Woodbury, Orange County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodbury, New York
Town and village
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Location in Orange County and the state of New York.
Country	United States
State	New York
Region	Hudson Valley
County	Orange
Founded	1889
Area
• Total	37.2 sq mi (96 km2)
• Land	36.2 sq mi (94 km2)
• Water	1.0 sq mi (3 km2)
Elevation	500 ft (200 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,197
• Density	327.9/sq mi (126.59/km2)
Website	Town of Woodbury

Woodbury is a town and village located in Orange County, New York, in the United States. In 2020, about 12,197 people lived there. The village of Woodbury was officially created in 2006. It includes almost all of the town, except for a small part that belongs to the village of Harriman.

Woodbury is part of a larger metropolitan area that includes cities like Kiryas Joel, Poughkeepsie, and Newburgh. It's also part of the even bigger New York metropolitan area. Woodbury is in the southeastern part of Orange County. The town has four schools that are part of the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District.

History of Woodbury

The area where Woodbury is located was once known as Woodbury Clove. A "clove" is a term for a valley or a pass through mountains. This Woodbury should not be confused with another Woodbury on Long Island.

How Woodbury Became a Town

The town of Woodbury was officially formed on December 19, 1889. It includes smaller areas called Central Valley and Highland Mills. The very first town meeting happened on March 4, 1890.

Interestingly, this was actually the second time Woodbury was created as a town! The first time was in 1863, when the area was split from Monroe. But there were disagreements, and two years later, the split was undone. Then, in 1889, the decision was made again to separate, and Woodbury was reformed.

Changes Over Time

Before 1889, Woodbury's boundaries and names changed many times.

• Until 1764, it was part of a larger area called Goshen.
• Then it became part of Cornwall.
• During the American Revolution, maps showed it as Woodbury Clove.
• In 1799, it joined with present-day Monroe and Tuxedo to form the town of Cheesekook.
• This name changed to Smithfield (or Southfield), and then in 1808, it became Monroe. Some people believe Monroe was named after a local family, not President James Monroe, who served much later.

What Does "Woodbury" Mean?

The name "Woodbury" has a bit of a mystery!

• Some say it comes from the Dutch word wode, meaning "wood." So, "Woodbury" could mean "a dwelling place in the woods."
• Others think that many English families who settled here named it after a famous English family called Woodbury.

Names of Local Hamlets

• Central Valley and Highland Mills were once called Lower Smith's Clove.
• Highland Mills was also known as Orange Post Office. Residents changed the name in 1824. The new name likely came from the water and flour mills and tannery businesses in the area.
• Woodbury Falls may have gotten its name from some beautiful waterfalls that used to be there.
• The first Cuban president, Thomas Estrada Palma, lived in Central Valley. A road there, Estrada Road, is named in his honor.

Past Industries and Today's Attractions

In the past, Woodbury had flour and grist mills. It was also known for making fishing rods, with famous companies like Payne and Leonard Rod Companies located here.

Today, a major attraction is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. It's one of the biggest outlet malls in the world! People from all over the world, including Japan, China, and Europe, come to shop here. This shopping center has led to many new stores and restaurants being built nearby. While this brings money to the area, it can also cause a lot of traffic, especially on busy shopping days. The New York State Department of Transportation is working on a big project to help ease traffic problems.

On August 10, 2006, residents voted to create the village of Woodbury. This village now includes almost all of the town's land, except for a small part of the village of Harriman.

Most people living in Woodbury have a Central Valley, NY 10917 address or a Highland Mills, NY 10930 address. (The Woodbury, NY 11797 address is for a different Woodbury on Long Island).

Geography of Woodbury

Woodbury covers about 37.2 square miles (96.3 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 36.2 square miles (93.8 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 1.0 square mile (2.6 square kilometers), is water.

The town is located west of West Point, which is home to the United States Military Academy. Several important roads pass through Woodbury, including Interstate 87, NY-17, NY-32, and US Route 6.

Schunnemunk Mountain forms part of the western border of the town.

Population Changes Over Time

Woodbury has grown quite a bit over the years! In 1890, there were about 1,528 people living here. By 2020, the population had grown to 12,197. This shows how the town has developed and attracted more residents over more than a century.

Communities and Locations in Woodbury

Here are some of the smaller communities and important places you can find in Woodbury:

• Central Valley – A hamlet located south of Highland Mills on NY-32.
• Coronet Lake – A small lake that is partly within the town.
• Cromwell Lake – Another small lake, found northwest of Central Valley.
• Highland Mills – A hamlet located west of Interstate 87 on NY-32.
• Harriman – A village that is partly in Woodbury, at the southern edge of the town.
• Lebanon – A former hamlet in the western part of Woodbury, on Shunnemunk Mountain.
• Newburgh Junction – A former hamlet at the very southern tip of the town on NY-17.
• Thevenet Hall – A specific location at the western town line.
• Woodbury – The former hamlet of Woodbury is north of Highland Mills, on NY-32.

How Woodbury is Governed

Woodbury has both a town government and a village government.

Town Government

Woodbury Town Hall

The town of Woodbury is run by a Town Board. This board has four elected council members who serve four-year terms. The Town Board makes laws and decisions for the town. The main leader of the town is the Supervisor, who is elected for a two-year term. The Supervisor also leads the Town Board.

Other important elected officials for the town include:

• A Town Clerk
• Two Town Justices (who handle local legal matters)
• A Tax Collector
• A Highway Superintendent (this position was removed in 2015, and village staff now handle road maintenance).

Town elections happen in November in odd-numbered years. The people elected start their jobs on January 1st of the next year.

For a long time, the Republican Party was very strong in Woodbury's town government. However, more recently, the Democratic Party has gained more voters. In 2007, Democrats won control of the Town Board for the first time in over 20 years.

• Supervisor - Kathryn Luciani (R)
• Town clerk/registrar - Desiree Potvin (R)
• Town justices - Bruce Schonberg (D) & David Hasin (R)
• Town board - Teresa Luongo (R), Timothy Finnegan (R), Sandra Capriglione (R), Brandon Calore (R)
• Tax collector - Karen Poggio (R)

(R) means Republican Party (D) means Democratic Party

Village Government

The village of Woodbury is run by a Board of Trustees. This board has four trustees who are elected for two-year terms. The main leader of the village is the Mayor, who is also elected for a two-year term and leads the Board of Trustees.

Village elections used to be held in March, then moved to June, and now they happen in November at the same time as general elections.

The current village officials are:

• Mayor - Andrew Giacomazza (R)
• Village board - Susan Ciriello (R), Vic Ferrarelli (R), Matthew Fabbro (D), Jim Freiband (D)
• Village attorney - Kelly Naughton
• Village Treasurer - Desiree Potvin
• Village Clerk - Jessica McClennan

Education in Woodbury

Most students in Woodbury attend schools in the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District. However, some parts of Woodbury are in other school districts, including:

• The Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District (whose high school is James I. O'Neill High School)
• The Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District
• The Cornwall Central School District

See also

In Spanish: Woodbury (condado de Orange, Nueva York) para niños