Yaphank, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yaphank, New York
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The historic Swezey-Avey House on the southeast bank of Upper Yaphank Lake
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U.S. Census map
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 Yaphank, New York
Location in Long Island
Yaphank, New York
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Suffolk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.8 sq mi (35.7 km2) |
| • Land | 13.7 sq mi (35.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,974 |
| • Density | 433.4/sq mi (167.34/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
11980
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| Area code(s) | 631, 934 |
| FIPS code | 36-83426 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0971807 |
Yaphank (pronounced "YAP-ank") is a small community called a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is also known as a census-designated place (CDP). In 2020, about 5,974 people lived there.
Yaphank is located in the southern part of the Town of Brookhaven. Most students in Yaphank go to schools in the Longwood Central School District. A small part of Yaphank is served by the South Country Central School District.
Contents
History
Early Beginnings
Yaphank's story began in 1726 when Captain Robert Robinson built his Dutch Colonial house. Later, in 1739, he received permission to build a mill by damming the Carmans River. This mill's construction is considered the official start of Yaphank.
In the mid-1700s, another person named John Homan built two more mills along the Carmans River. Because of these mills, the town was first called "Millville." A famous writer, Mary Louise Booth, was born in Millville in 1831.
Renaming the Town
In 1846, a post office opened in Millville. However, there were already thirteen other towns named "Millville" in New York state! To avoid confusion, the town was renamed "Yaphank." This name comes from the local Native American word Yamphanke, which means "bank of a river."
The Railroad Arrives
A big change happened in 1843 when the Long Island Rail Road built a railroad station in Yaphank. Almost overnight, this small mill town became a busy center for business. By 1875, Yaphank had many different businesses. These included two grist mills (for grinding grain), two lumber mills, and two blacksmith shops. There was also a printing office, an upholstery shop, and a stagecoach line. The town had two physicians, a shoe shop, and two wheelwright shops (for making and fixing wheels). You could also find a meat market, a dressmaker, and a general store.
Today, Yaphank still has some of these businesses, like the railroad station and general stores. It also has delis, a pizza shop, a shooting supply company, a bank, and a house moving company.
Camp Upton and Famous Visitors
Yaphank was once home to Camp Upton, a large military training camp. In 1917, it was used as a boot camp for soldiers. Before World War I ended, over 30,000 men received their basic training there.
One famous person who trained at Camp Upton was the songwriter Irving Berlin. While there, he wrote a musical comedy show called Yip Yip Yaphank. This show even played on Broadway for a short time. Berlin also wrote the famous patriotic song "God Bless America" at Camp Upton.
After World War I, in 1947, the Camp Upton site became home to the Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is a major science research center.
Parr Meadows and Community Facilities
In 1977, a horse racing track called Parr Meadows operated in Yaphank. It reopened briefly in 1986 as Suffolk Meadows. In 1979, Parr Meadows hosted a special concert. It was a tenth-anniversary reunion for many of the original performers from the famous Woodstock Festival.
Yaphank is also home to several important facilities for Suffolk County. These include the Suffolk County Police Department headquarters and the county fire academy. There's also the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center. This farm shows how a real farm works and offers educational programs from Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Camp Siegfried
In the 1930s, Yaphank was home to a summer camp called Camp Siegfried. This camp was run by a group called the German American Bund. They were an American organization that promoted ideas from Germany at the time. Camp Siegfried was one of several similar camps in the United States during the 1930s. For many years, some homes in the area that used to be part of Camp Siegfried had rules about who could live there. These rules were changed in 2017.
Geography
Yaphank covers an area of about 35.7 square kilometers (13.8 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Notable Person
- Fred Hembeck (born 1953), a comic book writer and illustrator, is from Yaphank.
See also
In Spanish: Yaphank para niños
