Editing Congers, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Congers, New York
| settlement_type    = [[Census-designated place]]
| nickname           = The Hamlet by the Lakes, C Hood
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Congers NY.JPG
| imagesize          = 250
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->|
| pushpin_map        = New York
| pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of New York
| image_map          = Rockland County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Congers highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland County]] and the state of [[New York (state)|New York]]

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Clarkstown, New York|Clarkstown]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = 
| leader_name        = 
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = <!-- Area -->
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 10.18
| area_land_km2      = 8.25
| area_water_km2     = 1.93
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.93
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.19
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.74

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020" />
| population_total   = 8532
| population_density_km2 = 1034.25
| population_density_sq_mi = 2678.81
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = <!-- General information -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 54
| elevation_ft       = 177
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|8|47|N|73|56|39|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 10920
| area_code          = [[Area code 845|845]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 36-17739
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0947282
| website            = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Congers''' is a suburban [[Hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]] in the town of [[Clarkstown, New York|Clarkstown]], [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland County]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. It is located north of [[Valley Cottage, New York|Valley Cottage]], east of [[New City, New York|New City]], across [[Lake DeForest]], south of [[Haverstraw (village), New York|Haverstraw]], and west of the [[Hudson River]]. It lies {{convert|19|mi}} north of [[New York City]]'s [[The Bronx|Bronx]] boundary.  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 8,532.<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |title=2020 Census Redistricting Data: Congers CDP; New York|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Congers+CDP;+New+York |access-date=June 9, 2023 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>

==Geography==
Congers is located at {{Coord|41|8|47|N|73|56|39|W|type:city}} (41.146445, −73.944036).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|3.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|3.2|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.7|sqmi|km2}} (18.39%) is water. The high percentage of Congers that sits under water is due to the hamlet's emplacement within and between four lakes: Congers Lake, Rockland Lake, Swartwout (also Swarthout) Lake, and the county reservoir, Lake DeForest. Congers is adjacent to [[Rockland Lake State Park]], along the [[Hudson River]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1980= 7123
|1990= 8003
|2000= 8303
|2010= 8363
|2020= 8532
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 8,303 people, 2,695 households, and 2,244 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|2,635.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,743 housing units at an average density of {{convert|870.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.8% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 8.6% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.0% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 7.6% of the population.

There were 2,695 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.36. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.

==History==
[[File:Lake DeForest High Tor.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[Lake DeForest]] is a reservoir that was built in 1956, and can hold over 5 billion gallons of fresh water]]

Congers was settled in the late 17th century by Dutch, German and English settlers. It was known as '''Cedar Grove Corner''' and then '''Waldberg''', which in German means "forest mountain".  It is named after New York State Senator Abraham Bogart Conger (1814 - 1887).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/pr/sc18698.pdf |title=Congers Family Papers 1772–1911 SC18698 |access-date=2011-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512170818/http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/pr/sc18698.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the 19th century the Congers railroad station, three churches, a school, the firehouse and the Central and Globe hotels were built. The first floor of the then Globe hotel on the southeastern corner of Congers Road is presently the Last Chance Saloon. The Clarktown Dutch Reformed Church still stands at the corner of Congers Road and Kings Highway.

Kings Highway was the first major road in the county and for many years the only road from New York to [[Albany, New York|Albany]].

Nine structures in Congers have recognized historical markers dating back to the 18th century, including the DeBaum House on Kings Highway, the Smith House on Gilchrest Road and the Snedeker House, where the [[George Washington]] is believed to have spent a night in his role as commander-in-chief of Colonial forces during the [[American Revolution]].

The Swartout estate, which was occupied by George Swartout, was part of a large tract of land confiscated by the government about 1777. It was purchased by General [[Jacobus Swartwout]], who was a top ally of Washington, and member of a family who traced their residence in Rockland County to 1660.

[[Lake DeForest]], a reservoir with a capacity of over 5 billion gallons, was built in 1955-1956.  It is named after Henry L. Deforest, President of the Spring Valley Works and Supply Company.

Several roads are named after Union Civil War generals, including [[Ulysses S Grant|Grant]], [[Ambrose Burnside|Burnside]], [[Philip Sheridan|Sheridan]], [[William Tecumseh Sherman|Sherman]], and [[William Rosecrans|Rosecrans]] avenues.

