Westport, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westport, New York
Town
Essex County Fairgrounds in Westport, with Lake Champlain and Vermont in the background
Motto(s):  "A gateway to the Adirondack Mountains"
Location in Essex County and the state of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Essex
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	66.81 sq mi (173.03 km2)
• Land	58.17 sq mi (150.66 km2)
• Water	8.64 sq mi (22.37 km2)
Elevation	226 ft (69 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,320
• Estimate  (2016)	1,285
• Density	22.09/sq mi (8.53/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	12993
Area code(s)	518
FIPS code	36-031-80775
GNIS feature ID	0979625

Westport is a small town in Essex County, New York. It is located in the eastern part of the county, right next to Lake Champlain. In 2020, about 1,320 people lived there.

Westport is about 41 miles (66 km) south of Plattsburgh. It is also about 103 miles (166 km) south of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The town is located inside the beautiful Adirondack Park.

Did you know that Westport is the place where the famous Adirondack chair was invented? The town also hosts the annual Essex County Fair. The Essex County Fairgrounds became a historic site in 2005.

Westport's History

Early Days of Westport

In 1642, a Jesuit missionary named Isaac Jogues had a difficult experience at Coles Bay. He was captured by the Iroquois people. Luckily, he was later rescued by traders from New Amsterdam.

The town of Westport was officially started in 1764 by William Gilliland. He surveyed a large area of land. Gilliland also founded nearby towns like Elizabethtown and Willsboro. He first called his land "Bessboro" after his daughter.

The first settlement was destroyed during the American Revolutionary War. This happened when British General John Burgoyne marched through the area. People began to settle permanently in Westport starting in 1785.

Becoming a Town

The town of Westport was created in 1815. It was formed from a part of the town of Elizabethtown. The main community of Westport became an official village in 1907. However, it stopped being an incorporated village on December 31, 1992.

Westport as a Vacation Spot

By the mid-1800s, Westport became a popular resort town. News about its social events often appeared in The New York Times. Its popularity slowly decreased after the 1930s. This was because cars and airplanes made it easier to travel to many other vacation spots.

However, since the 1950s, property near Westport's lake has become much more valuable. Many people who own homes there now live there year-round. Others visit on weekends or commute to nearby cities for work.

Westport is home to Camp Dudley, YMCA. This is the oldest summer camp in the United States that has been open continuously. It was started in 1885 by Sumner F. Dudley. He moved the camp to Westport in 1891.

Meadowmount is a summer school for musicians who play string instruments. It is located about 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Westport. Westport is also known as the best place for ice fishing in Essex County.

Westport has one of only two professional theaters in the Adirondacks. This is the Depot Theatre, which opened in 1979. It is located in the historic Amtrak railway station. The theater hosts plays and musicals during the summer.

Several historic places in Westport are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Camp Dudley Road Historic District and the Essex County Fairgrounds.

Westport's Geography

One of many historic houses in Westport

Westport covers a total area of about 66.8 square miles (173.0 square kilometers). About 58.2 square miles (150.7 square kilometers) is land. The remaining 8.6 square miles (22.4 square kilometers) is water.

The eastern border of the town is formed by Lake Champlain. This lake also marks the border with Vermont. Westport is located within the Adirondack Park.

Major roads in Westport include New York State Route 9N and New York State Route 22. These roads run north and south. Interstate 87, also called the Northway, passes through the northwestern part of Westport.

Bird Watching Spots

Westport has several great places for bird watching. These spots are part of the Lake Champlain Birding Trail:

• Coon Mountain Preserve (managed by The Nature Conservancy)
• Webb Royce Swamp
• Westport Boat Launch

People of Westport

Westport Library, built 1887

According to the census of 2000, there were 1,362 people living in Westport. This number only includes people who live there all year. There were 593 households and 381 families.

Most of the people in Westport were White (97.7%). About 25.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.30 people. The average family had 2.83 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 22.1% were under 18 years old. About 20.4% were 65 years or older. The average age was 45 years.

The median income for a household in Westport was $40,000. For a family, the median income was $49,917. About 7.7% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Education in Westport

Westport is served by the Bouquet Valley Central School. In 2019, the Westport Central School joined with the Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School. Now, high school students from Westport, Elizabethtown, and Lewis go to the former Elizabethtown-Lewis building. Younger students attend the former Westport campus. The new school mascot is a Griffin.

Westport also has a branch of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension. The Meadowmount School of Music is also located here. The Depot Theatre offers a summer program for children of all ages.

Getting Around Westport

Westport train station, home to the Depot Theatre

Amtrak, the national passenger train system, serves Westport. The Adirondack train runs daily. It travels between Montreal and New York City. You can also take a bus from Westport to Lake Placid. The Amtrak station building also houses the Depot Theatre.

In 2006, a Greyhound bus traveling through Westport had an accident. The bus overturned on the Adirondack Northway. Many people were injured in the event.

Medical Care in Westport

Westport is in a rural area within the Adirondack Park. Access to medical care often involves using the ferry across Lake Champlain. The closest emergency department is Elizabethtown Community Hospital. This is a small hospital about 9 miles (14 km) west of Westport.

For more extensive medical care, the University of Vermont Medical Center is about 30 miles (48 km) away in Burlington. You can reach it by ferry. When the ferry is not running, the nearest full-service emergency department is in Plattsburgh. This is about 41 miles (66 km) north of Westport.

Elizabethtown Community Hospital also has a small clinic in Westport.

Famous People from Westport

The Westport Inn Annex, 1877, now The Inn on the Library Lawn

The Floral Hall at the historic Essex County Fairgrounds

Many interesting people have lived in Westport, both in the past and present. Here are a few:

• Asa Aikens – A judge on the Vermont Supreme Court.
• Walter Damrosch – A famous conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra.
• Dorothy DeLay – A well-known violin teacher.
• Ben Goldwasser – A musician from the band MGMT.
• Henry Lee Higginson – The person who founded the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
• Anne LaBastille – A famous author and naturalist.
• Robert E. Sherwood – A playwright and screenwriter.

Places in Westport

Inhabited Areas

• Wadhams – This is a small hamlet north of Westport. It has its own library, fire department, and a dam on the Boquet River. Wadhams is known for its farmers' market and bakery. It also hosts an annual Strawberry Festival.
• Westport – This is the main community of Westport. It is located on the shore of Lake Champlain.

Natural Features

• Barber Point – A piece of land that sticks out into Lake Champlain.
• Black River – A stream that forms part of the town's western border.
• Bluff Point – Another piece of land sticking into Lake Champlain.
• Cole's Bay – A small bay on Lake Champlain.
• Furnace Point – A point of land in North West Bay.
• Hoisington Brook – A stream that flows into Lake Champlain.
• Moore Point – A projection into Lake Champlain.
• Nichols Pond – A small lake near the western town line.
• North West Bay – A bay on Lake Champlain near Westport village.
• Split Rock Mountain – A mountain on the border with the town of Essex. It is known for its rattlesnake population.
• Stacy Brook – A stream that flows into Lake Champlain at Cole's Bay.

See also

In Spanish: Westport (Nueva York) para niños