The town was part of the Little Nine Partners Patent of 1706. The town was first settled around 1740 by Moravian missionaries to the native Mahican village of Shekomeko. The town of Pine Plains was formed from the town of North East in 1823.

In the 1880s the town served as the winter-home for P.T. Barnum's animals. This was due to the rural, non-urban nature of the town (fewer prying eyes), and proximity to many different railroad lines.

In 1907, Walter W. Law moved Briarcliff Farms from Briarcliff Manor, New York, to Pine Plains and sold the property in 1918. In 1916, New York banker Oakleigh Thorne and several business partners purchased large land parcels. They began breeding Angus cattle still in the name of Briarcliff Farm. The farm was broken up into several smaller farms in the late 1940s, and most lasted until the early 1980s, closing due to property taxes and poor economic conditions. Berkshire Stud purchased 550 acres (0.9 sq mi) there, starting in 1983.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.2 square miles (80.7 km²), of which 30.6 square miles (79.2 km²) is land, and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km²), or 1.89%, is water. The northern town line is the border of Columbia County, with the towns of Gallatin and Ancram to the north. The town of North East borders the east, Stanford to the South and Milan to the west.

Three small lakes lie west of Pine Plain's hamlet: Stissing Lake which is excellent for swimming, Thompson Pond which is dedicated to conservation for wildlife, and Twin Island Lake, known locally as "Mud Pond". Stissing Mountain, the town's highest point at 1,403 feet (428 m), is immediately to the west. It is formed of Precambrian gneiss that remains after numerous glaciation cycles have scoured and reformed the surrounding terrain. The mountain itself is a permanent exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, showcasing its unique formation and flora/fauna of the area.

Land use

In 2009, the town enacted its first zoning ordinance after protracted review, discussion and community input. The Comprehensive Plan was updated in 2021.

Carvel Farm

Pine Plains is the location of a two-thousand-acre farm assembled by ice cream parlor chain entrepreneur Tom Carvel. It currently, as of October 2024, listed on the market by the Durst Organization, which was planning a housing community.

Demographics

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

As of the census of 2020, there were 2,218 people, 988 households, and 700 families residing in the town. The population density was 83.2 inhabitants per square mile (32.1/km²). There were 1,161 housing units at an average density of 37.6 per square mile (14.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.26% white, .90% black or African American, .66% Native American, .66% Asian, .47% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.

There were 988 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $46,900. Males had a median income of $35,417 versus $26,645 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,259. About 5.7% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations

Bethel – A hamlet in the south-central part of town.
Hammertown – A hamlet east of Pine Plains village.
Mount Ross – A location in the northwestern corner of the town.
Pachin Mills – A hamlet in the northern part of the town, near the Columbia County border.
Pine Plains – The hamlet of Pine Plains, located in the center of the town.
Pulver's Corners – A location in the northeastern section of the town.

Points of interest

Graham-Brush Log House
The Pines
Stissing Mountain and Thompson Pond Preserve
Evergreen Cemetery

Schools

Pine Plains is the center of the Pine Plains Central School District. The district comprises parts or all of nine towns, spanning two counties; Ancram, Clermont, Gallatin & Livingston in Columbia County and Clinton, Milan, North East, Pine Plains & Stanford in Dutchess County. Roughly 800 students make up the student body as of 2024. Two of the three schools making up the district lay within the town of Pine Plains including Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center (Grades 3-5) and Stissing Mountain Jr/Sr High School.

Transportation

Wassaic station on Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line is located 13 miles south of Pine Plains. The Rhinecliff Station on Amtrak's line is about 18 miles to the west.

Culture

From 1920 into the 1970s, Stissing Lake was the site of the Stissing Lake camps (boys' facilities on the east side, girls' on the west). There an adolescent, Jerry Herman, son of the owners, honed his musical skills during the 1940s, leading many years later to his Tony award-winning shows Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles, and other Broadway musicals such as the hit Mame. Pine Plains was the original home of Tri-Arts, located in the Carvel Theatre.

Starting in 2016, talk of major renovations to a large town building started. The building would come to be known as Memorial Hall. Originally built in 1915 and serving as a theater for silent films, then as a first-run cinema, as well as vaudeville shows. In 1975 after the original foundation ran out of money, it was reconfigured into a number of different shops. With many changes and overhauls, Memorial Hall morphed into The Stissing Center, with continuing renovations as of 2023.

In addition to several cattle farms, Pine Plains is also the home to many horse farms. Berkshire Stud farm which has had several horses race in the Kentucky Derby, including Audible who was foaled here in 2015. The former Briarcliff farms location is also home to the current Mashomack Polo club which has been home to many cup events throughout its history.

Notable people

Philip Amelio, (1977–2005); actor and teacher
Thomas Carvel, (1906–1990); Greek born American businessman of Carvel Ice Cream fame
Lenora Champagne (b.?); American playwright and actor
Thom Christoper, (b. 1940-2024); television and stage actor
John Michael Doar, (1921-2014); civil rights lawyer
Matt Finley, (b. 1951); Brazilian Jazz musician
Don Hastings, (b. 1934); actor of "As the World Turns" fame
Priscilla Herdman, (b. 1948); American folk singer
John Eric Herlitz, (1942–2008); car designer of Plymouth Barracuda fame
Fred Hersch, (b.1955); Grammy nominated Jass pianist
Eileen Hickey, (1945–1999); Dutchess County politician
Andrew Jarecki, (b. 1963); Emmy award winning filmmaker
Evelyn Fox Keller, (1936-2023); Physicist and author
Eleanora Knopf, (1883–1974); prominent American Geologist who spent many years studying Stissing Mountain in the town
Tyler Lydon, (b. 1996); NBA Player who went to High School in Pine Plains
Robert Lyons (b.1959); American director and playwright
George Morgan, (1816–1879); New York State politician
William Snyder, (1864–1934); Head keeper at the Central Park Zoo
Carleton Bates Varney, (1937-2022); American designer
Tim and Nina Zagat, (b. 1940 & b.1942); founders and publishers of Zagat Restaurant Surveys