A memorial in honor of 1st Lieutenant Raymond B. Jauss is located at the park adjacent to the railroad crossing at the center of town. Jauss received a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in World War I, and was killed on July 15, 1918 near [[Crezancy|Crezancy, France]]. He was a graduate of Columbia University and his family had a summer home in Congers. Jauss was married to a childhood sweetheart - and fellow Congers resident - Harriet James; their wedding occurred two days before he sailed for Europe.

Congers had regular passenger train service along the [[New York Central Railroad]]'s [[West Shore Railroad]] from [[Weehawken, New Jersey]] (opposite Midtown Manhattan) north to Newburgh, Kingston and Albany until 1958. A shortened commuter service continued to [[West Haverstraw]] until 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyc.railfan.net/ws-jk.html|title=Comments On The West Shore from James Knecht|website=Nyc.railfan.net|access-date=19 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=New York Central Railroad, Table 50|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=92 |issue=7 |date=December 1959}}</ref>

===St Paul's Church===
Catholics in Congers initially attended St. Peter's Church in Haverstraw. Rev. Thomas McGare of St. Peter's built St Paul's Church, Clarkstown's first [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] church, on Lake Road in the early 1890s. In 1901 Rev. John A. Nageleisen built mission stations in [[St. Michael's Church (Rockland Lake, New York)|Rockland Lake]], Bardonia, and New City.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KL4YAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA428 Lafort, Remigius. ''The Catholic Church in the United States of America'', Vol. 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg]''. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.400</ref>

===Gilchrest Road crossing accident===
{{Main|Gilchrest Road, New York crossing accident}}

==Education==
Congers has one public elementary school, Lakewood Elementary. Congers Elementary School was shut down in 2013 due to unsafe cracks in the structure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/30/congers-elementary-closed-after-being-deemed-unsafe/|title = Congers Elementary School Closed After Being Deemed Unsafe|website=Newyork.cbslocal.com|date = 30 August 2013}}</ref> Today the building remains as a day care facility.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eu.lohud.com/story/news/education/2015/02/05/clarkstown-announces-elementary-school-closure/22963815/|title = Clarkstown keeps Congers Elementary closed|website=Eu.lohud.com}}</ref> Public school students from Congers attend Felix Festa Middle School in West Nyack and [[Clarkstown North High School]] in New City.  Congers is also the home of [[Rockland Country Day School]], which accepts students in grades PreK-12 and was founded in 1959.

==Sports==
The [[Northern Raiders|New York Raiders]] are a [[semi-professional]] [[rugby league]] football team that currently plays in the [[American National Rugby League]] (AMNRL) competition. They play their home games at [[Rockland Lake State Park]], and are a team partner of the [[Canberra Raiders]] of Australia's [[National Rugby League]] (NRL).

==Tourism==
===Historical markers===
{{div col start}}
* Congers Lake Dam – Gilchrest Road
* Congers School – 9 Lake Road
* Congers Station – Lake Road & Burnside Avenue
* Dr. Davies Farm – Dr. Davies Road off Route 9W
* Kings Highway – Kings Highway & Congers Road
* Kings Highway & the Long Clove – Old Haverstraw Road
* Paul Farmhouse – Gilchrest Road
* Snedeker Farm – 74 Endicott Street
* Snedeker Landing – Route 9W & Long Clove Roads
* St. Paul's Church – Lake Road at the church
{{div col end}}

===Landmarks and places of interest===
[[File:Congers Railroad Station.JPG|thumb|Historic Congers Railroad Station of the [[West Shore Railroad]] and Park]]

