Ellenville

History

The area was originally called "Socconessing" by the first inhabitants, the Esopus Munsee of the Lenape. Socconessing means "a muddy place where the water comes out", referencing the Sandburg Creek. The Esopus lived in this area for thousands of years before being pushed out by the early pioneers. The first building erected in what is now the center of the village was built around 1798 by Alpheus Fairchild, who moved west from Connecticut. However, in what is now the easternmost part of the village, the Bodley homestead most likely stood well before the Revolution, as did portions of the Bevier and Sax farms. It was named "Fairchild City" or just "The City" after Alpheus Fairchild, who bought most of today's village in 1798 from John A. DeWitt; Fairchild had a dwelling erected on part of the site where the George and John R. Hunt Memorial Building stands today. Nathan and Maria Hoornbeek bought the dwelling and enlarged it, converting it into an inn. The Hoornbeek Tavern was a gathering place for the citizens, and many important decisions about the community were made at meetings held there. Indeed, the decision to change the name of the community to "Ellenville" was proposed at the Hoornbeek Tavern. Village leaders, unable to agree upon a new name, were persuaded by Ellen Snyder, Maria Hoornbeek's sister, to name the village after her. Charles Hartshorn came to "The City" to try a case in the Hoornbeek Tavern in 1823. He opened the first store that same year, and led a drive to choose a "real" name for the community. Hartshorn also applied to the federal government for approval of a post office and was named the first postmaster. He later erected a home for his family on the former site of the Hoornbeek Tavern. In 1856, he was elected first president of the newly…

Geography

The village of Ellenville is about 90 miles northwest of New York City and 90 miles southwest of Albany. The village is located at the junction of routes NY 52 and U.S. Route 209, and is bisected by the recently designated Shawangunk Scenic Byway. Ellenville lies in the Rondout Valley, at the eastern base of the Catskill Mountains, and the western base of the Shawangunk Ridge, which is listed by the Nature Conservancy as one of the "75 Last Great Places on Earth." The north-flowing Sandburg Creek and east-flowing Beer Kill intersect in Ellenville near the current site of the Ellenville Central School and join the Rondout Creek, which flows north to join the Hudson River near Kingston. Ellenville is within the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.7 km2), of which 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2, 0.68%) is covered by water.

Race & ethnicity