (b. 1951); a Brazilian Jazz musician.
Don Hastings (b. 1934); an actor known for "As the World Turns".
Priscilla Herdman (b. 1948); an American folk singer.
John Eric Herlitz (1942–2008); a car designer, known for the Plymouth Barracuda.
Fred Hersch (b.1955); a Grammy-nominated Jazz pianist.
Andrew Jarecki (b. 1963); an Emmy award-winning filmmaker.
Eleanora Knopf (1883–1974); a famous American Geologist who studied Stissing Mountain.
Tyler Lydon (b. 1996); an NBA Player who attended high school in Pine Plains.
Robert Lyons (b.1959); an American director and playwright.
William Snyder (1864–1934); the Head keeper at the Central Park Zoo.
Carleton Bates Varney (1937-2022); an American designer.
Tim and Nina Zagat (b. 1940 & b.1942); the founders of Zagat Restaurant Surveys.