* Congers Historical Museum – Second floor of the century-old Congers Railroad Station Park building – Lake Road and Burnside Avenue
* Congers United Methodist Church – On April 3, 1831, Easter Sunday, the first service was held.  The congregation consisted of [[Presbyterians]] and former members of the [[Dutch Reformed Church]]. Originally, the Congers Church was named the Waldberg Dutch Reformed Church. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged with the Methodist Church and became known as the [[United Methodist Church]]. The church's 175th anniversary was celebrated in 2006.
[[File:Congers NY Downtown.JPG|thumb|Historic building in central Congers]]
* Dr. Davies Farm – The farmhouse, part of a {{convert|450|acre|km2|1|adj=on}} farm that ran from Rockland Lake to the Hudson River, was built in 1836 and is of the early frontier Federalist style.  In 1891 Arthur B. Davies and Dr. Lucy Meriwether married and purchased what is now the Davies home farm for $6500.00.  Lucy Virginia Meriweather Davies, M.D., was a relative of [[Meriwether Lewis]] (of the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]]) and a [[general practitioner]] who, in her time, delivered a significant part of Rockland's population: 7,000 babies. She also farmed the land which her descendants operate today. In 2007 the present Davies owners gave {{convert|6|to|8|acre}} of its property to the Rockland Center for the Arts (RoCA) of [[West Nyack, New York]].
* Rockland Lake Museum – [[Rockland Lake State Park]] – Open all year, but call the office in advance to make sure someone can unlock the room in which the exhibit is contained.  Free. There are exhibits relating to the local ice industry and community life in Rockland Lake Village, including ice harvesting tools.
* John Mini Distinctive Landscapes – The company's {{convert|19|acre|m2|adj=on}} main corporate campus is housed in Congers, making it one of the largest landscape contractor properties in the nation.
* [[Self-Transcendence Marathon]] – Held the last week of August at Rockland Lake State Park
* Congers Lake Trailway<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scenesfromthetrail.com/2016/11/05/congers-lake-memorial-park-trailway/|title=Congers Lake Memorial Park Trailway|website=Scenesfromthetrail.com|date=November 5, 2016|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x89c2c22b23a16141%3A0xf56f2a413f6cf949!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNPYbTeWgOjlignqyDKk1teqPR1b9J03hAHELSD%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5scongers%20lake%20park%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipN_bOSjD-LJUsmGxAATvcClsheyrt1o8ldfdgvt&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJ4tKTwYjyAhVyhOAKHVfeDvEQoiowHHoECFYQAw|title=Congers Lake Park|website=Google.com|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref>  – Opened 2011
* Congers Lake West Trailway and Boardwalk – Opened October 2013. Combined trailway is approximately 2.6 miles around Congers Lake.

==Notable people==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2009}}
* [[Will Cunnane]], Former Major League Baseball player
* [[Brian Fechino]], musician and music producer
* [[Mark Fergus]], screenwriter and director, known for the movie [[Iron Man (2008 film)|''Iron Man'']] 
* Edward R. Gleason Jr, Chief of [[Palisades Interstate Park Commission|Palisades Interstate Park Police]]; died in the line of duty<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.policememorial.com/Html/chief_edward_gleason.html|title=Chief Edward R. Gleason, Jr Memorial Page|website=Policememorial.com|access-date=August 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/24/archives/chief-of-park-police-dies.html |title=Chief of Park Police Dies |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 24, 1972}}</ref>
* [[Adam Gussow]], writer, professor, and blues harmonica player, and former member of the duo [[Satan and Adam]]
* [[Leonidas Hubbard|Leonidas Hubbard, Jr]] and [[Mina Benson Hubbard]], writers and explorers of Canada; lived for about two years on Friend Street<ref>Sherrill Grace, ''Mina Benson Hubbard's "A Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador"'' (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2004)</ref><ref>Roberta Buchanan, Anne Hart, and Bryan Greene, ''The Woman Who Mapped Labrador: The Life and Expedition Diary of Mina Hubbard'' (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2005)</ref>
* [[Amy Leventer]], marine biologist, micropaleontologist, Antarctic researcher
* [[James Maritato]], professional wrestler
* [[Chris O'Grady (baseball)|Chris O'Grady]], relief pitcher for the [[Miami Marlins]]
* [[Hayden Panettiere]], actress, singer, model; attended Congers Elementary School
* [[Dan Pasqua]], Major League Baseball player, drafted by the [[New York Yankees]] in 1982 <!--What is his relationship to Congers?  None is indicated at his WP bio page.-->
* [[Sebastian Stan]], Romanian-American actor; attended [[Rockland Country Day School]]
* [[Tracy Wolfson]], sportscaster for CBS Sports
* [[Abbey Levy]] (born 2000), professional ice hockey goaltender for the [[New York Sirens]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?Search=Place&Town=Congers&State=New%20York Historical Markers and War Memorials in Congers, New York]
* [http://www.congersfd.org/ Congers Fire Department]
* [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6D9143DF930A15751C1A966958260&sec=&pagewanted=print/ "If You're Thinking of Living in: Congers"], Jerry Cheslow, ''The New York Times'', December 23, 1990
* [http://www.drdaviesfarm.com/ Dr. Davies Farm]

{{Rockland County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Hamlets in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Rockland County, New York]]
[[Category:Hamlets in Rockland County, New York]]