Carthage

History

The original settlement was called "Long Falls" and was settled around 1798. The village was chartered in 1869. It is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter, the others having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law. The village is named after the historic city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia. In 1861, a major fire destroyed about twenty buildings in the village, and a smaller fire at the end of the year destroyed more property. A less destructive fire occurred in 1872. Another large fire in 1884 that spread across the river from West Carthage ruined more than 150 buildings. The First Baptist Church and Cook Memorial Building, State Street Historic District, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2002, another fire destroyed eight buildings in the downtown area, displacing nearly 150 residents and leaving a pile of ruin.

Geography

Carthage is located in eastern Jefferson County at (43.981118, -75.606849). Its southwestern border is the Black River, which is in part the border with the town of Champion and the village of West Carthage in Jefferson County, and in part the border with the town of Denmark in Lewis County. The village is south of the southern border of Fort Drum. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which are land and , or 6.35%, are water. The village is located at the junction of New York State Routes 3 and 126. NY-3 leads west to Watertown, following the Black River, and northeast to Harrisville. NY-126 leads west by a more direct route to Watertown and southeast to Croghan.

Race & ethnicity